HHS DRIVE SPARK competition: Why applying pays off - Hamilton Health Sciences
The article profiles Hamilton Health Sciences’ (HHS) DRIVE SPARK Funding Grant Competition, an internal innovation program that offers mentorship, bootcamps, masterclasses, and up to $50,000 in seed funding to staff, physicians, researchers, and volunteers with health‑care‑related business ideas. It follows the experience of Jenn Johnson, an emergency‑department nurse who, despite not winning, reached the finals and gained valuable business‑development training, networking, and a refined product—guided journals and AI‑powered mentorship for nurse burnout prevention. The piece also highlights other participants: Dr. Terry Bennett’s Family Check‑Up national training‑centre proposal and child‑minder Angie Butt’s Rainbow Junction children’s‑book venture, both of which leveraged the bootcamp to advance their concepts. The article outlines the competition’s application timeline (expression of interest due April 17, vetting in May, masterclass sessions at McMaster’s DeGroote Hyperlink Hub, judging in September, winners announced in October), provides participation statistics (41 applicants, 35 % staff, 26 % physicians, 18.5 % researchers), and includes quotes from HHS innovation manager Andrea Lee encouraging early‑stage ideas. The overall message is that the real prize is the experience, mentorship, and network gained by applying, regardless of winning.
Topics
DRIVE SPARK Competition: HHS’s Internal Innovation Engine
An overview of the DRIVE (innovation program) and SPARK (grant competition) that supports HHS employees, physicians, researchers, and volunteers to turn health‑care ideas into viable businesses.
Jenn Johnson’s Journey: From Emergency Nurse to Entrepreneurial Mentor
The personal narrative of nurse Jenn Johnson, her motivation to address nursing burnout, her experience in the competition, the bootcamp training she received, and the outcomes for her company Nurse Jenn Retention Solutions.
Bootcamp & Masterclass: Hands‑On Business Development for Early‑Stage Innovators
Details of the Health Innovation Bootcamp and DeGroote Hyperlink Hub masterclass sessions, including mentorship, pitch coaching, networking with McMaster students, and access to investors.
Other Participant Spotlights: Family Check‑Up National Training Centre & Rainbow Junction
Profiles of Dr. Terry Bennett’s Family Check‑Up scaling effort and Angie Butt’s Rainbow Junction children’s‑book/social‑inclusion venture, illustrating diverse project types and how the competition accelerated their plans.
Application Process, Timeline, and Eligibility
Step‑by‑step guide to applying for the 2023 DRIVE SPARK competition, including expression of interest deadline, vetting, mandatory masterclass attendance, judging, and award ceremony.