Meharry Medical College, a private academic health sciences center focused on educating minority health professionals and others, has partnered with Heritage Group, a Nashville-based private equity firm focused on investments in the healthcare industry.
Meharry and Heritage Group state that the partnership is important at this time in history when the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated socioeconomic, gender and racial inequities across society. This partnership looks to introduce Meharry students to finance, investment and healthcare entrepreneurship, working to help them pursue business opportunities. The partnership aims to diversify the ‘entrepreneurial landscape’ and help new minority business owners by providing Meharry students with the opportunity to learn more about healthcare finance.
“As our footprint has grown, we have increased our focus on environmental, social and governance issues,” states Jesse Bland, a partner at Heritage Group. “We believe the private equity industry has a responsibility to ensure that all entrepreneurs in our country, regardless of background, have a fair and equitable opportunity to realize their business ideas. This goal aligns with Meharry’s mission to advance health equity and empower diverse populations, and we are proud to partner with the college in this endeavor.”