Lauren Bell is the CEO and co-founder of Cosi Care, a medical device company that developed a range of itch relief devices for people with eczema and psoriasis. Founded in London, Cosi Care later won 43North funding, giving Lauren and her team the opportunity to launch the business in the United States, obtain FDA registration, and scale the company stateside. Lauren first met Ramiro, Tukki’s CEO, during the 43North finals, and together they worked on her O-1A visa journey.
Q: How did you first connect with Tukki?
L: Tukki was first introduced to me at the 43North finals. We were both lucky winners of the competition, and I connected with Tukki and Ramiro, Tukki’s CEO. It felt like a great collaboration and a great opportunity for us to work together as founders and for Tukki to support us throughout the visa process.
What made the experience particularly unique was that Ramiro was working in the office across from us. We could brainstorm together, and he could keep me updated throughout the entire process.
“It was a really unique opportunity to get that hands-on support.” — Lauren
Q: What were your initial concerns about the visa process?
L: I didn’t really have any initial concerns because I was a bit blind to the process. As I went through it, I started to understand more about what was involved. The main thing that came up was timing and making sure we could go through the process as efficiently as possible.
There was a lot of information we needed to provide, while Tukki and the team worked to optimize the process and make sure we were presenting everything at the right time and in the most efficient way.
Q: What stood out most about working with Tukki?
L: The thing I loved most was the transparency and being able to track the process. I had never been through a visa process before, so I really appreciated having everything listed out and being able to see what was happening. The platform gave me structure, clarity, and consistency throughout the process.
“I had complete visibility throughout the entire process from start to finish.” — Lauren
Q: How did you feel when your O-1A was approved?
L: It was very emotional, which I didn’t expect. When you think about what having a visa accepted unlocks for you personally and professionally, you realize what a massive milestone it is. For us, it was a huge relief because it allowed us to finally execute all the plans we had for the U.S., 43North, and the funding.
“It was a massive milestone.” — Lauren
Q: What did the visa approval mean for your business?
L: The O-1A visa felt like validation for me as a professional and as an individual. It was also validation for the business because we had made the decision to move everything from the UK to the U.S., including infrastructure, manufacturing, and staff. The visa unlocked that relocation and gave us the ability to move forward with our plans in the United States.
“The visa unlocked that for us.” — Lauren
Q: Would you recommend working with Tukki?
L: I would definitely recommend working with Tukki. If I ever have to extend the visa or re-strategize in any way, I think I’ll always lean on the team. My advice would be not to try to work everything out yourself. It’s a very lengthy and complex process, more so than I ever anticipated.
Having a team with different experiences and skill sets makes a huge difference.
“I\u2019m glad that I didn\u2019t try and work it out solo.” — Lauren
Final thoughts
L: I think having that support throughout the process is really essential. I’m glad that I leaned on a team that understands the process and can deliver that one-stop service. For me, having that support made the journey much easier to navigate and allowed us to focus on what we were trying to build in the U.S.
“I\u2019m glad that I leaned on a team that really can deliver that one-stop service.” — Lauren