Alumni Rakel Apodaca (c/o 2004) and Samuel Hernandez (c/0 2003) run a successful stem cell therapy company. The Company Revive a Cell, was founded in 2019 by Apodaca. Hernandez later became a partner with Apodaca in the company. Currently, they have a salon and med spa in Rancho Cucamonga. The med spa, is where they implement Revive a Cell medicinal services. I asked the owners a few questions on the process behind the business as well as their medicinal services. 

The med spa website provides some information on the medicinal services they provide. The site says “regenerative medicine, promotes repair response of diseased, dysfunctional, damaged or injured tissues.”  This stem cell therapy helps rebuild damaged tissue which “comes with the promise of changing healthcare in the near future making it one of the most advanced medical technologies available in the world.” In addition to regenerative medicine, the spa also offers exosomes IV therapy. Exosomes IV therapy is pretty much just as impactful on your cells as stem cell IV therapy. These exosomes “send healing signals” to your cells which then “result in the repair response of the diseased, dysfunctional, damaged or injured tissues.” Some benefits of stem cell therapy are immune support, energy & recovery, anti-inflammatory results, higher pain tolerance, fights infections, and allows for cell restoration. Those who have problems with their knees, spine, elbows, asthma, Hashimotos, and other complications are recommended to receive these treatments.  

When it comes to making sure their products are good quality, Apodaca and Hernandez say  “The cells also go through a lot of tests for multiple diseases and are quarantined about 2 weeks to make sure they don’t get contaminated with any bacteria.” They then add that the cells are later distributed to doctors, hospitals, and clinics. In terms of how their research applies to the COVID-19 Pandemic, they state “ One thing to note is that our stem cells have been approved for a clinical trial for COVID-19.” Along with this, their research on the virus is studying the “effectiveness of Umbilical stem cells going directly into the lungs by the blood stream and providing healing factors for the damaged tissue.” 

According to Samuel Hernandez, the process of starting their business took scientific knowledge along with, “knowing the right people to talk to” and attending to other business matters such as licenses to operate. Among the processes that allow them to operate are the tissue bank license, a licensed medical doctor who serves as medical director to oversee operations, and a sales permit. The goal of the owners is to “ give access to people that are not aware and pushing education towards the public.” Hernandez’s role in the company is to promote/advertise for their specific target audience. This essentially allows for the company to “enrich people’s lives by creating access, user experience, and automated technologies that involve artificial intelligence.” His goal is to examine ways to make something better. Mr. Hernandez adds, “One example I talk about a lot is the iPhone, for example Apple wasn’t the inventor of the phone, but they took a different approach…” He admires the effort it takes to create and market a product that is unique and simple yet essential. 

These alumni made a great example of what it is like to run a business that takes work and resilience. Their business could soon take off and become the next great scientific evolution.