Impact & Innovation Podcast kicks off new season with “Food as Medicine”

The new season of Impact & Innovation, a podcast hosted by Professor Teresa Chahine, faculty director of the Yale Jackson School's Social Innovation Initiative launched on September 26 with an interview featuring Josh Trautwein, founder of About Fresh.

Trautwein shared his start-up journey in the growing “food as medicine” space. Beginning his career as a Community Health Worker, he saw firsthand how access to fresh, culturally relevant food was essential for good health — particularly in urban areas where affordable options are scarce. His insight grew into a pioneering model: using health care dollars to reimburse fresh produce in much the same way that medication is covered. With chronic diseases often linked to diet, Trautwein explained how health care payers like Medicaid can improve outcomes and reduce costs by supporting access to healthy food rather than relying solely on long-term medication.

What began as a school bus selling fresh produce has evolved into a scalable fintech solution, designed to help patients, providers, and payers connect in new ways. Trautwein’s story highlights the challenges and opportunities of bridging food systems and health systems to advance equity and wellbeing.

Impact & Innovation brings social entrepreneurs from around the world to Yale to share the challenges they face and the insights they are gaining in the field. From rural India and Kenya to the inner cities of the United States, and across sectors from the environment to maternal health, the series examines the convergence of business and society. Listeners also get a peek inside the classroom of Teresa Chahine as she explores the latest trends — and pitfalls — in social innovation, funding, and impact.

The episode is available to stream on the Yale Insights website. Listeners can subscribe to Impact & Innovation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or other podcast players.