DELTA INNOVATOR SEARCH ANNOUNCES WINNING IDEAS TO IMPROVE HEALTH, ECONOMY IN REGION

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. ― A multistate initiative has recognized nine regional entrepreneurs, scientists, agricultural leaders and other innovators as winners of the inaugural Delta Innovator Search. The search, organized by the Rural Innovation Alliance, sought new ideas for advancing the health and economy of the Mississippi Delta region of Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana and transform the Delta into a thriving, diversified and integrated economic driver.

In total, 85 individuals and organizations submitted their innovative ideas or initiatives for consideration. Finalists presented their ideas in Little Rock, Ark., Wednesday at a regional summit for the National Science Foundation-funded initiative, Advancing Equitable Access to Food and Health Technologies in the Delta.

A panel of judges selected three winners in each of three focus categories:

Scientific or Technical Innovation

• 180 Pipe, presented by Luis Campos (North Little Rock, Ark.)
• University of Arkansas, presented by Will Richardson (Fayetteville, Ark.)
• Aurora Startup Studio, presented by Walter Burgess (Bryant, Ark.)

Economic or Financial Innovation

• Center for Hearing Health Equity, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, presented by Susan Emmett (Little Rock, Ark.)
• AccuCodeAI, presented by Mike Steely (Little Rock, Ark.)
• Center for Telehealth, University of Mississippi Medical Center, presented by Saurabh Chandra (Jackson, Miss.)

Community Impact 2040

• nutraRX, presented by Taylor Johnston (Sherwood, Ark.)
• Plato Healthcare, presented by Peter Albrecht (Bartlett, Tenn.)
• African Bloodlines Inc, presented by Jennifer Caldwell (Denham Springs, La.)

“These individuals and organizations exemplify the entrepreneurial potential within the region and its capacity to make significant improvements in health and economic outcomes for those who live in our underserved areas,” said Dr. Joe Thompson, president and CEO of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, one of the Rural Innovation Alliance’s leading partners. “From advancements in health care and technology to innovative agricultural practices and economic models, our goal now is to develop an engine that continues to nurture these ideas and others like them to fuel sustainable growth and economic resiliency in the Delta.”

Each of the nine search winners received cash awards made possible by Delta Innovator Search sponsors, including Arkansas BlueCross BlueShield, Baptist Health, MITRE, American Heart Association Ventures, St. Bernards Healthcare, and Simmons Bank.

The Delta Innovator Search is part of a planning process launched in May 2023 and funded by the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program, which recognizes that addressing challenges in the Delta such as access to rural health care and quality food is intertwined with economic resiliency. In addition to recognition and cash awards, search winners will gain access to networking support and additional funding opportunities, including a pathway to participate in the upcoming $160 million second-phase NSF Regional Innovation Engines grant application process. The program seeks to develop a plan to harness the region’s strengths to address key disparities and lay the foundation in the region’s communities for future innovation that will advance the local economies and improve health outcomes for residents.