{"id":222193,"date":"2024-12-03T07:00:13","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T12:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=222193"},"modified":"2024-12-06T07:17:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T12:17:17","slug":"a-winning-pitch-student-innovators-compete-for-cash-prizes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2024\/12\/a-winning-pitch-student-innovators-compete-for-cash-prizes\/","title":{"rendered":"A Winning Pitch: Student Innovators Compete For Cash Prizes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">UConn\u2019s InnovateHealth PitchFest brought innovation and creativity to the forefront as students pitched groundbreaking solutions to today\u2019s health care challenges. From novel technologies to patient-centered solutions, undergraduate and graduate teams showcased their ingenuity before a panel of expert judges, underscoring the university\u2019s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary innovation in health care.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_222195\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-222195\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-222195 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923187_e94911a198_o-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Students.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923187_e94911a198_o-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923187_e94911a198_o-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923187_e94911a198_o-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923187_e94911a198_o-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923187_e94911a198_o-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923187_e94911a198_o-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923187_e94911a198_o-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923187_e94911a198_o-998x665.jpg 998w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-222195\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Undergraduate and graduate students who participated in the InnovateHealth PitchFest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">InnovateHealth PitchFest was organized by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nursing-engineering-innovation.center.uconn.edu\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">UConn Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and sponsored by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/beekley.com\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Beekley Medical<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Winning student teams were awarded a total of $17,000 in prize money and prototyping support for their pitched health care innovations. \u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Both graduate and undergraduate students were invited to present at the Nov. 20 event.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cInnovation is a science. Consistent with other sciences there are theories and methodologies that guide the practice,\u201d says Tiffany Kelley, who is an associate professor in residence in the School of Nursing, director of the healthcare innovation online graduate certificate program, and a Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center co-director. \u201cA critical aspect of learning innovation is application. InnovateHealth PitchFest offers another opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to explore and develop their ideas for problems we are faced with in health care today.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Judges included Wendy Garvin Mayo, founder of Collaborative Cancer Care; Gena Costello, a head nurse in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit; Mike McGuire, a strategic growth and innovations director at Beekley Medical; and Joseph Luciani, a design and manufacturing instructor at the UConn College of Engineering Innovation Shop.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Judges scored the students on the scope of the problem, innovativeness of the solution, market potential and commercial opportunity, impact, and pitch delivery.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5A-ICWDJwCY?si=mLf9uGLKnqONkF5W\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThe InnovateHealth PitchFest offers an opportunity for students with ideas to explore them and begin the process of innovation development with mentored guidance and funding to begin the prototyping process,\u201d says Kelley. \u201cI am confident that when an innovative mindset is cultivated, every nurse and nursing student will identify an opportunity to innovate in health care. Then, it is up to that individual to decide which idea to explore at that moment in time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThe Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center is one of the only Centers within the country that brings the two disciplines of Nursing and Engineering together,\u201d says Leila Daneshmandi, assistant professor in residence of innovation and entrepreneurship, director of the Entrepreneurship Hub, and co-director of the Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to partner with Beekley Medical to create a program exclusive to health care innovations that offers funding, prototyping resources, and expert mentorship. We\u2019re ready to help these students bring their innovations to life.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Before the event began, Daneshmandi congratulated the students on advancing their \u201cpitching\u201d skills.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThis will likely be the first time many of you have pitched outside of the classroom,\u201d says Daneshmandi. \u201cChannel all the effort that has occurred up to this moment and remember to take a moment to enjoy it.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the undergraduate category, ChromaShield placed first, Flexapy placed second, and TransferAble placed third.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the graduate category, Zemi placed first, Dentopa placed second, and HealthStream AI placed third. PillGuard and Healing Power of Movement also competed.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWe will have more opportunities throughout the year. We\u2019re already thinking about future programming for Spring 2025 and subsequent years,\u201d says Daneshmandi.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">All teams were gifted five hours of expert mentorship at the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/innovationshop.engineering.uconn.edu\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Innovation Shop.<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Located in the Castleman Building, s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">tudents and Innovation Shop employees work in the space on a product development path, moving from ideation, prototyping, to finally creation.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_222196\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-222196\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-222196 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923637_a8cb5c790e_o-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Mike McGuire\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923637_a8cb5c790e_o-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923637_a8cb5c790e_o-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923637_a8cb5c790e_o-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923637_a8cb5c790e_o-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923637_a8cb5c790e_o-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923637_a8cb5c790e_o-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923637_a8cb5c790e_o-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/54154923637_a8cb5c790e_o-998x665.jpg 998w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-222196\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike McGuire, a strategic growth and innovations director at Beekley Medical.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cPlease think of us as a resource,\u201d Luciani says. \u201cWe offer a holistic approach to innovative engineering. If you are lacking in prototyping, we can help. If you need advanced manufacturing tools to perfect your prototype, we can help.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">McGuire says of the recent pitch presentations he has heard, the students did remarkably well.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cAll of you looked in different areas of health care and figured out what was lacking,\u201d McGuire says. \u201cBut despite your immense successes here tonight, please don\u2019t be afraid to fail. Failure is a given sometimes in development.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Review <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/uconnengineering\/albums\/72177720322107149\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">photos<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0taken during the event.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">About <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/beekley.com\/\"><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Beekley Medical<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: Founded in 1934 and headquartered in Bristol, Beekley is committed to investing in the research and development of simple, low cost, disposable products that help medical imaging, surgical, and radiation oncology professionals improve communication, productivity, and patient care. Beekley Medical has a long and successful history of partnering with inventors and entrepreneurs to bring new products to market.<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">About the <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/nursing-engineering-innovation.center.uconn.edu\/\"><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">UConn Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: The purpose of the center is to foster and advance health care, workforce, and economic development through interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships between nursing and engineering to promote the ideation, creation, and commercialization of new evidence-based health care technologies that address clinical unmet needs for the betterment of health care quality (e.g., safe, effective, efficient, equitable, timely, and patient-centered). The center will advance health care innovation for the state and nation through four core areas of focus: research, education, community engagement, and technology transfer.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The PitchFest offers another opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to explore and develop their ideas for problems faced in health care today<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":185,"featured_media":222194,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1866,1877,2235],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2445],"class_list":["post-222193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-engr","category-nur","category-today-homepage"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-11 05:38:06","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/185"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222193"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":222330,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222193\/revisions\/222330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/222194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222193"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=222193"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=222193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}