Genesis

Category: Technology Trends

  • Andrea Bartzen and the Global Passion Projects: Transforming Lives Through Art, Science, and Philanthropy

    Andrea Bartzen and the Global Passion Projects: Transforming Lives Through Art, Science, and Philanthropy

    Genesis Greater Good is honored to spotlight Andrea Bartzen—a true catalyst for global change. In a world where creativity and innovation collide, Bartzen, biotech visionary and proud member of the Genesis Business Humanity Club, is championing change on a global scale. As the founder of The Global Passion Projects, Bartzen has established a transformative platform that connects legacy families and high-net-worth investors with trailblazing scientists and entrepreneurs to address some of the world’s most pressing health challenges.

    Art Bio Miami: A Celebration of Hope and Innovation

    During the 2024 Art Basel week in Miami, Bartzen’s vision came to life through the inaugural Art Bio Gala. Hosted by iconic artist Romero Britto at the exclusive Britto Palace, the gala was more than an event—it was a movement uniting art, science, and philanthropy. Luminaries from Silicon Valley, Miami’s investment community, and philanthropic circles gathered to champion solutions for critical global challenges.

    The evening’s highlights included a heartwarming fashion show featuring young cancer survivors proudly dressed as their future selves—an ode to hope and the limitless possibilities of life. This celebration also showcased groundbreaking innovations funded through Bartzen’s foundation, reinforcing her commitment to blending passion with tangible impact.

    Pioneering Partnerships and Breakthroughs

    At the heart of The Global Passion Projects is its dedication to catalyzing innovation in areas like cancer, Alzheimer’s, mental health, and preventive diagnostics. The foundation’s partnerships exemplify its mission:

    • Wellvii™ and VitalDetect®: Revolutionizing rural healthcare with non-invasive monitoring tools that make remote patient care accessible.
    • DermaSensor: An AI-powered handheld device democratizing early skin cancer detection, recognized as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024.
    • Humaniti Foundation: A U.S. and Canadian foundation that is combining the vibrant forces of entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaboration to solve the world’s most monumental challenges, focusing on health, water, and food relief efforts around the world.
    • National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: Spearheading collaborative research initiatives to combat childhood cancer with less toxic, more effective treatments.

    Through these collaborations, Bartzen’s foundation is not just funding solutions—it’s fostering a culture of hope and transformation.

    From Biotech to Global Impact

    Bartzen’s journey from biotech leader to global changemaker reflects her passion for driving meaningful innovation. The Global Passion Projects inaugural event, the Hamptons Garden Gala, held on Thursday, August 29, 2024, served as a pivotal moment, kickstarting a series of impactful initiatives and collaborations. This event brought together thought leaders, innovators, and philanthropists to strategize on pressing health issues, setting the foundation for all future projects and events. “Our mission is to merge philanthropy with impact investing to accelerate innovation,” she shares. By bringing together legacy families and cutting-edge thinkers, Bartzen and her team create ripple effects that extend far beyond the communities they serve.

    Looking to the Future

    The success of Art Bio Miami sets the stage for a series of high-profile events in 2025, including gatherings in Palm Beach, New York City, London, and the Middle East. Each event promises to continue fostering collaboration and driving solutions that align with the values of the Genesis Business Humanity Club: impact, progress, and humanity.

    Andrea Bartzen’s work through The Global Passion Projects and her involvement with Art Bio Miami showcases the power of connecting creativity, science, and philanthropy. Together with the Genesis Business Humanity Club, she is paving the way for a brighter, healthier, and more hopeful future.

    Join the Movement For more information on The Global Passion Projects or to explore partnership opportunities, visit globalpassionprojects.com.

  • Healthcare in the US Can Be Dramatically Improved With Innovations in Population Health and Value-Based Care

    Healthcare in the US Can Be Dramatically Improved With Innovations in Population Health and Value-Based Care

    There’s not a single person in the United States who would discredit the importance of our healthcare system. Compared to the rest of the world, America is an innovation leader, whether through new technologies, new business models, and the science bringing advanced, life-enhancing treatments to society which are scaling to benefit billions where resources are available that improve access to care – and the quality of that care.

