Boston Children’s Hospital today announced the three finalists selected to compete for $30k and investment advice from industry leaders in the hospital’s first “Innovation Tank” to be held Friday, Oct. 31, 2014, at Boston Children’s Global Pediatric Summit + Awards, Taking on Tomorrow (#PedInno14), at the Seaport World Trade Center.
“Innovation Tank” Details
Sponsored by Phillips Healthcare, startups will pitch their business or product solution designed to improve pediatric care to a panel of venture capitalists, clinicians/researchers and industry leaders. Judges will decide how to “invest” the $30k and will provide valuable insights to the presenters and audience on bringing innovative healthcare solutions to the market. Daymond John, founder of the sportswear brand FUBU and television personality on ABC’s critically acclaimed reality business show Shark Tank will serve as the moderator of the panel. Judges for the competition include:
– Leonard Zon, MD (judge): Dr. Zon is the founder and director of the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and a pioneer in the use of zebrafish as a platform for drug discovery.
– Bob Davis (judge): Bob Davis is a General Partner at Highland Capital Partners.
– Santo Politi (judge): Santo Politi is a Founder and General Partner of Spark Capital.
– Ivan S. Salgo, MD, MBA (judge): Dr. Salgo currently serves as Senior Director, Global Cardiology, Philips Ultrasound.
– Halle Tecco (judge): Halle Tecco is a Founder & Managing Director of Rock Health.
Finalists
The three finalists announced include:
CareAline® Products, LLC (Kezia and Mike Fitzgerald)
Kezia and Mike Fitzgerald are parents who innovated out of necessity and created CareAline® Sleeves and Wraps for their daughter, Saoirse, who was battling neuroblastoma and undergoing chemotherapy at Dana Farber Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. CareAline® Sleeves and Wraps are unique line management systems for PICC and central lines, PEG and G-GJ tubes and various other catheters. The CareAline® Wrap is tubular, keeping lines off of skin and bypassing the need for tape or makeshift devices to hold lines in place.
HubScrub (Sarah Goldberg, MD and Ali Ataollahi, PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital)
Hospital-acquired bloodstream infections from central-line catheters are a major—yet preventable—cause of pediatric complications, resulting in significantly higher cost of care and mortality rates. The HubScrub is an innovative cordless device that will effectively automate and standardize sterilization of the external connector of the central line, called the hub, with the potential to greatly diminish this source of life-threatening infections in children and free the caregiver to focus on other time-sensitive tasks and patient care.
Kurbo Health (Joanna Strober and Thea Runyan)
Kurbo Health is a mobile weight loss program designed for kids and teens ages 8 to18. Kurbo offers a fun and engaging mobile app to help young people make healthier eating choices and lose weight. The app is supplemented by weekly personal coaching via phone and text aimed at supporting kids to learn healthy habits for a lifetime. The Kurbo program is licensed from the Lucile Packard Weight Control Program at Stanford University.
For more information about Taking on Tomorrow and the Innovation Tank, visittakingontomorrow.org.
