Brave Snapshot 2019

BRAVE TECHNOLOGY COOPERATIVE

BUSINESS PLAN

JANUARY 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Brave Technology Coop is a multi-stakeholder platform cooperative based in Vancouver, B.C. We work with leaders in harm-reduction movements to reduce preventable deaths from opioid overdose. Our suite of tools allow people to be monitored for safety while they consume substances that place them at risk of overdose, no matter the circumstance or location.

Brave’s products include:

• Buttons for shelters, bathrooms, supportive housing and alleyways

• A mobile app for remote supervision

• A mobile app for community-led overdose response

• Wearables to detect overdose before it occurs

If an overdose is digitally witnessed on any of Brave’s application interfaces, trained housing staff, volunteer community responders, or the professional emergency response network will be activated so that the overdose can be reversed as quickly as possible.

Brave co-designs our products with people who use drugs and harm reduction advocates to address the barriers that typically deter people from seeking overdose intervention. Our tools are anonymous unless an individual’s location must be revealed to keep them safe.

Brave’s approach uniquely unites community connection, Naloxone intervention, and emergency services to respond to overdose in real time. Through research and testing, we have proven that technologies for organizing, alerting, and mobilizing community response to overdoses are both desired and effective.

tices, which have a proven record of saving lives.

VALUE PROPOSITION

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Brave’s digital safe consumption tools help people keep each other safe when they use drugs alone or in isolated environments. Brave’s internet-enabled tools and community-response network connect people at risk with the support they need in real time. People who use drugs trust Brave because our products are convenient, anonymous, and provide rapid response in real time.

We are focused on understanding and developing solutions that meet the needs of people who use drugs as a foundation for designing overdose interventions. Brave’s approach is adaptive to user needs and our pilot projects are proving that co-design results in high rates of end user adoption. This helps Brave, and our partners, achieve a common goal: reducing fatal overdose.

CHALLENGE PHASE PRIZE RECIPIENT

Brave’s product design process begins with a technological intervention. Then, we prototype, co-design strategies for improvement, and test our interventions again and again. Once we find what works, we scale up.

AUDIENCE

Brave is currently developing four products for circumstances where opioid overdose is a possibility. Our products serve end users who are: using drugs in shelters, public restrooms, supportive housing facilities, and alleyways; using drugs alone or in isolated environments; currently in or transitioning out of substance use treatment; and young adults experiencing opioid dependency.

GOALS

Our goal is to make overdose prevention and response accessible to everyone, and reach those most at risk. We aim to: reduce preventable deaths from overdose; enable rapid access to overdose intervention; facilitate extended access to interventions from remote locations. By 2020, we aim to serve 1,000 users/day on our digital platform, increasing exponentially in 2021 and beyond.

IMPACT

We have calculated that, in North America, there are at least 12 million people who are at risk of experiencing over 56 million overdoses within their lifetimes. If Brave’s products can serve even one percent of this population, we could prevent, reverse, or otherwise impact at least 560,000 potential overdoses and save lives.1

VALUES

A values-based approach is integral to Brave’s ethos. We believe that co-designing with and learning from harm reduction advocates and people who use drugs is the best way to inform our products’ design. Brave’s commitment to qualitative, ethnographic research has empowered us to develop tools that respond to user needs.

To ensure our work is relevant, we actively pursure collaborative partnerships with a variety of stakeholders working within or adjacent to overdose response. These partnerships allow us to solicit ideas, input, and feedback from the broader community as we continue to refine our product offerings.

DESIGN JUSTICE

As advocates of Design Justice, we work as facilitators who are building with and from the expertise of those with lived experience. Design Justice rethinks design processes, centers people who are normally marginalized by design, and uses collaborative, creative practices to address the deepest challenges that communities face. 2

TRANSPARENCY

Brave values transparency, especially in business, and we intend to make our financial information publicly available. After it is anonymized, Brave’s data will also become available to key stakeholders and the public in real time.