    Despite this, a recent study by The Peter G. Peterson Foundation reported that the United States has one of the highest healthcare costs in the world but has a lower life expectancy rate and a higher rate of excess mortality than other comparable countries. In fact, in the US, costs have been rising more rapidly during the past decades than gross domestic products, and many experts consider this increase not to be sustainable.

    Dr. Amish Purohit, Co-Founder, President & Chief Health Officer at Arkos Health, a technology-driven population health company providing patient care management, shared his thoughts on the opportunity to fundamentally improve access, especially in underserved communities while driving up quality and reducing costs in a recent interview.

    “I’ll start by saying that our healthcare system is the best health care system in the world,” Dr. Purohit said. “However, when it comes to outcomes, and when we’re looking at how much we spend, looking from the outside in, you wouldn’t think we had the best healthcare system in the world. We’ve got to reduce costs in this country.”

    A highly accomplished physician executive and business leader, Dr. Purohit has earned an MD, MBA MHA, FAAFP, and FACHE through a diverse educational background that includes a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from George Mason University, a Master of Health Administration from Pennsylvania State University, and a Master of Business Administration from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

    He was most recently recognized as a recipient of the Phoenix Titan 100 Award, an annual honor that recognizes executives who demonstrate exceptional leadership, vision, and passion, which Dr. Purohit has greatly displayed as he works to create a more affordable and accessible healthcare system.

    “There’s no way we can sustain more than 20 or 21% of our GDP just on healthcare, or more if it continues to rise,” he continued. “If our percentage of GDP spent on healthcare goes to where it takes away money from other governmental programs that we need, like infrastructure and education, it simply makes the spending more unsustainable.”

    Purohit explained that to lessen the burden of cost that healthcare imposes upon patients, there must be systemic changes to how government policies assist provider burnout, as well as the currently flawed Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement formula.

    “For example, the way our government and programs around Medicaid work often amounts to a free-for-all all if you’re on Medicaid,” Dr. Purohit explained. “You’ve got free health care, you don’t have copays, and you have no other responsibility, so there’s nothing really pushing them to change their behavior patterns to use health care resources appropriately. Costs are going up, and their health outcomes are not any better.”

    Instead, there are too many other determinants, such as social determinants of health (SDOH), that make it tough for Medicaid populations to prioritize healthcare. These wide-scale issues help drive the increasing cost of healthcare, making it difficult for patients to make healthcare a priority, ultimately leading to worse outcomes.

    A recent Boston Globe study that found the average net worth of a black American family in the city of Boston to be just eight dollars. In reference to that finding, Dr. Purohit wonders how any family could put an emphasis on healthcare, already knowing they can’t afford it.

    “These are all barriers that are created for individuals lower on the socioeconomic ladder that it becomes hard to prioritize health care,” he explained. “If they can’t prioritize health care, this correlates to poor outcomes. Just because we may have the best health care system in the world, if they’re not able to access it, they’re not able to follow through.”

    Credit: Precedence Research

    Along with broad policy changes, Dr. Purohit advocates strongly for the betterment of patient education. He explains that patient education is paramount to letting people play a bigger role in their own health.

    “The other piece to solving the healthcare puzzle is not only providing coverage, access, equitable, and equity in healthcare, but it is about empowering our patients and educating our patients to take ownership of their own healthcare.”

    “They can’t take ownership if, on average, a person sees their doctor maybe four times a year,” Dr. Purohit said. “It’s about an hour a year if you calculate the time that they spend with their physician. If that’s the case, how can you provide better outcomes if that’s all you’re doing.”

    To create greater patient empowerment, while decreasing costs at the same time, Dr. Purohit believes the answer lies with population health management and value-based care (VBC) methods and policies, like those employed by Arkos Health.

    “That’s why systems like Arkos Health, where there is a higher touch point, higher access, higher availability to clinical knowledge and clinical advice for these patients, can fill those gaps in between when they see their doctors. It’s why I think there needs to be an overhaul,” he stated.

    Both approaches to healthcare aim to improve the overall health outcomes of a community by the optimization of resources, including digital ones. The two approaches focus on enhancing patient outcomes by incentivizing quality over quantity and leveraging practices such as preventive care, care coordination, telehealth, patient education, and even data analytics.

