CASE STUDY
The American Heart Association Accelerator
Empowering nationwide community-driven initiatives aimed at scaling innovative solutions to address health inequities.
Brand Story Accelerators
Markets: HealthTech, Wearable Devices, Digital Tech, Food-as-Medicine, Social Enterprise, Non-Profits, & HBCUs
Big Results: The accelerator experience became an AHA cornerstone program that went from distributing $35k in grants to over $2.1M within 6 years.
The American Heart Association mission is “to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives”. No singular institution or organization can be effective at fixing the multitude of challenges broken systems have unloaded on our communities, nor should they. In October 2017, the AHA launched the inaugural EmPOWERED To Serve Summit in Washington, DC. The American Heart Association invited innovators from across the country to build upon the progress made to create a "culture of health" in diverse and under-resourced communities across the United States.
The goal of the summit was to "EMPOWER" their partners and alliances to collaborate and create tailored solutions for their local community that will improve health and wellbeing. As part of the summit, the EmPOWERED To Serve Urban Health Accelerator (UHA) was launched. The AHA recognized that the solutions to community needs most often reside or are “born” in the community through individuals that, at heart, are seeking to make lives better.
What Entre-SLAM Delivered:
For the Accelerator
Provided Access to Accelerator Training Materials and Performance Platform: Ebooks, physical books, and a private project management platform to keep candidates organized and connected to the facilitator.
Cultivated Innovation: Foster a virtual environment that encourages and supports innovative thinking and problem-solving among accelerator participants.
Provided Guidance: Offered mentorship and guidance to candidates, helping them navigate challenges and make informed decisions throughout the acceleration process.
Facilitate Networking: Created opportunities for networking and collaboration among accelerator participants, mentors, and relevant stakeholders.
Ensure Progression: Set and tracked measurable goals to ensure the timely progression of projects within the accelerator program.
Curated Resources: Identified and provided access to resources, including expert advice, funding opportunities, and industry connections, to enhance the growth of participating candidates.
Encouraged Adaptability: Fostered adaptability and resilience in participants by helping them navigate uncertainties and pivot when necessary.
Evaluated Performance: Regularly assessed the performance and impact of the accelerator program, making data-driven decisions to improve its effectiveness.
Built a Supportive Community: Fostered a collaborative and supportive community within the accelerator, encouraging knowledge sharing and mutual support among participants.
Promoted Diversity and Inclusion: Ensured diversity and inclusion in the selection process and the overall accelerator environment, promoting a broad range of perspectives and ideas.
Enhanced Visibility: Worked to increase the visibility and reputation of the accelerator program, attracting quality startups, mentors, and partners for future cohorts.
For the Showcase Night/Brand Storytelling Event
Conceptualization and Planning: Brainstorming and generating creative concepts that align with the accelerator and sponsor’s objectives and target audience. We managed the design, building, and shipping of the stage and event production design.
Event Day Management: Overseeing on-site operations, managing staff, handling unexpected issues, and ensuring all elements come together cohesively.
Real Impact on Communities
Maria Rose Belding, founder of the MEANS Database, increased her food rescue program from 10,000lbs to 50,000lbs in a year. That year, her work was recognized by CNN as she was named a 2018 Top 10 Honoree of their CNN Heroes Program.
Leah Lizarondo, founder of 412 Food Rescue, increased her food rescue program from 1,000,000 lbs to 5,000,000 lbs in a year. She also expanded her mission to three additional cities. Leah was a finalist for the Fast Company’s 'World Changing Ideas’ campaign.
Dr. Francoise Marvel, founder of Corrie Health, has attracted major partners such as Apple Inc., Johns Hopkins University and Abbott Pharmaceuticals to join with her in expanding her mobile app and patient recovery program for former heart attack victims.
and more…
Objective: Develop A Turn-Key, Accelerator Experience Addressing SDOH
Purpose: invite health-equity-focused entrepreneurs to improve the health of their communities.
Mission: Invite entrepreneurs to take their ideas for health innovation and use them to make urban and rural cities healthy.
Our role was to create an experience that would accomplish three major priorities:
Invite innovators in underrepresented areas to step up and take on challenges in their backyard
Increase the affinity of the AHA and EmPOWERED to Serve brands in these markets
Scale innovation through leveraging the AHA network and grant dollars