COOPERATIVISM

Brave is a multistakeholder platform cooperative rooted in the values of democratic ownership. The platform coop model aims to vitalize people-centered innovation by uniting the rich values and heritage of the cooperative movement with emerging internet technologies.

TRAUMA & OPPRESSION INFORMED CARE

Brave acknowledges the possibility that our work with community members may trigger trauma. Brave takes absolute care in educating and engaging ourselves with the complexity of communities where we do our work in order to recognize the structural dynamics which would prevent or further marginalize the individuals we aim to serve. Our work is guided by an oppressioninformed approach to service delivery.

HARM REDUCTION

Brave’s approach is rooted in the principles of harm reduction. Harm reduction is an approach based on behavior-based strategies and ideas aimed at reducing the negative public consequences associated with individual actions or activities. Handwashing campaigns, seatbelt road alerts, and condom distribution are all harm reduction interventions that attempt to raise awareness and minimize the risk of individual decisions on public health. Harm reduction is also a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people. 3

APPROACH

PRODUCTS

Since 2016, Brave has interviewed and listened to hundreds of people to inform our product development.

BRAVE BUTTONS

Brave Buttons are internet-enabled smart buttons that allow individuals who are using drugs in supportive housing, shelters, restrooms, or alleyways to connect with peer support when at risk of overdose. Residents in supportive housing can request support for safe consumption monitoring by pushing Brave Buttons installed in their rooms. Button pushes trigger a text message to peer workers and building staff, requesting an in-person check-in within five minutes. After three minutes, a reminder text is sent and support workers can respond to confirm the resident is safe.

The button concept emerged from listening to users’ needs in our work with the harm reduction community in Vancouver. Our research revealed that people living in supportive housing, and their guests, are at risk of overdose in their rooms; interventions are desired by residents and building staff. Growing client interest in Brave Buttons validates our user-centered design. We are actively serving one button client in Vancouver and have letters of intent for three more locations starting in Q1 2019.

BE SAFE

The Be Safe app is designed for people who are using drugs alone or in remote locations, connecting them with supporters who provide remote supervision. A person at risk of can use the app to connect with remote, peer support through a voice call. If the supporter identifies an overdose, the person at risk’s location can be revealed to send help. People who request supervision remain anonymous and their location is only revealed if it is necessary to keep them safe.

Anyone using drugs can request supervision through the app, but the product is specifically de signed for people in isolated areas without immediate medical response. Be Safe offers unaccompanied drug users a network of resources and support not otherwise accessible in their environments. Developed in collaboration with PwrdBy, a beta version of the Be Safe app is currently being tested in a pilot in Vancouver, BC.

PRODUCTS

Be Safe and Respondr can be used by anyone with a mobile phone and internet access; Brave Buttons and ODetect are physical devices that connect people without access to community response.

RESPONDR

The Respondr app facilitates remote community-response and overdose prevention. Through the app, a person at risk of overdose can connect with trained volunteer responders who are equipped with naloxone. Brave is currently testing whether a network of volunteer responders can reach people experiencing overdose faster than emergency dispatch. Brave is preparing to pilot Respondr in select locations in Canada and Ohio in 2019.

To support requests for safe consumption monitoring and/or overdose response through the app, we are developing a harm reduction training curriculum that will be available online and in-person through trainings with organizational partners in areas where we do our work. We are currently exploring the logistics of working with harm reduction organizations in our target markets to facilitate naloxone access and distribution.

ODETECT

ODetect is wearable technology that detects overdoses from physiological changes faster than existing methods. If an overdose is detected, an emergency response protocol is initiated so that the person at risk can receive support. To facilitate ODetect’s functionality, the Brave team developed a machine learning algorithm that is able to infer the respiration rate of people using drugs based on pulse oximetry. Anyone who uses drugs alone can use ODetect to stay safe.

