The University of Michigan has launched many accelerator programs in the school’s history, but its newest is unique in the sense that everyone can relate to this cause. No matter where you come from, everyone has been impacted by COVID–19 in some way over the past year and a half. After watching COVID shake the lives of millions of people, Eleanor and Michael Pinkert decided to take matter into their own hands. The Pinkerts made a generous donation to the University of Michigan, which will fund the Pinkert Healthcare Accelerator program.
This program aims to help solve major challenges in healthcare by fostering student innovation & creativity and serve as a platform to launch student ideas. Additionally, the program provides student teams with grant seed funding; expert mentorship from U-M faculty, staff, and alumni; and advising from a board of leaders in healthcare entrepreneurship and investing. Michigan Ross Full-Time MBA healthcare-concentrated candidates that are applying to the program will also have the chance to receive a full-time scholarship.
Who Can Apply for the Pinkert Healthcare Accelerator?
Any Michigan Ross or U-M student who has an impactful idea for solving a serious need in healthcare can apply to the Pinkert Healthcare Accelerator. “We are looking for students who are passionate about fixing healthcare,” said Johnson. “That includes a variety of approaches with innovative technologies and care delivery models to address patient-care challenges in access, quality, and cost.”
Payal Parikh, participant in the program, decided to apply to the Pinkert Healthcare Accelerator after taking Mike Johnson’s Healthcare Startups: Understanding Needs and Creating Ventures in Healthcare course their first year as an MBA student. She says, “It’s nice that the other students are at all different stages of the business, and it felt very collaborative in terms of getting feedback from each other and providing support to teams who were earlier in the process.”
The accelerator is known to be competitive and has two application cycles each year. When you are applying, each applicant must go through a three-stage process: Vision, Test, and Launch. If you would like to learn more information about the program, visit the university’s website.
