Ep. 131 From Army Medic to Healthtech Founder: Nicholas Kovalsky’s Bold Leap into AI Innovation

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins welcomes Nicholas Kovalsky—United States Army veteran and the co-founder of  Perspectives Health—to dive into his unconventional journey from military service to mission-driven entrepreneurship.

Nicholas shares how his firsthand exposure to the mental health crisis, both in and out of uniform, inspired him to take action—starting first with a grassroots harm reduction nonprofit, and later pivoting into high-tech healthcare solutions. With raw honesty and grit, he unpacks the whirlwind journey of leaving college, going into debt, and betting everything on building a startup from the ground up—with no business background, no funding, and no clear path forward.

He reflects on the power of just showing up, trusting your team, and learning everything the hard way—through risk, rejection, and relentless iteration. From pitching at random conferences to moving cross-country with no safety net, Nicholas shows what it really takes to build a company that’s already transforming how clinicians manage their most time-consuming task: administrative documentation.

In this episode, Nicholas opens up about:

• Why he walked away from a full ride at UChicago to pursue a startup dream
• Building a startup team from scratch with zero product and 100% conviction
• How his company developed a game-changing AI agent for electronic health records
• The role of speed, risk tolerance, and “high agency” in entrepreneurial success
• What the military instills in founders that no MBA can
• The overlooked opportunity for enlisted veterans to lead in tech and innovation
• Why mental health, substance use, and homelessness remain top priorities for impact

Whether you're a veteran thinking about launching a startup, a mission-driven builder, or someone who believes in solving real problems with real-world action, this episode is packed with insights, hard truths, and authentic inspiration.

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