When the system fails, Black visionaries build lifelines.

In a country where Black communities continue to face staggering health disparities — from soaring heart disease rates to underdiagnosed infections — a new wave of Black founders is stepping up to create solutions. Through innovative models rooted in cultural competency, entrepreneurship, and survival, they are addressing the gaps that traditional healthcare often leaves behind.

Among them are Clifford W. Knights II and Steve Vixamar, co-founders of HealthyMD, a mobile-first health platform, and Chris Williams, founder of Heart, Body & Soul, Inc., a Brooklyn-based nonprofit leading a significant charge in Black men’s health advocacy.

Their mission: not just to build brands, but to save lives.

For instance, HealthyMD wasn’t born out of convenience — it was born out of necessity. 

"We realized early on that if we built traditional brick-and-mortar clinics, a lot of the people we needed to reach wouldn’t walk through the doors," Clifford W. Knights II said. Instead, they decided to bring services directly to the people, deploying mobile health units across underserved neighborhoods.

As Vixamar explained, the approach was deeply strategic: "Transportation is a huge barrier. You can have the prettiest office, but if people can’t get to it, it’s useless," he said. "We knew we had to meet people where they are — at gas stations, shelters, churches — because if we waited for them to come to us, we’d lose them."

Their model was revolutionary in its simplicity: offer free STI, HIV, and Hepatitis C testing in discreet mobile clinics, no questions asked. "We intentionally don't have ‘HIV testing’ plastered across the vans," Vixamar added. "We just offer free healthcare services, judgment-free. That kills stigma before it even has a chance to start."

And their work is making a measurable impact. "We've cured more Hepatitis C patients than local hospitals," Vixamar said. "In fact, hospitals now refer their patients to us because we eliminate the red tape. Where they might take nine months to treat someone, we do it in 90 days."

Despite the immense success, Knights and Vixamar are proudest of the cultural relevance HealthyMD brings. "We built a brand that’s relatable," Knights said. "We're unapologetically ourselves — warm, real, connected to the community. That’s why people trust us."

For Chris Williams, founder of Heart, Body & Soul, Inc., the work is as personal as it gets.

A four-time heart attack survivor and stage III appendiceal cancer survivor, Williams knows the stakes. "Quick action saved my life," he said. "I knew immediately when I felt off — I called 911 because I had the knowledge. That’s what saved me."

His most recent health scare, in December 2024, only fueled his urgency. "It solidified my mission to be louder about the importance of having a healthcare partner, knowing your body, and acting quickly when something feels wrong," Williams said.

That personal fire powers the Black Man’s Health Festival, an annual event that turns Brooklyn’s Weeksville Heritage Center into a vibrant space for screenings, conversations, and community care.

The need has only grown more urgent. "With all the cuts to DEI programs and the economic pressure Black families are facing, our health is under even greater attack," Williams said. "We have to bring screenings and services directly to the community."

But building these spaces hasn’t been easy. Williams revealed that major sponsors pulled out this year, citing DEI budget cuts. "We've had to dip into our personal funds," he said. "We've leaned on friends, family, and small community businesses to pull it off. Because the work must go on."

Despite suggestions to broaden the festival’s name to attract broader support, Williams remains firm: "If people feel excluded by the name ‘Black Man’s Health Festival,’ that's a them problem, not a us problem. We have to be loud and specific. Black men are dying."

The festival offers not just free medical services, but free haircuts, lock retwists, manicures, and culturally grounded panels about mental and physical health. "It's about creating an environment where health care feels welcoming, not clinical or scary," Williams said.

Looking ahead, Williams hopes to expand the festival to cities such as Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C., by 2026. "Health disparities for Black men are a national crisis," he said. "And we need national solutions."

Whether through mobile clinics rolling into forgotten neighborhoods or block parties offering blood pressure screenings alongside fresh haircuts, these Black-led initiatives are transforming healthcare access from the ground up.

"Our goal isn't just to grow a company," said Knights. "It's to save a million lives."

For Williams, it's even simpler: "I want every Black man to know that his life matters. His health matters. And it’s worth fighting for."

In a world where systems continue to fail Black communities, leaders like Knights, Vixamar, and Williams are building what was never offered: lifeboats, bridges, and new blueprints for survival.