Seneca RED Fall 2021 Alumni Magazine - 11

EDI at Seneca
Q&A with Rema Tavares
p. 12
#SenecaProud
Accomplishments
across Seneca
p. 14-15
PRO
FILES
Emerging tech in health care
Virtual care app
boosted by HELIX
PAULO MENEGHEL'S resilience as an entrepreneur,
along with support and mentorship
through HELIX, enabled him to develop
and launch a mobile app that aims to
improve health-care access.
The app is known as EMERGE Virtual
Care. It connects patients to doctors and
other providers from the comfort of home
using a secure virtual connection. Amid the
COVID-19 pandemic, the graduate of Seneca's
Civil Engineering Technology advanced
diploma program, along with his team,
unveiled the app in early 2021 for public
use to support remote health assessments.
However, it took several iterations and
five years of research, development and
approvals to bring the venture to where
it is today.
" When I look at EMERGE's history, there
is resilience everywhere, " Mr. Meneghel
said. " The product has evolved but the
vision has stayed the same - to enhance the
experience of patients and physicians when
seeking and delivering care. "
The concept for EMERGE came to Mr.
Meneghel, who was an international student
from Brazil, when he attended a
HELIX innovation workshop focused on
ideation in 2016. Through HELIX, Seneca's
on-campus innovation and entrepreneurship
incubator, the team benefited from
feedback and insights over the years that
helped expand EMERGE from conception
to commercialization.
HELIX provides tools for Seneca students,
graduates, faculty, staff and community
members who aspire to design and
launch a scalable startup or innovate from
within an existing organization. The HELIX
process also includes the matching of
HELIXers with coaches and mentors who
assist in the development of new ventures.
In late 2018, Mr. Meneghel was matched
with his HELIX mentor, Rob Cattle, an
entrepreneurship ecosystem community
member, to support EMERGE's journey.
Today, Mr. Cattle continues to provide
impactful mentorship, drawing on his background
in the health care industry.
" HELIX mentorship is about building a
stronger entrepreneur and in turn a stronger
business, " Mr. Cattle said. " We support
HELIXers on their entrepreneurial journey
and help them move their business forward,
so they become successful. "
To learn more about HELIX and get involved,
visit www.senecacollege.ca/HELIX
Pictured (left to right): Paulo Meneghel, Rob Cattle, HELIX
Director Chris Dudley, HELIX Project Manager Kate Collins
RED 2021
11
PHOTO: IAN PATTERSON
http://www.senecacollege.ca/HELIX
Seneca RED Fall 2021 Alumni Magazine

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