MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis entrepreneur is getting a little boost from one of the world’s largest technology companies — Google.
The tech giant is helping boost black-owned businesses that use technology to address today’s biggest challenges. One is owned by a Memphis woman who says she found a need right here in the Mid-South.
Erica Plybeah Hemphill, founder and CEo of MedHaul, says she noticed a need to find appropriate health care transportation options for patients.
“When you think about that double leg amputee that’s on the second floor of a building that doesn’t have an elevator, how do they get reliable, accessible, innovative transportation solutions?” she said. “We were finding that healthcare providers were spending about two and a half hours on average to book one ride for a wheelchair patient.”
That’s when she founded MedHaul as a liaison between healthcare and transportation providers.
“They can use our platform to hop on and enter the patient’s basic information — their name, destination, origin — and then, enter their special criteria to help us determine what type of ride they’ll need,” she said.
Plybeah Hemphill says they still have their challenges but thanks to a new program by Google, they’ll receive the support they need to move forward.
She’s one of 12 applicants nationwide chosen for the first Google for Startups Accelerators: Black Founders program.
She’ll work directly with Google experts to address technical challenges, enhance business growth, and find outside investment opportunities.
“I’m really building a solution that I wish my grandmother had,” she said. “Just learning that this wasn’t just a problem for my grandmother but for a hundred million patients across the country.”
Google says black-owned businesses with a verified Google business profile can add a black-owned business attribute to their profile to help customers find and support them.