    The sweeping desire for change across the country, coupled with the surge in the prevalence of chronic diseases and a growing aging population, is driving the rapid growth of the population health management market, with experts predicting a promising 19.93% CAGR, bringing the 2031 estimates to a whopping USD 171.94 billion.

    However, if Dr. Purohit’s beliefs prove true, population health management, as well as VBC, could very well be on the rise faster than expected as the country begins to realize that changes are necessary for the American health system to achieve world-class status.

    “Our healthcare system is broken,” he said, “and the only solutions that I see right now until we fix and overhaul our entire healthcare system are solutions like Arkos Health. Population health management and value-based care companies that will help insurers to reduce costs and improve outcomes. We offer individualized care at scale. Supporting patients hand-in-hand. We coordinate care for them, wrap them with ample supporting services that impact their health, and generally drive a better experience. We’re getting paid by their insurers to put them at the center of their care  because the health plans and current ecosystem of care can’t do it alone.” Learn more about Dr. Purohit on LinkedIn, and learn more about Arkos Health on their website.

  • The Future of Population Health: At the Intersection of Big Data, Social Determinants, and Collaborative Solutioning

    The Future of Population Health: At the Intersection of Big Data, Social Determinants, and Collaborative Solutioning

    Population Health management has been around for decades and continues to evolve with changing regulations, advancing technology, improved data collection and analytics, and the rapid emergence of new Value-Based Care (VBC) programs and models of care.

    Overall, the promise of Value-Based Care (VBC) remains both straightforward and steadfast: through the transformation of healthcare delivery to prioritize clinical quality and outcomes while managing costs, patients stand to reap profound benefits, experiencing a marked improvement in care. Sectors of the industry are working overtime to find better ways to serve patients. Programs offering advanced preventative care, promoting wellness, and providing both routine and episodic care in more convenient settings can significantly decrease costs for all participants, including patients and payors while reducing burden and improving the experience for providers.

    Data-driven, Socially Determined, and Collaboratively Delivered Community Healthcare

    “We are in an era of ongoing change,” said Sadie Howes DiAdriana, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer at Arkos Health, a pioneer in the VBC space. Arkos serves health plans and provider organizations by managing their highest-risk and highest-cost populations within an integrated system of care comprised of clinical and social services backed by a robust system of technologies and innovative platforms. “Consumers’ demands from the system and value-based care models continue to increase while regulators continue to drive changes that significantly impact the playing field. Delivering value-based care, therefore, requires a level of sophistication and intentionality it has not previously.”

    Elaborating on what she means by “intentionality,” DiAdriana explained that good cultivation, stewardship, and deployment of data would make VBC programs successful in both the near and far terms—specifically emphasizing that Clinical and SDOH data must be used in concert to understand better patient behaviors and psychology along the continuum of care. Organizations that can effectively leverage data to reimagine programs, interventions, and clinical care to be more engaging across all settings and access points will ultimately find it easier to influence utilization behaviors, thereby reducing costs and driving better outcomes.

    “Value-Based Population Health already takes a more holistic approach,” DiAdriana said. “But the successful programs going forward will be those that leverage data to work collaboratively within the communities they serve to co-create solutions. Additionally, programs that can maximize access at the convenience and preference of the consumer are more likely to succeed. This means maximizing care delivery across all channels: virtual, mobile, community-based, in-clinic, etc. Data must inform the opportunity areas, potential pitfalls, and barriers to entry, but the ultimate solution cannot be derived from the corporate “ivory tower.” It must include those it impacts in the process.

    Retail-based clinics, free screenings, community-based education, and remote monitoring service options are all great with loads of potential, but if the data and/or population isn’t demanding, responding, or connected to that offering, it will not make the relevant impact. This makes intuitive sense, but what ultimately proves programs are working is the results. These efforts need to be tracked, evaluated, and optimized promptly and consistently.”

    DiAdriana is not alone in her passion for applying VBC principles to Population Health. “At a time where dissatisfaction with large corporations and conglomerates is at a peak, consumers are becoming increasingly open to new ways to find and receive care, even increasing their healthcare literacy through unconventional means like social media and digital communities,” DiAdriana explained. Medicare Advantage enrollment has more than doubled since 2010,[1] with over 50% of the Medicare population is enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, and further growth expected through 2030[2].COVID skyrocketed the adoption of telehealth for millions of people, and even with the return of in-person services, utilization remains higher than pre-pandemic levels[3]. Consumers are willing to shop for care, and according to a May 2023 McKinsey study[4], 89% are willing to shop for medical services in at least one category if given the option.

