Something people don't know about me is: I’m unbeaten at Monopoly My favorite country is: France
Christopher El Badaoui
Reimagining queer healthcare on a global scale
SHAPE A REALITY FOR EVERYONE TO BELONG. Christopher El Badaoui founded LVNDR Health with the desire to create a reality where your authentic self does not impact how you receive care. Having lived across multiple continents, they have witnessed and been a part of systems that dilute individuality and make conformity necessary to access inherent needs such as healthcare.
“Early on, I could not share a part of myself in a community where authenticity wouldn't thrive, so I decided to create one myself. Growing up in Lebanon, I learned to find spaces where I could feel safe and accepted. This evolved into a desire to create spaces that empower LGBTQ+ folks worldwide.”
In 2021, Christopher and Araxie Boyadijan co-founded LVNDR Health - a platform building the future of LGBTQIA+ healthcare. LVNDR is a platform offering sexual healthcare and well-being services designed and enabled by LGBTQIA+ clinicians to deliver care through an end-to-end virtual care app. Working with the public health sector in England, LVNDR honed in on where they could best spur change to pioneer digitally-enabled free healthcare. LVNDR’s goal is to provide holistic LGBTQIA+ care that evolves with the changing needs of LGBTQIA+ folks - a solution that transcends borders.
"Creating LVNDR Health has allowed me to reflect on and dismantle the social constructs. Reflecting introspectively and listening to the stories of people from my community further advanced our understanding of the multifaceted challenges we face. This resulted in me learning about myself along the way and embracing my gender fluidity.”
After speaking extensively with community members, clinicians, and nurses, Christopher says, “Healthcare systems are complex. They are effective when solutions are deployed tactically but fragmented when lacking tech infrastructure. People asking for change is a symptom of a larger problem which made us think about how LVNDR can be the vehicle to turn those challenges into solutions."
Christopher is a lifelong creative. Having studied Strategic Design at Parsons, Christopher had the drive to transform abstract ideas into something beautiful. They dove into the founder world, working two full-time jobs while balancing full-time academics. One was at accelerator Techstars, where Christopher recalls, "that's when I immersed myself in supporting other entrepreneurs building their businesses - the challenges were thrilling, and the possibilities for change were endless." In 2018, they co-founded their first company, Carbyn, an innovation consulting organization. While the company was successful, the experience confirmed to Christopher that they wanted to build a company aligned with their journey as a queer individual.
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE. LVNDR Health was born out of deeply personal origins, culminating in Christopher coming out as trans the year they built the company. They admit they have to be careful not to feel personally responsible for setbacks experienced along the way. "There will always be a problem you need to solve, a rock to climb, or a boulder to overcome. Being queer is resilience, and there is power in that. Success isn't achieved by the actions of a single individual. It's a culmination of the work of everyone before us, and my part in that will be small by the time the work is done. Success is enduring elastic energy.”
After establishing a clear vision for the future and a solid foundation for LVNDR Health’s growth, Christopher and Araxie set a strong precedent. Now in the process of launching the platform, Christopher's ambitions for the company are reassuringly bold. "Healthcare is a central part of our lives as queer people. Finding a space where we can be open about our authentic needs and have real solutions offered in a realistic timeframe shouldn’t be an exception, but the norm.”
“The legacy we want to leave behind is one that mobilizes a movement, transforms lives, and reshapes archaic societal structures to cultivate a world devoid of stigma. But ultimately, what matters most is how creating accessible healthcare shapes the way people beyond our community perceive bodies and identity as a whole.”
