Current Impact
EmPOWERED to Serve’s Impact on Social Determinants of Health
EmPOWERED to Serve uplifts solutions for the community. By harnessing the collective power of social entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and individual agents of change, we are a part of transformations improving health in communities. Health disparities are more prevalent among people of color and areas with lower socioeconomic backgrounds, but every community is different. EmPOWERED to Serve amplifies opportunities to reduce health disparities in under-resourced communities. Since 2017, the EmPOWERED To Serve Business Accelerator has funded over $500,000 in grants for these health and social justice leaders who have:
Rescued and distributed over 8 million pounds of food
Leah Lizorondo, recognized during the We Power SDG (sustainable development goals) in the United Nations General Assembly, built a technology platform that matches nonprofits with food donations delivered by a fleet of volunteers.
Helped more than half a million students in California get application-free nutritious school meals
Noun Abdelaziz, who testified to the California Senate to support a bill to reduce food deserts, helped get application-free nutritious meals to California students. She also worked as a research assistant with Kitchens for Good, where her pilot program distributed culturally relevant hot meals to the community at low cost. Part of the funds supported community-owned food businesses.
App helps improve outcomes dramatically, study finds
Dr. Francois Marvel’s Corrie Health App re-engineers hospital heart attack discharge and recovery. Corrie was part of a validation and clinical study involving 200 patients in four hospitals. She’s working with Apple to revolutionize the digital health care industry.
EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator
The EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator provides MBA-style training at no cost to health and social entrepreneurs who partner with us in our relentless pursuit of longer, healthier lives for all.
EmPOWERED Scholars
EmPOWERED Scholars funds college students striving to improve health equity and social justice in their communities. Award recipients represent various disciplines. Scholars have included a health policy and management student who encouraged corner groceries to sell fresh healthy foods and a biochemistry student who taught a diabetes course at a community health clinic.
The initiative advances our efforts to support the next generation of health equity and social justice leaders.
EmPOWERED and Well Healthier Church Challenge
Black women are three times more likely to have a sudden cardiac arrest than white women. That’s among the reasons the American Heart Association recently created EmPOWERED and Well Healthier Church Challenge — a 12-week, science-based health education and wellness program designed for faith communities.
EmPOWERED Community Innovation Exchange
The EmPOWERED Community Innovation Exchange (or CIE) is a searchable, interactive digital hub that allows social entrepreneurs, innovators and civic leaders to discover new and emerging grassroots business and community-led models and municipal strategies to improve social determinants of health. CIE is a resource for aspiring and seasoned social entrepreneurs, social justice advocates and investors to connect; it includes case studies and collaboration opportunities, and allows users to share their ideas, network, find mentors and attract investors.
