SEEDing Healthcare Solutions with Navigo
By Annika Hesse, Navigo Co-Founder and SEED Prize Winner
My journey with the Sustainability Education and Enterprise Development program and Navigo began as a quest for knowledge and a desire to make a meaningful impact through social entrepreneurship. My two co-founders, Sreya Gandra and Abhinav Yarlagadda, and I, driven by a shared interest in social impact and innovation, embarked on a journey of exploration and were determined to learn the intricacies of creating ventures that can drive positive change in the world. Our shared curiosity led us to the SEED program, where our idea of Navigo was conceived, nurtured, and ultimately transformed into a powerful solution in the healthcare space.
Upon hearing about and joining the SEED program, we set out to identify a problem that resonated deeply with our commitment to healthcare and vision for social entrepreneurship. After evaluating pain points in the industry through extensive secondary research as well as drawing from our own experiences volunteering at community clinics, we decided to address a significant problem in healthcare: health literacy. The following months were a whirlwind of conversations with a variety of SEED mentors and community health clinic stakeholders. These interactions led us to countless ideations all aimed at decreasing health literacy among medically uninsured and underserved communities. Although we had the passion to brainstorm an array of health literacy interventions, it was the invaluable guidance offered by the SEED program that provided the business plan framework to upgrade Navigo from an idea to a viable social enterprise. Ultimately, we conceptualized a solution that aimed to increase health literacy through guided notes during primary care appointments. These notes could then be seamlessly scanned into an app to generate takeaways and reminders about care beyond the appointment, thereby empowering patients to take control of their health journey as well as gain a deeper understanding of their personal well-being.
The pinnacle of our SEED journey came when we won the SEED competition, a validation of the hard work and dedication we had poured into Navigo. Following our win at the SEED competition, we were connected with two medical school students pursuing the unique Social Entrepreneurship Distinction in their third year at Dell Medical School. We all discovered that we shared a similar vision for addressing healthcare challenges and decided to strike up a partnership that holds immense promise. Together, we are leveraging the vast resources, knowledge, and expertise at Dell Medical School to turn our original goal of tackling low health literacy into a reality.
In conclusion, Navigo’s journey is a testament to the power of curiosity, exploration, and the opportunities provided by programs like SEED. It all began with a quest for knowledge and a desire to create a venture with a social impact. Thanks to SEED, our idea evolved into a groundbreaking solution in healthcare, and our partnership with Dell Medical School now promises to bring it to life. It’s a remarkable journey of learning, innovation, and collaboration that reflects the transformative potential of social entrepreneurship
