Found in translation – OZY

Navigating the world of healthcare is always a challenge, but it’s even harder as a non-native speaker. Arleen Lopez and her network of translators hope to change that.

For Lopez, a young graduate from Rutgers Universitythe solution could come in the form of an app she is building called Interlingual, which aims to bridge the language gap between patients with limited English proficiency and healthcare professionals. Its platform connects people receiving clinical care with a global team of volunteer translators and interpreters who can help non-English speaking patients navigate the healthcare system.

“By implementing our project, we want patient satisfaction to improve and we want to see our community feel safer, represented and heard,” Lopez said. The idea for the app came from her own personal experience of struggling to communicate with healthcare workers when she was just starting to learn English. She hopes her app will help others avoid similar headaches.

“I hope this idea turns into something useful for my community,” Lopez said.

The app concept earned Lopez a OZY Genius Awards in 2021, an important step for the young inventor. “It gave me perspective and reassurance that the problem needed a solution and that my project could create awareness,” she said.

Winning the OZY Genius Award also exposed Lopez to a new network of people in the OGA Class of 2021. “I got to meet some amazing people and see their work,” she said. “I love seeing how other OGA winners have taken this opportunity to pitch their idea.”

Networking has led to important collaborations among OGA awardees. “I helped one of my cohort members with his project through my experience as a healthcare worker,” Lopez said.

More than 20% of US residents speak a foreign language at home, nearly double the rate in 1980, according to a report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on US Census data.

“The increase in the number of people who spoke a language other than English at home exceeded the increase in the total population of the United States [from 1980-2019]“, according to a recent US Census Bureau reportwhich adds: “The overall population increased by approximately 47% between 1980 and 2019, while the population who spoke a language other than English at home increased by 194% during the same period.”

After English, Spanish is from afar the most spoken language in the United States.

That’s where Lopez’s app comes in. By working to bridge the language gap between English-speaking healthcare workers and Spanish-speaking patients, Lopez says she hopes to have “a positive impact on people’s lives” in healthcare settings and other spaces. community.

Since winning the OGA last year, Lopez has worked diligently to turn her idea into reality. She has already started approaching medical institutions for partnerships and applied for the 501(c)(3) certificate to allow her app to operate as a nonprofit.

The entrepreneur’s dream is still in its infancy, but she has big plans for the platform. “Five years from now, I see my project helping multiple communities across New Jersey and hopefully the tri-state area,” Lopez said.

It also envisions its application extending to areas other than health care. “I see more industries implementing these translation services.”

Lopez says she hopes to encourage others to come forward with their own “brilliant” ideas. “I hope to inspire anyone who doubts their abilities,” she said. “As long as there is a passion behind your project, you will succeed.”

For aspiring changemakers, Lopez says self-love is one of the most important tools for developing a new project. Persistence is also key, she says. “There’s always another chance to take what we’ve learned and move forward.”

When it comes to finding a project that will change the world, Lopez offers this advice: “Find out what moves you and work on it,” she said. “Never forget where you come from and help those who need it most.”

— by Sarah Brown

Career counseling can help students find their ideal job after graduation, but these services are not readily available to everyone. Dante Alvarado-Leon seeks to level the playing field through digital technology and a powerful team of volunteer mentors.

After winning the OZY Genius Award in 2017Alvarado-Leon launched Mentor rooman online platform that connects university students with mentors from a wide range of industries, allowing them to learn about different career options.

“The spirit and intent of MentorRoom was to bridge the mentoring gap for students, especially first-generation students who are interested in the tech industry but didn’t have a mentor or someone. ‘one they could look up to and learn from,’ says the young entrepreneur. “Our vision was to build a world where access to mentors is universal.”

Alvardo-Leon’s idea has won several additional awards since the OGA, including the “Youth awards” Changemaker Award, the Hispanizing the Positive Impact Award and the Westly Price.

Alvarado-Leon set a clear goal to help people, then set to work to make it happen. During MentorRoom’s pilot program, the platform provided over 450 hours of mentoring through video calls, messages, and in-person mentoring sessions. At the end of the program, 96% of students and mentors said they “benefited greatly from the mentoring sessions and grew personally and professionally” through the experience, Alvarado-Leon said.

MentorRoom has benefited over 300 students by helping them find internships and job opportunities, access professional development resources, meet mentors, and connect with each other.

“The majority of students who were part of our pilot program are now working full-time at tech companies around the world,” Alvarado-Leon said. “All thanks to the support of our mentors and the resources we provided to them.”

The mentoring project recently moved into a new space with video content on Alvarado-Leon’s YouTube channel, called “take the leap.” The name reflects the goal of the video series, which is “to inspire and expose students to like-minded role models who have made the jump from college into impactful careers,” Alvarado-Leon said. The series contains interviews with top professionals working in different professions that offer insight into their career paths and their professional and personal activities.

“While our project has evolved over the past two years, our mission has always been the same: to help people enter and thrive in the tech industry,” Alvarado-Leon said.

The young entrepreneur says he now plans to write a book and set up an online course to reach more people. “We hope to continue to inspire and help many more people in the years to come,” he said.

Alvarado-Leon says his goal is to help one million people make better career decisions over the next five years through a combination of his YouTube channel, career panels, and in-person and virtual conversations. he has with students and professionals.

“We have received several messages from people around the world saying that they have been able to land jobs thanks to the tips we have shared,” said Alvarado-Leon. “This includes people we never would have been able to meet if YouTube hadn’t shared our career advice videos.”

Leaving a positive imprint on the world is what drives Alvarado-Leon. One of the most important lessons he has learned over the past five years is to look for ways to help others. “Share your knowledge, experience and perspectives with those around you,” he said.

“We may not be responsible for what happens in the world, but we can still do something to make our future better for ourselves and those around us,” he added. “Start small, look around, find something you’re passionate about, then make it better.”

— by Sarah Brown

Do you have a genius idea? Are you ready to take it to the next level? Apply now for an OZY Genius Award and let’s make it happen.