ODetect’s research on sensors that correlate the physiological effects of overdose is revealing unprecedented knowledge about the dynamics of overdose response. This knowledge can inform multidisciplinary overdose response efforts across the health sector. Brave’s engineers are finalizing ODetect’s wearable prototype and preparing for testing in Q2/3 2019.

MARKET

Brave’s market is comprised of people at risk of opioid overdose across North America. We estimate at least 11.9 million people currently using prescription opioids in the U.S. and Canada are at risk of overdose today4

TOTAL

11.9M people at risk of overdose across North America

56 87 nonfatal overdoses experienced & total overdoses witnessed

375K+

PEOPLE IN HOUS ING

MILLION MILLION 430K

Over 360,000 people lived in supportive housing in the U.S. in 20176 Across Canada, 401 shelters housed 15,450 people the year before.7

4/5

77,000 fatal overdoses

Across the continent, there are millions of people taking opioids not as prescribed, using illicit opioids without a prescription, or at risk of overdose from illicit street or club drugs mixed with fentanyl, including: cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, GHB, and others.5 When we include these additional populations at risk, Brave’s total market size may potentially be over double what we can measure.

OUTPATIENT CLIENTS

In 2017, 91% of Americans who received treatment for opioid use disorder received outpatient treatment, over 430,000 people. 8

OVERDOSES OPIOID-RELATED

Youth aged 15-24 accounted for only 10 percent of total opioid overdoses, yet within this age group, four out of every five drug overdoses are opioid-related.9 10

BARRIERS TO ENTRY

STIGMA OF DRUG USE

A major barrier to entry is the widespread stigma of drug use and harm reduction modalities. The stigma that people who use drugs experience comes from individuals and society at large, discriminatory institutions, and self-stigma.11 Because stigma and stereotypes override logical reasoning, effective solutions for keeping people safe and reducing harm are not being pursued at the scale which they could be most effective.12

Brave believes this stigma will prevent our competitors from succeeding in the space; yet, this is precisely where we shine. Because Brave practices the principles of harm reduction, our tools will serve people who use drugs respectfully and responsibly, resulting in what our pilot projects suggest will be high rates of product adoption.

COMPLEXITY OF U.S. LEGAL SYSTEM

The complexity of the United States legal system poses another barrier. As part of the Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge, Brave will be embedded in Ohio throughout 2019. This is an opportunity to test the flexibility of our technology. Ohio has 88 independent counties and each county oversees Good Samaritan Laws, Drug Paraphernalia Laws, naloxone distribution, emergency response and policing differently. If Brave can solve the complexity of naloxone distribution and community overdose response in Ohio, we will be prepared to navigate the demands of complex legal environments across North America.

NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION

Despite its overwhelming success in reversing opioid overdose, naloxone is still viewed as a scheduled narcotic and serious barriers to public access exist, especially in the quantities that Brave will require to bring our community response network to scale. Brave is working to develop a clear understanding of the naloxone distribution systems - or lack thereofwithin areas where we plan to do our work and make the necessary connections to secure enhanced access.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE

Since 2016, Brave has been digitizing the community overdose response networks that exist in Vancouver, BC. Through this work, we have developed a methodology to calculate overdose response capacity. Brave’s methodology allows us to define density targets and right-size responder capacity requirements in urban, suburban, and rural settings. We are also developing a harm reduction training curriculum to facilitate community capacity building in areas without knowledge of these frameworks or their benefits.

COMPETITION

Brave’s competitive landscape includes technologies created in response to the opioid epidemic and products designed to provide remote addiction recovery services. 29 Unlike healthcare system solutions, our tools are initiated by people at risk of overdose for their own safety.

ODetect competitor

Wearable technology that monitors the vital signs of people who use drugs to predict an overdose state; the band connects to users’ smartphones via an app that alerts emergency contacts when an overdose has occurred.

