Social entrepreneurs take note, there are big ideas coming out of AHS.
In March, nine student teams pitched concepts for new social ventures to a panel of community and University judges at the inaugural Big Ideas Challenge for Health and Well-being.
Hosted by Professor Karla Boluk and Tania Del Matto, director of St. Paul’s GreenHouse, the event challenged participants to develop interventions with the goal of improving quality of life for individuals or communities.
The winning ideas won space at St. Paul’s GreenHouse, the only campus-linked accelerator residence in Canada focused on social innovation and entrepreneurship.
The winners were:
HEART HELPERS » A non-profit, heart-healthy meal delivery program that offers older adults at risk or living with cardiovascular disease a simple, inexpensive way to reduce their risk factors by modifying their diet.
MARLENA BOOKS » Committed to meaningful leisure for older adults of all abilities by creating books to meet the needs of older adults with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other conditions.
NODE » Offers smart, beautifully designed, custom-fit compression sleeves for breast cancer survivors suffering from lymphedema.
PANIC, ANXIETY & STRESS SUPPORT (PASS) KIT » A first aid kit for mental health and well-being to address the increasing incidence of mental-health issues among students.