About Us
Our Story
We formed out of a weekend accelerator on March 20, 2020, with faculty, students and professionals affiliated with the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Our co-founders Dr. Amani Jambhekar and Dr. Mona Stone are surgeons who wanted to find a way to give back to communities in need.
The greatest need for healthcare professionals on the front lines is masks — masks are the first line of defense when dealing directly with COVID-19 patients. However, healthcare professionals are being asked to reuse and conserve although this increases their risk of contracting COVID-19 or infecting their families. Many have fallen ill or been put in self-quarantine. Over 200 healthcare professionals have lost their lives worldwide due to inadequate protection. Front line medical professionals need our help to continue their fight to save lives.
The situation is even direr for smaller facilities in hard hit areas which don’t have the resources or media presence to ask the public for donations. As a solution to this supply gap, our model is to leverage our network to source surgical masks from certified factories and deliver them directly to the communities with the most urgent need.
We started this campaign to help fund the operation and are pledging 100% of donations go toward purchasing and delivering masks.
Join Our Team
Healthcare professionals are in dire need of PPE in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join our mission to address this shortage by volunteering your skills. We are currently seeking the following:
Public Relations
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Pitch and coordinate with local media on stories and interviews
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Write and edit press releases, newsletters and websites
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Have access to media and Associated Press network
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Spread awareness on a large scale
Legal
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Establish non-profit / formalize entity
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Assess liability waivers
Team
Friends of RealHeroes
We sincerely thank our partners working closely with us to provide personal protective equipment to healthcare professionals as quickly as possible. Reach out if your organization's mission aligns with ours. We are eager to connect and share resources to centralize this initiative.