Spartan Innovations to Sponsor West Michigan Speaker Series Confluence Fest
POSTED: Tuesday, April 12, 2022
Director of Innovations to join steering committee and serve as health equity panelist
EAST LANSING, Mich. April 12, 2022 –– Spartan Innovations, a subsidiary of the Michigan State University (MSU) Foundation, today announced its sponsorship of the upcoming Grand Rapids Confluence Thought Series. The series is designed to bring attention to West Michigan’s continued innovations in healthcare. Spartan Innovations Director of Health Innovations, Kyle McGregor, not only serves on the event steering committee, but will also be a guest panelist during the event.
Confluence Fest is a multi-dimensional ideas festival that explores what’s possible when art, music, science, and technology converge. It will host a two-day event in April and a one-weekend event in September. The inaugural festival’s Thought Series will take place on April 19 and 20 at the Secchia Center at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Attendees can participate in person or virtually and must complete the free registration.
The April festival will consist of presentations, panels, and conversations on the transformative power of healthcare technology and innovation. Leaders in medical technology, digital health, health equity and talent diversity will explore groundbreaking devices and services that impact the care communities receive.
"Spartan Innovations shares our passion to make the world a better place through revolutionizing the way we think," said Brian Cohen, managing partner of Confluence. "Together, we've built a platform to bring impactful innovation, lively conversation and new ideas to leaders, students and community members, further solidifying West Michigan as a place for entrepreneurs to make their mark in the healthcare industry and beyond."
During each April session, attendees can expect to hear from a diverse range of individuals. Notable panelists include:
Dr. Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., Executive Vice President for Health Sciences at Michigan State University
Dr. Anthony Chang, Founder and CEO at BAMF Health
Ollie Howie, Managing Direction of New Community Transformation Fund
Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, President of BHSH Spectrum Health West Michigan
Megan Rydecki, Community Affairs Manager at Consumers Energy
Dr. Lisa Lowery, Assistant Dean for Diversity and Cultural Initiatives at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
In addition, Dr. Kyle McGregor, director of health innovations at Spartan Innovations, will join a conversation on health equity and how digital health is revolutionizing healthcare while highlighting inequalities. The conversation will revolve around the role innovation can play to bridge the gap between those with access and those without.
“At Spartan Innovations, we help innovative startups move towards commercialization, which is why we wanted to be involved with Confluence Fest—not only as a sponsor but also with a presence among our strong lineup of speakers,” said McGregor. “I look forward to sharing a panel with some of the brightest minds in the industry and discussing how we can make an impact now to help shape the future.”
“Grand Rapids is proud to host Confluence Fest 2022, working alongside organizations like Spartan Innovations who have proven their commitment to fostering growth right here,” said assistant city manager Doug Matthews. “Our city has grown considerably in recent years because of the innovators who will be sharing their knowledge with audiences this month.”
Those interested in volunteering at Confluence Fest can reach out via the contact page on the website, which can be found here: https://www.confluencefest.com/about
About Confluence
Founded in 2021, Confluence is a multi-dimensional ideas festival that merges art, music, science and technology to support and celebrate the region's ecosystem of innovation and creative thinkers as they work to build a better tomorrow. Confluence presents a range of experiential programming throughout the spring and fall.
About Spartan Innovations
Spartan Innovations is a wholly owned subsidiary of the MSU Foundation, and fuels economic development and entrepreneurial activities at Michigan State University, across the Greater Lansing Area, Grand Rapids, and throughout the state of Michigan. Spartan Innovations provides fundamental resources and programs entrepreneurs need to grow their businesses.
About Michigan State University Foundation
Established in 1973 as an independent non-profit, the Michigan State University Foundation is committed to the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies invented by MSU faculty, staff, and students. The MSU Foundation’s overarching goal is to support research, innovation, and entrepreneurship at the University. Additionally, the MSU Foundation operates Spartan Innovations, Red Cedar Ventures, Michigan Rise, and incubator facilities to help drive economic development. More information on the organization’s notable achievements, services, leadership, and history are available at www.msufoundation.org