    “Healthcare needs to meet the patients where they are at. That’s why Arkos brings nurses, nurse practitioners, doctors, pharmacy support, dieticians, social services, and other care support into the home and community. This can be far more convenient for individuals and families. Some members, however, still prefer clinic settings and more traditional care channels. We must be able to respond to, support, and optimize that experience as well. The easier we make it for the population to engage both traditionally AND in new ways so that it is more on their unique terms, the more successful we will be at addressing Population Health challenges. Data provides us with a framework and direction, but we then partner with the members and community directly to cultivate effective programs and solutions; we will be able to more efficiently and effectively serve them.”

    Earlier this month, Walmart Health announced the closure of all its locations. This is amid a seeming collapse of the retail health model. “It is a disappointing blow to what seemed like a promising solution for access in rural & underserved communities,” DiAdriana said. While Walmart has publicly announced its retail clinics were not a sustainable model, industry speculation suggests they may have failed to overcome a variety of challenges, from provider and staffing shortages to underestimation of the challenges to delivering care and achieving profitability in today’s tough environment. “Walmart theoretically had all the right tools and levers at their disposal to succeed in this space. They had the physical infrastructure and money to build the operational prowess. So, for me, with a bias towards consumer experience,” she chuckles, “it does beg the question whether the retail model was ever really that well aligned to the data AND the demands of consumers?”

    While it may be easy to get bogged down in pessimism surrounding this potential demise of a seemingly hopeful model of care, the accessibility challenge always maintains glimmers of hope for the technology sector. Given more accessible and powerful technologies and platforms, including mobile apps, cloud computing, affordable data storage and processing, and increasingly intelligent analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), a solid computing and communications infrastructure is slowly becoming the baseline.

    “There is no shortage of data or technology in healthcare. Those are the easy parts in some respects,” DiAdriana said. “The devil is in the detail of how we cultivate that data and technology to implement Value-Based Care and Population Health Programs. It requires varied expertise across technical, clinical, and social parameters, proven methodologies, and a healthy dose of creativity. That can be a tall order, with stakeholders often at odds for limited precious resources. Not to forget, even with the stakeholders and resources aligned, getting there requires continuous training, education, and genuine engagement from all parties – the people behind the technology and processes, those who are on the front lines, in medical offices, and in the homes as well as the people and communities receiving care.”

    “The good news is that despite the at times steep uphill battle, the level of understanding and willingness to make a full commitment to these programs is rapidly growing after what seemed like a prolonged adoption period for Value-Based Care,” DiAdriana said, while also noting that the landscape is rapidly changing given the stunning results of large projects in many of the most heavily populated communities in the U.S. These include commercial shared-risk savings and full-risk capitation within Medicare Advantage.

    Arkos has led successful programs in multiple markets across the country because of its ability to cultivate data into action across the ecosystem of care collaboratively. “Arkos Health sits in the middle of it all and can help bridge the gaps. We can be the rising tide that lifts all boats, as the saying goes.”

    “A robust collaborative approach is necessary because reviewing individual patients’ cases using Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) only goes so far. Impactful and relevant data comes from a variety of far-reaching sources. “When that data is aggregated well, meaningful trends and insights surface that allows for more impactful interventions,” DiAdriana said. “When you start to layer in quality and social data, we can look across the entire continuum, to start understanding which measures and treatments are working and for whom, which leads to more informed and efficient care not just for one, but for many.

    To learn more about Arkos Health, Value-Based Care, Population Health, and the power of data in reducing the cost of care while improving people’s health, please visit arkoshealth.com

    [1] 10 Reasons Why Medicare Advantage Enrollment is Growing and Why It Matters | KFF.

