Health Wildcatters Expands WISH Network Initiative to Promote Healthcare and Female Entrepreneurship, Partnering with 7 North Texas Universities with Support from Lyda Hill Philanthropies and SBA
DALLAS (October 2, 2024) – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) proudly announced Health Wildcatters’ Women in Science and Healthcare (WISH) Network Initiative as one of the forty-four Stage Two winners of the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC). This recognition will enable the WISH Network to expand its reach across university campuses in North Texas. The WISH Network is dedicated to fostering a vibrant community of like-minded women by providing resources, mentorship, and inspiration from female leaders and entrepreneurs in the healthcare and STEM fields. As a recognized Growth Accelerator Partner, the WISH Network will receive a grant prize in acknowledgment of its pivotal role in supporting the launch, growth, and scaling of STEM/R&D-focused small businesses in the sustainability and biotechnology sectors, backed by the continued support of the SBA GAFC and Lyda Hill Philanthropies.
Recognized earlier this year as an SBA GAFC Stage I recipient, the WISH Network initiative created partnerships among seven leading universities and colleges, including Dallas College, UT Southwestern, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at Dallas, Baylor University, the University of North Texas at Dallas, and Southern Methodist University. These partnerships are designed to launch WISH Network programming on their campuses, creating extensive networking and education opportunities for healthcare and STEM/R&D students and entrepreneurs, increasing accessibility to healthcare and STEM entrepreneurship into the North Texas community.
"This support from the SBA will serve as a catalyst for building a strong pipeline of female entrepreneurs in STEM and healthcare, particularly from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds, through these strategic academic partnerships," said Jovelyn Castellanos, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Public Affairs at Health Wildcatters, who has been spearheading the WISH Network initiative since its inception in 2022. "Together, we are driving a more equitable and accessible future for female entrepreneurship in STEM and healthcare, fueling the future of healthcare innovation."
“UTA is ranked No. 5 nationally for undergraduate diversity by the U.S. News & World Report and is a proud member of the First Scholars Network,” stated Paul J. Corson, Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer. “This collaboration with the Health Wildcatters WISH Network initiative and SBA provides invaluable resources for students to envision themselves rewarding entrepreneurial careers.”
Building on this commitment to student success, UNT Dallas also looks forward to its partnership with the WISH Network. “This collaboration offers outstanding opportunities for all students, particularly women in STEM and healthcare, where our Biology and Public Health majors are 77% female. It provides essential resources, mentorship, and pathways to success in healthcare, science, and entrepreneurship. Together, we aim to further empower our trailblazing students to excel in STEM and healthcare fields, driving growth and innovation in our communities,” remarked Ian Grey, Program Manager at UNT-D STEM Center.
Reflecting this enthusiasm, Dallas College is excited to partner with Health Wildcatters and the WISH Network to enhance entrepreneurship opportunities for college students at the start of their careers. “This partnership is a win-win for Dallas College, providing a unique opportunity for students who are interested in science and healthcare and have an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Jason Treadway, Ph.D., Director of Dallas College STEM Institute. “Our institution will also greatly benefit by being in a network with like-minded academics who share a common interest in educating tomorrow's leaders and growing the North Texas workforce."
In partnership with Eva Garland Consulting, the WISH Network will enhance access to non-dilutive and federal grant funding, empowering innovators within the ecosystem to successfully navigate and secure government funding for their solutions.
"The WISH Network Initiative, launched in 2022, evolved from a WISH hackathon in 2019 and has maintained a steady presence in DFW with dozens of meetings and two additional hackathons," said Dr. Hubert Zajicek, CEO & Co-founder of Health Wildcatters. "This expansion reflects our deep conviction that we need more people to consider health entrepreneurship as a way to positively impact our communities."
The 2024 GAFC Stage One focused on strengthening ecosystem networks, while Stage Two prizes provide enhanced support to Growth Accelerator Partnerships, which play a crucial role in helping startups and small businesses scale, contributing to the economic growth of our nation.
Learn more about the Stage One and Stage Two organizations in the 2024 GAFC Public Directory: https://www.sba.gov/article/2024/09/25/sba-announces-over-3-million-awards-advance-local-entrepreneurial-ecosystems-stem-rd-focused-small
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
About Health Wildcatters
Health Wildcatters is a top-ranked seed accelerator based in Dallas, TX. Exclusively focused on healthcare, Health Wildcatters has 118 portfolio companies that have raised collectively over $300 million across the last eleven years. To learn more about Health Wildcatters visit www.healthwildcatters.com