Sustainable Health Initiative

The Sustainable Health Initiative (SHI), housed within the Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH), supports student entrepreneurs in developing innovative solutions to pressing health challenges in low- and middle-income countries and under-resourced communities in the United States.

Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), SHI promotes business-oriented approaches and cross-sector collaborations to drive impact. Past SHI-supported ventures have addressed areas including cancer diagnostics, organ transplant data systems, remote perinatal health monitoring, low-cost infant respirators, and parenting support platforms.

In partnership with the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (CITY), the SHI Venture Development Program (VDP) helps Yale student and trainee entrepreneurs develop global health innovations for low- and middle-income countries and under resourced areas in the United States. SHI provides a community of practice where student innovators working in global health at all stages can learn, connect, and grow.

Through Tsai CITY’s Accelerator and Launch Pad programs, which operate each fall and spring semester, students, trainees, and teams with innovative ideas receive guidance in building effective organizations, projects, and ventures. These sector agnostic programs offer workshops, mentorship, and funding, making them an excellent choice for student teams embarking on their journey in the innovation space.

The SHI VDP complements Tsai CITY's innovation programming by focusing specifically on global health innovation. SHI organizes monthly community gatherings featuring global health experts, skill sessions, and venture feedback opportunities for teams to earn, build skills, and develop their ventures. SHI Fellows provide weekly peer mentoring and teams have monthly coaching calls with the SHI managing director as well as access to SHI Mentors-in-Residence.

Additionally, teams in the program have an opportunity to apply for a Kalyanpur-Maheshwari Grant for Global Health Innovation to support their work. Each grant is for up to $5,000. To be eligible, teams must actively engage in SHI programming and meet specific milestones, including pitching their venture and demonstrating progress towards their goal. One grant will be awarded in the fall and spring semesters.

Ventures in the SHI Venture Development Program are eligible to apply for a Kalyanpur-Maheshwari Grant for Global Health Innovation. To receive a grant of up to $5,000, teams must complete SHI programming and meet their milestones, including pitching their venture. One grant will be awarded in the fall and spring semesters.

SHI Mentors-in-Residence (MIRs) are volunteers dedicated to assisting Yale students and trainees with their global health innovations. MIRs provide up to three hours of individual mentorship per month and participate in one SHI cohort group session per semester.

SHI fellows are full-time second-year Yale graduate students with experience and interest in global health innovation who serve as peer coaches for student teams.

The Innovation Exchange is a speaker series designed to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for students interested in global health innovation. The series provides students with insights into careers in innovation and serves as a valuable professional development opportunity.