Together for CHANGE

What Together for CHANGE does

Together for CHANGE (T4C) is a flagship nonprofit genomics research and education initiative governed by the Diaspora Human Genomics Institute (DHGI), a 501(c)-style organization established in 2021 by Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. The initiative's core activity is a landmark observational study recruiting 500,000 participants of African ancestry to build what it describes as the largest African Ancestry Genomics Resource linked to Electronic Health Records and phenotype data — directly addressing the chronic underrepresentation of African-ancestry populations in genomics datasets that drives poorer downstream health outcomes.

The initiative operates three integrated workstreams: (1) large-scale community-based participant recruitment and longitudinal data collection; (2) HBCU-linked STEM education from K-12 through graduate level, including the first Joint MMC-HBCU Genetic Counseling Training Program and the first Medical Genetics Fellowship Program at a Historically Black Medical College; and (3) community trust infrastructure anchored by an Ethics Committee of African and African-descended bioethicists, clinicians, educators, and faith leaders, with co-signed privacy and consent commitments from each biopharma partner. The technology stack is built on a third-party digital health platform (Vibrent Health) for participant engagement; no proprietary AI, ML, or analytics platform is described.

The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial. DHGI is funded by a four-party biopharma coalition — Regeneron, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, and Roche — that underwrites the study and education programs; these partners hold no equity in DHGI and the organization sits under Meharry Medical College's academic umbrella. Headcount is 8 employees, with program delivery distributed across Meharry, partner HBCUs, and the Vibrent Health platform. The T4C initiative was formally launched at Meharry Medical College on October 18, 2023.

Name

Together for CHANGE

Legal name

Diaspora Human Genomics Institute

Website

https://thedhgi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Together for CHANGE is a nonprofit genomics research and education initiative of the Diaspora Human Genomics Institute (DHGI) at Meharry Medical College, recruiting 500,000 participants of African ancestry to build the largest EHR-linked African Ancestry Genomics Resource while training genomics professionals through HBCU partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Genomics Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Nonprofit HBCUs (EDAHAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research-Intensive HBCUs (R1/R2 or Doctoral) (EDAHAMAE), Public HBCUs (State-Supported) (EDAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Genomics research
• Precision medicine
• Genetic counseling
• Workforce development
• Community health

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Biopharma Coalition Funding: The initiative is funded by a coalition of four biopharma companies — Regeneron, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, and Roche — who collectively support the T4C study and related education programs. DHGI is a nonprofit organization established by Meharry Medical College, making its primary revenue source institutional/philanthropic funding rather than commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Together for CHANGE (T4C) is a community-led nonprofit genomics research initiative operated by the Diaspora Human Genomics Institute (DHGI) of Meharry Medical College. It enrolls up to 500,000 participants of African ancestry over five years to build the largest African Ancestry Genomics Resource linked to Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and phenotype data, while concurrently supporting a joint genetic counseling training program at Meharry Medical College and HBCUs, a medical genetics fellowship at a Historically Black Medical College, and STEM education programs at HBCUs.

Product overview

Together for CHANGE™ (T4C) is a unified flagship initiative under the Diaspora Human Genomics Institute (DHGI). The program operates as a comprehensive genomics research initiative that combines a landmark study involving 500,000 participants of African ancestry with educational workforce development programs. T4C functions alongside the DHGI-established African Ancestry Genomics Resource—a linked Electronic Health Records and phenotype database—which together form the core research infrastructure. DHGI serves as the parent nonprofit organization governing T4C and related programs. The initiative also includes training and mentorship programs at Meharry Medical College and partnering HBCUs, expanding access to genomics for students pursuing STEM careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Together for CHANGE (T4C) Community Genomics Research Initiative Community-led enrollment program that recruits participants of African ancestry to contribute genomic and phenotype data to a large-scale African Ancestry Genomics Resource linked to Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Designed for individual research participants and supported by HBCU and community-based recruitment partners.
• African Ancestry Genomics Resource Large-scale genomics data resource linked to Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and phenotype data, built from T4C participant contributions. Serves biopharmaceutical sponsors and researchers seeking African ancestry genomics data for drug development and therapeutic discovery.
• Joint MMC-HBCU Genetic Counseling Training Program Genetic counseling training program delivered jointly between Meharry Medical College (MMC) and HBCU partners to train the next generation of African American genetic counselors. Designed for prospective genetic counseling students and addresses the documented shortage of genetic counselors from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Medical Genetics Fellowship Program at a Historically Black Medical College Medical genetics fellowship program hosted at a Historically Black Medical College to develop physician-scientists and clinicians in medical genetics, addressing underrepresentation of African American professionals in the field.
• STEM Education Programs at HBCUs STEM education programs delivered at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to support K-12 and beyond students from underrepresented backgrounds pursuing careers in genomics, genetic counseling, and related STEM fields.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000 participants of African ancestry enrolled in the landmark genomics study

