ENTREPRENEURS UNITE TO TACKLE AMERICA’S BIGGEST COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES

Transcript

Across the United States, roughly one in three people live in healthcare deserts, where access to essential health services can be limited. To help address that challenge, Reckitt Catalyst was created to support entrepreneurs building solutions for the communities they know best. Last month in Florida, founders from across the U.S. came together with entrepreneur and resident Serena Williams, mentors, and partners to learn from one another, build relationships, and explore what comes next. Every venture started the same way, close to the challenge built by someone who'd lived it.
More than 90% of a woman's health experience happens outside the clinician office, and one in three women sit in the health desert around the country.
Families were having heart attacks and strokes, not because of anything that had to do with healthcare, is because they couldn't afford their medication or didn't know how to fill out the paperwork for Medicaid and lost coverage.
For my family, growing up in inner city Houston, navigating a complex healthcare system was extremely challenging. It wasn't just about accessing a doctor's office; it was about addressing some of the social barriers that were very real for my family.
I have two daughters that have chronic conditions where food is part of the standard of care. While I'm grateful for all the support we received, it was still very difficult for us to find and afford the foods we needed to keep them healthy.
The solutions are already making a difference. The question every founder in this room is asking now is the same one: How do we reach more people? Building a solution is one challenge; scaling it, is another. Growth brings new questions about funding, partnerships, talent, operations, and how to expand impact without losing sight of the communities that inspired the work.
Reckitt believes that health begins in our communities. That's why the Catalyst program seeks to empower and enable these entrepreneurs who look to uplift these specific communities with sustainable and impactful solutions.
Reckitt Catalyst was built to support women and underrepresented entrepreneurs working to improve health and hygiene outcomes in partnership with organizations like Acumen America, the program combines funding, mentorship, expertise, and network access to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges that come with growth. For some founders, those lessons come from others who have already traveled the road ahead. Entrepreneurs from the U.S. cohort are joined by innovators from across the global catalyst community.
Scaling impact requires flexibility in the business model that you have. It requires discipline in how you build the technology.
For me, the lesson is to just keep building and keep showing up, keep consistent, and keep showing the world the value that you're bringing.
Different businesses, different communities, similar questions about growth, scale, and long-term impact. As entrepreneur in residence, Serena Williams brings another perspective to those conversations-one shaped by building businesses, investing in founders, and understanding what sustainable growth requires.
Proximity to the problem matters greatly because a lot of the things that we don't know about, us investors don't understand that there could be a problem with people that don't have enough water, and if someone that is close to that problem can solve it in their area, they're helping so many people.
Since 2020, Reckitt Catalyst has supported entrepreneurs across 15 countries, reaching 2 million people. By 2030, the goal is 200 entrepreneurs and 5 million lives changed.
This has been the single most impactful initiative I've seen during my six years at Reckitt. We are taking a step outside of our day-to-day business initiatives and responsibilities, and enabling entrepreneurs to have far greater impact on this world and leave it as a better place.