Brief History
In-school screenings revealed that the founder of half Helen, Chelsea Elliott, was blind in her left eye and deaf in her right ear. As a kid, Chelsea learned about Helen Keller and surmised that since she was half-blind and half-deaf, she was “half Helen!”
After graduating from St. Edward’s University in 2013, Chelsea founded half Helen, a nonprofit organization that exists to improve children’s vision and hearing through innovative screenings, research, and advocacy. In doing so, she hopes to prevent other children from winding up “half Helens”.
In the News
CBS Austin: July Community Partner: half Helen transforming vision care for Texans
The Maui News: Screening device will help Lions detect eyesight issues
CNN Hero: Helping school-age children ‘see’ their future
Lions Club International Magazine Article, “Half Helen, Whole Heart”
St. Edward’s University Magazine Article, “Setting Her Sights”
KEYE TV: Austin woman making sure other kids never have to face what she did
Austin American Statesman – What Caused All The Excitement At Austin Nonprofit Pitch Fest?
Videos
Awards
2024
Austin Under 40 Winner: Chelsea was honored as an Austin Under 40 winner in the Nonprofit Service category, recognizing her dedication to community impact through half Helen and her transformative work in vision care.
KXAN Remarkable Woman: In 2024, Chelsea was recognized as a KXAN Remarkable Woman for her contributions to improving health outcomes and access to care in Central Texas.
2023
Civic & Community Leadership: Chelsea received the Civic & Community Leadership Award from the Austin Chamber of Commerce, celebrating her leadership and vision in creating impactful social programs.
Social Impact Winner: Austin Woman magazine awarded Chelsea the Social Impact Award for her significant influence on public health and her efforts to reduce barriers to eye care in underserved communities.
2022
Outstanding Female Entrepreneur: The Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recognized Chelsea as the Outstanding Female Entrepreneur, acknowledging her innovative and entrepreneurial approach to health equity through half Helen.
2019
Impact Austin Health & Wellness Community Partner: half helen was awarded $100,000 to launch a portable optometry clinic.
2018
Philanthropitch: Record award for $64,100 for Half Helen to scale C-MORE software, reducing time spent on the health screening process by 50%.
2017
ChangeMaker: The Austin Young Chamber of Commerce recognized Chelsea as a ChangeMaker.
Heroes for Children: The Texas State Board of Education recognized Chelsea for her vision and hearing program serving Austin and San Antonio.
2016
Community Woman of the Year: Texas Women in Business recognized Chelsea as Community Woman of the Year.
2015
CNN Hero: Chelsea was recognized as a CNN Hero. The CNN Heroes program honors individuals who make extraordinary contributions to improve the lives of others.