What do epilepsy awareness, Indigenizing education, violence prevention, safer public spaces, and post-NICU wellness have in common?
They’re just a few of the real-world challenges being tackled by a new generation of changemakers at the University of Calgary.
Thanks to the Ignite Prize, an initiative of the Social Innovation Hub, five ventures led by UCalgary students and researchers are turning bold ideas into meaningful impact, and helping to build safer, healthier, and more equitable communities across Alberta and beyond.
The Ignite Prize is a pilot program designed to support early-stage social ventures. These projects draw on lived experience, research, and community partnerships to tackle complex social problems.
While most startup funding models are geared toward tech and STEM innovation, social ventures often face different kinds of challenges:
- Less access to funding
- Fewer entrepreneurial role models or training opportunities
- Longer timelines to build trust and partnerships
The Ignite Prize pilot helps close that gap by providing flexible funding, mentorship, and support from trained student analysts. From January to April 2025, five teams received help from Social Innovation Analysts skilled in business modeling, project management, and strategic planning.
And the results speak volumes:
“The prize was instrumental in moving our project forward… from strategy to problem validation, and to reducing barriers that facilitate our growth.” – Brandon Pentz, NeoApp
“It enabled us to fast-track commercialization and prepare for licensing agreements — essential steps for scaling the project.” – Elena Esina, Shift to Learn
Social innovations are projects rooted in community, designed for long-term, systems-level change. Small, early investments in these kinds of ventures can yield powerful returns. That’s the idea behind the Ignite Prize: to give changemakers the tools and support they need to turn potential into progress.
Meet the 2025 Ignite Prize Recipients
Knowledge2Empower
Dr. Julia Jacobs LeVan, Cumming School of Medicine
Epilepsy affects about 25,000 Albertans — yet stigma around the condition remains high. Knowledge2Empower is a fun, immersive education program that helps families, teachers, and children better understand seizures and reduce discrimination. The project empowers communities through evidence-based, empathetic learning.
Neo App
Dr. Mary Brindle, Cumming School of Medicine
When babies leave the NICU after surgery, families can feel overwhelmed. Neo App offers personalized post-discharge support — combining education, health tracking, and peer connection. Built by parents, for parents, it bridges a critical care gap in pediatric health.
The Animal Kinship Project
Dr. Craig Ginn, Faculty of Arts
The Animal Kinship Project Indigenizes education through music, storytelling, and digital tools. With lyric videos, lesson plans, and songs, it introduces students to Indigenous worldviews by exploring the presence and significance of animals in culture and ceremony — all in an accessible and creative way.
Shift to Learn
Lana Wells & Elena Esina, Faculty of Social Work
How do we stop violence before it starts? Shift to Learn is an eLearning platform that equips professionals and community leaders with the skills to build safer, more equitable communities. As a social enterprise rooted in research, it helps foster a national prevention workforce to address the root causes of gender-based violence.
RadiCare Ventures
Bill Zheng, Faculty of Nursing (Undergraduate)
RadiCare is reimagining how cities approach safety and cleanliness — through dignity-based employment for people facing homelessness, recovery, or mental health challenges. From graffiti removal to public restroom monitoring, this social enterprise blends frontline care experience with systems-change thinking.