 |
|
|
|||||
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Imagine someone with Parkinsons sipping their morning coffee with a steady hand. A person with chronic pain or overactive bladder enjoying simple pleasures like going to the movies, taking a road trip, and a restful sleep. A life changed and potentially saved because signs of colorectal cancer were caught and treated early. These examples represent real people whose lives were changed with healthcare technology. Medical devices and therapies that once seemed like sci-fi are now alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending lives. Artificial intelligence, data, and robotics rightfully get credit for supercharging many recent health tech breakthroughs, but innovation will always be powered by people. Behind every new product is a team of individuals who grew up tinkering, dreaming, and embracing challenges, while ultimately dedicating their careers to improving lives. Yet, as optimistic as we are about the future of health tech and the people behind it, a global talent shortage of 4.3 million tech workers by 2030 threatens innovation. Making matters more urgent, a looming shortage of 11 million health workers could disproportionately impact health outcomes in low-income regions. These arent merely statistics. If left unaddressed, workforce shortages could stall the development of life-saving therapies and compromise the quality of care that all of us deserve. We cant allow that to happen. Could a global challenge also be a needed solution? We think so. Despite global workforce shortages, theres a generation at risk of being left behind. Currently 80% of young adults from low-income communities globally are not able to find a secure job and 65% of students in primary school today will work in jobs that dont currently exist. Many of these will be in fields where early exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is critical. This raises important questions: What if we could equip a generation with the critical skills needed to meet workforce shortages while also breaking cycles of poverty? And, what if we could change the trajectory of lives while also saving them? We believe this isnt only possibleits essential. Here are three key things that need to happen: 1. College degrees are valuable, but can no longer be the only path to entry In health tech we see how personalization is driving better health outcomes. Now, paths and preparation for careers in our industry (and other innovation-driven fields) must follow suit. The next idea that sparks a health tech breakthrough could come from anywhereor anyone. But heres the stark reality. There are bright students who face significant barriers to a post-graduate degree, even after theyre accepted into a program. According to Jobs for the Future, only 14% of low-income students who attend a four-year college will graduate. We must open new paths to health tech jobs; skills-based training, apprenticeships, and credentialing can all be effective alternatives. At Medtronic weve already worked with InStride to shift 150+ roles from degree-based to skills-based hiring, but we know more must be done. 2. Students need hands-on STEM experiencesearly and often Research from Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation found that three-quarters of Gen Z youth are enthusiastic about STEM fields, but only 29% would rank a STEM role as their top career choice. Lack of exposure to STEM concepts, and their real-world application, could be fueling this gap. Similarly, the Smithsonian Science Education Center conducted a five-year study in North and South Carolina. They found that hands-on, innovative STEM education not only improved science achievement but also enhanced reading, math skills, and essential workforce skills like collaboration, problem solving, and creativity. These foundational skills are key to preparing students for future jobs. But students must also know jobs existand see themselves in them. 3. Building awareness of health tech careers must be a priority Every day, health tech innovators are harnessing groundbreaking technologies to improve lives and help close critical gaps in our global healthcare system. Yet despite its cool factor most students will never hear about the health tech industry unless they or a loved one need it. To combat this, we are launching Medtronic Sparka 10-year initiative that aims to address the growing health tech talent gap through three programs: Medtronic Spark Innovator Labs, Medtronic Spark Credentials, and the Medtronic Spark Scholarship. These programs aim to propel 1 million students from low-income households into health tech careers. We know we cant do it alone, but were committed to sparking a conversation that we believe can help fuel the future of healthcare. Our goal isnt to merely touch young peoples lives. It is to truly change the trajectory of their lives with opportunities in health tech that have potential for lasting generational impact. Because at its core, innovation isnt just about technologyits about people. Torod Neptune is senior vice president corporate marketing and global chief communications officer at Medtronic and chairman of Medtronic Foundation. Sally Saba, MD is the president of Medtronic Foundation and global chief inclusion and diversity officer at Medtronic.
