EFOC 2024: Meet the healthcare innovators who are “taking the pressure off”

At the 2024 Essence of Culture Festival, healthcare innovators gathered on the Soko Mrkt stage to discuss their experiences building businesses focused on improving heart health. Led by medical myth-buster Joel Bervell, each panelist selected a word—such as “team,” “policy,” “disruption,” “market,” and “ROI”—to highlight its importance in shaping their businesses.

Kwame Terra, Founder and CEO of bHER Health Systemsspoke about the importance of having a strong team. He stressed that as an early-stage company, having a skilled and dedicated team is essential to attracting investors, grant writers, and funders. He also explained that offering internship opportunities is one way to attract talented people who are committed to the company’s mission. “I encourage students to have the equity, as well as the cash in the startup to give them the opportunity and the exposure to what it means to be part of your early-stage company,” Terra shared.

Crystal Dobson, Founder and CEO of CardiacFIThighlighted the importance of health policy, particularly as it relates to underserved communities. She stressed that access to quality health care, promoting community engagement and achieving equity are vital priorities. “It’s important to advocate for policies that support these types of things because there are so many people who don’t have access to quality cardiac care who look like us,” Dobson said. Cardiac Fit aims to remove barriers in the health care system by developing sustainable solutions for patients with chronic diseases.

Ashley Wisdom, Founder and CEO of Health in Her Huespoke about the concept of disruption in healthcare. She explained that true disruption is about challenging the broken system and institutional racism rather than simply building new solutions on top of it. Health in Her Hue exemplifies this approach with its provider directory, which makes it easier for Black women and women of color to find providers who understand their experiences. “We allow our members to filter providers based on race and ethnicity and now we have health systems and health insurance companies starting to think about how to build features and capabilities to better serve their Black members and patients,” Wisdom said.

Jennifer “Jaki” Johnson, Founder and CEO of WellMisshighlighted the importance of the trauma care market, particularly for Black and brown women. She noted that “8 of the top 10 causes of death are socially associated with untreated trauma,” Johnson explained. WellMiss caters to this market by providing integrated, whole-person trauma care. This includes access to an integrative physician, trauma-focused therapist, coach, registered dietitian nutritionist, yoga therapist and personal care coordinator. “Comprehensive support is essential to effectively serve this large and critical market,” Johnson said.

Star Cunningham, Founder and CEO of 4D Healthwarediscussed return on investment (ROI) in healthcare. To illustrate the benefits of their approach for both patients and their caregivers, she shared the story of a patient whose daughter thanked them for allowing her to focus on her work without anxiety, knowing that her mother was well looked after. This holistic approach, Cunningham noted, produces both tangible and intangible returns. “That downstream impact on ROI is our primary goal, as we make sure the ancillary benefits come back,” Cunningham concluded.

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