Curious about how startups are shaping the future of brain health? In this interactive webinar, meet the CEOs of three companies innovating in the fields of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), stroke, and dementia. They’ll share their personal journeys, company missions, and the challenges and breakthroughs they've encountered along the way. Whether you’re interested in entrepreneurship, research translation, or health innovation, this session will offer real-world insights and inspiration.
Company 1: Stroke.AI Inc.
Craig Doram is the co-founder and CEO of Stroke.AI Inc. He is also the Director of Business Operations for the Calgary Stroke Program and its Stroke Clinical Trials Group at the UofC. He is an engineer, climber, coffee snob, x-coffee roaster, x-climbing gym owner, and generally just a crazy human who likes disrupting things.
Stroke.ai has a mission to improve lives by transforming the technology of monitoring body movement. We are developing a clinically validated IoT solution utilizing proprietary hardware and a machine learning enabled platform for use in stroke
Company 2: blueBell Village
Andrew Karesa is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and a proud husband and father of two young sons.
After witnessing how his family coped to support his grandmother with her Alzheimer's diagnosis, Andrew realized he needed to take action. This inspired the creation of blueBell Village, aimed at Restoring the Personhood and Independence of those living with dementia™. With blueBell, Andrew has seen lives transformed for both individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, and he is passionate about fostering a world where care is tailored to each individual’s needs.
Additionally, he is pursuing his doctorate at the University of Calgary, focusing his research on Indigenous entrepreneurship in the health sector. Andrew also holds an MBA from the University of Alberta. Before founding blueBell Village, he worked as a practicing engineer in the energy sector.
blueBell Village is an Indigenous-led organization reimagining dementia care by restoring the personhood and independence of those living with dementia. Rooted in lived experience and guided by Indigenous values, we focus on personalized, culturally appropriate support for both individuals and caregivers. Our digital tool, blueBell Connect, enables centralized communication among care teams, both formal and informal, while delivering tailored, evidence-informed care suggestions. By integrating community-driven knowledge with clinical best practices, we help families navigate dementia care with clarity, dignity, and cultural safety.
Company 3: Brain Care Technologies
Greg McGillis, PEng, MEng is an electrical and biomedical engineer. After 25 years in instrumentation, automation and control, he returned to university (University of Toronto) for a Masters in BioMedical Engineering. He started Brain Care Technologies to develop a solution to help detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia earlier, monitor treatment response and predict progression.
Greg and his team are developing a unique neurotechnology solution to detect changes in brain function incident to cognitive impairment. It will be a combination electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) medical device to provide biomarkers of MCI and dementia earlier, with greater accuracy, convenience, and clarity than alternative solutions. In addition to early detection, it will monitor treatment response and predict progression.