Two Brock entrepreneurs aiming to change the health-care sector are one step closer to their goals thanks to the Brock LINC Navigate Pitch Competition.

Navigate program participants Matthew Cary (BA ’08, MAG ’23), a part-time Brock student and Psychology graduate, and Abbie Burchell, a second-year Medical Sciences student, won the competition with their business pitches on Wednesday, April 3.

Each received $2,500 for their startups after delivering their final pitches to a panel of judges as part of Navigate, an 11-week intensive program that helps entrepreneurs to test and develop early-stage business ideas through market research and feedback from potential customers. Participants have the opportunity to pitch their business idea to judges at the end of the program.

Cary’s startup, Fawkes Consulting, aims to provide candidate selection and services for 911 dispatch telecommunication centres.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to win. It’s super validating and an honour because there were so many great presentations that I saw,” he says.

Cary’s business idea was inspired by the decade he spent working as an ambulance dispatcher.

“During that time, I watched a lot of trainees fail the program and it got into my head that they must be picking the wrong people,” he says.

Burchell’s startup, Phem, aims to support women’s reproductive health. She was motivated to start the company because of her own personal experience with invasive medical procedures and seeing more emerging at-home tests for women’s health.

“It feels so good to not only see my hard work pay off, but everybody’s time and support into Phem as well,” Burchell says.

Brock LINC Program Manager Cassie Conte oversees the Navigate program and has witnessed Cary and Burchell’s growth first-hand.

“Both Matt and Abbie impressed the judges with their well delivered pitches and showing the work they have done to validate their business ideas,” says Conte.

Both winners are working toward furthering their education while building their businesses.

Cary is starting Brock’s concurrent Bachelor of Nursing/Master of Nursing program this spring and is planning to attend an emergency dispatch conference in the United States in April to present his research. He intends to use the prize money to obtain licensing for his business.

Burchell plans to attend medical school after finishing her Medical Sciences degree at Brock. She hopes to launch Phem into the local and global markets in the future.

Applications are now open for the Navigate program’s spring term. Navigate is open to all Brock students, staff and faculty as well as members of the Niagara community. While there is no cost to participate, enrolment is capped to ensure participants receive personalized mentorship and support.

The deadline to apply is Friday, April 19 at 5 p.m. For more information about the program, email Conte at cconte@brocku.ca