Respondr competitor

A naloxone distribution app that identifies nearby naloxone kits and alerts people who are trained to use them.

Nal-Pal

HashTag

Nal-Pal

COMPETITION

Brave collabroates with people who use drugs to create tools they both want and need. Our products are unique because of their focus on creating community connection around the experience of overdose, facilitating humancentered support that helps people keep each other safe.

Brave Buttons

No direct competitors

Our market research has not yet identified any products that compete directly with Brave Buttons in either service location or population served.

Canary App

Be Safe competitor

An overdose prevention app that monitors a user’s inactivity after drug use. In the event that a user stops moving and fails to respond to prompts by Canary, the app issues an alert to others.

Be Safe

Brave Buttons

PRICING STRATEGY

It is a priority for Brave to ensure that our products are accessible to anyone who needs them to stay safe. To achieve maximum reach, we are developing a pricing model that serves both private sector (institutional, individual) and public sector (government, foundations) clients, pairing product purchase and subscription contracts with technical consulting. The specific costs that inform our pricing model are evolving in response to product development; at present, our strategy follows the pricing of similar products in the healthcare and personal safety sectors. An overview of these products appears below.

We believe that comparing Brave’s tools to familiar healthcare and safety products will help our customers overcome the stigma that is associated with substance use treatment and associated services. Research has revealed that product cost is not a deciding factor in our customers’ purchasing decision.

HEALTHCARE & SAFETY PRODUCTS

BRAVE BUTTONS

Brave Buttons’ pricing strategy is based on personal and office safety alert systems, in particular wall-mounted stationary devices that trigger emergency alerts to a centralized control. These products are supported by direct-to-consumer sales and include an initial device cost and monthly service plan.

The primary difference between these products and Brave Buttons is that our pricing will focus on businessto-business sales, where we aim to sell button and facility service contracts to institutional customers. Enseo MadeSafe for Education is a product that is the most functionally similar to Brave Buttons, but in the field of education. MadeSafe’s pricing is proprietary; however, the product itself is an important pricing reference because it relies on B2B sales and is designed for institutional settings.

Classic Guardian Emergency Button

MEDICAL GUARDIAN 30

Device: FREE

Monthly service plan: $29.95

Annual service plan: $329.45

Wall-Mounted Emergency Button

ALERT1 31

Device: $39.95

Monthly service plan: $19.95

Emergency Panic Button

BRICKHOUSE SECURITY 32

Device: $39.99

Monthly service plan: $29.95

PRICING STRATEGY

BE SAFE & RESPONDR

Be Safe and Respondr’s pricing will follow a similar model to OpiRescue HQ, a reporting and analytics program for first responder departments responding to opioid overdoses. The OpiRescue app is available for free to end users, and institutional customers are charged for an annual service plan which includes client support and reporting. Brave is positioning our apps as wrap-around service offerings that can augment existing outpatient treatment programs.

As of October 2018, OpiRescue HQ was connected to 1,136 first responder departments across the country. Assuming all 1,136 first responder departments pay the $299 annual service fee, OpiSafe generates almost $340,000 in pre-tax revenue annually from OpiRescue HQ subscriptions. 34

OpiRescue HQ

OPISAFE 33

Annual service plan: $299.00

ODETECT

Compared to traditional treatment options, ODetect’s one-time product purchase and ongoing monthly subscription cost are accessibly priced. The widespread prevalence of fentanyl in street and club drugs and ODetect’s discreet, wearable profile makes ODetect a viable product for people who regularly use any street drugs, not only known opioids.

AliveCor

KARDIABAND 35

Device: $199.99

Monthly service plan: $9.99

Annual service plan: $99.00

Freedom Guardian

MEDICAL GUARDIAN 36

Device: $99.99

Monthly service plan: $49.95

Annual service plan: $494.45

MobileHelp Smart

MOBILEHELP 37

Device: $349.95

Monthly service plan: $24.95

MANAGEMENT

GORDON CASEY | Chief Executive Officer

Gordon left an 18 year career as a lawyer and entrepreneur in financial services to explore how technology can be used as a tool for social justice and community. Born in Zambia and raised in six different countries, he moved with his family to Vancouver in 2016 because of the city’s uniquely compassionate approach to social issues. He is humbled by this work every day.

