NOWLY ANNOUNCES PRESS START COLAB 2022 EMERGING SOCIAL INNOVATORS
SIX AMBITIOUS SOCIAL CHANGE PROJECTS ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH, CULTURALLY SENSITIVE CARE AND MISINFORMATION AWARDED A TOTAL OF $50,000
TORONTO, Sept. 16, 2022 /CNW/ - nowly is proud to announce the 2022 Emerging Social Innovators, the first ever grant recipients from the nowly Insurance Press Start CoLab social entrepreneurship accelerator program. A total of $50,000 of seed funding will go to six separate youth-led projects addressing different issues across mental health and misinformation, respectively.
Press Start CoLab gives young Canadian social entrepreneurs, innovators and activists the opportunity to connect, access resources and be mentored by industry leaders. Over the course of seven weeks, 50 program participants, aged 18-29, collaborated to come up with innovative solutions to major social challenges, building a community of peers from across Canada and cultivating a network that lasts long after the program concludes. In its inaugural year, CoLab participants focused on three problem areas: climate change grief, misinformation spread and cultural sensitivities in mental healthcare. At the end of this year's program, participants who chose to do so applied for grants from a pool of $50,000 to bring their ideas to life.
Proposals were submitted by 2022 Press Start CoLab participants in August and were selected by a panel of industry experts. The participants who have received funding, and are Press Start CoLab 2022 Emerging Social Innovators, are:
- Purple Lotus by Priyanshu Mahey & Cher Peng // A service and information platform that addresses cultural sensitivities in mental healthcare for Asian-Canadians.
- Frontline Baddies by Tracey Gaydosh & Aileen Tran // An online social support community for people working on the frontline of the opioid epidemic and housing crisis in western Canada.
- A Melanated Guide to Mental Health by Jessie Brar // A content series featuring culturally and racially specific curriculum to empower BIPOC Canadians on their mental health journeys.
- One Stop Mental Health by Chloe White & Erin Rebello // A first-of-its-kind accessible one-stop mental health resource platform that adapts to individual needs of LGBTQ2S+ and BIPOC Canadians.
- KNOW YOUR NATION by Mesgna Mesgna // A web app that "gamifies" civic education for school aged children to curb the spread of misinformation in public policy education in Canada.
- PREMIS by Amit Sharma, Ripdaman Malhans, Rohan Birk & Joshan Gill // An online health resource that combats misinformation by making scientific research accessible and digestible for all.
"I found invaluable opportunities for networking and mentorship through the program and the tools given to us have been phenomenal, from business plan examples to tips with grant applications," says Tino Dogo, Bachelor of Science student at University of Manitoba and CoLab 2022 participant. "Thanks to the collaborative nature of the program, I had the opportunity to think outside my typical box and see things from different perspectives. This allowed me to come back to my business plan with a totally fresh perspective."
"Seeing what this year's CoLab participants have created together makes me optimistic about the future," says Martha Turner Osborne, Chief Marketing & Social Innovation Officer of nowly Insurance, a division of Teachers Life. "We wanted the output of this program to have real impact, which is why I am so excited to see these projects come to life over the next year. Each tackles an important issue in an innovative and thoughtful way that will lead to positive change."
"At nowly and Teachers Life, we are working to make a real difference in the communities in which we serve. We are particular about supporting innovative social impact programs that involve and consider youth and put education at the forefront of change-making," adds Kayte Fredrickson, President & CEO nowly Insurance, a division of Teachers Life.
Recipients have one year to spend the awarded funds. During this time, they will continue to have access to resources and a lively peer support network established during the CoLab program.
For more on Press Start CoLab, follow @nowlyinsurance on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and visit nowly.ca/pressstart/colab/.
Press Start is a virtual social entrepreneurship and innovation acceleration platform, backed by Canadian life insurer Teachers Life and nowly Insurance, a division of Teachers Life. Press Start is a free, online platform open to all Canadian social entrepreneurs who are committed to giving back to society through business innovation and/or activism. Press Start connects, supports, and empowers young Canadians to make positive changes in their communities through innovation, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and activism. Press Start consists of two programs: The Press Start Hub and The Press Start CoLab Program. Press Start CoLab brings together the next generation of thought leaders, social entrepreneurs and activists to collaborate on viable solutions to the most pressing issues of the moment.
Nowly is a new type of insurance, offering Canadians affordable and accessible insurance on an innovative and streamlined platform, instantly. Backed by over 80 years of industry experience, nowly members will receive instant coverage and world class health and wellness benefits. As a nowly member, you are eligible for healthy living benefits by global leader Virgin Pulse and an annual 50-dollar Living Healthy rebate on any health and wellness app or membership. You can feel confident knowing you are joining a company committed to investing in lasting social impact through their new, innovative give back program called Press Start. Nowly is a trademark of Teachers Life Insurance Society (Fraternal) "Teachers Life". Find out more at www.nowly.com.
Teachers Life is a fraternal insurer with a mandate to give back to our Members. Since 2010, through innovation, they've been able to significantly streamline their process to generate more than $3.6 million for reinvestment back to the community and their Members including investing more than $450,000 in scholarships and bursaries for the families of policyholders. Dedicated to those who work in education, these awards are a flagship program of the insurance company's fraternal mandate. Find out more at www.teacherslife.com.
SOURCE nowly
Media Contact: Daniel St. Germaine, [email protected], 647-526-2696; Kaitlin Copp, [email protected], 416-518-0416
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