Cincinnati native and 2008 Miami University grad James Dickerson
attended the first-ever Clinton Global Initiative America in Chicago on
June 29-30, representing his Cincinnati-based employee health startup
company,
Wellthy.
Wellthy is a fun, social and simple way for businesses to get more
engaged in health and wellness. Coworkers share healthy meal ideas and
activities and enter into health challenges with one another to earn
points, badges and rewards.
Dickerson attended the Chicago summit
with his Kansas City-based co-founder, Ryan Tinker, who is moving to
Cincinnati this summer. The pair's company was one of only five
nationwide, out of a large pool of applicants, chosen to participate in
CGI America – a meeting solely dedicated to solving economic problems in
the United States. The other four startups came from Boulder, Dallas
and Chicago.
CGI America grew out of the
Clinton Global Initiative,
which annually brings together hundreds of world leaders to address
pressing global problems. At the end of the convention, participants
pledge to contribute to change in the world with steps as simple as
using CFL light bulbs or as complex and time-consuming as rebuilding a
village in Haiti.
The meeting in Chicago in late June focused on
job growth and revitalization of workplaces, so Wellthy's approach to
employee morale, health and well-being was a good fit, Dickerson says.
He adds that as they met with high-ranking, successful men and women in
breakout groups, Dickerson and Tinker were able to refine their company
goals and processes.
The five startup companies also spent a few hours at
Excelerate Labs in Chicago a startup accelerator similar to
The Brandery in Cincinnati.
"Being
accepted to the conference and being around such successful and
influential people gave us the confidence we needed to keep pushing
forward with Wellthy," Dickerson says.
Wellthy is currently
conducting private beta testing and welcoming new organizations to test
its software. Follow Dickerson on Twitter at @dickersonjames or visit
the
website.
By Sarah Blazak,
CincyTech
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