    [2] Figure 2 (Same as above)

    [3] Telehealth Utilization Higher Than Pre-Pandemic Levels, but Down from Pandemic Highs (epicresearch.org)

    [4] The implications of US healthcare price transparency | McKinsey

  • Saving Money & Saving the Planet

    Saving Money & Saving the Planet

    Originally published in MSP Today

    Among the variety of innovative technologies that have risen in both use and popularity amidst digital transformation, few have had a larger impact on the world than cloud computing. With the capability to provide both individuals and organizations the ability to access computing resources (i.e. software, hardware, and platforms, as services remotely through the Internet), it’s no shocker that cloud computing technology is flourishing in numerous industries and growing rapidly as a whole.

    The cloud computing’s global market value came in at USD 569.31 in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 677.95 by the end of 2023, with experts predicting a CAGR of 20%, bringing the estimated market value to USD 2,432.87 billion by 2030. The swift and tremendous growth can be attributed to the sheer flexibility of cloud computing, offering advantages to practically all sectors and verticals.

    However, while the cloud may seem like the perfect piece of technology, it certainly has its drawbacks; the inefficient allocation of resources and spending overall are amongst the most common cloud problems. According to some estimates, the typical company wastes as much as 35% of its cloud budget, which would put USD 126.77 billion of worldwide cloud expenditures under the category of inefficient spending.

    This has kickstarted a trend among enterprises to prioritize the optimization of their cloud computing, which, for many organizations, comes in the form of a managed service provider (MSP). While the MSP industry has boomed amidst the beginning of the digital age, they have once again hit a crossroads during the rise of the cloud, as the continuous rise of consumer demands, as well as increased pressure from competition, is forcing MSPs to enhance their cloud management.

    “The most notable way MSPs have begun to bolster the cloud efficiency portfolios is through the use of cloud optimization platforms,” said Ben McGahon, founder and CEO of Kalibr8. “These are suites of software tools that MSPs are more commonly leveraging to manage and optimize their cloud resources, providing users with tools that allow them to exercise administrative control. In our case, our platform enables optimization across the largest public clouds.”

    These platforms offer MSPs a host of benefits when it comes to improving a client’s cloud efficiency, such as artificial intelligence AI-enabled automated capabilities that can deliver up to 65% in monthly cloud savings. On top of this, cloud optimization platforms can also provide advantages in relation to cybersecurity and real-time monitoring, both of which are significantly emphasized by the modern-day enterprise.

    “An often-under-recognized benefit that cloud optimization platforms can provide is regarding the environment and overall sustainability,” McGahon said. “More and more, MSPs and their customers are becoming mindful of carbon reduction advantages due to the fact the other benefits contribute more directly to the bottom line, which is usually the most important facet to any business. The nice thing about managing cloud consumption is that one automatically is also reducing the related carbon emissions and use of energy, water, cooling, and so forth.”

    McGahon added that the environmental benefits of cloud optimization platforms are quickly becoming a pivotal piece of the cloud efficiency puzzle, given how socially conscious investors and stakeholders, including employees, board members, customers, regulators, suppliers, and distributors, have become. “They want to know a company’s stance on socioeconomic factors and its sustainability efforts before either investing in a company, working for them, or even buying their products,” McGahon explained.

    With sustainability now on the minds of consumers and businesses alike, MSPs would be wise to advertise the environmental benefits of cloud optimization using cloud management platforms.

    For example, cloud optimization can help reduce energy use, which is essential given the increased demands for energy due in part to the explosion of data. The International Energy Agency revealed that global data center energy consumption increased by 45% over the past three years, reaching 264 terawatt-hours per year. Thankfully, through cloud optimization, an enterprise can reduce energy consumption by over 30%, which, when compounded with the total amount of businesses nowadays, can make a drastic impact.

    Furthermore, cloud optimization can play an essential role in enterprises reducing their carbon emissions and overall carbon footprint. Transitioning to cloud computing can already help a company reduce its carbon emissions by up to 30% for large companies and up to a staggering 90% for small and medium businesses (SMBs). Yet, once again, in relation to data, cloud optimization can amp these numbers up, with a total of 1.6 billion metric tons of GHG emissions possibly being saved in 2024 if cloud data centers are optimized.

    Finally, by optimizing virtualization through cloud computing, enterprises can once again reduce energy use and carbon emissions.

    “Virtualization allows the organization to create several virtual machines (VMs) and run multiple applications on the same physical server via a hypervisor as one example,” McGahon said.” Organizations can then use a single VM rather than a resource-heavy physical server, which uses less power and has a lower impact on the environment. There are many ways to save money that directly benefit the planet.”

