H2A BRAZIL COHORT '25
Now in its second year, H2A Brazil is an exciting co-created partnership between Harvard HealthLab (H2A) and Centro Universitário Dinâmica das Cataratas – UDC Brasil (UDC). In collaboration with H2A, UDC has incorporated creativity and entrepreneurship curriculum into the academic schedule for more than 2,400 students at the secondary and post-secondary levels in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
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Student teams solve real-world problems posed by the region’s agricultural, health, and environmental spheres. They work with UDC professors and H2A mentors to develop actionable and impactful solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among all these student teams,10 were chosen to form a cohort that follows an accelerator model similar to our own at Harvard. The H2A Brazil cohort is provided with tools and resources to advance their ventures. They are helping to build an H2A global alumni base of young social entrepreneurs.
CODEher
Computer science students from UDC Foz do Iguacu are creating Codeher, with the goal to open doors and opportunities to women interested in STEM to meet each other, discuss their hardships, and provide resources to further their studies. The team has been careful to consider what systems will need to be in place to encourage a safe community with accurate information.
EcoShield
Agronomy students from UDC Medianeira aim to repel insect pests of vegetables with the use of ash that is produced as residue from the boilers of the Frimesa Cooperative. The use of ash in horticulture promotes greater agricultural and environmental sustainability. Ash, a sustainable byproduct, acts as a natural repellent, reducing the need for chemical pesticides, increasing plant resistance, reducing damage caused by pests and promoting more ecological agriculture, benefiting producers and consumers.
Hall Tourism
Administration students from UDC Foz do Iguacu are developing HALL Tourism, an innovative platform in the tourism sector, designed to transform the travel experience into something different and inclusive. Focused on providing detailed information about hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions, the platform also stands out for facilitating connections between travelers seeking company, promoting social interaction and solving challenges such as loneliness during travel and financial difficulties.
QuitVape
Dentistry students from UDC Foz do Iguacu are creating QuitVape to help young people (between 18-30) use technology to their advantage to reduce their use of electronic cigarettes. QuitVape is an application to raise awareness about the consequences of using electronic cigarettes on oral health and to encourage people to reduce their use.
Keep Yourself Safe
Law students from UDC Foz do Iguacu have set out to educate children through a board game to recognize and respond to the different forms of danger present in everyday life in a fun and interactive way. They seek to teach children how to recognize and respond to different forms of danger and peculiarities, enable them to trust their instincts, understand their personal rights and know how to seek help safely.
Rural Box
Accounting Sciences students from UDC Foz do Iguacu are developing Rural Box, a mobile application for recording accounts and financial control focused on rural activity operations. The system will include the accounting methodology applied to operational, investment and financing activities. With simple language and appropriate to the profile of the rural producer, the application will be intuitive and easy to use.
Univet
Veterinary students from UDC Medianeira are creating Univet, an application that provides a 24-hour veterinary care plan. Created with the intention of helping rural producers in times of emergency, the application also gives customers the option of scheduling appointments and follow-ups with qualified veterinarians for their property. The goal of the project is to ensure that all rural producers have priority and fast service when necessary, in addition to opening a new field of work for veterinarians.
H2Action
Architecture and Urbanism Students from UDC Foz do Iguacu are developing an innovative solution for advancing water purification technologies that is affordable, efficient and sustainable, enabling access to clean water in remote areas or in crisis situations. They are aiming to create a revolutionary desalination technology based on biomimetic principles. Inspired by the way living organisms extract water from the environment, this biomimetic system could efficiently replicate this desalination process, using materials and structures that mimic natural filtration and purification properties.
PharmaSenseBox
Pharmacy students from UDC Foz do Iguacu are creating a medication organizer box designed for visually impaired patients, with the aim of generating autonomy and independence for the patient. Due to the great confusion that can occur due to similarities in packaging and even in the shape of the medications, their organizer box will feature Braille writing. PharmaSenseBox helps patients who have visual impairments to use their medications safely and correctly.
SmartVision
Engineering students from UDC Foz do Iguacu aims to develop a mobile application for smartphones that allows the visualization of construction projects using BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology. The focus will be on creating an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that allows users to access and interact with 3D models of buildings and structures constructed based on BIM data. This tool will provide construction professionals with a convenient way to review projects on the go, directly from their mobile devices, thereby increasing efficiency and collaboration in the construction process.
H2A Brazil Junior Cohort 2025
We are pleased to introduce our junior cohort for H2A Brazil. These impressive high school students have designed innovative solutions to local and global problems. We are thrilled to have such young social impact entrepreneurs striving to make positive change as part of our global H2A community.​​
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Students from Colégio Monjolo have created Ancor, an application to improve people’s mental and physical health, with a particular focus on individuals with anxiety. It will provide information about anxiety and make recommendations for books, music, respiratory control, professionals in the field, physical activities, therapies, meditation, organization of routines, among others.
Students from School Colégio Educação Dinâmica have created My Health Card, which is a digital health card application with the objective of monitoring and tracking medical history. Powered by the user, it will include personal data, food intolerance, allergies, blood types etc. Current and future appointments with medical exams included, complete with specialists, dates, prescriptions. The goal is to make it easier to monitor your health and the health of those you love, all in the palm of your hand!
Students from Colégio Caesp Medianeira have created Ritec, a project that aims to create a system for reusing rainwater to reduce the ambient temperature of poultry houses during periods of extreme heat. The aim is to implement a system for pumping water stored in cisterns to the roof of the poultry house and thus make it more comfortable for the birds. In this way, we will combine environmental aspects (water reuse), animal welfare and economic efficiency in the production of poultry batches.
Students from Colégio Anglo Americano have created EcoBuild, an innovative application aimed at the efficient and sustainable management of the disposal of materials from the construction industry. The tool will be designed to monitor, record and optimize the entire disposal process, from waste generation to its final destination.The main objective is to facilitate compliance with environmental standards, reduce environmental impacts and promote responsible practices in the sector.
Students from Colégio Anglo Americano Paraguay have created Nutrifam, a family nutrition app offering healthy recipes enriched with egg shell powder as a key ingredient for added calcium. The app includes an option to donate to low-income families, providing them with an e-book-format nutritional guide featuring affordable, healthy recipes.
Students from Colégio Caesp Foz have created SmartEats, an application with the aim to indicate the establishments (date/time/location) that will have products on sale because they are about to expire, allowing people to save money on their purchases while reducing food waste.