When Bronx native Ivelyse Andino witnessed the inequities in the healthcare system firsthand, she did something radical. Andino gathered neighbors around her kitchen table to talk about their experiences. Those conversations became a cornerstone of the company she soon launched to transform healthcare for underserved communities. Radical Health--the first Latina-owned and operated Benefit Corp in NYC — combines the power of conversation with technology to help people navigate the system and advocate for themselves. In this inspiring conversation, Ivelyse talks about channeling anger into action, the crucial first step any founder can take to build confidence, addressing inequality in health care, the lessons of bootstrapping, changing the conversations we have about our health, and her single best piece of advice for everyone dealing with a health issue.

As a Bronx-born Afro-Latina, I am constantly reminded of the strength of my people. I’ve seen this resilience my whole life. It doesn’t matter whether your mama makes sancocho or tamales, whether you dance to the salsa or bachata, or whether you identify as Cubana, Dominicana, Puertorriqueña, o una mezcla—we’re all united with many shared, lived experiences.

My life changed forever the day that my mother received her leukemia diagnosis. At least, I thought, Mama’s job will come through for her. For the decade prior, my mother had been working in health insurance. While we processed the difficult news, my family assumed that my mother’s job-secured healthcare plan would support her throughout her course of treatment. We were unprepared for the bleak reality.

Our guest on the pod this week is Ivelyse Andino. Ivelyse is an Afro-Latina health equity innovator born and raised in The Bronx. She is the founder and CEO of Radical Health and a Commissioner on the New York City Commission on Gender Equity.

Ivelyse's personal experience of navigating the health care system inspired her to build a business that harnesses technology and intimate conversations to give individuals more control over their health. In this episode, she shares the power of taking up space and giving yourself permission to figure things out as you go.

Ivelyse Andino is an award-winning, Afro-Latina, health equity innovator born and raised in the Bronx. She is a Roddenberry Fellow, as well as the founder and CEO of Radical Health and a Commissioner on the NYC Commission on Gender Equity.

In founding Radical Health — the first Latina-owned-and-operated Benefit Corp in NYC — she combined her expertise in healthcare and her passion as a community organizer. Coming from a historically marginalized community herself, Ivelyse initially built Radical Health around her kitchen table and hearing first-hand from voices who are otherwise never given a say in their own healthcare destiny.

Through Radical Health, Ivelyse is transforming healthcare by facilitating healthcare fluency and self-advocacy, as well as forging a relationship between meaningful face-to-face conversations with cutting-edge technology.

Until the Lion tells its tale, the Hunter will always be glorified."
-Zimbabwean Proverb
More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net
How can a social enterprise address health disparities and support healthcare transformation? In this episode, we talk with Ivelyse Andino, owner of Radical Health, the first Latina-owned-and-operated Benefit Corp in New York City. Radical Health is a social enterprise that facilitates healthcare fluency, promotes self-advocacy, and forges