    For MSPs, cloud optimization platforms can not only offer an array of benefits for their own organization but can also enhance their clientele enterprises in a myriad of ways, with the environmental advantages being the most recent to come to light.

    While it was once solely for monetary reasons, enterprises that optimize their cloud computing can play a positive part in undoing the damage already done to our planet and creating a better future for generations ahead.

    “MSPs must ensure they’re not only communicating but advocating for cloud optimization in the name of the environment, as the sustainability movement continues to swiftly grow among their business customers,” McGahon concluded. “It makes all the sense in the world.”

  • The Emergence of Genesis BH Digital: A Story of Digital Transformation

    The Emergence of Genesis BH Digital: A Story of Digital Transformation

    Exceptional narratives of growth and innovation marked the Genesis business environment in 2023, and at the heart of these stories is Genesis BH Digital, guided by the strategic insight and leadership of its President, Steve Denker. The creation of Genesis BH Digital by Denker was not just a business venture but a natural evolution within the Genesis Family—a bold initiative to forge a path for centralized creative and digital resources that would empower the Genesis BH Club, its investments, partners, and wide-reaching projects.

    Under Denker’s stewardship, Genesis BH Digital has swiftly transitioned from a promising agency startup to a dynamic powerhouse, experiencing dramatic growth in its first months of operation. This growth spurt wasn’t accidental. It resulted from Denker and his teams’ unwavering dedication and ability to infuse his deeply-rooted values of creativity, timeliness, and strategic direction into the company’s DNA—a testament shared by those that have worked alongside him.

    The success of Genesis BH Digital lies in its ability to act simultaneously as an incubator for transformational marketing strategies. By leveraging the club’s collective acumen and Denker’s visionary guidance, Genesis BH Digital has launched a myriad of effective campaigns and creative solutions, appreciated by the impressive portfolio of clients that place their confidence in the company. Through responsive, tailored approaches, Genesis BH Digital harnesses the synergy between storytelling and technology, crafting messages that are aligned with client initiatives and that resonate deeply with audiences.

    This sense of unity and commitment extends beyond business horizons. It finds its profound expression in the humanitarian efforts undertaken by the Genesis Global Foundation. Navigating through the year, the foundation has become the embodiment of Genesis’ core values—faith, unity, and humanity—especially during challenging times like the sudden outbreak of violence in Israel. Sharing their sentiments, the foundation expressed solidarity and commitment to supporting affected communities: “Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones and who are suffering.”

    Genesis BH Digital’s community-oriented approach also plays a pivotal role in addressing urgent crises, such as the humanitarian emergency illustrated by the plight of Ruby Chen, a member of the Genesis Business Humanity Club, whose son, Itay, was taken hostage by Hamas. The troubling events serve as a stark reminder of the responsibility of entities like Genesis BH Digital to offer support, rally resources, and amplify narratives that underline the significance of timely interventions and peace-building efforts.

    Steve Denker’s decision to create Genesis BH Digital was indeed timely and foresightful. The Genesis Family’s enterprising division has not only burgeoned into a flourishing business but has also been a reminder of the strength that can be found in collective endeavors.

    The Genesis BH Digital Team

  • Putting People and the Planet First Drives Sustainable Profitability

    Putting People and the Planet First Drives Sustainable Profitability

    Much has been written about the “Triple Bottom-Line” since the term was coined in the mid-1980’s.

    A lot has changed since then. Four decades later, society continues to face existential threats, from climate change and social engineering to geopolitical polarization, pandemics unlike any we’ve seen before, and a sharp rise in violence in what we perceived as the most peaceful and safe communities.

    The general goal of a sustainable business strategy is to positively impact the environment, society, or both, while also benefiting shareholders, but until now, the tensions between profitability and progress when it comes to a more equitable and peaceful society have left too many Triple Bottom-Line initiatives unrealized.

    The triple bottom line is a business concept that suggests businesses should commit to measuring their social and environmental impact—in addition to their financial performance—rather than solely focusing on generating profit, or the standard “bottom line.”

