ORIGIN Pitch Competition Winners
Congratulations to planet, KINCHIN, PAtch, ample., Health is Wellth, and Vital!
On August 7, ORIGIN Bootcamp held its inaugural Pitch Competition showcasing student projects from our Summer 2020 program. We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of all 50 teams that participated.
Thank you to Adam Kirsch, Kristen Palma, and Rajiv Kapoor for serving as our Final Round judges and to all the professionals who took time out of their days to serve as our First Round judges. We are deeply grateful to Rajiv Kapoor and Chai Angels for donating $1,000 in prize money to our winners. Here are our finalists:
Full-Time Venture
First Place: planet
The problem: Planet is a digital planner and time management app built for students that struggle with task prioritization and procrastination in the face of large and diverse workloads, long-term occupational and educational goals, and/or weak organizational skills. For most students, current productivity apps are either too complex or aren’t actionable- individuals that lack organization and planning as a habit might start using a digital calendar or productivity app but are unlikely to integrate the app as part of their workflow. On the other hand, people who currently utilize multiple digital planning or time management apps are faced with a convoluted web of productivity tools, making their planning an inherently burdensome task.
The solution: Rather than planning across platforms, users can rely on planet to directly meet all their organizational needs. Planet brings together and compiles the various moving parts of a user’s productivity tools into one app to make planning and task management simple and intuitive. At its core, planet offers a painless but intelligent platform that incentives users to document, track, and complete their responsibilities more efficiently and effectively. With an easily customizable interface, planet offers extensive personalization options to meet the individual needs of each user, seamlessly integrating organization into any workflow.
The product: Planet combines task management, calendar planning, and journaling onto one digital platform to make organization and time management more satisfying, efficient, and comfortable to do on a daily basis. Designed to be as painless and intuitive as possible, planet uses natural language processing and rich personalization options to fit the differing needs of each user, offering a robust but simplistic platform for users to plan out their goals, events, and tasks- from family events to finals. With a highly customizable interface and intelligent progress tracking, planet meets users where they are in their quest towards organization and productivity so they can get where they want to be.
Team: Adrian Wang (team lead), Danielle Zhao, Angela Zhang, Edmund Li
Second Place: KINCHIN
The problem: We at KINCHIN aim to address the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health and Wellbeing; we recognize that the U.S. is the only developed nation with a consistently rising maternal mortality rate, despite spending more per capita on health care than any other country. In our in-depth user research, we found that the maternal healthcare and pregnancy space faces four main problems: information overload, lack of inclusivity, no focus on the pregnant individual, and worker mismatch. Pregnant individuals are confused and overwhelmed by the varying amounts of information online from uncertified individuals with different perspectives. There is no platform to match workers based on ethnicity, LGBTQ+ identities, socioeconomic conditions, and birthcare decisions, resulting in inaccessibility and worker mismatch. Currently, there is no platform that takes a maternal-focused approach, where emotional, mental, and physical health of the pregnant individual are holistically the primary goals.
The solution: KINCHIN is an open access, knowledge-sharing platform that connects pregnant individuals to maternal health workers from outside of the mainstream medical model, focusing on the physical, mental and emotional health of the pregnant individual. We aim to deliver inclusive, quality access to pregnant individuals across all races, sexualities, genders, languages, socioeconomic conditions and family structures, because we know that every pregnancy is unique. Through making accessibility and inclusivity the core of KINCHIN’S approach, we empower pregnancies through knowledge and choice.
The product: Our forum allows pregnant individuals to ask the healthcare community questions about their pregnancy and beyond. We provide a verified, updated directory of diverse maternal health workers from all walks of life. We also offer direct messaging where users can connect with maternal health workers, free of cost on our platform; we also offer users the feature to join group chats in order to gain a sense of community. We also provide a chance for certified maternal health professionals to showcase their expertise, build their reputations and businesses through our profile segment.
Team: Tanya Tandon (team lead), Mita Elan, Yvette Yao, Leeds Rising, Mia O’Brien
Third Place: PAtch
The problem: PA schools have approximately a 30% acceptance rate (with matriculation rates even lower) making PA school one of the most competitive healthcare programs to get into and go through. Every PA school has its own set of individual requirements each different from one another which becomes extremely cumbersome and difficult to keep track of. There is no clear way to assess the fit between students and programs based on factors such as culture and expectations among others.
The solution: PAtch is an online platform built with a comprehensive algorithm and database of all the US-based PA programs for students to search, research, and understand which PA school would be the best fit for them. Using our service, students can plan potential programs, track all their credentials to build a strong profile, find local PAs to accrue shadowing hours (a necessary component of the PA application process), and network with current PA students and other applicants to create a network of current and future PA professionals.
