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Healthtech Company Navigate Providing Free Mental Health Resources in response to COVID-19

Navigate Wellbeing Solutions, a provider of technology-enabled wellbeing engagement solutions for organizations, is growing as employers embrace the mental health of their employees during COVID-19.

In response to the wellbeing challenges many are facing due to COVID-19, Navigate is sharing tools and content from their platform with human resources professionals and offering access to a 10-speaker series for free.  

“Our focus is on connecting with the people we serve and engaging them in healthy journey that provides the right resources at the right time,” said Troy Vincent, Founder & CEO, Navigate Wellbeing Solutions. “We have also been glad to see an interest from our clients in embracing more programming to assist with isolation, anxiety and stress. If there is a positive that comes from this situation, it is the velocity of organizations prioritizing the mental health of their employees and their families.”

2020 has brought its own challenges to wellbeing. There has been an increase in insurance claims pertaining to depression and anxiety. COVID-19 has also brought unprecedented challenges for HR professionals. Working first-hand with so many in HR, Navigate saw a need to help those in charge of employee wellbeing with their own wellbeing.

In response, the company has organized a virtual speaker series. Each of the 10 sessions is free. Many of the expert speakers are also contributors to content found throughout the Navigate platform.

In addition, Navigate has created Project Care, a suite of resources that includes free virtual care packages, additional client resources, and care insights around currently relevant topics.

“Wellbeing is always important, but arguably this year it is more important than ever,” said Vincent. “We’re doing everything we can to invest in the wellbeing of cities, schools, health systems and everyone using Navigate. We are very fortunate that we are expanding during these times.”


Healthtech Company Navigate Providing Free Mental Health Resources in response to COVID-19 | Clay & Milk
A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.
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