COVID Tech Connect Aims To Link Austin Patients With Loved Ones

AUSTIN, TX — COVID Tech Connect, a project dedicated to getting smart devices into hospitals nationwide, announced Monday it is sending 16,000 devices to hospitals around the country to connect patients and their loved ones while encouraging Austin hospitals to apply.

The effort is possible in part due to a donation of devices from Google and the $4 million the project raised, including a grant from Google.org, an anonymous donor, and thousands of individuals on the project’s GoFundMe campaign.

This support will expand the project’s work to equip hospitals, senior care facilities and hospice centers across the country with smart devices so that critically-ill COVID-19 patients can connect with their loved ones.

“One of the most heartbreaking parts of the COVID-19 crisis is that so many people are dying alone,” Sara Rodell, one of the six founders of COVID Tech Connect, said in a prepared statement. “We knew immediately that this was a problem that technology could solve. There are times where technology is a ‘nice-to-have’ but this time, technology was a ‘need-to-have’,” said Anjali Kumar.

Back in March, six tech industry leaders came together to kickstart the project that would become COVID Tech Connect. The all-female project team included: Anjali Kumar, Benish Shah, Christina Wallace, Katie Stanton, Kristina Libby and Rodell, with each person bringing a critical component of taking an idea from concept to a fully launched, fast-running project — from raising capital to fulfillment and logistics to communications.

Fiscally sponsored by The Giving Back Fund, COVID Tech Connect set up a GoFundMe campaign to accept donations from the public to buy additional devices and to ship devices to recipients. Within a week of launching the GoFundMe campaign, they had raised more than $50,000. Within a month, more than $100,000 had been raised.

Since then, COVID Tech Connect has raised more than $226,000 from nearly 2,000 GoFundMe donors, placing more than 6,000 new devices into more than 40 hospitals and hospice centers nationwide. Managing everything from donor outreach to the logistics of identifying hospitals with need and shipping tablets, the COVID Tech Connect project is an example of how fast an idea can grow with a diverse team, with women at the helm.

The effort has received national attention from celebrities like Ariana Grande, Kerry Washington, and Natalie Portman who tweeted their support, matched donations from the private women’s leadership network, Chief, and recognition on The Ellen Show. Google.org made a $500,000 grant to support the organization’s operations and infrastructure; and an anonymous donor helped purchase thousands of additional devices.

Google.org President Jacquelline Fuller said in a prepared statement: "As we continue to face one of humanity's biggest health challenges, personal connection is more important than ever. COVID Tech Connect’s leadership inspired us with their creativity to bridge the divide between patients and their loved ones.”

COVID Tech Connect is currently offering 15 smart devices per facility, giving priority to those in greatest need. If you are a hospital, senior care facility or hospice center in need of smart devices, please visit covidtechconnect.com to apply.

About COVID Tech Connect

COVID Tech Connect was founded through the efforts of Anjali Kumar, Benish Shah, Christina Wallace, Katie Stanton, Kristina Libby, and Sara Rodell. The founding team was across the country and leveraged their networks, corporations, and infrastructures to source and distribute smart devices to facilities in need. COVID Tech Connect is a sponsored project of The Giving Back Fund, a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, with help from CAPC, Presto Foundation, and private donors.

Editor's note: GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.