Empowerment: The Maternova Global Pulse Online Community
Maternova is the first global Innovation Marketplace and online Information Sharing Community dedicated to saving mothers and newborns.
About You
About You
First Name
Allyson
Last Name
Cote
Twitter URL
Facebook URL
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Maternova, Inc.
Organization Website
Organization Country
United States
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
2012-Women Deliver Top 50 Innovations for Women Winner
-Semi-Finalist in the Secretary of State's Competition for Empowerment of Women and Girls
-Semi-Finalist for the 2011 Buckminster Fuller Prize and the -William James Foundation Social Enterprise Competition
-Finalist in the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition
-Finalist in the MassChallenge competition!
-Participant in the 90 day MassChallenge Accelerator program in Boston over the summer of 2011.
-Winner of the LOHAS Prize (Life of Health and Sustainability) in June 2011
-Finalist in the Cartier Women's Initiative and in the Katerva Prize on Global Sustainability, Fall 2011.
-Recognized by the Providence Business News in the Innovations Awards.
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Innovation
Name Your Entry
Empowerment: The Maternova Global Pulse Online Community
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
While the fields of health care and public health have many evidence-based innovations, knowledge disseminates slowly, if at all.(uniteforsite.org). Internet access continues to climb in developing countries, with a 50% increase over the past three years. Midwives, Doctors, and all those connected via the emergency obstetric paradigm are often isolated from their colleagues while in the field. Affordable innovations coming to market see a marked lag in adoption, simply for lack of awareness, or lack of credible product reviews/ratings from verified professionals.Other debilitating challenges are facing maternal health professionals: How do they share best practices? How can they locate colleagues in the field? Where can they find reliable reviews for both products a/o couriers?
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Maternova has created the first global online community which harnesses the power of your trusted social network to create change. Our robust user interface will allow all those involved in Maternal Health to connect with colleagues in some very innovative ways! SMS Text and online access points assure high adoption. While we track the latest innovations coming to market, clinicians and caregivers can pilot these low cost innovations, rate them, make recommendations, and share their best practices. Our moderated forums allow for simple mapping technology to create layers of connections and unite isolated users with real time support, expertise and news. Many professionals in-field struggle with finding reliable supply couriers. Our global platform will also provide a tool in which facilities along with supply couriers can be assessed and reviewed. This rapid streamlined dissemination of both knowledge and customized innovation bundles will save more lives, much more quickly.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
One innovation can be distributed to pre-determined global points. Each participating clinician will be invited to join a closed discussion forum, often moderated by the product inventor. The product is then rigorously field tested in a variety of settings over a set period of time. Based on outcomes in the field, information regarding efficacy, geographical relevancy, and cost effectiveness can be compiled into a comprehensive case study and product report. The report along will then be posted in the Maternova Innovation Index, where the product's user created ratings will become visible to all unique web visitors.
Moreover, we will be initiating a 'Rewards' system online. We will be assigning points for our platform participants for different interactions. Things like offering your best practices, volunteering to moderate a forum, etc will result in the individual accruing points. They can redeem these points for Maternova innovations in our marketplace. Members can also choos to send their reward to a colleague in the field.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Oddly enough, Maternova is not flanked on both sides by competitors. The reasons for this are many. First, the Maternova global marketplace is the only online aggregator for low cost innovations. Clients can buy customized bundles of products and ship them worldwide. The addition of the Global Pulse Community will add an additional value add to the Maternova mission. Our three fold mission of providing 'content, collaboration, and commerce' (Forrester Research) is a first in the industry.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What solution(s) does your initiative address to better the lives of girls and women by leveraging technology? (select all applicable)
Access to technology, Access to education/training, Access to health care, Policy change/advocacy.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Our current analytics tell us we bring in over 6,000 unique visitors per month. Maternova is the undisputed leader in tracking innovations coming to market, while offering inventors fertile testing grounds to pilot their products. To date, we have touched over 60,000 lives in 170 countries around the world.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Maternova looks to impact the outcomes for both practitioner and patient. Our goal is quite ambitious. We break it down into several criteria by which we will judge our overall success:
1. Continue to engage new users on the Maternova Global Pulse at a growth rate of 50% year over year increase in membership.
2. Midwifes need reliable, compassionate support to help stem the tide of extreme attrition out of the profession due to stress, isolation, and exhaustion. Maternova's goal is 85% retention rate of practitioners on the platform for each 12 month period. This is a stark contrast to 50% average abandonment rate.
3. Unite NGOs, Ministries of Health, Colleges, Inventors, and all practitioners in one information sharing hub.
4. Expedite innovation awareness globally.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone
Task 1
Finalize sitemap and build out remainder of Maternova Global Pulse platform
Task 2
Ensure language capabilities are expanded and tested
Task 3
Identify additional expert forum moderators to maintain high quality relevant discussions
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone
Task 1
Identifying and solidifying relatioships with large NGO's
Task 2
Increase our current product portfolio from 12 to 30 product offerings
Task 3
Proprietary products that are currently underway will be launched with necessary approvals
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
The Maternova Global Pulse epiphany was hatched over a pint of white rice and Sriracha hot sauce. While clumsily trying to capture a grain between my chopsticks, I realized by adding my trusty hot sauce to an otherwise daunting meal, I could bind lonely grains together -- thereby enhancing and compounding the delicious flavor! Invigorating! Each bite became satisfying and energizing when my grains worked together for one purpose. My chopsticks, who I admit to being a novice in skill with, weren't an insufferable and infuriating mode of transport from container to lip any longer. We all want something to make our lives easier, and to perform a vital function for the common good. The Maternova Innovation Index will serve as the sustainable foodstuff. The bold and fiery Maternova Global Pulse platform is our new Sriracha. Please come join us as we reinvent the maternal health landscape in a whole new way. A little bit of hyper creativity goes a long way!
Sustainability
Tell us about your partnerships
Currently, Maternova has several working relationships. Exclusive distribution rights, strategic partnerships with vertical markets, and the support and endorsement of leading global organizations. Groups like Women Deliver, Culture Baby, Seven Hills Foundation and others help propel our grass roots message of saving lives.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
n/a
