An app seeking to improve healthcare access for resettled refugees in Northwest Arkansas earned the top prize at Demo Day, the capstone event of the semester in the McMillon Innovation Studio that showcases the learnings and prototypes developed by student teams after a semester of guidance and mentorship. 

Many refugees arrive in the United States with various injuries or illnesses, some of which are severe, and they often lack knowledge of how to seek treatment, according to Kendall Jasper, leader for a team that partnered with Canopy NWA and Community Clinic to "address the disconnect between refugees and the American healthcare system." 

The team interviewed refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Guatemala to discover their pain points. Common barriers included difficulty expressing pain and describing symptoms, confusion about using Medicaid, language barriers and long wait times to schedule appointments.

The app functions as a health literacy guide, with a "learning library" hosting credible medical sources translated by AI. There is also a pain guide that utilizes visuals through a speech-to-text function.  

The app allows for profile customization to include personal health information and there are built-in resources to schedule appointments, transportation or find a nearby hospital.  

"As many know, the American healthcare system is very intricate, which makes it difficult to navigate," Jasper said.  

"We hope that addressing the disconnect between refugees and the American healthcare system will help these individuals make better informed decisions about their healthcare needs." 

Jasper credited Demo Day's judges with helping the team consider how to effectively scale the app. 

"By focusing on our localized population now, we will be able to expand this app to serve newly resettled refugees and their families outside Northwest Arkansas in the future," Jasper said. 

Founded in 2016, Canopy NWA works to equip refugees with the skills they need to "build new lives and thrive in the U.S.," according to its website. The agency has resettled 450 refugees in the past eight years, and another 250 are expected to arrive in 2024. 

Community Clinic was established in 1989, and today offers a multitude of services in primary and preventive care in multiple languages. The clinic has expanded in recent years to include a mobile clinic and a facility in Elkins, as well as clinics at Fayetteville High School and the Don Tyson School of Innovation in Springdale, according to its website.   

Amanda Echegoyen, Community Clinic's chief operating officer and a mentor for Jasper's team, said the collaborative partnerships between community-based organizations, business and the U of A fosters the exchange of ideas and the integration of technology into real-world problem-solving.  

"The convergence of expertise, resources and perspectives with these types of collaborations is so important because the synergistic effect goes beyond what each group could achieve independently," Echegoyen said. "The businesses (and community-based organizations) that partner with the McMillon Innovation Studio can take advantage of the creativity and innovation of interdisciplinary student teams, and the students have a valuable opportunity to learn more about an organization in NWA and meet professionals in different industries."  

Held Dec. 6 inside Adohi Hall, Demo Day drew a large crowd to the dorm's auditorium, which included Doug McMillon, Walmart's president and CEO. A 1989 graduate of the Sam M. Walton College of Business, McMillon gifted the U of A $1 million in 2014 that was used to create the studio. 

"It's fun all these years later to see the progress and hear about the work that you're doing. … I really do think that the skillset you're developing will pay off," he said. "As I was listening, I was hoping that we were hiring a number of you to come and join us." 

Launched in 2016, the studio serves as an innovation hub to students across the U of A campus and works to develop future leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators by cultivating their creative mindset and connecting them to opportunities to make real-world impact.   

Students in the studio are given access to valuable mentorship and resources — providing further support to cultivate their creative skills and empower them to deliver impact innovation through organizational, social and entrepreneurial change. 

Jessica Andrews, the studio's associate director, said she was "incredibly proud" of the teams' efforts and solutions. 

"Our project and product managers this semester demonstrated dedication and creativity," Andrews said. "Their teams worked hard alongside them to ensure their solutions were solving a problem, staying true to the human-centered design process." 

FALL 2023 DEMO DAY WINNERS  

ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN TEAMS  

Sam's Club 

• Scope: How might home-office employees increase line-of-sight to local communities to proactively prepare for temporary sales and traffic spikes?   

• Project lead: Braeden Calvert, senior, management 

• Team: Reese Breeling, junior, computer science; Jolie Clow, senior, marketing; Jenna Elliott, senior, accounting; Vishal Jeyam, junior, computer science; Chloe Mosler, senior, marketing; Sophia Splawn, junior, supply chain management; Dylan Young, junior, honors international business 

PRODUCT TEAMS  

Cavity Airstream 

• Scope: An innovative fan attachment designed for efficient, targeted drying of wall cavities after flooding, negating the need for baseboard removal and ensuring no visible damage.  

• Project lead: Ethan Pingel, senior, mechanical engineering 

• Team: Zoey Mazibuko, junior, finance 

SOCIAL IMPACT DESIGN TEAMS  

Community Clinic & Canopy 

• Scope: How might we ensure recently resettled refugees have knowledge of and access to our healthcare system? 

• Project lead: Kendall Jasper, senior, marketing  

• Team: Valeria Mazariegos, junior, marketing; Ariel Rogers, doctorate, physics; Daniela Vasquez, sophomore, biomedical engineering; Hideo Yamashita, freshman, international business; and Wyatt Young, sophomore, strategy, entrepreneurship and venture innovation 

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village, and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.