Meg Wirth, creator of Maternova, was named one of America's Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs in 2011, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The socially driven for-profit was started in 2009 as a place to find cheap medical tools.
"Maternova’s business plan involves selling to governments as well as globetrotting clinicians in countries that include Haiti, Honduras, India, and Zambia," wrote Businessweek. "The products are often simple but necessary, such as a solar-powered headlamp to assist in childbirth and a color-based diagnostic test for anemia in mothers."
By attempting to bridge the gap between available low-cost medical supplies and tools and people living in rural and less-industrialized areas, Maternova uses what's already available, but makes it effective -- and that makes all the difference.
Contact Information
Maternova website
Maternova on Facebook
Maternova on Twitter
What's Driving This Trend
- Socially Driven For-profit
- Creating socially driven for-profit businesses that provide low-cost medical tools and supplies to rural and less-industrialized areas.
- Bridging the Gap
- Developing solutions that bridge the gap between available low-cost medical supplies and tools and people living in rural and less-industrialized areas.
- Effective Utilization of Resources
- Finding innovative ways to utilize existing resources and make them more effective in addressing healthcare needs in rural and less-industrialized areas.
Who This Affects Most
- Maternal Health
- Focusing on providing accessible and affordable maternal healthcare solutions in rural and less-industrialized areas.
- Medical Supplies
- Developing and providing low-cost medical tools and supplies to healthcare professionals and organizations working in rural and less-industrialized areas.
- Healthcare Innovation
- Driving innovation in healthcare by developing solutions and business models that address the specific needs of underserved populations in rural and less-industrialized areas.
