After navigating a challenging endometriosis diagnosis, multiple surgeries, and a complex healthcare system, Andria “Monique” Pourkarimi ’25 decided to tackle a gap she experienced firsthand. While pursuing an online MBA at Rice, an idea born in the classroom grew into Dr. Clara, LLC — a women’s health startup focused on closing the communication gap between patients and providers.

Just a year earlier, Monique founded Pourkarimi & Associates, LLC, a financial consulting and independent insurance brokerage firm that helps clients navigate complex financial decisions and insurance needs. 

In this episode, Monique joins co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to share how her health journey inspires her work with Dr. Clara, why financial and insurance literacy are so important, and what led her career from the aisles of Costco to entrepreneurship and a Rice MBA.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Monique Pourkarimi

01:23 Balancing Business and MBA

09:08 The Inspiration Behind Dr. Clara

10:46 Challenges and Advocacy in Women's Health

19:19 Future Plans and Reflections

22:29 The Importance of Financial Education

27:43 Pursuing Public Policy for Healthcare Reform

30:51 Concluding Thoughts

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Where did Monique get her entrepreneurship spirit?

07:45: I think entrepreneurship runs in my blood. So my uncle has a logistics company that is here in the US and transports in Mexico as well. My grandmother, she works with him and his business, and, my mom has her own insurance brokerage as well, specializing in Medicare. So independent of my pursuits, my grandmother and my mom are the ones who raised me. So here it was three generations of strong Mexican women who were, you know, just under one roof. And I think that is kind of what shaped me in terms of  the woman that I am today and that entrepreneurial spirit.

Success is about impact, not numbers

27:25: I think for me, success is counting how many people am I able to help at the end of the day, right? And it's not a number of just benchmarks of, oh, okay, I have a quota of helping 500,000 people. No, it's not about that at the end of the day. And do I confidently know that I have been able to help make a positive impact in this world? I do not want to leave it as I am starting these businesses because I am doing them for myself, or even with awards that I received through Rice. I think success is: what is my legacy? And if I were to die today, you know, what would people think about me? I think success is: what is my legacy? And if I were to die today, what would people think about me? Did I make a positive impact in people's life? That, to me, is success.

The moment Monique said yes to Rice

05:21: For me, I was thinking, wow, there is so much potential—especially with an MBA. There is so much potential I have in growing my businesses. And, as you said, Brian, being connected with the other students—I joke that Rice did all the background checks for us because I love my cohort. The people at Rice, the alumni—we are one big Happy Owl family. I had a lot of people who believed in me and were willing to help and point me in the right direction.

Show Links: 

• Transcript

Guest Profiles:

• 2025 Best & Brightest Online MBA: Andria Monique Pourkarimi, Rice University (Jones) | Poets & Quants
• Andria Monique Pourkarimi | LinkedIn