A Company Built from Lived Experience, Vision, and Proof

For more than five years, Acclinate has been building what the industry could not: a scalable, trusted pathway that brings real people into research and converts that trust into predictive, representative data.

Our Story

Built from Necessity

Founded by Del Smith and Tiffany Whitlow, Acclinate exists because traditional clinical research has never been designed with, or for, the communities most impacted by disease.

Where others saw recruitment challenges, they saw:

  • A trust gap
  • A data gap
  • An opportunity to build differently

Their lived experience, combined with deep expertise in genomics, community engagement, and enterprise operations, shaped a new category at the intersection of Touch + Tech.

Today, Acclinate is a national, enterprise-level company serving 7 of the top 10 Pharma companies with patented technology, exclusive community access, and the operational rigor required to scale trust.

Our Founders

Tiffany Whitlow

Co-Founder & Chief Development Officer

Tiffany brings decades of community engagement, brand strategy, and culturally relevant communication experience. She architected the core of NOWINCLUDED, ensuring it is not a database, but a trusted space, built with integrity, belonging, and cultural care.

Tiffany ensures Acclinate scales community trust with the same authenticity it was built on.

Her leadership has driven:

100+ national community events

Millions of educational impressions

Deep, lasting partnerships across advocacy, health systems, and trusted local leader

A tech foundation grounded in human relationships

Del Smith, PhD

Co-Founder & CEO

Del saw firsthand how lack of representation limits the quality, accuracy, and impact of scientific discovery. Drawing from his background in genomics, academia, and healthcare innovation, he built Acclinate on the belief that representative data leads to better science and smarter business.

Del is a national voice championing the idea that health equity is achieved through engagement, not extraction.

Under Del’s leadership, Acclinate has grown from a mission-driven idea to a market leader with:

A 180K-member national community

A patented AI/ML engine (e-DICT)

Partnerships with the world’s most influential sponsors

A category-defining approach to representative enrollment intelligence

Our Founders

How we’re Different

Always-on community trust

5+ years of proven national engagement

Exclusive representative data signals

Patented predictive AI/ML

Exclusive representative data signals

Real-world behavioral insights

Enterprise-scale operations

Our Vision

Health Equity, Realized.

Our Mission

Empowering Communities to Take Actions for Better Health

Customer Success Stories

Trusted Voices, Proven Impact

COPD

Expanding Representation in COPD Research

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) disproportionately impacts Black & African American communities1—yet their representation in clinical trials remains limited. To address this disparity, Acclinate partnered with a leading biotechnology research company from April 2023 to July 2024.
Read Case Study
54K+
members engaged through omnichannel approach
830+
surveys collected from community members
140+
personal stories filmed through NOWINCLUDED

Where We've Been Featured

See some places we’ve been featured and read the latest company announcements.

February 23, 2024

First-Ever Black Maternal Health Expo Coming to Birmingham

February 23, 2024

Minority-owned biotech startup expanding, adding employees

April 10, 2024

10 Best Tech Startups in Alabama

February 26, 2024

Alabama Regional Medical Services, Acclinate Create New Partnership

February 23, 2024

2023 Best Tech Startups in Alabama

April 11, 2024

Acclinate Co-Founder Tiffany Whitlow Named a Top 250 Female Founder by Inc.

February 26, 2024

Acclinate: Helping People of Color Take Control of Their Health

February 26, 2024

Meet the Birmingham Pastor Igniting Health Equity for the Local Community

May 7, 2024

Acclinate Raises $7M in Series A Funding to Accelerate Health Equity Revolution

February 26, 2024

Adding Color to Clinical Studies

February 26, 2024

Solving The Lack of Diversity In Clinical Trials With Acclinate’s Del Smith

October 28, 2024

Acclinate Announces New Undergraduate & Graduate Academic Scholarships

August 5, 2024

Acclinate and Housing Authority of the Birmingham District Partner to Improve Health Equity

February 26, 2024

Trialbee Inks Deal with Acclinate in Push for Trial Diversity

October 28, 2024

Acclinate Appoints Dr. Ivor Braden Horn to Board of Directors to Advance Health Equity Mission

February 23, 2024

Walladean Streeter, hero of Bush Hills, on why you need to get involved

February 19, 2024

This Local Survivor of Long COVID—Why His Story Is Important

April 24, 2024

Acclinate Empowers Black Maternal Health with AI-Powered Cultural Understanding

February 26, 2024

Acclinate and Prosper Partner on New Platform Aimed at Reducing Health Disparities

April 10, 2024

Acclinate and Egality Sciences Unite for Health Equity in Hispanic and African American Communities

February 26, 2024

Acclinate Races Against The Clock To Increase Diversity In Clinical Drug Trials

February 26, 2024

J&J’s incubator makes health equity high priority for selecting new partners

November 25, 2025

NOWINCLUDED Expands Its Mission with Launch of Unfiltered Podcast

September 18, 2024

Acclinate Recognized Among Best Workplaces for Innovators: Healthcare at Fast Company Innovation Festival

April 8, 2024

Merck turns to Acclinate to increase African American participation in cancer trials

October 20, 2025

Acclinate Named to Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

February 26, 2024

Acclinate Creates New Webpage to Inform More Minorities About COVID-19 Vaccine

August 13, 2024

Acclinate Ranks No. 539 on the 2024 Inc. 5000 List

April 10, 2024

Bridging the Gap: Startups Exploring Diversity in Genetics and Biotechnology Research

February 26, 2024

Nurturing The Next Great Healthcare Breakthroughs

December 5, 2025

Acclinate Recognized as a Vet100 Fastest-Growing Veteran-Owned Business

January 9, 2026

Acclinate Named Bronze Winner for Digital Health Innovation at the 5th Annual Anthem Awards

February 23, 2024

Birmingham’s Walladeen Streeter, Health Care Champion for a Better Bush Hills Community

April 11, 2024

The Pharmaverse Podcast: Health Equity & Diversity in Clinical Trials with Camille Pope

February 26, 2024

Why Amazon, Google, and Other Big Businesses Have Launched Accelerators to Help Minority-Owned Startups

February 26, 2024

Acclinate Named Fast Company’s ‘World Changing Ideas: Health’ Awards Finalist with Honorable Mentions

February 16, 2026

Acclinate Releases 2025 Annual Impact Report Highlighting Community-Led Progress in Health Equity

February 2, 2026

Acclinate Scales National Reach for Hispanic and Indigenous Communities; Announces New 30-Day Mobilization Commitment

December 17, 2025

NOWINCLUDED Expands Its Mission with Launch of Unfiltered Podcast

August 19, 2025

Mommy Listening Tour at Babypalooza

December 21, 2025

Acclinate Named to Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies