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Meet the Awardees of the Health Equity Innovation Challenge
Meet the Awardees of the Health Equity Innovation Challenge
ohnson & Johnson established the Health Equity Innovation Challenge with the ambition to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and socioeconomic impact by accelerating solutions from local entrepreneurs, start-ups and community-based organizations that have the potential to advance health equity. The 14 awardees, who possess lived experience and a deep understanding of the communities they serve, were selected for their work in generating solutions to help close racial health and mortality gaps in six cities where Black and Brown individuals experience significant health inequities: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City and Philadelphia. Selected from a pool of more than 180 applicants by an independent judging committee, each awardee is receiving seed funding from a pool of more than $1 million, mentorship from experts, and access to the Johnson & Johnson JLABS ecosystem, which includes networking opportunities and more, to advance their innovations.
Meet the Awardees
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Focus Areas
The goal is to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities by promoting health equity, specifically through locally generated3 ideas to identify potential solutions that:
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Prevent and Treat Illnesses that Disproportionately Affect Black and Hispanic CommunitiesPrevent and Treat Illnesses that Disproportionately Affect Black and Hispanic CommunitiesSuch as advancing innovative solutions aimed at preventing or addressing health conditions through new screening and diagnostic technology platforms -
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Enhance Equitable Access to HealthcareEnhance Equitable Access to HealthcareSuch as technology solutions that help advance health equity and care for diverse individuals -
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Stimulate Diversity in ScienceStimulate Diversity in ScienceSuch as solutions that encourage more young Black and Hispanic individuals to pursue careers in STEM and solutions that expand the diversity of the local clinical research workforce -
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Advocate for More Trusted Community-Based HealthcareAdvocate for More Trusted Community-Based HealthcareSuch as promoting culturally competent care or addressing bias in clinical care
Areas of Geographic Focus
The Johnson & Johnson Health Equity Innovation Challenge will begin with a focus on Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia.
The Challenge has the opportunity to identify potential solutions that could have a significant impact in these communities and potentially in other communities across the country.
The Challenge has the opportunity to identify potential solutions that could have a significant impact in these communities and potentially in other communities across the country.
Meet Our Judges
Johnson & Johnson has convened nationally and locally recognized health equity experts to judge the applications. Judges with diverse experience in public health, healthcare delivery, advocacy, entrepreneurship and academia will ensure innovations are reviewed through a relevant, localized and independent lens. Learn more about our judges.
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Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.
University Professor at the University of Connecticut and Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Convergence Institute at the University of Connecticut
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Kiera Smalls, Philadelphia judge for the Health Equity Innovation Challenge
Kiera Smalls
Co-Founder of Strides; Executive Director of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition
Academic Partner
Faculty members helped shortlist the approximately 50 top submissions from the six cities in our challenge.
Featured Stories
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September 01, 2021From backing an app that connects Black women to caregivers of color to developing a digital platform that supports surgical recovery, Johnson & Johnson is helping drive the surge of innovation in telemedicine.
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June 29, 2021For more than a century, Johnson & Johnson has used a core set of values to help build its business. Now, that sense of purpose has landed it on the Fortune ROL100, a new ranking of corporate leadership.
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June 15, 2021The launch of the new OURTONE™ strips, which come in three brown shades, means more bandage options for communities of color—and scholarship support for Black nursing students.
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February 26, 2021Black people are far more likely to live with cardiovascular diseases than other populations in the United States. We spoke to three experts about the consequences of that disparity—and how Johnson & Johnson is actively working to help drive change and better heart health through improved education, diagnosis and treatment.
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February 25, 2021From churches to schools—and even roving healthcare vans—the company has rolled out a program in states across the nation to help get COVID-19 testing and other crucial health services to underserved communities.
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February 22, 2021Ever felt like you couldn't find makeup or skincare solutions meant for you? Amrika Ganness has. So she and her fellow colleagues of color at Neutrogena® turned that all-too-common experience into a one-of-a-kind talent search: the Black Innovators in Skin Health QuickFire Challenge.
Our Race to Health Equity
Johnson & Johnson is committed to eradicating racial and social injustice as a public health threat by eliminating health inequities for people of color. The company is committing $100 million over the next five years to invest and promote health equity solutions.
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We All Belong
The third annual You Belong: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Impact Review reflects on our diversity, equity and inclusion journey.
1 Mentorship, including subject-matter assistance, may be provided if requested and if such assistance does not present any legal or compliance issues for the Johnson & Johnson Health Equity Innovation Challenge. Any mentorship will be non-binding on the Award recipient and will in no way be construed as directing the use of Award Funds by the Award recipient.
2 As appropriate by expertise and/or regulatory considerations.
3 Submitters should be located within defined greater metropolitan areas of Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia.