Who we are

Hunuvat was established in 2017, to be a forum to link advances in biotechnology to the people most in need. We are a small network of consultants in global public health & biomedical strategy, policy and advocacy.

We are devoted to nurturing community-oriented and evidence-based global health strategies, recognizing the unique contributions of all sectors of society - including the private sector.  The complacency and stagnation of global health funding - particularly infectious disease - make the need for such strategies more essential than ever before.

Hunuvat believes in repairing the damage done to our environment by respecting and honoring the ancestors of the lands on which live now, particularly here in California’s Bay Area. Over thousands of years, the Bay Area has been home to many tribes who now comprise the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.

Hunuvat Chiy'a is the Cahuilla name for the Joshua tree.

The Cahuilla nation are the native inhabitants of inland areas of Southern California, particularly in the Mojave desert. The Cahuilla use the hunuvat in many aspects of their lives, from cooking to sandals, roofing, storage containers - and even making a tea to treat STDs.  Hunuvat aims not to be about cultural appropriation, but about honoring and respecting the resilience and beauty born through perseverance of indigenous communities- attributes that are essential to human survival.