Meet Some Participants in the Qualcomm Small Business Accelerator Program
This global crisis is having an unprecedented effect on communities and small businesses, and as creators of wireless communication technologies, we know we’re in a unique position to help. That’s why last month, we launched the Qualcomm Small Business Accelerator Program, designed to help bring small businesses into a mobile-first, remote work environment that will aid in taking them through this crisis and beyond.
Now, we’re excited to announce the businesses selected to join the program. From more than 375 applicants, just over 30 small businesses across the country were selected, spanning industries that include education, hospitality, construction, and manufacturing. We’re excited to work with this diverse group of small businesses and equip them with various products enabled with Qualcomm Technologies-powered products such as 4G and 5G-powered PCs, tablets, mobile hotspots, Wi-Fi solutions, and more, depending on each business’ specific needs.
As the businesses begin implementing these technologies, we’ll continue to provide updates on their progress here on OnQ. But for now, we want to share a small sample of the amazing San Diego-based businesses that will be joining us.
Mostra Coffee
Mostra Coffee is a female, minority, and veteran-owned business focused on sustainable sourcing and driving community impact. It’s also one of very few Filipino-run cafés in San Diego, much less the country. Just as the team was celebrating its win of Roast Magazine’s International Micro Roaster of the Year award, Covid-19 hit, forcing the business to reduce staff, slow service, and quickly pivot to e-commerce-led home delivery and curbside pick-up. Though the full team is now back to work and business is growing online, it’s struggling with basic internet and having to share one old laptop across two locations.
“As a neighboring business also driven by purposeful innovation, STEM education in coffee, responsible business practices, and diversity and inclusivity, we would be honored to work with Qualcomm Technologies to continue driving our small business forward to beat the negative statistics,” wrote Sam Magtanong, co-owner of Mostra Coffee, in the business’s submission.
With new devices and a mesh Wi-Fi network, we know we can help this impactful local business optimize for our mobile-first world.
WithHealth
WithHealth, a woman and minority-founded telemedicine provider, was gearing up to launch when Covid-19 turned our world upside down. While it wasn’t quite ready to start offering services on a large scale, the team rushed to meet the needs of the crisis.
“We have cobbled a hodgepodge of systems and devices, and Qualcomm Technologies' support would help us design, test, and assemble solutions that matter to our team and our patients,” wrote Mark Broido, Co-Founder and CFO of WithHealth, in the business’s submission. “What we do matters, and we need help to succeed.”
Already, WithHealth has earned the trust of San Diego County, winning the telemedicine care contract for transitioning patients from hospitals to the SD Alternative Discharge Centers. It’s also supporting Native American communities, Covid-19 patients across the nation, and the efforts of companies in San Diego and beyond who are working to keep their employees safe. Beyond Covid-19, the company is also working on genomic profiling and is excited to implement 5G connectivity.
Though a remote-first company by nature, we know getting WithHealth up to speed with Always-Connected PCs, smartphones, and Wi-Fi hotspots will be crucial not just for this business, but this health crisis.
Vivian Fung College Prep
Vivian Fung College Prep offers academic tutoring and college admissions guidance, mostly locally in San Diego, but also internationally. Since the pandemic, Vivian’s business went from about 20 percent remote to 100 percent, and it’s been tough. Not only are many of her first-generation college students and pro-bono clients underserved without access to the internet or devices at home, but her own Wi-Fi is failing. In one instance, she logged on to meet with a student in Ethiopia who only has electricity every third day and had to trek two hours to an internet café for their call. Right in the middle of discussing his Harvard Admission essay, her own connection went down.
“I need to do all of this more efficiently and reliably,” wrote Vivian in her submission.
We’ve been working for years to close the digital divide in education, so we’re thrilled to supply devices, routers, and webcams to help boost Vivian’s business and get these students to college.
As this crisis shines the spotlight on our ability to work remotely, we need to come together to make sure the opportunity is available for all. The Qualcomm Small Business Accelerator Program is just one step, but we’re honored to do our part. Now, more than ever, we remain dedicated to creating breakthrough technologies that can help the world connect, compute, and communicate for the better.
Learn the latest about the Qualcomm Small Business Accelerator Program.
