National EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator (US)

This nationwide, highly competitive experience will give you the opportunity to receive non-equity funding. Grant funding is just the beginning! The American Heart Association’s Center for Health Metrics will evaluate your business model. The evaluation will create a baseline to enable you to make critical decisions, refine your strategies and maximize the effectiveness of the accelerator.

The accelerator includes a six-week training experience in which you will elevate your unique competitive advantage to deliver a compelling brand story that encourages interest from stakeholders and potential investors.

At the invitation-only showcase finale event on October 9, you will have the opportunity to present your brand story, answer questions and receive feedback from a panel of judges as well as other founders, business leaders and potential funders and VCs.

Accelerator Benefits

• 1st place: $50,000
• 2nd place: $12,000
• Fan favourite: $5,000
• Non-grant recipients: $1,000 stipend

Phases

You will complete five phases during the six-week training:

• Discover your health and impact moonshot
• Business model design and analysis
• Customer experience (CX) design
• Value mapping and design
• Brand storytelling

What are they looking for?

• The EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator is looking for a diverse pool of entrepreneurs, companies and organizations who are driving change and health equity in their communities. Applications will be accepted from social and digital health tech entrepreneurs, non-profits and for-profits making a health impact and addressing a social determinant of health (SDOH).
• Interested founders should have a business that focuses on health equity and social determinants of health in one of the following areas:
  • Education
  • Healthcare access
  • Food security
  • Neighborhood conditions
  • Transportation
  • Environmental quality
  • Employment/economic stability
  • Housing
  • Health innovation/technology

Who should apply?

• U.S. citizens 18 years or older
• Founders of nonprofit or Pre-seed, Seed or Series A startups
• Must be a health impact-focused business and address one or more categories of the social determinants of health in the U.S.
• Innovation must apply to improving health equity
• Must be the founder or CEO.

For more information, visit American Heart Association.