A Language Barrier That Cost a Family Hours of Waiting

Samuel Marseille built his product after watching a mother and son wait five hours for care while hospital staff waited for a French interpreter. Now Marseille has won $100,000 to launch OneShot AI, the first HIPAA-compliant, automatic translation system for healthcare settings.

The system uses artificial intelligence to interpret languages in real time while maintaining patient privacy. Marseille said Google Translate cannot be used in medical settings because it is not HIPAA-compliant.

"If you can think of it, you can do it," Marseille said after winning the competition.

A Student Body That Turned Out in Force

The Cultivate 269 pitch competition brought together 49 student entrepreneurs from across Western Michigan University. Fourteen percent of the entire student body participated in the public vote, with more than 2,000 students casting ballots.

Marseille was one of nine finalists selected to pitch their business ideas to investors and community leaders at the WMU Student Center on April 10. Each finalist received six minutes on stage to convince the judges why their startup deserved investment.

The Technology Behind OneShot AI

OneShot AI translates 10 languages including Spanish, Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Kinyarwanda, Swahili, Pashto, Farsi, Burmese and Telugu. The system provides real-time AI interpretation for urgent situations while allowing users to request human interpreters when needed.

"AI will never take over human translation," Marseille said. "The AI is used for more urgent situations, but when it comes to hospital discharge, you need a human."

The company incorporates cultural aspects of translation, taking into account various accents, dialects and differences between countries. Marseille said this cultural approach ensures the dignity of patients and helps them make informed choices without assumptions.

The Judges Who Chose Marseille

Judge Johnnie Turnage, civic innovator and co-founder of Black Tech Saturdays, said Marseille scored a perfect 5 out of 5 on all three judging criteria.

"They had impact, they had the founder story and honestly, they were a five out of five," Turnage said. "If we could all stand in the same room and understand each other, that solves a lot of problems."

The judging panel included Joe Cekola, president of Imperial Beverage; David Johnson, director of technology and innovation advancement in WMU's Office of Research and Innovation; Johnnie Turnage; Bob Wallis, creative strategist at 61 Keys; and Monica Wheat, executive director of Venture Catalysts.

What The Money Will Build

Marseille will use the $100,000 to finalize OneShot AI's patent, add more languages to the software and support an upcoming pilot program. The company plans to launch in June with a Michigan pre-launch partner program.

"Based on the pilot projection, our monthly recurring revenue is $33,000 for four pilot partners, but our projection is to see a growth of $289,000," Marseille said.

Marseille noted that most of his team members are WMU alumni. He said they have what he calls a "Bronco mindset" with a strong sense of purpose to prevent the problems he witnessed at the hospital from happening to other families.

A Competition That Goes On

Former Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby J. Hopewell, CEO of Kalamazoo-based firm Kabundant, announced that all nine finalists received an additional $25,000 each. Hopewell said the community wants all entrepreneurs to stay in Kalamazoo and build their businesses here.

Kalamazoo Forward Ventures announced plans to continue Cultivate 269 annually with hopes to increase the stakes each year. KzFV Director of Platform and Programming Marcel Fable Price said they want to show the city of Kalamazoo how much impact Western Michigan University can have when money is put on the table.

The Other Finalists

The nine finalists included:

  • Kalea Barnes with Parisian Dream Desserts, a community-centered bakery specializing in dietary-restricted treats
  • Dericka S. Bellamy with The Deranda Institute, a digital performance platform for women balancing work and motherhood
  • Caden Boynton with UnionOPS, payroll and project management software for union construction contractors
  • Connor Burkett with Volt, a home energy control platform
  • Genesis Erhabor with Ground Loop, a company transforming coffee grounds into sustainable products
  • Garrett Patnoude with Dekree, an AI-powered compliance platform for Michigan townships
  • Khang Nguyen with VolleyNet, an app for finding substitute players and teams
  • Chy'Ah Smith with Thirsty Lemon Co., an alcohol-free social lounge

All nine students will receive resources to continue developing their ideas.

"I'm not extraordinary, I'm just someone with a passion," Marseille said. "I didn't limit myself. Set the bar as high as you can."

Marseille said OneShot AI started in Kalamazoo and soon hopes to help hospitals around the world. He said he wants to see a world where everyone can speak the same language.

The People Behind The Competition

Dwayne Powell Jr., chief operating officer of Kalamazoo Forward Ventures, said the competition is about empowering underrepresented dreamers to build businesses and make connections that can change everything.

"People getting involved to take things to a whole 'nother level," Powell said.

Entrepreneur Tanya Thompson, whose fragrance brand Aroma Labs started in the basement of her Kalamazoo home, spoke to the aspiring entrepreneurs about perseverance. Thompson told the crowd that it took seven years before she began making a salary.

"Pivoting is not failure," Thompson said. "Pivoting is proof you're paying attention."

For more information on Kalamazoo Forward Ventures, visit their website. For more information on OneShot AI, visit their website.