Chelsea Patrick

Global Challenge: Inequitable access to healthcare. Despite advances in medical technology, access to care is still shaped by cost, geography, and systemic barriers, leaving many underserved communities without the resources they need for proper treatment and support.

Abstract:

Nearly 2 million Americans live with limb loss, yet functional prosthetic technology remains out of reach for most, priced between $10,000 and $100,000 and locked behind a clinic-dependent distribution system that fails low-income, uninsured, and geographically isolated populations. Globally, fewer than 15% of people in low- and middle-income countries who need prosthetic devices can access them.

RoboReach is a social enterprise designed to dismantle this barrier. Built as a $1,000 prototype through the NYU Prototyping Fund, RoboReach pairs a fully functional, modular 3D-printed prosthetic arm featuring EMG-controlled finger movement, 360-degree rotation, and a Raspberry Pi interface with a direct-to-consumer mobile app that allows users to scan their residual limb, customize their device, and order on demand. By eliminating the clinic bottleneck entirely, RoboReach makes prosthetic access as straightforward as ordering eyeglasses online.

Operating on a hybrid B2C and NGO partnership model, RoboReach targets a scalable 5% profit margin while prioritizing distribution to underserved communities across the U.S., Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. Aligned with UN SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, RoboReach reframes prosthetic access not as a privilege but as a right, and proves that affordability and functionality are not mutually exclusive.

Bio:

Chelsea Patrick graduated from NYU Tandon School of Engineering with a B.S. in Business and Technology Management with a concentration in Finance and a minor in Science and Technology Studies. Originally from Long Island, New York, she was driven by a passion for leveraging technology to fuel corporate growth, scale entrepreneurial ventures, and advance equitable innovation in healthcare and emerging technology.

Chelsea interned at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where she supported over $75M in tailored portfolio proposals. She also applied her consulting skills through Consult Your Community, partnering with small and minority-owned businesses on brand strategy and sustainable growth.

Her work reflected a commitment to inclusive design and healthcare innovation. At Mediktor, a healthcare AI company, she supported business development for AI-powered medical triage technology used by health systems worldwide. She created OpticArt, a Chrome extension supporting neurodiverse children recognized as “Most Outstanding Project” by NYU's Technology Management Department, and built RoboReach, a prosthetic arm prototype accepted into the NYU Prototyping Fund that achieved a 90%+ cost reduction compared to market alternatives.

A dedicated advocate for diversity in STEM, Chelsea served as President of NYU Women in Business and Entrepreneurship, securing the organization’s first external sponsorships. As a GLASS Scholar, she broadened her global perspective through study abroad at Politecnico di Milano, financial literacy work in Portugal, and service in the Ecuadorian Amazon.