Welfie benefits from interns, external promotion while expanding to meet COVID-19 needs

Opportunity

Welfie is a small, minority-owned business developing software that allows users to keep track of their own health and the health of their community. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Welfie saw an opportunity to expand their purpose to help high-risk and high-priority entities like schools and hospitals ensure the safety of their employees and patrons. But the company needed talent and brand exposure to bring this vision to life.

EDC Solution

Welfie was selected to host interns at no charge through EDC’s Advancing San Diego (ASD) program, which allowed them to bring on more part-time staff to help with the company’s software expansion.

EDC published a blog post spotlighting Welfie and their experience with ASD, and secured an interview with a reporter that resulted in a published piece in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The Details

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in April of this year, Dr. Steven Moyo began to see how his software company Welfie could expand to provide a much needed resource: an easily traceable, accessible health screening app. Welfie, originally developed to help those suffering from heart disease to manage their wellness, could act as a tool for schools and businesses looking to stay operational during the pandemic, while keeping their employees, students, and patrons safe from coronavirus. Dr. Moyo knew there were two things he needed if he was going to make this happen: 1) more software talent, and 2) more exposure to potential end users. That’s where EDC came in.

Dr. Moyo had been advised by mentors to pursue interns through the ASD program, made possible by J.P. Morgan Chase’s AdvancingCities grant. After a competitive application process, Welfie was one of 15 companies chosen for the program. The company was provided two paid interns from Preferred Provider educational programs to assist Dr. Moyo’s team in web development and marketing. With the help of Welfie’s interns, the small business was able to develop an entire feature geared toward schools screening and tracking the health of their students and employees. To drive brand awareness, EDC published a blog on Welfie’s experience with ASD Internship Program, highlighting how the company expanded their work to address the unfolding health crisis. EDC was then able to secure a media placement featuring Steve and Welfie in the San Diego Union-Tribune, which yields 33.1 million monthly page views. As a result, Welfie has seen increased traffic to its website and increased brand awareness.

EDC is proud to have partnered with this small, minority-owned businesses striving to create a healthier and more accessible community for San Diego.

“Welfie was fortunate to participate in the inaugural Advancing San Diego program. As a small business navigating the impacts of COVID-19, it was especially valuable to be able to bring on interns. For me personally, as a CEO, this was an opportunity to take the time to learn how to manage others and communicate our company goals.” – Steve Moyo, M.D., CEO

 

Result

Interns provided through the ASD program helped develop a product that is being used daily by schools and businesses to track COVID-19 symptoms and educate and engage their communities around health and wellness. Welfie is now working with several businesses in the U.S. and Canada, and is on pace to roll out to thousands of students and teachers across the U.S.

About Welfie

Welfie, which stands for a ‘wellness selfie’, provides a snapshot of one’s health and delivers personalized content, products and services to meet individuals’ health needs—all while connecting users with people and professionals who care.

“Welfie is excited to be helping communities… but our long term focus is much bigger than just COVID-19. We sit primed to address important issues of our time, which include heart health, mental health, and racial health disparities. We are starting here, in San Diego… and we call on any San Diego community leaders to contact us to collaborate.”