On Wednesday, March 26 from 6pm to 8pm EST, you will have the opportunity to see the top Six Teams present at the Grand Finale of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy Business Plan Competition.
The Annual Business Plan Competition provides an opportunity for students at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy to bring together their clinical and business skills to create novel solutions that can improve individual patient care and have a positive impact on the wider healthcare system.
The top three teams will be awarded a total of $10,000.
1st prize - $5000
2nd prize - $3000
3rd prize - $2000
Registration
Judging Panel
Ned Pojskic
Vice President, Pharmacy Benefits Management at Green Shield Canada
Ned Pojskic is Green Shield Canada’s Leader for Pharmacy and Health Provider Relations. In this role, he is responsible for setting GSC’s strategic direction with respect to provider and drug benefits management. He takes the lead in managing stakeholder relations with all health care providers, including pharmacy, dental, and paramedical. Pojskic is also responsible for overall drug formulary management, including pricing and policy as well as pharmaceutical industry partnerships.
With an industry background that includes a role as Director of Health Policy for the Ontario Pharmacists Association, Pojskic is a key member of GSC’s Strategic Market Solutions Team. He holds Masters and PhD degrees from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Toronto and is currently appointed as an adjunct professor within the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.
Sousan Bagherpoor
President, Virtual POCT
After graduating in Med Lab Science, Sousan managed a remote lab for nine months, gaining valuable lessons. Relocating to Canada, she overcame language barriers through ESL classes and upgraded her degree at the Michener Institute. As a registered Medical Lab Technologist, Sousan worked at UHN in various roles for 25 years, including Senior MLT in Point Of Care Testing (POCT) . Over 16 years, she implemented diverse POCT programs and founded Virtual POCT in 2019 to address healthcare accessibility. In Jan 2022, Sousan enrolled in In July 2023 and embarked on a new chapter, focusing on leveraging POCT in community care to solve healthcare accessibility challenges. Adding to her expertise, she graduated from the Artificial Intelligence in Health Care Certificate Program at The Michener Institute of Education at UHN in April 2023, equipping herself with the latest advancements in AI to further innovate and drive change in the healthcare sector.
Jamie Stiff
Managing Director, Genesys Capital
Jamie Stiff joined Genesys Capital in 2002 and became partner at the firm in 2007 and Managing Director in 2016. During his tenure with Genesys, he has been responsible for investments in several early stage portfolio companies that cross a multitude of clinical disciplines and technology areas. Select historical and current portfolio affiliations include Aptinyx (NASDAQ: APTX), Fairhaven Pharmaceuticals, gIcare Pharma Inc., Inversago Pharma, Naurex Inc. (acquired by Allergan NYSE:AGN), NeurAxon Inc., and Zelos Therapeutics Inc.
Prior to joining Genesys, Mr. Stiff worked at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in the genetic diagnostics arena. This experience, combined with an academic background in biology, has provided significant technical knowledge of many areas of life sciences. Mr. Stiff completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Queen’s University and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management.