Texas Healthcare Challenge Recognizes Venture College Fellows for Innovative Solution, Carelink

Four people pose for a photo with a certificate that reads "first place."

The Texas Healthcare Challenge (TXHCC), hosted by Health Wildcatters on February 23 and 24, brought together over 100 participants, including students, medical professionals and entrepreneurs. This two-day hackathon aimed at tackling healthcare issues through innovation saw 70 selected participants engage in intensive problem-solving sessions, culminating in pitches for groundbreaking solutions.

Among the attendees were Stephanny Rijalba and Emmanuel Daniel, Venture College Fellows from the Texas A&M University-Commerce College of Business. Their exceptional performance and innovative pitch for “Carelink” earned them the prestigious first-place title in the competition.

Rijalba, a graduate student studying Business Analytics, played a pivotal role in her team’s success with their solution, Carelink. This victory not only highlights the caliber of students at the College of Business but also underscores the university’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation.

Jacob Pouttu, the coordinator for Venture College, expressed pride in the accomplishments of Rijalba and Daniel, stating, “I was so impressed that two of our Venture College fellows were selected to compete in this highly selective competition. But beyond that, their pitches were amazing, they worked great in their teams along with other students and medical professionals, and were able to network with some of the most important stakeholders in the medical and healthcare communities. These are the types of opportunities I've always envisioned being able to provide for our Venture College fellows, and it was extremely gratifying to see it come to fruition.”

Lance Manning, Co-founder of the Texas Healthcare Challenge, praised the event’s energy and innovation, remarking, “There was a lot of energy last weekend at Pegasus Park, home of Health Wildcatters where the event was hosted. The fun began as participants formed teams around projects pitched on Friday night, and the judges had a tough time picking winners as teams presented their solutions on Saturday night. Cash prizes were won for the best overall team, best use of AI in a solution, and the best team addressing ‘equitable access to care' – a theme chosen by our sponsor, Texas Health Resources. We look forward to keeping in touch with all the healthcare innovators who were in attendance.”