Found in Translation

Navigating the world of health care is always a challenge, but it’s even harder as a non-native speaker. Arleen Lopez and her network of translators are hoping to change that.

For Lopez, a recent graduate of Rutgers University, the solution could come in the form of an app she’s creating called Interlingual, which aims to bridge the language gap between patients with limited English proficiency and health care practitioners. Her platform connects those receiving clinical care with a worldwide team of volunteer translators and interpreters who can help non-English-speaking patients navigate the health care system.

“By implementing our project, we want patient satisfaction to improve and we want to see our community feel safer, represented and heard,” Lopez said. The idea for the app came from her own personal experience of struggling to communicate with health care workers when she was just starting to learn English. She hopes her app will help others avoid similar headaches.

“I’m hoping this idea turns into something resourceful for my community,” Lopez said.

The app’s concept won Lopez an OZY Genius Award in 2021, an important milestone for the young inventor. “It gave me perspective and reassurance that the problem needs a solution and that my project could create awareness,” she said.

Winning the OZY Genius Award also exposed Lopez to a new network of people in the OGA Class of 2021. “I got to meet amazing people and see their work,” she said. “I like seeing how other OGA winners have taken this opportunity to launch their idea.”

The networking led to important collaborations among OGA winners. “I helped one of my cohort members on their project with my experience of being a health care worker,” Lopez said.

More than 20% of U.S. residents speak a foreign language at home, nearly double the rate of 1980, according to a report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on U.S. census data.

“The increase in people who spoke a language other than English at home outpaced the increase in the total U.S. population [from 1980-2019],” according to a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau, which adds, “The overall population grew by approximately 47 percent between 1980 and 2019, while the population who spoke a language other than English at home grew 194 percent over the same period.”

After English, Spanish is by far the most widely spoken language in the U.S.

That’s where Lopez’s app comes in. By endeavoring to close the language gap between English-speaking health care workers and Spanish-speaking patients, Lopez says she hopes to make “a positive impact on people’s lives” in health care situations and other community spaces.

Since winning the OGA last year, Lopez has been working diligently to transform her idea into a reality. She’s already started to reach out to medical facilities for partnerships and has applied for the 501(c)(3) certificate to allow her app to run as a nonprofit.

The entrepreneur’s dream is still in the early stages, but she has big plans for the platform. “In five years, I see my project helping multiple communities across New Jersey and hopefully across the tri-state area,” Lopez said.

She also envisions her app extending to domains beyond health care. “I see more industries implementing these translation services.”

Lopez says she hopes to encourage others to move forward with their own “genius” ideas. “I hope to inspire everyone who doubts their abilities,” she said. “As long as there is a passion behind your project, you will succeed.”

For aspiring changemakers, Lopez says self-love is one of the most important tools for developing a new project. Perseverance is also essential, she says. “There is always another chance to take what we learned and move forward.”

When it comes to finding a world-changing project, Lopez offers the following advice: “Look for the thing that moves you, and work towards it,” she said. “Always remember where you come from, and help people most in need.”

— by Sarah Brown

Career counseling can help students find their ideal jobs after graduation, but those services aren’t readily available to everyone. Dante Alvarado-Leon is looking to help level the playing field with digital technology and a powerful team of volunteer mentors.

After winning the OZY Genius Award in 2017, Alvarado-Leon launched MentorRoom, an online platform that connects college students with mentors from a wide range of industries, allowing them to learn about different career options.

“The spirit and intent of MentorRoom was to bridge the mentorship gap for college students, specifically first-generation students who have an interest in the tech industry but lacked a mentor or someone who they are able to look up to and learn from,” the young entrepreneur said. “Our vision was to build a world where access to mentors is universal.”

Alvardo-Leon’s idea has won several additional awards since the OGA, including Univision’s “Premios Juventud” Changemaker Award, the Hispanicize Positive Impact Award and the Westly Prize.

Alvarado-Leon set a clear goal of helping people, and then got to work making it happen. During the pilot program for MentorRoom, the platform provided over 450 hours of mentorship through video calls, messaging and in-person mentor sessions. By the end of the program, 96% of students and mentors reported that they “strongly benefitted from the mentor sessions, and grew personally and professionally” from the experience, Alvarado-Leon said.

MentorRoom has proceeded to benefit over 300 students by helping them find internships and job opportunities, access professional development resources, meet mentors and connect with one another.

“The majority of the students who were part of our pilot program are now working full time at tech companies around the world,” Alvarado-Leon said. “All thanks to the support of our mentors and the resources we provided them.”

The mentorship project has recently evolved into a new space with video content on Alvarado-Leon’s YouTube channel, called “Make the Leap.” This name reflects the aim of the video series, which intends “to inspire and expose students to role models who look like them and have made the leap after college into an impactful career,” Alvarado-Leon said. The series contains interviews with top professionals working in different occupations who offer a glimpse into their career paths and work-life activities.

“Although our project has evolved over the last couple of years, our mission has always been the same — to help folks enter and thrive in the tech industry,” Alvarado-Leon said.

The young entrepreneur says he now plans to write a book and put together an online course to reach more people. “We hope to continue inspiring and helping many more people in the years to come,” he said.

Alvarado-Leon says his goal is to help one million people make better career decisions over the next five years through a combination of his YouTube channel, career panels, and the in-person and virtual conversations he has with students and professionals.

“We have received multiple messages from people around the world saying that they have been able to land jobs thanks to the advice that we have shared,” Alvarado-Leon said. “This includes folks who we would never have been able to meet if it were not for YouTube sharing our videos on career advice.”

Leaving a positive imprint on the world is what motivates Alvarado-Leon. One of the most important lessons he has learned in the last five years is to look for ways to help others. “Share your knowledge, experience and perspectives with those around you,” he said.

“We may not be responsible for what is happening around the world, but we can still do something about it to make our future a better one for us and those around us,” he added. “Start small, look around, discover something you are passionate about, then make it better.”

— by Sarah Brown

Do you have a genius idea? Are you ready to take it to the next level? Apply now for an OZY Genius Award and let’s make it happen.