The product: PAtch is a comprehensive algorithm and database of PA programs located within the United States that allow aspiring Physicians Assistants to assess their standing with potential programs to see if they are a good fit.
Team: Shriya Boppana (team lead), Vish Matta, Harsh Agarwal, Chengyin Tan, Lucy Tang
Passion Project
First Place: ample.
The problem: One-third of all available food in the United States goes to waste, with 40% of this waste stemming from the food service industry. Food waste causes unnecessary damage to the environment, as one-fourth of all greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to food waste. Unfortunately food business owners are often misinformed about food liability laws, citing liability as a barrier to donating, when they are in fact protected from civil and criminal liability by both federal and state laws. All businesses have tax advantages when donating in the United States due to enhanced federal tax incentives. Food waste becomes a missed opportunity in two ways: to maximize tax savings for businesses and to feed others in need.
The solution: Ample tackles the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by simplifying the food donation process for different institutions along the food supply chain and connecting them to their local nonprofit network. Ample’s mission is to reimagine community food sustainability and solve the logistical barriers of food donations with technology. By diverting perfectly edible food to those in need, Ample takes advantage of missed social and economic opportunities and creates a positive impact on both local communities and their environment.
The product: Ample is a one-stop food donation platform that zeroes out food waste by leveraging tax incentives for food businesses and amplifying donation opportunities for nonprofits. Ample’s two-sided marketplace, a novelty in the food donation space, streamlines the donation process by connecting food businesses to a network of local nonprofits. Nonprofits will have increased access to nearby donations, while all past transactions are catalogued for easy record-keeping for both parties. Ample also provides sophisticated analysis of tax savings and environmental impact.
Team: Emily Lin (team lead), Jackson Booth, Shruti Agarwal, Maggie Liu
Second Place: Health is Wellth
The problem: Mothers do not feel well-supported or understood during their pregnancies, and they lack access to the appropriate care they need. This especially applies to first-time, low-income, minority, and/or immigrant mothers. A busy schedule, high costs of medical care, lack of access to transportation, being uninsured, and a lack of awareness of financial and informational resources all inhibit the ability of a mother to have a smooth pregnancy and take care of her baby. Furthermore, these health disparities exist along racial and economic lines, which undermine a doctor’s and hospital’s mission of improving population health. It is clear that the state of maternal care is a public health crisis and now is a time more urgent than ever, as COVID-19 has exacerbated many social determinants of health.
The solution: Our solution connects first time, low income, minority, and immigrant pregnant women to healthcare providers to improve access to high-quality reproductive health information and services. This allows for the opportunity for personalized recommendations and the early identification and treatment of pregnancy complications and medical conditions. Our opportunity of pairing pregnant women with the resources they are lacking will elevate their quality of prenatal care and simplify the pregnancy process. We also will address disparities often found in maternal care by providing standardized and culturally-competent care to these women.
The product: MBRYO is a mobile application for pregnant mothers that functions as a health tracker companion and virtual consultation scheduler that provides accessible, quick, and culturally-competent information about recommendations and care. Through MBRYO’s AI algorithms, mothers will be able to keep track of their symptoms and view trends, receive personalized recommendations for doctors based on language, specialty, and other filters, as well as schedule virtual consultations with healthcare professionals . Doctors who use MBRYO will be able to reach a larger customer base, keep in touch with mothers via telehealth, and improve the population health of the communities they serve. Additionally, MBRYO is available in many languages and partners with doctors and hospital networks that are sensitive to the specific needs of various cultural groups and placed in ethnically diverse communities in order to cater to mothers of different backgrounds.
Team: Caleb Mok (team lead), Alice Zhao, Shu Zhang, Nathalia Lie
Third Place: Vital
The problem: A sizable portion of the population gets less than the recommended daily amount of exercise and fails to adequately address their mental health needs. Other commitments, such as work and school, often get in the way of making time to exercise. People care about their mental and physical health but struggle to find incentives in order to prioritize them.
The solution: Our solution for motivating people to prioritize their well-being is a rewards system that promotes exercise and mental health activities. The more users do to improve their lifestyle, the more rewards points they will gain. These points can then be redeemed for coupons that can be used at a variety of stores and restaurants. In particular, we hope to partner with businesses that promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle. By providing monetary incentives for completing physical fitness and mental health goals, our platform helps to create a positive environment that reinforces healthy habits while also letting users save money.
The product: VITAL is a health and fitness app that incentivizes users to prioritize physical fitness and mental health in their daily lives. Users can record miles walked or run, hours of meditation or yoga, and more. VITAL tracks completion of various goals and rewards users with points that can then be redeemed for coupons at their favorite restaurants and store.
Team: Jackson Bauer (team lead), Niaa Jenkins-Johnston, Sarah Kenney, Grace Zheng, Benedict Ho
