The Creation Phase is a 6-month course designed to support aspiring health entrepreneurs in developing their skills and accelerating the progress of their health ventures. Commencing in January 2023, the course provided participants with world-class health entrepreneurship training, guided by experienced mentors and instructors from CIMIT, AHIC, and ULCHS. Dr. Bernice Dahn, UL Vice President for Health Sciences, emphasized the changing landscape for health workers in Liberia, encouraging them to explore innovative ways to support the economy through health entrepreneurship.
Concluding in July 2023, the course culminated with teams presenting comprehensive business plans. During the Creation Phase, participants tackled a diverse array of challenges, ranging from improving access to diagnostic services and menstrual hygiene products to addressing issues related to the availability of nutritious baby food and emergency response services.
Among the six recognized ventures were Genesis Medicine & Research Center, Pad It Up, Health Line First Aid Delivery Service, Mertu Diagnostic Mobile Laboratory, SADERON Pharmaceutical, and LEO Nutrition. LEO Nutrition secured the top prize of $20,000.00 USD, while Genesis Medicine & Research Center and Mertu Diagnostic Mobile Laboratory claimed the second and third positions, receiving $15,000.00 USD and $7,500.00 USD, respectively. Additionally, Pad It Up, Health Line First Aid Delivery Service and SADERON Pharmaceutical were each awarded $2,500.00 USD for the Promising Venture Prize Award.
The ULCHS CTLI is a national public-private-academic hub for research utilization education, training, and collaboration throughout Liberia’s health sector. CTLI provides a long-term institutional home for sustaining programs developed through BRIDGE-U: Applying Research for a Healthy Liberia (BRIDGE-U Liberia) and other funded projects. CTLI also provides a place for faculty, students, policymakers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, and others to gather for project activities and trainings as well as networking and collaboration.
