The Absolutely Incredible Story of Eren Bali, and How He’s Dramatically Improving Healthcare for All

If you want to feel inspired, amazed, and basically really good — like Ted Lasso good — then I encourage you to watch my interview below with Eren Bali, who we were very fortunate to back in his seed round when he started Carbon Health. Today, Carbon has raised over $500M, most recently in a $350M round, with the goal of becoming the largest primary care provider in the US. But it’s Eren’s personal story that will truly impress you.

Here’s the quick backstory… Almost 6 years ago, I was introduced to Eren and learned about his plan to completely redesign the way urgent and primary care clinics around the country worked. You know, one of those super easy businesses to start (hah!). I knew very little about Eren’s background at the time, but I did know this: Eren was the founder of Udemy, he was one of the most respected product developers in tech, he clearly had hugely ambitious goals, and that people I trust vouched for him as a great human. However, I didn’t know his personal story. And wow what a story!

Where did Eren’s intense drive come from, and why would he think he could succeed? Well, it all started in a tiny village in Turkey with no Internet access, limited education options, and a set of parents that instilled a value system and a spirit of progression.

As I started to get to know Eren, it became clear that he had a unique perspective about creating companies and solving big problems, one not jaded by the many challenges of disrupting industries that are very set in their ways. Yes, he was off-the-charts bright and clearly a visionary. But it was much more than that. Eren was on a mission to help as many people as he possibly could. He was driven to knock down barriers for the masses, improving their lives with opportunities and tools that were previously inaccessible.

Since it’s much better to hear Eren’s story in his own words, I recently interviewed him, and we went all the way back to his childhood. If this doesn’t make you feel inspired, I’m not sure what will.

Thank you to Eren for taking the time to record this, and of course for bettering the world in so many ways. My partners and I are in awe of you and your accomplishments, and we couldn’t be more excited about where Carbon Health goes from here.

-Jed Katz