Spark Workshop on Funding Sustainable Health Programs in Urban Slums
with Health For All, Dianne Heiler,  Ame Igharo, Krystal Lin, Danielle Sack, Christina Wong, Columbia University 2013 -2014 Hult Prize Team

Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Workshop will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Please plan on arriving 10-15 minutes early.
Reception to follow at 8:00 p.m.

Warren Hall, Room 209
1125 Amsterdam Avenue (between 115th and 116^th)

Health For All, representing Columbia University for the 2014 Hult Prize, was formed by five Columbia students who came across these astonishing statistics from India’s Bharat Health Organization: "More than 61 Indians go below the poverty-line every MINUTE due to spending on treatment for diseases already occurred.” At the same time, WHO indicates that at least 80% of premature deaths in India are from cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes.[1] Recognizing the potential to improve the lives of generations to come in slum communities across India and the world, Health For All brings communities together to enjoy the health benefits of dance while learning strategies for healthy living and tracking their impact. The goal is to reach 25 million slum dwellers by 2019. Building on the popularity of television dance competition shows like Dancing with the Stars, Health for All aims to use dance competitions to promote health, scholarship and work opportunities to those living in slums.

This break-out discussion workshop will focus on Health For All’s value proposition, growth strategy and funding model, as well as impact measurement. The Health For All team will outline the business model, explain the goals for Health For All’s future and discuss their thought process as it relates to the value proposition of the business.

Areas of discussion:

1. What unique value proposition of Health For All will appeal to potential funders and target customers?
2. What five-year growth strategy will enable Health For All to reach its goal of impacting 25 million slum dwellers by 2019?
3. Will the funding model be donation-based, revenue-generating, or a blend?  
4. How will Health For All measure its impact?

About Health For All Team
Dianne Heiler is currently pursuing a master degree in Sustainability Management at Columbia University in partnership with the Earth Institute. A certified LEED Green Associate and a passionate believer in design for the environment, she brings fifteen years of professional experience in package engineering and new product development, ranging from material selection and testing to supply chain management. In addition to her private sector work, mainly in the food & beverage and biotechnology industries, she also serves as an Adjunct Professor at San Jose State University’s School of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging.  Her current research focuses on understanding the challenges associated with arsenic non-compliance and drinking water utilities in the United States. As a native upstate New Yorker, she earned both a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in Packaging Science from Rochester Institute of Technology. She and her husband live in New York City.

Ame Igharo is currently enrolled in the Sustainability Management Master’s program at The Earth Institute at Columbia University.  Ame was born in Nigeria and has spent time living in Asia, Europe and the US.  Since childhood, Ame has spent time volunteering for programs to assist the poor in developing nations – from assisting on vaccination drives in Kenya, to well-building projects for Haitian communities in the Dominican Republic.  Having seen first-hand the transformative effects of non-profit organizations in poor communities, Ame is keenly interested in the ability of social entrepreneurship to drive social change through business.  Prior to entering Columbia, Ame worked in marketing and corporate strategy for ten years in New York City, including for L’Oreal, a global Fortune 500 company. Ame has a certificate in business from Columbia University and a received a BA in art from Williams College.

Krystal Lin received her Master of Public Administration in the Environmental Science and Policy (ESP) program at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and her Bachelor of Arts in Economics at Rutgers University. She is passionate about helping communities improve their health. Prior to studying in the ESP program, she worked for the City of Newark in the Health Planning Division to manage grant funds for the Ryan White Program, a federal grant that provides medical and support services to underserved communities living with HIV/AIDS. She has experience reviewing grant proposals; managing budgets and program activities; advocacy and outreach efforts to educate the community about public health concerns; facilitating government partnerships with community based organizations; and researching and training to mitigate environmental health hazards. She joined the Health For All team to continue the fight to sustainably empower communities to be more proactive about their well-being

Danielle Sack, is a project manager at a midsized architectural firm specializing in mixed use development and smart growth of dense populations.  Her portfolio includes commercial, residential, industrial and hospitality projects in the New York metro area.  She has an interest in affordable housing, sustainable construction and the legal issues of managed coastal retreat.  Danielle has also been a design team member and project administrator for two LEED certifications.  She is currently a student in the Master of Science in Sustainability Management at Columbia University, and believes responsibility and integrity are integral to architecture.  She is an Earth Institute Sustainability Management Fellow, volunteers with Architecture for Humanity – a nonprofit design services firm promoting safe, sustainable and innovative communities –  and is the race director of a charitable 5K run.

Christina Wong will be graduating in May 2014 from Columbia’s Sustainability Management master’s program and was VP of Communications for the SUMA student board from 2011-2012. In the fall of 2013, she led a team of 13 students to complete a capstone project analyzing how sustainability initiatives develop through the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group network. Christina has a BS in Finance and Marketing from the University of Virginia, and spent seven years advising Fortune 500 clients such as Unilever and Johnson & Johnson on advertising strategy, brand development and strategic planning. She has also worked for The Nature Conservancy, DKMS Americas – the world’s largest bone marrow donor center – and the sustainable housing consultancy, Steven Winter Associates.  Most recently, Christina worked with EKO Asset Management assessing the development of water funds in Columbia.  Christina was raised in Virginia and is an avid traveler.

If you are unable to attend the above events but would like more information on Spark, please register for our mailing list.

For more information, or if you would like to suggest a future Spark workshop, please contact:
Diana Rambeau: ddr2121@columbia.edu

This event is supported by the Social Enterprise Program, the Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center and the Social Enterprise Club at Columbia Business School.