The American Heart Association has awarded $75,000 in grants to local entrepreneurs through its EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator program, now in its eighth year, to support innovative businesses working to improve health outcomes in underserved communities. The program's top prize of $50,000 was awarded to John Wilcox, founder of Diatech Diabetes in Memphis, Tennessee, which is developing medical technology that uses infusion monitoring software to detect insulin infusion failure and provide insights on diabetes management. Sandra Saldana, founder of Alva Health in Dallas, Texas, received $12,000 for her company's work on a wearable device that uses AI algorithms to monitor the onset of stroke symptoms and initiate emergency calls. An additional $5,000 was awarded to Tomas Armendariz, founder of AVaTAR Medtech in San Francisco, California, as the 'fan favorite' determined by an online public vote, while remaining finalists each received $1,000 for their efforts in addressing health disparities.
The EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator program has engaged with over 100 business founders since its inception, focusing on both non-profit and for-profit enterprises developing innovative solutions to local health challenges. The program provides not only financial support but also a comprehensive curriculum covering essential business functions such as design thinking, market positioning, and fundraising. Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, emphasized the organization's commitment to improving health outcomes, stating that since 2017, the Association, with the support of corporate sponsors, has awarded more than $1.6 million to help accelerate innovation through start-ups and provide needed assistance to social entrepreneurs and organizations addressing the social drivers of health in their local communities. The selection process for the accelerator program is rigorous, with nearly 300 applications narrowed down to ten finalists based on their business models and potential impact on health equity barriers.
The finalists were evaluated by the AHA's professional science health metrics team and scored on criteria including health impact, innovation, and scalability. At the showcase finale, entrepreneurs delivered pitches and received real-time feedback from expert advisors, with the judging panel including professionals from various sectors such as Ali Gates, director of National Health Tech and AI Initiatives at the AHA, and Vickram Pradhan, vice president of Sopris Capital, a healthcare-focused venture capital firm. This initiative by the American Heart Association is particularly significant given the persistent health disparities in underserved communities, where people of color in under-resourced areas often face barriers to basic needs such as healthy food, clean air, quality education, and healthcare, which can lead to higher rates of cardiovascular disease – the leading cause of death in the United States.
By supporting local entrepreneurs who understand the unique challenges of their communities, the EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator program aims to create sustainable solutions to these complex health issues. The success of this program demonstrates the power of combining entrepreneurial innovation with targeted community-based approaches to address health inequities and improve overall public health outcomes. The program's focus on both financial support and business education helps ensure that these innovative solutions can achieve meaningful scale and impact in communities most affected by health disparities.
