ID552 students shine in innovation challenge

Several ventures developed in the course ID552: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Health Care were represented in Harvard’s 2025 President’s Innovation Challenge, showcasing the creativity and impact of students’ ideas. Among them was Sabrina Ebengho‘s SAMI+, which equips mobile health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo with AI-powered ultrasound devices to deliver lifesaving prenatal care in underserved communities. SAMI+ was awarded the 2025 Ingenuity Award.

Former successful ID552 innovators include:

• Faiza Shaukat: Patient First AI (2023 President’s Innovation Challenge Winner)
  An AI-powered app that helps students submit their health forms effortlessly, providing real-time feedback on compliance and addressing any issues that may arise.
• Aral Surmeli: HERA
  A mobile platform helping refugee populations access health care. HERA enables users to navigate the health system, maintain medical records, plan vaccine and prenatal care appointments, and receive timely health updates (including during crises such as COVID-19).
• Carlo Ross and Hearth Ndiaye: Sentra
  The AI backbone for post-acute and long-term care. Sentra automates critical workflows, from referral processing to discharge planning, improving efficiency, sustainability, and patient outcomes while reducing administrative burden.

These projects reflect how ID552, led by Professor of Global Health Systems and Vice Dean for Non-Degree Education and Innovation Rifat Atun, equips students to design scalable, transformative health innovations. Interested in turning your own ideas into impact? Learn more about ID552 here.