Scholarship winners announced, new resident team, business advice from Santa and how to host YOUR event at FORGE
FORGE Ahead Welcomes New Resident Team Jackson Medical Solutions
CEO of Jackson Medical Solutions, Kirsten Bassett, addressing Phoenix L(a)unch event
At Thursday’s L(a)unch event, FORGE, TechLaunch Arizona, and BIO5 Institute presented opportunities to become involved with their programs at the Phoenix Biosciences Core. One presenter, featured at the event, was Jackson Medical Solutions an Arizona-based medical device company that provides novel healthcare innovations and one of the newest resident teams in FORGE Ahead™.
In his final year of college, Ian Jackson was involved in a motorcycle accident where he received numerous medical implants. The event led Ian to withdraw from his medical school pursuits and motivated him to found Jackson Medical. He recruited a team of talented engineers who were equally committed to improving preventative medical devices. That group aims to address major disparities in medicine, specifically those regarding post-operative care. Current medical device design unnecessarily complicates patient conditions leaving plenty of opportunity for improvements. Jackson Medical’s goal is to maximize patient comfort and safety while minimizing healthcare costs by making better technology that is preventative and accessible for all.
Jackson Medical is determined to bridge the gap between technology and accessibility in MedTech by designing the technology patients need so they receive the care they deserve. Many medical devices are decades old and in need of modernized upgrades. With a patient-first mentality, Jackson Medical intends to create medical devices that are preventative, accessible, comfortable, and affordable. FORGE is excited to assist the company in reaching their goals as part of the FORGE Ahead™ program.
“During our time in the program, our hope is to learn from community business leaders of various skills and backgrounds for a more holistic understanding of our business pursuits,” said Kirsten Bassett, CEO of Jackson Medical. “We’re excited to return the favor by sharing our experience with future residents.”
FORGE Ahead™ entails a sponsored resident startup accelerator providing the services and access to resources critical for scale and launch. Applicants to this competitive program come from the community and enjoy up to one year of residency. Graduates from FORGE Ahead™ go on to national caliber accelerators, significant venture capital raises, or acquisition.
Congratulations to the winners of the Biomedical Entrepreneur Startup Scholarship!
FORGE is proud to announce the three winners of its Biomedical Entrepreneur Startup Scholarship and Residency opportunity for Summer 2023. All three students submitted outstanding proposals for startup concepts to improve patient health outcomes.
- Sydney Arriaga, from San Luis, AZ, was awarded a scholarship based on her proposal for RevoLens. Arriaga is Neuroscience & Cognitive Science major in the College of Science with an expected graduation date of May ’24.
- Abhiman Gupta, from Madhya Pradesh, India was awarded a scholarship based on his proposal for Un-afflict. Gupta is a Biomedical Engineering major in the College of Engineering with an expected graduation date of May ’24.
- Isaac Kailat, of Tucson, AZ, was awarded a scholarship based on his proposal for Mindly.io. Kailat is double majoring in Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, in the College of Science with an expected graduation date of May ’26.
“It was incredibly exciting to see the breadth and depth of the student proposals. We received a large pool of applicants that demonstrated innovative, solution-focused thinking,” commented John Achoukian. Achoukian serves as a FORGE biomedical Mentor in Residence (MiR) and has over 15 years’ experience in healthcare, including technology, health plan, inpatient, and outpatient provider spaces.
Here Comes Santa Claus: FORGE Fireside Interviews the CEO of Christmas
Join FORGE founding director Brian Ellerman and his guests, every third Thursday, for a lively conversation about programs and ideas that are growing entrepreneurship in our community. On this special holiday edition of FORGE Fireside, Brian Ellerman interviews Santa Claus - the CEO of Christmas. Brian will talk to CEO Claus about how he deals with supply chain issues to meet the most important deadline of the year. Claus will also speak candidly about tips for motivating employees, where to find venture funding for an unconventional business model and how to scale quickly.
This interview will take place virtually on Zoom, as Santa will need to dial in from the North Pole, but all are welcome to join us for a live viewing over hot chocolate and marshmallows downtown at the FORGE HUB.
Don't miss this special holiday event!
Meet Our Events Coordinator, Holly!
Please join us in welcoming our newest staff member - Events and Community Assistant, Holly McAnally!
FORGE at Roy Place, our beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival building at the southeast corner of Stone and Pennington, has hosted many great events this year - from the Venture Valley game tournament to the Southern Arizona Economic Impact Summit. FORGE at Roy Place has hosted receptions, film screenings, board retreats, training workshops and much more. In addition to hosting events for Startup Tucson and FORGE, we are happy to make our space available to qualified groups wanting impactful events in the heart of downtown Tucson.
If you are interested in having an event at FORGE, please email Holly at hollybrenna@arizona.edu. We know you will enjoy working with her just as much as we do!
Born and raised in Tucson, Holly has always had a passion for bringing people together in this beautiful city. Since before her birth, her family has been involved in the event and rental industry and when given the opportunity to join, Holly jumped right in. She has spent the last 10 years working professionally in the world of event coordination. From initial planning, designing and setting event décor, day of coordination, facilitating rentals, and more, Holly has had her hands in many aspects of the event industry. Holly studied retail and consumer sciences at Pima Community College and was involved in the merchandising and marketing club where she helped organize fundraisers, fashion shows, and trips to fashion conferences and tradeshows. She finds joy in being involved in the cultivation of togetherness that comes from planning and hosting events. Holly is always looking for new ways to bring people together to instill the feeling of community, kindness, co-creation, and fun.
Contact Holly to Host an Event
Upcoming Events
December 7th - Local First Arizona Business Mixer at FORGE at Roy Place
December 8th - December Campus Spotlight with E-sports
December 9th - Info Session & Storytelling Workshop for BIPOC Entrepreneurs
December 15th - FORGE Fireside Featuring Santa Claus