Xperience is a unique program that offers a practical take on entrepreneurship. According to Desai, the program teaches entrepreneurship through actual hands-on experience, which is different from traditional methods of learning. Desai emphasized the importance of combining entrepreneurship and public health, especially when dealing with a topic like school safety, which has a strong public health angle.
Desai, who was the only public health student in Xperience, provided valuable insights to his team. For instance, when discussing solutions for school safety, such as facial recognition security measures, Desai pointed out issues related to bias. As a public health student, he knew that facial recognition technologies are often biased towards Eurocentric features, which can lead to inequities for people of other ethnicities.
The winners of the competition will be announced at xFoundry’s Xplore event scheduled for the Fall of 2025. Desai encourages other public health students to participate in the upcoming competition and apply for the next academic track, which will focus on mental health – a topic closely aligned with SPH themes.
Desai highlighted the importance of public health knowledge in the business world. He stated that businesses need to understand public health concepts like equity, disparities, and socioeconomic statuses in order to reach diverse markets successfully. While public health students are well-versed in these areas, students from other disciplines like computer science or business may not consider these factors in their strategies.
Sumaya Abdel-Motagaly ’26, the writer of the article, shared Desai’s insights on the intersection of public health and entrepreneurship in the Xperience program.