Hybrid Social Justice Hackathon Inspires Solutions to Healthcare Inequities

Jackson Chase ‘27, Chad Holmes ‘27, and Joshua Peters ‘27 were members of the second-place team, which proposed SnackChats, a mobile therapy food truck that supports unhoused people of color who struggle with mental health issues. The initiative aims to combat the stigmas associated with therapy and mental health services by providing free meals and easy access to licensed therapists.

Their team, which also included students from Lowell School (Washington, D.C.) and St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School (Washington, D.C.) will receive $750 in entrepreneurship credits to launch SnackChats. The team was mentored by Associate Director of Admission Lauren Van Tol.

“I just want to commend you on recognizing the reality of stigma as a challenge in the whole mental health area, and the dignity of food and the importance of food. I think that’s a terrific combination to reach people without homes in a dignified way,” said Stacey Millett, President of Amicus4Good LLC.

HackBAC is organized annually by the Black Alumni Collective (BAC), an advocacy group formed by five Black St. Andrew’s alumni: Delonte Egwuatu ’12, Kiah Simms ’12, Jamee Williams ’12, Husam Shabazz ’15, and Gillian Sanford ’18. New this year, students worked together in person at St. Andrew's and online via Zoom. The theme of this year’s HackBAC was “Innovating to Promote Health Equity in BIPOC Communities by Addressing Social Determinants of Health.” Themes from previous years include financial literacy and safety and belonging in schools.

The first-place team, BIPOC DOC, is a non-profit online resource dedicated to improving relationships between physicians and BIPOC patients. Patients can search for BIPOC-friendly doctors, leave reviews, and connect with volunteer translators who can assist them during appointments, while physicians can access training around cultural competency, humility, and equity. The initiative earned $1,000 in entrepreneurship credits and a high-fidelity prototype that will be produced by students in the General Assembly UX Design Immersive capstone program. 

The third-place team was Defying Diabetes, a digital health resource to help BIPOC individuals learn about prediabetes and how to manage it before it leads to Type 2 diabetes. The resource will be displayed on interactive screens that are installed at community gathering places. The project was awarded $500 in entrepreneurship credits. The team was mentored by Chavonne Primus, Chief Operating Officer of The CTTL.

During the four-day competition, from January 12 to January 15, 60 students from across North America were organized into ten teams. Each team was assigned a track - Economic Stability, Health Literacy, Healthcare Access and Quality, Cultural Competency, Humility & Communication, and Creating Health Communities and Neighborhoods - and was led by a mentor, who served as a facilitator and guided each group through the ideation process. 

Each day of the hackathon began with a keynote address. Speakers included Shani Fleming, a physician assistant, associate professor, and diversity practitioner; Dr. Liza Talusan, a scholar and practitioner in equity and inclusion; and Dr. Rodney Glasgow, President and Principal Consultant at The Glasgow Group and Head of School at Sandy Spring Friends School in Sandy Spring, Md.

On the fourth day, students pitched their ideas to an esteemed panel of judges, who awarded monetary prizes intended to further develop and advance the winning solutions. Panelists included Millett as well as Ross Brindle, Founder and CEO of Nexight; Sterling Crockett, Founder & Managing Partner at Sativeo Investors LLC; and Deborah Dunn, a physician assistant specializing in transgender medicine; and Andrea Lowe, a physician assistant and the Director of Health Equity at the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Formed during the summer of 2020, the Black Alumni Collective endeavors to enrich the experience of Black students and alumni of the St. Andrew’s community through fellowship, advocacy, and mentorship. HackBAC is organized in partnership with St. Andrew’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging, the D!Lab, and The Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning.