In the Bay Area, nearly 1 in 4 adults have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and 1 in 4 residents use food stamps. During the COVID-19 pandemic, half the renters in San Francisco and the East Bay reported losing income, with about 1 in 10 renters and homeowners falling behind on payments — a blow felt hardest among people in under-resourced communities.

COVID-19 has disproportionately affected Black, Latino and Pacific Islanders, people who are most at risk of poor health. This has amplified barriers that existed prior to the pandemic and further affected access to quality health care, resources, nutritious foods, safe and affordable housing, economic opportunity and other social determinants of health.

In the Bay Area, we’re also facing a growing crisis of climate-driven disasters — causing overlapping emergencies that disproportionately impact the health and well-being of people in communities most affected by health inequities.

The American Heart Association believes that everyone deserves an optimal and just opportunity to be healthy — including those at greatest risk of poor health. No one should be disadvantaged from achieving their potential because of social position or other socially defined circumstances. That’s why the EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator-Bay Area supports local idea, start-up and early-stage nonprofit and for-profit companies and organizations that are addressing health disparities.

We invest in those best positioned to create innovative and impactful solutions that will positively impact people in communities most affected by health inequities. Participants in the EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator-Bay Area will receive intensive MBA-style business development training and grants ranging from $20,000 to $2,500.