GSB Alumni Innovating for America's Safety Net

While the wealth gap in the United States continues to widen, America's social safety net is under strain — steep Medicaid cuts, Social Security projected to run dry within a decade, and programs increasingly hard to access for the people who need them most. This panel brings together GSB innovators building companies that provide access to these essential services, and an investor who has spent his career supporting ventures dedicated to advancing health, wealth and work in the United States.

Moderated by Amon Anderson, MBA '15, of Acumen America, the conversation features:

Stacy McLoughlin Taylor, MBA '09 of Propel

Millions of Americans receiving SNAP and other government benefits have long had to navigate a maze of 1-800 numbers and clunky state websites just to check a balance or stay current on a program update. Propel's app, used by more than 5 million of the nation's 21.6 million eligible SNAP households, puts benefits, banking, and savings opportunities in one place so families can manage their financial lives without the friction.Charlotte Weiner, MBA '24 of Frontdoor Benefits

Complex, error-prone applications are one of the biggest reasons eligible families never receive the SNAP benefits they qualify for. Frontdoor Benefits rebuilds the application experience from the ground up — starting in Connecticut — so that applying feels less like a dead end and more like an actual front door into the safety net.Mika Eddy, MSx '22 and BA '11 of Malama Health

Pregnancy-related complications like gestational diabetes disproportionately harm low-income mothers, in part because Medicaid's model of care ends support right when the postpartum period gets hardest. Malama Health extends continuous, doula-led care through that critical window, working inside Medicaid and commercial health plans so mothers aren't left to manage high-risk recovery alone.Kimberly Schreiber, MBA '20 of NeuroNav

Families of adults and teens with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often entitled to significant public funding through programs like California's Self-Determination Program, but the system is so complex that many never access the full benefit they qualify for. NeuroNav acts as an independent facilitator, helping families design and manage individualized support plans that put that funding to work — at no cost to the family.Together they'll explore what it actually takes — in capital, business model, and government partnership — to ensure access to public benefits for the Americans who are at risk of being left behind.