MARIO CIMET | Chief Technology Officer

Mario is a software developer and human-centered technologist who is dedicated to the cooperative movement. He believes that listening to people and understanding their needs is the foundation of effective design and technology. Born in Mexico, and raised in Brazil, Mario moved to Vancouver to attend the University of British Columbia, where he studied human and computer interaction. Before joining Brave, Mario worked as a researcher, data scientist, and project manager for UBC. He is also the co-founder of Eyemole Arts and Technology Cooperative.

KRIEG | Chief Operations Officer

For the past 14 years, Oona has worked in fundraising, capacity-building, project development, and management for organizations working in poverty, violence, and harm reduction modalities. As COO, Oona operationalizes Brave’s technological development on behalf of the cooperative’s diverse stakeholders. Unique life and professional experiences inform Oona’s perspective on heart-centered healthcare solutions.

After working in healthcare, Oona founded SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training), a program in collaboration with Vancouver Coastal Health that, during her tenure, recruited, vetted, and trained over 600 volunteers to run 27 group meetings every week for people who want to change the way they think about themselves. A multimedia installation artist, and sometimes painter, Oona is completing art studies at UBC.

OONA

Brave is a multistakeholder technology cooperative comprised of administrators, researchers, technologists, engineers, people who use drugs, peers, designers, and community workers, among others.

Our core team consists of full- and part-time employees, consultants, and collaborators. Brave’s larger network includes partners, advisors, and supporters.

Because the scope of the overdose crisis is so broad and so personal for so many people, talented individuals approach Brave frequently hoping to work with us in our mission.

Brave is committed to growing and strengthening our team in an intentional way that creates an equitable work culture and supports the concurrent development of our suite of products.

BRAVE TEAM

SHAWNA BLOMSKOG

Program Manager

VERA DIKOUN

Mobile Developer

KENZIE ERLANK

Data Mapping

IVA JANCOVIC

User Experience Researcher

WAYNE NG

R&D Engineer

‘SPIKE’ PEACHY

Community Engagement

SAJAN RAJDEV

R&D Engineer

SAMPATH SATTI

Wearables Lead

DAVID SCHWARTZ

Hardware & Software Developer

TINA SHAW

Community Engagement

SHAWN WHELDON

Peer Advisor/Outreach

TAMARA WOJDYLO

Co-Founder

2019 ROADMAP TECHNOLOGY

Improve the security and reliability of Brave products through multiple iterations of hardware and software development, reliability testing, system engineering, and user testing to prepare for Q3 2019 product deployment in Ohio.

Pilot Brave Buttons, BeSafe app, and Respondr app in Ohio.

Advance ODetect development to testing stage in Vancouver.

Design and add SMS functionality across all of Brave products.

Integrate all digital tools into a single, branded interface.

ORGANIZATION

Hire administrative, technical, outreach, and support staff in Ohio to oversee pilot programs and product deployment as part of the Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge.

Develop personnel management and oversight protocols for remote teams.

Identify the limitations facing harm reduction practitioners in our target markets to inform localized community outreach, capacity-building, and deployment.

COMMUNITY

Identify and develop relationships with key partners based in target markets, including harm reduction organizations, supportive housing facilities, and support networks for people who use drugs.

Connect with emergency responders, and EMS call services to route emergency calls through existing networks.

Develop and deploy in-person and digital overdose response training curriculum to build capacity for community-led overdose response.

Work with key partners to access resources, spaces, and participants for our pilot programs and ongoing product roll-out.

Conduct further research to understand the parameters and logistics of naloxone distribution in target markets.