The Stars Grant from Grand Challenges Canada – Bold Ideas with BIG Impact – An Innovator’s Experience

Sitting in a sub-let room of a friend of mine in Hyderabad in 2017, we submitted the first proposal to Grand Challenges Canada to develop a non-electric, blanket to prevent Hypothermia in newborn children especially during transport. ?It was a very ambitious goal with no proven track record in product development and no established organization with full time staff etc. But, to our surprise, our proposal was shortlisted with very positive reviews and suggestions and the project is ultimately funded. Even before this was completed, another project was funded and in the middle of that project – extended multiple times due to the Pandemic –a transition to scale project both of which just concluded were also funded by GCC.

***Focus of this article is not about what Parisodhana team was able to accomplish but how the team “Grand Challenges Canada” Enabled us sitting continents away from India***

?The biggest challenge for any public health innovator is that the end user usually is not the paying customer, Governments in LMICs or donors pay for the products and it is a an arduous task with limited stories of success. Knowing this very well, the Grand Challenges Canada funds the high risk innovations with potential for a positive impact. They constantly encourage you to develop best in the world products, help you establish processes and policies of your company and what not.

By no means, I am indicating they lack diligence; I received queries on expenses below CAD 10 when they were not clear how that expenditure relates to the project and the proposed expenditure plan. They are meticulous and sticklers when it comes to numbers, but in no occasion the innovator is made to feel that they are at a receiving end. Our second project was selected for an Audit by Grand Challenges Canada and at the end we learnt a few things that would not have been possible otherwise. When we needed extra time due to other commitments – the response from the other side is “Thank you for informing us, and please do not hesitate to seek if you need additional time”.

The entire team at Grand Challenges Canada knows that the innovators at the ground level face so many challenges and they are so empathetic. I feel it is their empathy that helps the innovators face the challenges and gain confidence that they can take calculated risks and also be bold.

There are so many anecdotes and experiences that I can keep writing from the past 5 years of working with GCC, if Parisodhana is recognized today as a company focused on creating positive impact, major credit goes to the GCC team for all their support and help. To say this precisely, I feel that the innovators are only grantees but the Grand Challenges Canada team are the true "guiding Stars” who help innovators go all the way towards achieving their vision.

From Anne-Isabelle Cameron to Lori-Sara Gauthier (All the “Stars” named below) I was privileged to work with more than 10 members and the finance team, each time there was a transfer of responsibilities at GCC, the process was so seamless that we never felt that we were working with different people – A phenomenal aspect all organizations must learn. ?

Thank you Stars: Anne-Isabelle Cameron, Miral Kalyani, Yna Billanes, Suad-Ali, Carolina Kwok, Samaa Kazerouni, Aparna Kamath, Kimberly Quach, kimberley Watkins, Chloe McDonald, Molly Grove, Dominique Laforest, Lori-Sara Gauthier.

I conclude this article with thanking the Super Stars – past and current leadership team at Grand Challenges Canada – Dr. Peter Singer, Karlee Silver and Jocelyn Mackie.

I am sure there will be many others in the GCC team that I did not directly interact via e-mail but have a played a crucial role our progress – please accept my sincere gratitude on behalf of all the beneficiaries, intermediaries and the team Parisodhana.

Disclaimer: I am writing this article of appreciation on my own as I truly feel every word mentioned above and No one in the Grand Challenges Canada Team is aware of this before it is published.