    This has evolved into ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance), which is an approach to investing that recommends taking environmental, social, and governance issues into account when deciding which companies to invest in. ESG now forms the bedrock of most sustainable investing processes.

    Those of us at Genesis who continue to build a platform for supporting innovative companies whose potential to change the game is significant appreciate the metrics that have emerged from Triple Bottom-Line to ESG and turn to those metrics in our decision-making processes.

    The triple bottom line can be broken down into “three Ps”:

    1. Profit
    2. People
    3. Planet

    In a capitalist economy, a firm’s success most heavily depends on its financial performance, or the profit it generates for shareholders.

    In the past, many firms’ goals have solely focused on economic growth. Now, purpose-driven leaders are discovering they have the power to use their businesses to effect positive change in the world without hampering financial performance. In many cases, adopting sustainability initiatives has proven to drive business success.

    When it comes to people, traditionally, businesses have favored shareholder value as the success driver and measurement.

    As businesses have increasingly embraced sustainability, they are continuing to shift their focus toward creating value for all stakeholders impacted by business decisions, including customers, employees, and community members.

    When we consider an investment in a company, we drill down into how the company is making an impact on people, include ensuring fair hiring practices, ensuring equal pay for equal work, and encouraging volunteerism in the workplace. We also explore how companies are forging successful strategic partnerships with nonprofit organizations that share a common purpose-driven goal.

    When it comes to the planet, we assess how companies are committing to net-zero carbon emissions. Since the birth of the Industrial Revolution, large corporations have contributed a staggering amount of pollution to the environment. While awareness and programs are growing more popular, a recent report by the International Energy Agency found that the global energy industry released 135 million tons of methane into the atmosphere in 2022. Adjustments like using ethically sourced materials, cutting down on energy consumption, and streamlining shipping practices are steps in the right direction toward long-term sustainability.

    Proof Positive: Innovative companies have shown time and again that it’s possible to do well by doing good.

    In our work with startups, we’ve proven over and again that it is entirely possible to do the right thing and make money at the same time. In fact, we support startup entrepreneurs who understand, as we do, that solving the world’s problems presents trillions of dollars’ worth of economic opportunity.

    We’d love to hear what you think, and to see what you are seeing out there in the real world. We’re always on the lookout for inspired entrepreneurs and teams who genuinely seek to do all they can to improve life on the planet, while measuring and managing their company’s own practices in responsible and sustainable ways.

    Our bar is high, but so are the stakes.

    If you admire a company that fits our criteria, let’s engage! Share here.

    (Links to form)

  • Israel’s Rich History of Technological Innovation: Ten Inventions That Changed the World for the Better

    Israel’s Rich History of Technological Innovation: Ten Inventions That Changed the World for the Better

    The success of Israel’s “Innovation Nation” has been stunning. Consider the facts:

    • Number of Israeli Noble Prize Winners: 13
    • 2022 Investments in Israeli Tech Start-ups: $17 billion
    • Number of Israeli unicorns (private companies valued at over $1 billion): over 70 and counting.
    • Number of Israeli companies listed on the Nasdaq Exchange: 91 with a total market cap of over $116 billion. (Israel has the third most companies listed on the NASDAQ, after the United States and China).
    • Number of multinational corporations with offices in Israel: over 300 benefitting from Israel’s renowned R&D capabilities.

    Beginning in the 1960s, the Israeli government supported R&D in the defense industry, aligned with its mandatory military service, and out of the work associated with the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). 

    In the late 1980s, the government established the Office of the Chief Scientist in the Ministry of Economy, which in 2016 became the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), an independent but government-funded agency.

    Today, the IIA offers a wide variety of support, ranging from “incubators” for the initial stages of innovation to providing training and seed money to connecting startups with funders in Israel and overseas, while exceptional non-profits like Start-Up Nation are using technology to match entrepreneurs with partners and funders, with an impressive track record (which you can access here).

    Israel’s academic institutions continue to play a strategic role, with universities including Hebrew University, the Technion and the Weizmann Institute ranked among the top in the world. These universities have educated tens of thousands of startup founders in Israel’s high-tech sector as well as its scientists and engineers. 

    Genesis Business Humanity’s team has created this list of ten of our favorite social impact companies born in Israel which are actively protecting people and the planet, while driving prosperity for bold entrepreneurs and committed teams.

