Innovative health & wellness solutions take center stage at Tulane Innovation Institute's 4th Open Medical Innovation (MIC) Night
Imagine a workout as motivating as leveling up in your favorite role-playing game, a safety device that helps musicians protect themselves from viruses spread by wind instruments, or an efficient way to match medical students with shadowing opportunities.
These were just a few creative concepts that took center stage Thursday, October 24, as the Tulane Innovation Institute (TUII) held its fourth human health and wellness-themed pitch contest - Open Medical Innovation Challenge (MIC) Night. Hosted at The Shop at the Contemporary Arts Center in downtown New Orleans, the event welcomed over 140 attendees eager to see Tulane students, faculty, and staff pitch solutions to human health and wellness challenges.
In collaboration with the Tulane School of Medicine John W. Deming Department of Medicine, the event, produced by the Robert L. Priddy Innovation Lab within TUII, received a record number of applications from six of Tulane’s nine schools. The top ten finalists were selected to compete for funding to help kickstart their entrepreneurial journeys.
New this year, winners will receive prize money and access to one-on-one mentorship for idea refinement and will participate in I-Corps programming. I-Corps training assists innovators in exploring the potential of their research or inventions through customer discovery. Winners receive $2,000 after completing the initial stage of I-Corps training, and those who continue developing their ideas are eligible to receive up to $3,000 for further customer discovery work. Those who complete the entire award and training pipeline can receive up to $5,750.
“We wanted to give our winners not only prize money but also the resources and guidance to turn their ideas into tangible, impactful solutions,” explained Kimberly Gramm, PhD, David and Marion Mussafer, Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer, Tulane Innovation Institute. “By integrating mentorship and the I-CORPS programs, we’re creating a pathway from idea conception to real-world application, with meaningful financial and developmental support at this early stage.”
Finalists brought inspiring and creative ideas, including menstrual health support platforms, tools to combat sepsis, and advanced malaria diagnostic solutions.
The ten finalists were:
• Hannah Bajaj & Nysa Bhat | Undergraduate Students, School of Science & Engineering
• Ankush Govil | Undergraduate Student, Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
• Vicente Farinas | Undergraduate Student, School of Science and Engineering
• Michelle L. Matter, PhD | Faculty, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
• Blake Autin | Staff & Student, OEHS / Construction Safety Manager & School of Professional Advancement
• Arman Raz | Student, School of Medicine
• Chandler Monk | Student, School of Science and Engineering
• Shreya Pandit | Staff, TRIAD/Clinical Research Coordinator, School of Medicine
• Brian Deskin, PhD | Faculty, School of Medicine
• Dylan Murray | Student, School of Science and Engineering
Each competitor had three minutes to present, followed by questions from the judging panel, which included:
• Meshawn Siddiq, MPH, HBCE, Doula, CLC, Deputy Director, New Orleans Health Department
• Sindhu Pandit, MD, MBA, Global Clinical Lead, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Salesforce
• Austin Rees, Principal, LongueVue Capital
• Kalen Hall, PhD, Co-Founder & CEO, Informuta
• Richard Vaughn, Chief Product Officer, Rescription
Kalen Hall, a co-founder of Informuta, alongside her partner Leo Williams, participated in the inaugural Open MIC Night in Spring 2023 and has since secured over $465,000 in grants and pitch competition funding. The company is now seeking a $2 million seed round. "To have Kalen here as a judge was a full-circle moment for Open MIC Night,” said Clay Christian, Executive Director for Commercialization in the Robert L. Priddy Innovation Lab. “One of these ideas pitched tonight could be the next Informuta.”
Following the judges' deliberation, the winners were announced:
• Hannah Bajaj & Nysa Bhat, developed Sundara, a platform reimagining menstrual health management
• Arman Raz, for a wound healing device integrating phototherapy into advanced biomaterials for treating pressure ulcers
• Chandler Monk, for universal cytomegalovirus (CMV) screening test to prevent cognitive and hearing impairments
• Shreya Pandit, for developing a biosensor-equipped stent that monitors hemodynamics and artery healing in real-time
• Dylan Murray, for an advanced malaria diagnostic test
The People’s Choice Award went to Ankush Govil, who pitched a protective solution for musicians at risk of virus exposure during performances.
Event attendees also enjoyed refreshments from local food entrepreneurs, including Chicken and Champagne, Sweet Anoni's, a business within Codey’s NOLA food and beverage startup incubator, and Soul Noodle.
The night wrapped up with lively conversation as attendees networked, exchanged ideas, and celebrated the finalists’ achievements. The energy in the room reflected Tulane University’s commitment to supporting innovators with real-world solutions that could shape the future of health and wellness.
