Falcons' Fortunes showcases six Ontario-based entrepreneurs working in the oncology space as they pitch their innovative research ideas to an external panel of elite judges. Hosted by FACIT, this annual event offers the $100,000 Ernsting Entrepreneurship Award to invest in the most promising oncology research idea.

While the research idea should be novel and sound, the competition is for the best pitch - that is, the presentation that best convinces the investor judging panel on the value of the idea and how $100,000 would improve and/or better illustrate the potential, and if possible commercial, value of the innovative idea itself.

Falcons’ Fortunes endeavors to enhance, support and celebrate a culture of commercialization in Ontario, such as the cultivation of skill sets that enable ideas to be successfully pitched to investors and promotion of entrepreneurial spirit.

Join us and learn more about these emerging breakthrough innovations and network with the Ontario cancer research community.

For more information, please visit the event website here.

Who should attend:

Entrepreneurs, investors and anyone interested in cancer innovation.

Agenda:

2:30 - 3:00 pm: Doors open, attendees arrive at venue

3:00 - 3:15 pm: Opening remarks

3:15 - 3:30 pm: Keynote address

3:30 - 5:45 pm: Pitch competition

5:45 - 7:30 pm: Networking and announcement of winners

Featuring:

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Elliot Fung

Board of Directors, Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON)

Executive Director, Medical Innovation Xchange   

Elliot is a passionate supporter of the local technology ecosystem, and an experienced community leader. Over the past 20 years, Elliot has held various executive roles helping to advance the local ecosystem. Currently, Elliot is the Executive Director of the Medical Innovation Xchange (MIX), Canada's first industry-led hub for scaling medtech companies and he serves on the Board of Directors for Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON).  Elliot has been a sessional instructor at the University of Waterloo in the Bio Medical Engineering program and was Vice President, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Ontario Health. He held various strategic positions at BlackBerry, helping to adopt and commercialize enterprise-level technology to some of BlackBerry’s largest global partners. Elliot has also served two terms on municipal council in the Township of Wilmot and one term as the Vice Chairperson of the Waterloo Regional School Board. Elliot studied Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Judging Panel:

Patient Partner:

Terry Hawrysh

FAQs

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Please contact Nicole Baryla, Senior Director, Corporate Affairs, FACIT (nicole.baryla@facit.ca)

Is the audience able to ask questions of the pitch presenters?

The Q&A after each pitch presentation is restricted to the judges. However, there is an informal networking session planned from 5:45 - 7:30 pm, which serves as a great opportunity for audience members to ask questions of the pitch presenters, judges and/or FACIT team.