Explore this section
Eligibility
Fees
Application Steps
Application Documentation

Eligibility

  Teams of Two to Four Students

Teams may only have either two, three, or four student members. Each member must be currently enrolled in a healthcare management graduate program.

 

  No Program Limits

Participating schools or programs can submit entries from as many teams as are interested.

There are no restrictions on the number of entries from each school or program that may be selected and invited to the competition (i.e., multiple teams from a particular school or program may be selected).
​​​​​​

  Graduate Student-Focused

The competition is currently limited to students enrolled in healthcare management graduate programs (e.g., MHA, MPH, MBA with healthcare concentration).

Participating students must not have completed their programs prior to the competition date.

  No Existing Companies or Startups

The Healthcare PRISm Pitch Competition is not intended for concepts that have already launched as a business, even if that business is being led by a current student.

Each entry must be the original work of the students who comprise the team.

No Fees

We are committed to developing and hosting an educational event that minimizes the expenses and resources required for teams to participate. For this reason, there are no application or registration fees.

Application Steps and Schedule


1. Intent to Participate Form

  Timeline: Summer and Fall 2025

Submit the form
Teams interested in participating in the competition and planning to submit an application should first complete the Intent to Participate Form. Please note that the form is nonbinding.

Schedule a workshop session
Teams that complete the form will also be contacted individually and offered the opportunity to schedule a virtual, individual workshopping session with Healthcare PRISm organizers in October or early November.

  •  Completing the form will allow Healthcare PRISm to effectively plan for the competition as well as ensure that each team has the information and resources they need to complete their applications. 

 

2. Webinars and Videos

  Timeline: Summer and Fall 2025

Access support resources
As they begin, teams can progressively view a series of online videos  providing guidance and content to support their creative problem-solving process, covering topics including:

  • Principles of design thinking
  • How to identify and validate a problem
  • The process of ideation
  • Iteration and experimentation
  • How to make a pitch
  • Tools to develop innovative concepts (such as the Lean Canvas)

 

3. Application Submission

  Deadline: November 2025 (Date TBD)

Application Requirements
Each team should prepare two items to be submitted as part of their application:

  • A one-page executive summary (PDF or Word) explaining their identified problem and solution
  • The Healthcare PRISm application form (see below)

How to submit
To apply and be considered for the competition, teams should submit their completed items to @email.

 

4. Application Reviews

  Timeline: December 2025

Review and selection
In December, a panel of external judges will review each team’s submitted application.  Of those submissions, a select number of teams will be invited to compete in the Healthcare PRISm Pitch Competition's Bracket Round in February 2026 (Dates TBD)

 

5. Competition Preparation

  Timeline: January 2026

Coaching Sessions
In the weeks prior to the competition, each selected team will have an individualized coaching session with a healthcare innovation mentor, providing meaningful guidance regarding ways to continue advancing their concept and strengthening their pitch as they prepare for the competition.

Pitch Decks
Additionally, teams selected to present in the Healthcare PRISm Pitch Competition will be asked to develop a pitch deck (PDF or PowerPoint) including:

  • Material for a 5-minute pitch of their concept
  • Any desired appendix materials for a 10-minute Q&A segment

Teams will be required to submit their pitch decks and final materials in advance of the competition.

Pitch Deck Guidelines:

  • There are no limits on the number of slides in a team's pitch deck, but all material must be effectively presented within the 5-minute limit.
  • Teams cannot include any reference whatsoever to their program or school in their pitch decks.
  • Only one team member is required to deliver the team's five-minute pitch, although more may participate if desired.
  • All team members are expected to participate in the team's Q&A segment.

Application Documents

To apply to the Healthcare PRISm Pitch Competition, your team must submit two required documents: a one-page executive summary and a Healthcare PRISm application form (see below). These documents should be sent to hcad@trinity.edu.

The Executive Summary

Applicant teams are required to submit a one-page executive summary in a Word or PDF document. It should include:

  • Your concept name
  • A sentence that summarizes the concept's idea
  • A description of the problem your concept solves
  • A brief explanation of your concept's solution to the identified problem
  • A description of the unique value proposition that your concept offers

The executive summary must NOT include any identification of your affiliated school or program.

These executive summaries will be distributed to competition judges, so it is in each team's best interest to ensure that they are visually appealing, engaging, and well-written. 

The Healthcare PRISm Application

Based upon the framework of the Lean Canvas*, applicant teams are required to submit a Word or PDF document that includes these team details and answers these questions:

 Team Details
  1. State your team's concept name.
  2. Identify your team members and affiliated school/program.
  3. Provide your team contact information, including email addresses and phone numbers for the team's point-of-contact.
  4. Name your team's faculty sponsor and include their email address.
     
 Concept Details
  1. What is the specific problem that your concept solves?
  2. What is your concept's solution to the identified problem?
  3. What are current existing alternatives to your concept (i.e., how is the problem otherwise addressed currently)?
  4. What is your concept's unique value proposition (i.e., what makes your concept unique and desirable)?
  5. Who are the target users of your concept?
  6. How will your concept reach its target users?
  7. What are the estimated costs required to execute your concept?
    What are the potential revenue sources that can be generated from your concept?
  8. What are the key metrics that will indicate your concept's performance?
  9. What is the underlying advantage of your team's concept that makes it difficult for other solutions or competitors to replicate?

 *The Lean Canvas is a simple business plan framework that helps innovators easily identify and think through their problem, solution, and key assumptions. Lean Canvas (created by Ash Maurya) is adapted from the Business Model Canvas (created by Alex Osterwalder) and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Un-ported License.