Category:
E-Commerce
Google’s logo just got a little bit blurrier. In a new logo quietly rolled out across iOS and Pixel, the search giant ditches its color-blocked G for gradients. Google’s new logo keeps the same letterform, as well as the bright red-yellow-green-blue color sequence, but now those colors blur into each other. The new G is Google’s biggest update to its visual identity since retiring serifs for its current sans-serif font, Product Sans, in 2015. [Images: Google] Why a gradient? In 2013, Google was among the first tech companies to move from skeuomorphic, dimensional lettering to a flat logo design. It arguably ushered in the blanding eraa moment when companies embraced simpler sans-serif logos. This was both an aesthetic and utilitarian choice: A simple, flat design conveyed the sense of efficient functionality that underpins modern technology. It also made it easier for companies to show up across the many screens and media required in the current media landscape. Google’s G took this idea even further, reducing the company’s famous wordmark down to a single letter icon in 2015. That first G was playful enough with is color blocking. But a decade on, it’s easy to see how it feels representative of a different moment on the internet. A gradient is a safe choice for the new G. Tech has long been a fan of using gradients in its logos, apps, and branding, with platforms like Instagram and Apple Music tapping into the effect a decade ago. Still today, gradients remain popular, owing to their middle-ground approach to design. They’re safe but visually interesting, soft but defined. They basically go with anything, thanks to their color wheel aesthetic. Other Google-owned products have already embraced gradients. YouTube is now using a new red-to-magenta gradient in its user interface (UI), and Gemini, Google’s AI tool, also uses them. Now it’s bringing the design element to its flagship Google app. The change to Google’s logo is so subtle that some users might not immediately notice the difference on their phones. And the effect hasn’t shown up in other applications like Gmail or Google Maps, where it will be more identifiable. Still, it’s not a small change for a behemoth of a company. We’ll never know how many meetings, iterations, and deliberations went into making that little blur effectbut we can safely guess it was many.
Category:
E-Commerce
Billy Evans, the partner of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, is currently in the process of raising money for his own startup. Its a blood-testing company. According to reports from NPR and The New York Times, both of which spoke with anonymous sources close to the venture, 33-year-old Evans has already raised several million dollars for a new stealth” startup focusing on diagnostics and health testing. Prior to this news, Evans first came into the public eye back in 2018 when he began dating Holmes, who is currently serving out an 11-year federal prison sentence for committing fraud through her infamous blood-testing company Theranos. Over the weekend, Evanss startup Haemanthus spoke out on X to reassure investors and potential future customers that its not Theranos 2.0. The company has no apparent contact information, and the direct messages on its X account are closed. Fast Company was unable to reach the company for further comment. Heres everything we know about the company so far. What is Haemanthus? Based on information provided to NPR, Haemanthus is a diagnostics company thats planning to build a tool that can scan biological material like blood, sweat, and urine to identify potential diseases. The name Haemanthus itself appears to be an allusion to a flower of the same name, colloquially termed the blood lily. To many readers, that whole premise might sound strikingly similar to the story behind Theranos, which promised to dole out accurate diagnoses using a single drop of blood, before it ultimately started falling apart. However, Haemanthus took to X this Sunday to clarify that its tech is not an extension of Theranos. The post starts by acknowledging Evanss relationship with Holmes and adding that Skepticism is rational, before categorically denying any connection to Holmess failed blood-testing company. This is not Theranos 2.0, the post reads. Theranos attempted to miniaturize existing tests. Our approach is fundamentally different. We use light to read the complete molecular story in biological fluids, seeing patterns current tests cant detect. Not an improvement. A different paradigm. What kind of tech is the company developing? Sources told NPR that Haemanthus is currently in the early stages of using light detection technology that can essentially guide AI sensors to conduct medical tests. The company is specifically focusing on Raman spectroscopy, a form of chemical analysis thats been used to diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and some forms of cancer. Based on a notice published in late January, the company has already received a patent for its Raman spectroscopy system. A photo provided to potential investors and obtained by The New York Times reportedly indicates that Haemanthus plans to build a small rectangular device to contain the tech, which will include a door and a digital display screen. Sources told the publication that Haemanthus plans to roll out its tech for veterinary purposes first, before ultimately developing a stamp-size, wearable device for humans. This trajectory was confirmed in part in Haemanthuss X thread. We’re starting with veterinary medicine. Not because it’s easier, but because it’s practical and meaningful. It validates our technology, helps animals who can’t describe symptoms, and builds the foundation for human applications, the post reads. Who is working for the company? Sources told both NPR and The New York Times that the startup currently has between 10 and 12 employees, most of whom worked with Evans previously at the lidar tech company Luminar Technologies. Haemanthus reportedly told investors that it had around two dozen advisers, including veterinarians and diagnosticians, though specific names were not provided. How much money has been raised? So far, The New York Times reported, the company has raised $3.5 million through family and friends and is currently seeking another $15 million from investors in the Austin and Say Francisco Bay areas. Materials reviewed by the publication reportedly suggest that the company has an ultimate goal of raising more than $50 million. Is Elizabeth Holmes involved? In February, Holmes told People magazine that she plans to return to her career in healthcare technology after her release, and that shes continuing to write patents for new inventions while serving her sentence. And in its exclusive initial coverage of Haemanthus, NPR cited sources who claimed that Holmes has been providing advice to Evans on his new venture from behind bars. On X, however, Haemanthus strongly refuted that claim. Setting the record straight, the company wrote. Elizabeth Holmes has zero involvement in Haemanthus. We’ve learned from her company’s mistakes, but she has no role, now or future. NYT and NPR implied otherwise. We’ve stayed quiet to build real tech, not conceal. Demonstrating, not promising.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||