Skip to main content
  • Heart Attack and Stroke Symptoms
  • Volunteer
  • Learn CPR
  • ShopHeart
American Heart Association heart and torch logo
American Heart Association
  • Donate Once
  • Donate Monthly
  • donateDonate
  • Close Menu

    Trending Search

    • find my cpr card
    • bls
    • ecard
    • find my acls card
    • acls
  • Healthy Living
  • Health Topics
  • Professionals
  • Get Involved
  • Ways to Give
  • About Us
  • Learn CPR
  • In Your Community
  • Heart Attack and Stroke Symptoms
  • Learn CPR
  • Volunteer
  • ShopHeart
  1. Home
  2. Around the AHA
  3. AHA awards $60,000 to social entrepreneurs to improve health equity

AHA awards $60,000 to social entrepreneurs to improve health equity

Abigail Kohler, co-founder of ResusciTech
(Abigail Kohler, co-founder of ResusciTech)

Two social entrepreneurs are developing innovative ways to remove barriers to health care access and quality via $60,000 American Heart Association grants.

Abigail Kohler, co-founder of ResusciTech, won a $40,000 grant in the AHA's National EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator™ Finale. Prathamesh Prabhudesai, co-founder of SafeBVM, received a $15,000 grant as runner-up and a $5,000 grant as the fan favorite with almost 3,000 votes.

EmPOWERED to Serve is an initiative that accelerates change in education, business and communities to help overcome structural racism and social factors that hurt people's health.

In the virtual event in January, seven finalists presented their business models and concepts designed to improve health equity and transform communities.

ResusciTech's app, SMART Certification, trains people in Hands-Only CPR compression with real-time feedback through a smartphone.

SafeBVM prevents human errors/provider-associated complications of manual ventilation that worsen patient outcomes and increase health care costs. Its device helps providers deliver safe and optimal manual ventilation to people in cardiac arrest and respiratory distress.

Prathamesh Prabhudesai, co-founder of SafeBVM
(Prathamesh Prabhudesai, co-founder of SafeBVM)

Sharon Epperson, CNBC senior personal finance correspondent, hosted the finale. A panel of experts in the business, entrepreneurial and health sectors were judges including: Shelly Bell, founder and CEO of Black Girl Ventures Foundation; Bryan Holloway, principal consultant with Slalom Consulting Firm; and Mathew Knowles, founder and CEO of Music World Entertainment Corporation and record executive who developed the singing careers of his daughters Beyoncé and Solange Knowles.

The event also included a special tribute to the late John Houston, a long-time AHA advocate and donor who funded an EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator grant.

Daymond John, CEO of FUBU and an investor on the ABC reality television series Shark Tank, made a surprise celebrity guest appearance to salute the finalists and the AHA's health justice efforts.

Since the inception of the accelerator program in 2018, the AHA has contributed more than $510,000 to support startups, social entrepreneurs and organizations working to improve health in under-resourced communities and remote rural areas.


Last Reviewed: Feb 5, 2021

X formerly known as Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Email Print

Around the AHA

Around the AHA
  • A Century of Heart
  • What Actually Happened
  • What does the sugar in beverages do to your body?
  • Supporting heart health, one dish at a time
  • Singer Amy Grant reflects on rare heart condition that could have killed her
  • The Bugher Foundation has provided valuable funds, ideas to support AHA research, researchers

*All health/medical information on this website has been reviewed and approved by the American Heart Association, based on scientific research and American Heart Association guidelines. Find more information on our content editorial process.

American Heart Association

National Center
7272 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, TX 75231

Customer Service
1-800-AHA-USA-1
1-800-242-8721

Contact Us

Hours
Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. CT 
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT
Closed on Sundays

Tax Identification Number
13-5613797

About Us

  • About the AHA/ASA
  • Our Impact
  • Annual Report
  • AHA Financial Information
  • International Programs
  • Latest Heart and Stroke News
  • AHA/ASA Media Newsroom
  • Careers

Get Involved

  • Donate Now
  • Make a Memorial Gift
  • Ways to Give
  • Advocate
  • Volunteer
  • Go Red For Women
  • ShopHeart
  • ShopCPR

Our Sites

  • American Heart Association
  • American Stroke Association
  • CPR & ECC
  • Professional Heart Daily
  • More Sites
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X formerly known as Twitter
  • Tik Tok
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • National Health Council Standards of Excellence Certification Program page for Standards of Excellence
  • Better Business Bureau page for American Heart Association
  • Charity Navigator Home
  • Secured by Sectigo page for SSL certificates
  • AHA Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Copyright Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Conflict of Interest Policy
  • Linking Policy
  • Whistleblower Policy
  • Content Editorial Guidelines
  • Suppliers & Providers
  • State Fundraising Notices


©2025 American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
The American Heart Association is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
*Red Dress ™ DHHS, Go Red ™ AHA ; National Wear Red Day® is a registered trademark.

×
American Heart Association logo

This link is provided for convenience only and is not an endorsement of either the linked-to entity or any product or service.

Proceed