Canterbury Tech Techweek Hub - The Future of Health Day

Canterbury Tech hosts a day of inspiring speakers and events exploring the amazing work happening in Canterbury about preparing and developing the future of health at the Tech Week Hub at EPIC centre.

When: Tuesday 16 May 2023

Where: EPIC Innovation Centre, 100 Manchester Street, Christchurch

Thanks to our Future of Health Day Sponsor: Spark Health

Schedule:

12.00pm – 1.00pm: Women Founders Breaking into HealthTech

Marian Johnson, CEO of Ministry of Awesome, will moderate a panel with three women founders who’s startups are looking to disrupt the healthcare space.

The panel will feature insights from Dr Dianne Jones, co-founder of Myvolt, Niamh Buchanan, co-founder of WellNow, and Hannah Hardy-Jones, Founder of The Kite Program. From mental wellbeing to muscular rehab, these women founders will discuss the challenges and opportunities for building innovative new startups in the healthcare space and share lessons from their own journeys.

1.00pm – 2.00pm: Carrying the Kete Together

Wiremu Adds from Spark Health will share how digital health technologies can be used to empower people to take control of their health, working in partnership with providers, their own whānau and communities by moving from a provider centric model to a patient centred one.

Speaker Bio:

Wiremu Adds He uri nō Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Tukorehe, Muaūpoko me Ngāi Tahu. Wiremu Adds has recently joined the Spark Health whānau as Digital Consultant – Health. He’s moved from EY Technology Consulting where he worked as an Advisor for data and digital for the Health and Disability Reform 2021 Transition Unit, and was also involved in the development of Te Pae Tata / NZ Health Plan. Wiremu is passionate about accelerating Māori success, and is a firm believer that data and digital can play a crucial role in overcoming inequities in health outcomes – while recognising there is a need to progress beyond equity… towards excellence.

2.00pm – 3.00pm: Transitions: The journey from clinician to Medical Technology Entrepreneur

There are many diverse avenues for positively impacting patient outcomes. In this session, Maggie-Lee Huckabee will discuss her own transition from clinician to researcher to MedTech founding director with the hope that it may encourage others in direct clinical care to consider the possibilities of their own journey down the path less traveled.

Speaker Bio:

Maggie-Lee Huckabee worked for 18 years as a clinician before transition to a role in clinical research. She has now expanded her role as Managing Director of Swallowing Technologies Ltd, a Christchurch based med-tech start up.

3.00pm – 4.00pm: Making mental health treatment more accessible through Virtual Reality

80% of people with anxiety disorders receive no treatment due to cost, location, stigma and current wait times.

oVRcome is a Christchurch based startup delivering scalable, clinically proven treatment for anxiety disorders using Virtual Reality via the smartphone.

The app has been used in over 30 countries and Founder Adam Hutchinson and CTO Philip Arndt talk through the startup’s journey from idea to its current seed round.

Speaker Bios:

Adam Hutchinson
Adam is the Founder of oVRcome, a digital health startup making clinically proven mental health treatment more accessible using Virtual Reality. He previously Founded CamperMate and GeoZone, both of which were acquired by Tourism Holdings, and the NZ Fishing Rules app, which is the official app used by Fisheries New Zealand.

Philip Arndt
Philip is the CTO of oVRcome and an experienced developer and software engineering leader, having worked in a variety of different roles including backend, frontend, app development, and infrastructure. He is deeply integrated with the software industry in New Zealand, having co-founded the Ruby NZ society and serving in many roles there.

4.00pm – 5.30 pm: Spark Health Evening Event ( Drinks and refreshments - all welcome )

Please note that registering for this event will be taken as acceptance that your image, name, or voice may be included in a recording or photos of proceedings that will be published after the event.