Last month, 7wireVentures and United States of Care announced Live Chair Health as the recipient of the Thomas J. Main Ignite Award. The award, which honors the legacy of the late Thomas J. Main, former Partner at 7wireVentures and founder of the Oliver Wyman Health Innovation Center, recognizes an early-stage, innovative start-up contributing to a more affordable and cost-effective health care system and delivering improved health outcomes for the consumers they serve.

Live Chair Health was selected as this year’s award recipient in recognition of the company’s work decreasing health care disparities found among people of color by meeting people at places they trust, including barbershops, hair salons, and churches. The company is addressing system-wide challenges, and scaling their impact through collaborative partnerships between community stakeholders and key health care ecosystem organizations such as health providers and managed care organizations. Through this approach, Live Chair provides underserved and high-risk members with the true ability to obtain accessible, convenient, and affordable health care on an individual’s own terms.

7wireVentures’ Partner Robert Garber recently sat down with Live Chair Health Founder and CEO Andrew Suggs and Dr. Venice Haynes, Director of Research & Community Engagement at United States of Care, to learn more about the company’s work.