We look forward to you joining us at the 12th annual Synapse Life Science Competition Pitch Showcase!
Thank you for joining us at the 12h annual Synapse Life Science Competition Pitch Showcase!
The Innovation Factory’s Synapse Competition is Ontario’s premier life science pitch competition. Designed to help move innovative life science products and services out of the lab and into the market, the competition pairs innovators with business and entrepreneurship students, and provides the training, mentorship, and resources to be successful.
We will welcome over 150 attendees from the Hamilton-Halton life science community to help us celebrate the innovators as we award them OVER $50,000 in cash and prizes! Join us from 4-8PM at McMaster Innovation Park.
Special thanks to our Title Partner
Gowling WLG is an international law firm located in 19 cities around the world — including Hamilton. Harnessing the broad industry expertise of its 1,400 professionals, far-reaching global platform and forward-thinking partnerships with key local stakeholders, the firm connects Hamilton’s top innovators to a world of opportunity and provides the tools they need to accelerate their success.
Thank you to our keynote speaker
Amr Abdelgawad
COO & Co-Founder of FluidAI
It Truly Takes a Village
The showcase featured a keynote presentation from Amr, as he took us through a journey of co-founding, scaling and building a medtech startup from ideation to commercialization.
Stay tuned!
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Get your tickets now!
Get your tickets below to attend Innovation Factory’s Synapse Competition happening on March 26th, 2025!
Meet our Judges
Derek Sheppard
Gowling WLG
Derek Sheppard is an associate in Gowling WLG’s Hamilton office, practising in the Intellectual Property Group. Derek’s practice focuses on drafting and prosecution of applications for patents before the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. He advises on patentability, patent validity, freedom-to-operate, and patent infringement issues. Derek also drafts and reviews IP related aspects of agreements (e.g., non-disclosure, employment, consulting, joint venture, purchase, license, and assignment), and performs due diligence on IP assets in support of transactions. Derek completed his JD at Western University, with a concentration in intellectual property, information, and technology. During law school, Derek was an active member of the Western Intellectual Property Association and served as vice-president, finance, during his second year.
Prior to law school, Derek completed a MSc at the University of Ottawa, where his research focused on joint cell regeneration. During his undergraduate studies, Derek was a research assistant at the Ottawa General Hospital, where his work concentrated on retinal regeneration in both in vivo and in vitro models. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals. In his spare time, Derek enjoys hockey, golf, and reading.
Danina Kapetanovic
Grand River Hospital, St. Mary’s General Hospital and University of Waterloo
Danina Kapetanovic serves as the Joint Vice President of Innovation and Chief Health Innovation Officer at the Grand River Hospital, St. Mary’s General Hospital and the University of Waterloo. In this dual leadership role, she spearheads transformation at the intersection of healthcare delivery, academic research, and entrepreneurship. Harnessing the strengths of the vibrant Kitchener-Waterloo health innovation ecosystem, she leads cross-disciplinary teams to advance patient outcomes through innovation across organizational, social, and technological domains.
Previously, she served as the Chief Innovation Officer at the Integrated Health and Social Services University Network for West-Central Montreal (CIUSSS West-Central Montreal). Within the CIUSSS and its hub, Jewish General Hospital, she conceptualised, founded and directed the Connected Health Innovation Hub – OROT which has a mandate to guide the way to the new era of care – a future in which health will be created, managed, and restored wherever the patient is (strategy known as Care Everywhere).
Mark McQueen
Deloitte
Mark is a director in Deloitte Burlington’s Global Investment and Innovation Incentives (Gi3) service line. For more than 15 years, Mark has worked with Canada’s most innovative companies, helping them access government funding and tax credits, and achieve their growth and innovation targets. His focus is the Life Sciences and Health Care industry where he works with clients ranging from early-stage entrepreneurs to multinational pharmaceutical companies. Mark is also Gi3’s National Leader for Learning and Development and for Complex File Resolution Services.
Mark holds a BSc(Eng) Chemical and MSc(Eng) Mining from Queen’s University. Prior to joining Deloitte, Mark worked at a startup developing reactor technology for the medical and environmental markets and later moved into a manufacturing management role.
Outside of work Mark, enjoys backcountry canoe trips, adventure running and spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Title Partner
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