On March 27th, 30+ entrepreneurs joined us on Zoom for an insightful morning event! This Healthcare Entrepreneur Meetup was not one to miss: HealthIT folks joined A.T. Gimbel, Christine Nicodemus of Wayhaven, Gerald Carter of Destined AI, Courtney Richards of DMEconnected, and Blake Stoner of Vngle Grassroots News Agency as they share how they each started in the healthcare space.
These Meetups are part of an ongoing series of talks about Healthcare in Atlanta, with the objective of making Atlanta the premier place to start and grow a HealthIT business. The goal of these meetups is to facilitate connections, hear from industry professionals, and truly dig deeper into Healthcare problems that Atlanta entrepreneurs can help solve.
We started the morning with a good ol’ fashioned Zoom Breakout Room networking session to discuss in small groups everyone’s favorite Spring activity. It was a great opportunity to connect with new faces and reconnect with familiar ones before we dove into the event.
DMEconnected
DMEconnected is an online digital platform designed to streamline the process of ordering medical equipment, coordinating home health services, and connecting with service providers in the healthcare industry. The platform, offered for free to medical teams, aims to modernize and simplify workflows for medical professionals, ultimately benefiting patients by saving them money on co-pays. With features like an Amazon-like ordering experience and integrated search functionality based on patient needs and insurance, DMEconnected facilitates efficient and cost-effective care coordination.
Wayhaven
Wayhaven is a platform aimed at increasing access to mental health and wellness care for college-age students. Leveraging AI, the platform provides highly curated cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and mindfulness practices delivered via chat, accessible around the clock. With a focus on empathetic listening and hyper-local context, Wayhaven seeks to address the mental health needs of students, particularly during stressful times like finals.
Christine showcased the platform’s interactive features, emphasizing its ability to adapt to individual needs and provide valuable resources tailored to specific campuses. Wayhaven’s B2B model involves partnerships with universities, offering aggregated insights into student trends while also exploring direct-to-consumer options. With plans to expand into the high school market, Christine highlighted the importance of incorporating campus-specific resources and engaging students in mental health support beyond traditional counseling services.
Destined AI
Destined AI is dedicated to detecting and mitigating unwanted bias in AI, with a particular focus on healthcare. Drawing on his experience and background in AI and technology, Gerald highlighted the importance of addressing bias in AI systems to ensure equitable outcomes, especially in critical domains like healthcare. He shared insights into the challenges posed by biased AI models, citing examples of racial and gender bias in existing systems. Through Destined AI, Gerald aims to provide companies with data to evaluate AI performance and avoid potential harm or inaccuracies.
Vngle
Blake Stoner, founder of Vngle, presented an initiative aimed at addressing healthcare disparities, particularly in Georgia. Vngle, a grassroots news agency, focuses on providing nonpartisan coverage to underrepresented communities. Blake highlighted the lack of proper representation in news coverage, with over 64% of American counties not receiving daily original coverage, leaving millions, especially people of color, underrepresented. The healthcare initiative seeks to bring more diverse insights and illuminate cross-cultural disparities in healthcare access and experiences.
Our platform is not just about transactions; it’s about building relationships and empowering medical teams to deliver the best possible care to their patients.— Courtney Richards, Founder of DMEconnected
Key Takeaways
- Technology is streamlining care coordination and reducing costs for both providers and patients
- AI-powered mental health platforms can expand access for underserved populations like college students
- Bias detection in healthcare AI is critical for equitable outcomes
- Grassroots storytelling can surface healthcare disparities and drive meaningful change
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