The winner of the first edition of the Health Impact Accelerator (HIA) is Rehab Academy. They were announced the winner this afternoon in the Social Impact Factory in Utrecht. In just ten weeks, all the participants were prepared to become social entrepreneurs. During the HIA they have been introduced to the added value - and the challenges - of social entrepreneurship. Moreover, they translated their idea into a solid business case.
Jury Commentary
The jury spoke with praising words about the winning team:
Rehab Academy is a highly relevant initiative to create societal impact for people who have a limitation in movement. The importance is that they really put people first in the way their program is structured, and they impressed the jury with their large network of stakeholders.
The jury consisted of four experts from the field: Matthijs Blokhuis (Noaber Foundation), Jelena Jakulj (Shaerpa Fund Management), Joep Welschen (KplusV) and Michel van Schaik (Rabobank). Rehab Academy has won from two other teams in the finale: Je Leefstijl Als Medicijn and Better In Better Out.
Rehab Academy’s Road to Success
What does Rehab Academy think about winning the first edition of the HIA?
Coen and Inge Vuijk: ‘We were shocked when we heard that we had won, but we were surprised in a very positive way. We were shaken up throughout the whole process, it was an educational process in which we learned a lot from the coaching’.
Rehab Academy is helping people with a physical disability to find their place in society. The social enterprise offers intensive programmes to help people with a physical disability to gain confidence and to be self-reliant. For example, when someone receives a prothesis, the life of this person is turned upside down. Pressing questions need to be asked and more importantly, these questions need to be answered. Rehab Academy helps to find the answers by providing intensive programmes and by putting them at the centre of their own solution.
The Health Impact Accelerator 2020: Open for Applications!
Are you interested in becoming a social entrepreneur? Do you have a brilliant idea and are you hoping to take this to the next level? Then participate in the following edition of the Health Impact Accelerator. You can send an email to spronsen@health-holland.com to be updated on the latest news.