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Meharry Medical CollegeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeharry Medical College established the Diaspora Human Genomics Institute in 2021 and hosts the Together for CHANGE initiative. Meharry is the founding institutional partner and the site of the T4C launch event on October 18, 2023. It hosts the first Joint MMC-HBCU Genetic Counseling Training Program and the first Medical Genetics Fellowship Program at a Historically Black Medical College.
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHGI partners with HBCUs to expand access to genomic research, foster educational opportunities, and build pathways for leadership in science and medicine. HBCUs are central to the initiative's strategy for diversifying the genomics workforce and creating Centers of Excellence in genomics research.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Genomics England: UK government-backed initiative that sequenced 100,000+ genomes linked to health records. Comparable as a large-scale, EHR-linked population genomics resource, though focused on the UK population rather than African ancestry communities.
• deCODE genetics: Iceland-based population genomics company that built one of the most comprehensive country-scale genotype-phenotype resources. Comparable as a large-scale population genomics initiative, though commercial, focused on a single homogeneous population, and now an Amgen subsidiary.
• NIH National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI): US federal agency leading genomics research policy, funding, and large-scale programs. Comparable as the broader funder/convener of population genomics initiatives, including diversity-focused efforts like the All of Us program and H3Africa.

Emerging players

• Color Health: Population genomics company providing genetic testing at scale for health systems, employers, and public health initiatives. Comparable as a population-scale genomics operator working with healthcare partners, though commercially focused and broader in clinical scope than ancestry-specific research.
• 23andMe: Consumer genetics company with a large opt-in genetic database including self-reported ancestry. Tangentially comparable in building ancestry-linked genetic data resources, though commercial/DTC-focused rather than research-driven and recently faced significant financial and data-privacy headwinds.
• Ancestry: Consumer genealogy and DNA testing company with one of the largest genetic databases globally, including significant African-ancestry representation. Comparable as a large-scale ancestry-linked genetic data resource, though commercial and primarily focused on genealogy rather than biomedical research.

Direct peers

• Million Veteran Program: US Veterans Affairs program building a massive genomics database linked to VA electronic health records. Comparable in scale of recruitment and EHR-linked phenotyping approach, though focused on US veterans rather than underrepresented ancestry populations.
• All of Us Research Program: NIH flagship program recruiting over 1 million participants with explicit diversity goals, including populations historically underrepresented in biomedical research. Directly comparable to T4C in mission, scale of recruitment, and EHR-linked genomics dataset, though it is government-funded rather than nonprofit/biopharma-funded.
• Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Initiative: NIH and Wellcome Trust-funded initiative conducting large-scale genomics research on African populations to study genetic basis of disease. Closely aligned in mission to diversify African-ancestry genomics data and build African research capacity, though primarily Africa-focused rather than African-diaspora-focused.

Others

• Vibrent Health: Digital health platform provider that powers the T4C participant engagement infrastructure. Comparable as a technology enabler for large-scale genomics research recruitment, rather than a direct research peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=KhpnAY5XSyk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/together-4-change

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Together for CHANGE