JT Garwood ’22

Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Degree: MBA

JT Garwood ’22 MBA believes nothing is more important than finding advisors and mentors you trust. “There are always people who have gone through the same triumphs and failures. Getting advice from those individuals will be so beneficial to your success,” he says. 

This is something Garwood learned early in his online MBA program with a concentration in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises through the Whitman School. With experience in the health care field, he credits Adjunct Instructor David Eilers for being one of those he can turn to for advice.

During his MBA classes he is able to talk about the future of technology and discuss B2B and leadership struggles. Garwood says, “The MBA program is the most impactful experience. It brings in the struggles from business, fundraising and many other perspectives.”

Garwood started the program when he was a senior account executive at Microsoft, but today he is leading a startup with business partner Jack Miller. Startup bttn. (pronounced button) is a Seattle-based health care company with a B2B e-commerce platform for medical practitioners to purchase wholesale medical supplies with free, fast shipping. Garwood and Miller started bttn. in March after seeing health care companies struggle with high prices and supply shortages during the pandemic. 

After talking to thousands of customers about the medical supply chain, the duo created the technology platform to decrease delivery time and lower the overall cost of medical supplies. “Our goal at bttn. is to grow our relationships and continue to build a network of partners to achieve our mission of lowering health care costs for all,” says Garwood.

In just a few months, the venture raised $1.5 million from investors and expanded its operations and users. The second fundraising round raised $5 million, increasing the company’s post-money valuation to $26.5 million. The long-term goal is to be the go-to supplier for purchasers to help decrease cost for practices of all sizes.

Garwood says he feels a sense of personal duty to positively impact the system. “Health care should be an equitable experience, irrespective of location or size of the practice. We are bringing price discovery to the supply chain in an effort to have a positive financial impact on health care providers that can be passed onto patients,” he says. “Our premise is to bring peace of mind to our providers, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”