Student Team Launches Enterprise To Treat Diabetes In Slums
The Hult Prize, arguably the most prestigious student business competition of any sort, awards student social entrepreneurs with a $1 million prize from the Hult Family presented by President Bill Clinton at the the Clinton Global Initiative. In a special series on the Hult Prize, we are profiling all of the finalists at YourMarkOnTheWorld.com. The winner was profiled at Forbes.
Reach Diagnostics, a student team from York University in Toronto, and the youngest team among the Hult Prize finalists, treats urban slum dwellers living with diabetes. By combining old and new technology to create affordable treatment plans for the poor, the team hopes to improve health outcomes dramatically.
On Thursday, October 30, 2014 at noon Eastern, CEO Dhaman Rakhra will join us for a live discussion about the team’s Hult Prize success and the noble work they are doing for the poor. Tune in here then to watch the interview live.
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More about REACH Diagnostics:
REACH Diagnostics was founded by 5 undergraduate students from the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. REACH ensures that diabetes is not a death sentence for the urban poor by providing them with a diabetes management subscription program. Each month, subscribers receive a month supply of urinalysis strips (a pregnancy test for diabetes which changes color relative to the amount of glucose in the urine), as well as access to the REACH mobile monitoring platform. Cell phone penetration in Indian slums exceeds 85% and the REACH mobile platform allows users to submit their daily monitoring results from the urine strips, and receive tailored feedback supporting their progress and suggestions for food & exercise.
Team bios:
Dhaman Rakhra is a Schulich iBBA graduate with a specialization in Accounting. Aside from being the CEO of REACH, Dhaman is a fantasy football junkie, self-proclaimed barista extraordinaire and food truck fanatic. Dhaman’s passion for social entrepreneurship began on his exchange abroad to Singapore. While in Asia, he worked with orphanages to bring extracurricular programs, such as arts and sports, to schools across Cambodia. He currently works at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Technology and Communications group and is pursuing his Chartered Accountant designation.
Luca is an iBBA graduate who majored in Economics & Finance. When not running the numbers in his role as REACH’s CFO, he enjoys literature, DJing, cooking, and arguing about economics. His previous experience includes a stint in hospitality management at InterContinental Hotels Group, and time served as a course director for Students Offering Support, a nonprofit that provides exam aid in return for donations that are used to build schools in developing nations.
Danica Stanojevic is a Schulich iBBA graduate with a specialization in Strategy and International Marketing. Having worked in management consulting and innovation at Monitor Deloitte and Deloitte South Africa, she is leading the strategic direction of REACH. As an avid world traveller it is difficult to catch Danica in one place for very long. During her trips she has witnessing the disparity that poverty creates first hand, and has been inspired to be a social entrepreneur, aiming to address pressing social issues with business solutions. When not moving at 100 miles per hour, Danica likes to practice yoga, and oil paint.
Hemanth Soni is a second year BBA student specializing in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. As the Technology & Communications head at REACH, Hemanth has extensive experience as a professional web designer and copywriter. Bit by an entrepreneurial bug, Hemanth has been involved in several successful startups in the past.
Abbas Khambati a Schulich BBA graduate specializing in Marketing. He is the operations lead for REACH Diagnostics and when he’s not on the ground in the slums of India or in corporate offices developing partnerships, he can be found traveling across Asia, learning about the continents rich cultures and religions.
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