Today we’d like to introduce you to Mohan Sudabattula.
Hi Mohan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
started Project Embrace in the backseat of my car.
No fancy office. No funding. Just a trunk full of unused crutches and a gut feeling that healthcare shouldn’t be this hard to access. I was 19 at the time, balancing college, part-time jobs, and a constant question in my mind: Why are we throwing away life-saving tools when people around the world are begging for them?
But my story really begins years before that – at age 10, when I visited a rehabilitation center for disabled children in India. That trip cracked something open in me. I didn’t have the language for it then, but what I saw was the stark contrast between potential and access. Kids full of spirit, limited not by ability, but by the systems around them. That memory became my compass.
Over time, Project Embrace evolved from a side hustle into a movement. We’ve shipped thousands of medical devices to marginalized communities across the U.S. and globally – from the Navajo Nation to rural India. But it was never just about the equipment. It became about human dignity. About saying: your life is worth showing up for – even when systems don’t.
What started with surplus wheelchairs has become a broader fight to reimagine access, rethink waste, and make healthcare feel human again. And through it all, I’ve stayed grounded in one core belief: change doesn’t start with systems. It starts with stories and the courage to do something about them.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road. And honestly, I wouldn’t trust any story that was.
When we started Project Embrace, there wasn’t a blueprint—because no one was really doing what we were trying to do. We weren’t just starting a nonprofit. We were creating an entirely new way to think about medical surplus, access, and care. That meant building the system while navigating it—and that’s never easy.
Funding in those early years was nonexistent. We weren’t backed by big institutions or major grants. But the need was too great to ignore. So, my team and I got scrappy. We stored supplies in our apartments, loaded gear into borrowed cars, and did whatever we had to do to get care into the hands of people who were being overlooked.
We’ve had our share of missed shipments, sleepless nights, and “how are we going to pull this off?” moments. But we kept moving – because the mission demanded it. And what I’ve learned is this: even when the road isn’t smooth, it’s still worth walking if you’re walking toward something that matters.
As you know, we’re big fans of Project Embrace. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Project Embrace is a healthcare nonprofit that reimagines what access to care can look like – by turning gently used medical equipment and surplus into medical impact.
We collect surplus single-use and durable medical equipment – wheelchairs, crutches, braces, menstraul products, incontinence care products, etc. – that would otherwise be discarded, and we deliver them directly to communities around the world where care is scarce. From the deserts of the American Southwest to rural villages in India, we specialize in meeting people where systems don’t.
But what sets us apart isn’t just what we do. It’s how we do it.
We’re not a logistics org. We’re not a charity built on pity. We are a movement rooted in dignity. Every piece of equipment we give is more than a product – it’s a story. A second chance. A reminder that someone still cares. We believe that healthcare doesn’t start with policy – it starts with people. That’s why our brand isn’t sterile or corporate. It’s human, honest, and unafraid to show up authentically.
What am I most proud of? We build stories and trust with all of the people we work with. We listen, are relatable, and present. We believe everyone should have a voice in healthcare. Because of this, we’ve been able to serve and work with some of the vulnerable communities and have moved over 5,600 medical devices in under a year – not just to save costs or reduce waste, but to restore dignity to people who’ve been left behind.
So, if there’s one thing I want people to know about Project Embrace, it’s this: we’re not here to fix healthcare. We’re here to remember what care really is – and to make sure everyone has a shot at it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck has absolutely played a role, but I think of it more as alignment than accident.
I’ve had moments of pure good fortune – meeting the right people at the right time, stumbling into a conversation that led to a breakthrough, getting just enough support to make something happen when everything felt like it was falling apart. Those moments mattered.
But luck alone doesn’t move medical equipment around the world. It doesn’t keep a mission alive when the money runs dry. It doesn’t build trust with communities who’ve been failed too many times. That takes persistence. That takes people. That takes purpose.
So yeah, I’ve had lucky breaks. But I’ve also had to be ready when they showed up. And I’ve learned that what looks like luck from the outside often comes down to one thing: having strong conviction for long enough to catch the break when it finally comes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.projectembrace.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mohanthebrohan/