    1.

    Iron Dome

    Iron Dome detects incoming short-range rockets and shells, assesses the threat, and dispatches a high-speed missile to intercept and destroy anything determined to be a danger.  Developed by two Israeli firms—Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries with support from the United States, the system has thwarted approximately 97% of missiles launched to strike Israeli population centers by Hamas and Hezbollah since it was introduced in 2011.

    2.

    Waze

    In 2006, Israeli entrepreneurs Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar and Uri Levine developed a commercial-free digital database to help drivers shorten travel times around Israel. Today it is Waze, the real-time driving app now owned by Google and used by 140 million people a month worldwide. Users report traffic accidents, road hazards, police activity, street events and even gas prices. Waze then uses the data to constantly update its maps and offer increasingly accurate recommendations which lead to safer driving which can save lives.

    3.

    Pillcam

    A tiny camera inside a swallowed capsule the size of a jellybean takes pictures of a patient’s bowel that are transmitted via sensors attached to their abdomen. Pillcam, a noninvasive method for diagnosing diseases of the digestive system that are often missed by painful traditional methods including colonoscopies was invented by Israeli engineer Gavrial Iddan and Israeli gastroenterologist Eitan Scapa.

    4.

    Rewalk

    After a 1997 car accident left him a quadriplegic, Israeli entrepreneur Amit Goffer invented the ReWalk robotic exoskeleton. Available for home use since 2014, the ReWalk “exo-suit” features motorized joints and a computerized system that allows the wearer to stand, walk and climb stairs. While the ReWalk suit is expensive (upwards of $70K), it is in use in some hospitals for patients recovering from strokes and spinal cord injuries. 

    5.

    ESGgo

    ESGgo is an AI-based “sustainability operating platform.” A SaaS powered by AI, it provides different tools for public companies and consulting firms. With ESGgo teams can strategize, examine, report and operate programs efficiently and cost-effectively.  in a highly fast and cost-effective way.

    6.

    Conflu3nce Health AI (CHAI)

    Conflu3nce/Conflu3nce Health AI’s healthcare agenda focuses on developing personalized, user-centric evaluation metrics: biomarkers of change that can support early detection of disease for vulnerable and at-risk populations. Healthcare practices changed with the pandemic, engaging consumers, shifting point-of-care to telehealth, and recognizing acute and historical service gaps.

    7.

    Effectivate

    With a mission to empower seniors and preserve quality of life, Effectivate sets a new standard for computerized-brain-training in the neuro-wellness and AgeTech arenas. By providing cutting edge memory training for older adults and helping them maintain their cognitive abilities and quality of life, the company contributes to advances in medicine and innovation, With age, many physical abilities decline, including cognitive abilities such as memory and attention.

    8.

    AIVF

    Founded and headed by clinical embryologist Daniella Gilboa, AIVF uses artificial intelligence (AI) to guide the embryo selection process when retrieving and choosing eggs for fertilization. This June, AIVF completed a $25 million investment round to expand the use of its main software platform, called EMA, an acronym for Embryology Management Assistant—and the Hebrew word for mother.

    9.

    Gabriel Network

    Formerly Blue Systems, the Gabriel Network is an Israeli startup that created a “smart panic button” for crisis management during violent incidents like school shootings and terror attacks. The company has seen demand for its advanced security software rise significantly in recent years among companies and organizations in the private sector. Yoni Sherizen, the co-founder of Gabriel Network says the solution has already been rolled out across a double-digit number of Jewish institutions in the US including synagogues and community centers over the past three years, and that the company has been expanding to many more communities, businesses, educational institutions and more in North America.

    10.

    Hortica

    Hortica is an Israeli company that develops and manufactures technologies for precision horticulture. Their proprietary “environment within an environment” aims to bring sustainability, resilience, and stability to full-spectrum local food security. Hortica has developed an automatic device that allows cannabis growers to control crops using sensors, providing the highest quality buds required for pharmaceutical grade medical cannabis, used to treat pain more effectively, safely, and economically than opiods and other traditional options.

    We’d love to hear from you if you have a story to share about more inspiring start-ups in Israel. Contact our editor, Arti Loftus, here. (form)

  • Miami Mentorship

    Miami Mentorship