Loyola University Chicago and MATTER announce 2024 Loyola Chicago Health Equity Quest winner

Wave takes home grand prize of $20K with transdiagnostic model supporting mental health

November 18, 2024, CHICAGO, IL — Loyola University Chicago’s Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health and MATTER, the premier healthcare incubator and innovation hub, have selected Wave as the winner of the 2024 Loyola Chicago Health Equity Quest. Sista Afya Community Care received second place and a $10,000 prize, and Joystik received third place and a $5,000 prize.

Wave was founded to break down the barriers to accessing high-quality, affordable mental healthcare and delivers personalized, virtual mental healthcare to help users navigate the highs and lows of daily life with evidence-based solutions and science-backed care plans.

Launched in August 2024, the competition invited innovators with solutions that increase mental health equity in the workplace. Chosen from a pool of applicants across the U.S., the six finalists participated in a two-week sprint consisting of mentoring and pitch practice with healthcare experts prior to pitching their solutions at the live pitch day at MATTER on November 14, 2024.

The pitch event included a panel discussion with Dr. Katherine Grill, a health scientist and technology executive who’s been recognized as a national expert in youth mental health, Azia Provine, Director, Workforce Health Equity & Community Impact at American Heart Association, and Dr. Tom Allen, MD, Executive Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Bluecross Blueshield of Illinois, and Denean Pillar-Jackson, Founder and Chief Wellness and Resilience Strategist at TeachOne Wellness. The discussion was moderated by Elaine Morrato, DrPH, MPH, FISPE, CPH, Founding Dean, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Loyola University Chicago.

Thank you to our judges Craig Vercruysse, MBA, Deepika Duggirala, Denean Pillar Jackson, Julie Darnell, PhD, and Meghan Phillipp, MBA.

Winner of the 2024 Loyola Health Equity Quest and recipient of the $20,000 Grand Prize

Wave — Menlo Park, CA:
Wave’s mission is to revolutionize mental health care for digital natives by delivering inclusive, evidence-based behavioral health interventions using expert providers and best-in-class technology. Their personalized, “stepped-care” platform integrates virtual providers and an easy-to-access app-based platform to drive superior outcomes for individuals who need both on-demand access to real live humans and digital engagement. Their commitment is to deliver accessible, effective and holistic mental health care, fostering a supportive environment that empowers users to navigate life’s challenges at work and at home as their users learn to navigate an uncertain world.

Second place of the 2024 Loyola Health Equity Quest and recipient of the $10,000 prize

Sista Afya Community Care — Chicago, IL:
Sista Afya Community Care (SACC) makes mental wellness care accessible and achievable for women on the Southside of Chicago. Through SACC’s three programs — Thrive in Therapy, Community Care and Developing Mental Wellness Warriors — they provide a variety of ways to engage and get support: individual therapy, groups and training at the community connection level. Using an approach that centers on the intersectional experiences of Black women, SACC provides their participants with community care, clinical interventions and training to promote long-lasting healing.

Third place of the 2024 Loyola Health Equity Quest and recipient of the $5,000 prize

Joystik — Milwaukee, WI:
Joystik offers a mind-body medicine technique that is more engaging, simpler and more powerful than what is already available. Their unique solution uses an evidence-based technique used by NASA/Military/Olympic teams and enhances it to provide more value in users’ lives and offers them a powerful, on demand tool. They understand that no matter how great a solution is, if it isn’t simple and engaging enough to make part of one’s daily routine, then it isn’t enough. Period.

Other Finalists

Alkeme Health — Chicago, IL:
Alkeme Health is transforming mental health care by bridging the gap between Black communities and culturally aligned therapists. Their mission is to simplify access to care, making it easier for the Black community to find and connect with therapists who understand their unique experiences.

Libbie Health — New York, NY:
Libbie Health was formed to create inclusive mental health solutions and foster positive mental health outcomes for women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized groups. They’re developing Libbie, an AI-powered mental health companion focused on providing culturally sensitive support for users experiencing anxiety, depression and trauma. To support their mission, they employ a hybrid approach with enterprise wellness solutions for organizations and affordable direct-to-consumer plans to make mental health solutions readily accessible. This addresses the critical need for convenient, respectful mental healthcare that works for diverse communities.

ThriveLink — St. Louis, MO:
ThriveLink deploys AI telephonic enrollment agents to help families verbally enroll in social and health programs including health insurance, food stamps, utility assistance and more. The solution does not require the internet, a smart phone or the ability to read.

About MATTER
At MATTER, we believe collaboration is the best way to improve healthcare. The MATTER collaborative includes more than 1,000 current and alumni startups from around the world, working together with dozens of hospitals and health systems, universities and industry-leading companies to build the future of healthcare. Together we are accelerating innovation, advancing care and improving lives. For more information, visit matter.health and follow @MATTERhealth.

About Loyola University Chicago’s Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health
Loyola University Chicago launched the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health in Fall 2019 to educate the health entrepreneurs of the future and impact health care accessibility and equity nationally. The Parkinson School offers 19 degree programs and three certificate and internship programs in four areas of study: Public Health Sciences, Healthcare Administration, Health Informatics and Data Science and Applied Health Sciences. The School builds on the foundations of Loyola’s nationally recognized Stritch School of Medicine and its Biomedical Programs, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and Loyola’s partnership with Trinity Health (known in the Chicago area as Loyola Medicine). To learn more about the Parkinson School, visit LUC.edu/Parkinson or follow us on X via @LoyolaParkinson or Instagram via @loyola_parkinson.