IDEAfuel 2023: bEHR Health Systems

The founder highlighted in this blog forms part of the 2023 IDEAfuel cohort .

Founded in 2021 by Kwame Terra, bEHR Health Systems is a platform dedicated to promoting healthy aging among Black Americans by offering medical, lifestyle, and social solutions. Recognizing the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black Americans compared to their White counterparts, Kwame sought to contribute to the advancement of Black health.

"I wanted to make a difference so that in the face of future pandemics or challenges, we are better equipped to achieve better health outcomes. Due to poor social and environmental conditions, lifestyle habits, and low health literacy, Black bodies tend to age faster. Age-related diseases like hypertension, heart disease, tType-2 diabetes, and certain cancers can manifest as early as our 20s and 30s, resulting in shorter life expectancies. These factors also make us more vulnerable to adverse outcomes from viruses such as COVID."

Through the bEHR Health Systems platform, users can track their health using a health score and access various health resources, all conveniently available in one place. Kwame's idea for the health score emerged during a community health event where participants completed a health score assessment. "One of our participants expressed her gratitude for completing the assessment because she wasn't aware that some of the factors we asked about could impact her health," Kwame shares. "After completing the assessment, she realized that when she goes to the cafeteria, she typically focuses on finding something she enjoys rather than considering its long-term impact on her health. That's when I realized the value of what we were building."

By the conclusion of the 2023 IDEAfuel program, Kwame is hopeful to have tested and launched bEHR's inaugural product offering: “Balance by bEHR.” This product will provide a healthy grocery delivery service featuring medically tailored meals. The overarching mission of bEHR Health Systems is to integrate health into Black culture, placing it at the core of how Black communities live, learn, work, play, and celebrate.

About IDEAfuel

Launched in 2022, IDEAfuel is an accelerator program designed specifically for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) who are building startups in the Gulf South region. Presented by Regions Foundation, this program offers founders across SaaS and CPG industries the opportunity to connect with mentors, learn from their cohort members, and receive non-dilutive funding to support their growth. The aim is to prepare them to build for scale and be ready to raise a seed round of investment capital.

This year, we proudly announced at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) 2023 that four founders have been accepted into the program, doubling the cohort size compared to last year! Under the leadership of Rhenita Brade the selected companies, RIZE, KMboobies, Port Lookout, and bEHR Health Systems, were chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants. Each company will be paired with a dedicated mentor throughout the 12-week program and granted $15,000.

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Want to connect with founder and CEO directly? Contact Kwame at kwameterra@behrhs.com