Sustainable Health Initiative

Mission: To empower student entrepreneurs to create innovative, sustainable global health solutions in and for emerging economies and/or under resourced groups.

Vision: To be a leading catalyst for sustainable health advancements in emerging economies and/or under resourced groups, fostering a world where health disparities are minimized and communities thrive through accessible, innovative solutions.

Launched in 2019 within the Yale Institute for Global Health, the Sustainable Health Initiative (SHI) supports student entrepreneurs in developing innovative global health solutions in emerging economies. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SHI tackles challenges through business-oriented approaches and international collaboration.

SHI has supported ventures in areas such as AI for cancer diagnostics, environmental sustainability, data management for organ transplants, remote perinatal health monitoring, low-cost infant respirators, early childhood health programs, and parenting support platforms.

Core Program Components

SHI Venture Development Program: In partnership with the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (Tsai CITY), the SHI Venture Development Program helps Yale student entrepreneurs create ventures aimed at achieving sustainable healthcare impacts in emerging economies and/or for under-resourced groups. SHI provides a community of practice where global health innovators at all stages can connect, learn, and grow.

SHI Mentors in Residence: SHI collaborates with experienced individuals and innovation hubs in global health innovation and entrepreneurship. Mentors support Yale innovators before, during, and after venture development and are available as thought-partners anytime.

SHI Fellows: SHI fellows are full-time Yale graduate students with experience and interest in global health innovation. They provide peer support, coaching to teams in SHI’s venture development program, and act as SHI ambassadors within the Yale community.

Kalyanpur-Maheshwari Endowment for Global Health Innovation: Teams that successfully complete the SHI venture development program are eligible for grants to support their global health innovations. Eligible teams must be actively engaged in SHI programming and meet their milestones, including pitching their venture, to receive a grant.

Other Initiatives:

Innovation Exchange Conversation Series : The Sustainable Health Initiative and InnovateHealth Yale are proud to support a series which aims to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where students interested in global health innovation come together to learn and connect. Each week, we feature a guest innovator or entrepreneur from around the globe and cover topics such as landing a job at a startup, designing for equity, impact measurement, social impact investing and more!

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If you would like to know about the Sustainable Health Initiative or would like to discuss a venture idea at any stage of development, contact Fatema Basrai, Managing Director for SHI and InnovateHealth Yale, to learn more.