While everyone talks about AI disrupting obvious industries like social media or e-commerce, the biggest opportunities often lie hidden in the most overlooked sectors, says Maria Shevtsova—entrepreneur, venture investor, and global AI leader.
This belief led her to invest in the U.S. medical transportation industry, a vital but largely ignored sector supporting millions of people. Shevtsova is confident that modern AI solutions can solve real-world problems for those urgently needing better tools and infrastructure.
Learning from EdTech Success
Last month, Talentsy, the AI-powered educational platform where Maria Shevtsova has played a key role, received the prestigious Digital Leaders Award for 2025. At Talentsy, Shevtsova and her team tackle a fundamental challenge: matching learners with the right educational content and career opportunities. The platform analyzes learning patterns, identifies skill gaps, and maps career paths to create personalized development journeys.
This experience gave her crucial insights into technology adoption: the most impactful AI innovations aren't the flashy headline-grabbers but quiet, effective solutions solving real problems for people who need them most.
Strategic Approach to Scalable Innovation
Maria Shevtsova's career spans diverse industries where she has consistently witnessed technology's transformative power. While at Digital Media Partners in Singapore, she evaluated startups across Southeast Asia, identifying those poised to scale through smart automation.
Earlier, she founded Myragon, growing it into one of Russia's largest affiliate marketing networks by optimizing data flows and performance metrics.
Across all projects, Shevtsova sees a clear pattern: industries weighed down by manual processes are ripe for disruption. Her approach emphasizes proven technology solutions and measurable outcomes over flashy features.
"When I look at industries ripe for this kind of transformation, medical transportation keeps coming up. It's a $3 billion market in the U.S. operating with the same inefficiencies we addressed in education," Shevtsova explains.
The Medical Transportation Opportunity
Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is a sector few think about until they need it. Yet it's crucial infrastructure—millions of elderly and disabled Americans rely on it for dialysis, physical therapy, and routine care.
The problem? Most NEMT companies still operate like it's 1995. Dispatchers take calls on paper, routes are manually planned, and drivers often get lost or stuck in traffic due to a lack of real-time optimization.
This inefficiency is exactly what technology can fix, but the industry has been slow to adopt modern solutions.
Applying AI to Transform Medical Transportation
Through her investment in TexaMed Rides, Shevtsova explored whether AI principles successful in education can also enhance medical transportation. The core challenges remain: matching resources to demand while optimizing for timing, location, and special needs.
Shevtsova's focus isn't on inventing revolutionary technology, but applying proven methods, such as predictive scheduling, route optimization, automated communication, and more, to a sector yet to benefit from such innovations.
Initial goals include reducing patient wait times, helping drivers avoid traffic delays, and automating insurance verification before dispatch.
While the U.S. medical transportation market has unique regulatory demands, its logistical challenges are universal. Algorithms optimizing e-commerce deliveries can be adapted for medical transport, and AI job-matching systems can help pair patients with suitable vehicles and drivers.
"What excites me most is that medical transportation is just the beginning. The same optimization principles could apply to home healthcare scheduling, medical supply delivery, or emergency response coordination," she says.
At Talentsy, she found AI tools for career development also worked in corporate training and skills assessment, hinting at even broader applications for healthcare logistics.
Practical Innovation: The Key to Lasting Success
Maria Shevtsova believes major tech transformations often happen in industries overlooked by the media. While consumer apps and social media get attention, huge opportunities lie in healthcare logistics, education, and specialized transport—sectors that provide vital services, generate steady revenue, and urgently need better technology. These fields are less crowded, allowing room for sustainable growth.
She emphasizes practical innovation over chasing revolutionary breakthroughs. At Talentsy, they didn't create new AI algorithms but smartly applied existing machine learning to solve educational challenges—a strategy that works equally well in medical transportation.
"Success comes from understanding an industry's unique needs and applying proven technologies thoughtfully. Though less flashy than building the next social platform, this approach creates lasting value," she says.
As AI becomes more accessible, Shevtsova sees the greatest potential in applying these tools to traditionally overlooked industries. Medical transportation is just one example; many similar markets await entrepreneurs who grasp both technology and the specific challenges of their sectors.
Sometimes, the best innovations emerge where no one is looking.
Maria Shevtsova is a venture capital investor and entrepreneur with experience in digital marketing, educational technology, and healthcare logistics. She was a General Partner at Digital Media Partners and currently works with AI-powered platforms, including the award-winning EdTech company Talentsy.
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