The Rutgers Biomedical Entrepreneurship Network (BEN) is an organization led by students at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School that aims to cultivate a culture of healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship at Rutgers. BEN aims to empower members of the Rutgers community to become leading healthcare disruptors.

Each year, we host the Health Innovation Summit, an event aimed at promoting our goals of innovation, collaboration, and education across the RBHS community and beyond. The Summit features speakers from a variety of backgrounds discussing topics such as evolving innovation and business planning. Along with this is the annual pitch competition, where teams can present their ideas to industry experts and have the chance to win seed money to make their ideas into realities!

This year’s virtual event will focus on innovation to overcome healthcare disparities. Join us to hear amazing pitch ideas and learn about healthcare innovation from our exceptional speakers.

Speakers

Keynote: Andrew Trister, MD, PhD - Digital Health and Innovation Director, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Racism in Healthcare: Gary C Butts, MD - Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Mount Sinai Health System

Maternal Health: Gloria Bachmann, MD - Associate Dean of Women's Health, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

LGBTQ+ Health: Billy Caceres, PhD, RN - Center for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research, Columbia University

Immigrant Health: Francesca M Gany, MD, MS - Chief Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Environmental Health: Yvette Arrellano- Founder/Director of Fenceline Watch

Access to Care: Stephen Brown, MSW, LCSW - Program Director for Better Health Through Housing, University of Illinois Chicago

Pitch Competition

Create or join a team and pitch your idea to compete for up to $2,500

• Submissions close on 12/1/21, and finalists will be announced by 12/3/21. If selected as a finalist, the Summit team will reach out with further details about the creation of a slide deck, what to include, and the specific timing of the pitch.
• BEN Event Coordinators will evaluate pitches for content and select 10 finalist teams.
• All teams with accepted submissions will have the opportunity to hear feedback at the Summit from healthcare industry experts.
• Each finalist team will have 6 minutes at the Summit to present their honed pitch (A/V support will be available) followed by a 3 min Q&A.
• A panel of independent judges will choose the top three pitches, and confer 1st, 2nd, 3rd place prizes.

Pitch Competition Instructions

Visit the 2021 Health Innovation Summit Pitch Submission form for detailed rules and instructions:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwl6L69I_fI8ZJhbec060SZ9Gg6NYyG4nRy9av2vXwqO_Aqw/viewform

This year's prompt:

• Fighting the pandemic: COVID-19 Innovations
• Digital Health/Telemedicine
• Low-cost/Low-resource innovations
• Racial discrimination and injustice in medicine
• Something undiscovered

Hackathon

A hackathon is an overnight competition where teams identify and solve problems using technology. Events like these are great networking and socializing opportunities as there will be games and workshops to help you get to know each other as well as meet others in the healthcare field.

​The theme of the hackathon is health equity. You are encouraged to solve problems that you face while studying healthcare, listening to the summit speakers, or through your personal healthcare experience. The problems you identify and solve with your products would better the lives of patients and healthcare practitioners. You may even begin to use your product after the event!

To learn more visit: https://www.benhacks.org/

Workshops

• App Development: Catt Hofman - Development of QSPACES, an app designed to match LGBTQ+ patients with friendly providers
• Curriculum development and inspiring young innovators: Gary Butts, MD - Diversity Innovation Hub
• Nonprofit organizing: Yvette Arellano-working toward safe and healthy living spaces
• Hospital-Based Innovations: Stephen Brown, MSW, LCSW - Developing supportive housing programs

Agenda

9:00-9:05 Introductions

9:05-9:45 Keynote Speaker

9:45-9:55 Keynote Q&A

9:55-10:00 Break

10:00-12:00 Speakers and Panelists

• 10:00-10:15 Maternal Health
• 10:15-10:30 Combating Racism
• 10:30:10:45 LGBTQIA Health
• 10:45-11:00 Panelist Q&A
• 11:00-11:15 Immigrant Health
• 11:15-11:30 Environmental Injustice
• 11:30-11:45 Access to Primary Care
• 11:45-12:00 Panelist Q&A

12:00-1:00 Lunch & Break

1:00-1:45 Workshops

1:45-2:00 Break

2:00-Sunday 2:00 Hackathon

2:00-3:30 Pitch Competition!

3:30-3:45 Judges Deliberate

3:45-4:00 Winners & Closing Remarks