Robert Herjavec, a star investor on the reality TV show Shark Tank, knows what it’s like to have a family member suffer through cancer treatment. His mother died nearly ten years ago of ovarian cancer.
That experience inspired Herjavec to become an expert judge for the C3 Prize — a new business competition designed to change cancer care beyond medicine and treatment. Created in partnership with Astellas Oncology, the World Medical Innovation Forum, Stanford's Medicine X and MATTER, the C3 Prize is seeking innovative ideas to improve the lives’ of cancer patients and caregivers.
“I believe there is an immense need to improve the lives of patients, like my mother, and their caregivers, like myself,” said Heriavec in a recent Forbes piece. “For me, this is personal. The C3 Prize is one way I can use my passion for entrepreneurship to give back.”
In particular, the competition is looking for novel ways to help patients and their caregivers:
- navigate through the health-care system
- adhere to a treatment plan
- coordinate how care is delivered
- support survivors
Everyone is encouraged to apply — patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals and concerned citizens — but you need to submit your idea by August 8. The top five finalists, as determined by an expert panel, will be invited to pitch their ideas, at no cost, in front of a live panel of judges at the Medicine X conference here on September 17. Three prizes will be awarded: a $50,000 grand prize grant and two $25,000 grants, which can be used to implement the winners' ideas.
Previously: Mark your calendars — Medicine X is Sept. 12-18 and From patient to entrepreneur: Three Medicine X panelists offer advice
Image by Thomas Hawk
