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That’s a wrap on the 2nd Annual SCI Innovation Showcase.
At Praxis, we believe spinal cord injury innovation is not niche, it is a proving ground for the future of healthcare. This year’s Showcase brought that belief to life.
Innovation isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a lifeline. Especially in spinal cord injury (SCI) care, every new idea, device, or rehabilitation has the potential to improve lives. That’s why we bring together innovators, clinicians, investors, and people with lived experience to make sure solutions are not just promising, but practical, usable, and ready for real-world impact.
Where Expertise Meets Lived Experience
From early-stage innovators to clinical leaders and community members with lived experience, the room reflected what it truly takes to move innovation forward.
Not just ideas.
Not just funding.
But alignment.
When people with lived experience are involved early, technologies become more practical, more usable, and more likely to succeed in real-world care settings. That message came through clearly in every discussion.
We were pleased to hear from:
- Joel Dembe — Disability Advocate and Former Paralympian
- Julian Mulia — Co-founder and COO, NanoTess Inc
- Arushi Raina — Chief Investment Officer, Praxis NeuroVentures & Director of Innovation
Each panelist offered a distinct perspective on what it takes to drive innovation that truly makes a difference, from designing with lived experience in mind, to navigating commercialization, to investing in solutions with real potential for impact.
The common thread was clear: meaningful collaboration accelerates progress.
“Through this work we hope to inspire new ways to drive capital into the priorities of disabilities. Some of our key discussion points. Disability does not always mean niche. As an early and critical supporter of NanoTess we are now seeing the tech improves the lives of 1/6 Albertans in hospitals through healing life-threatening wounds. User and lived experience design has a massive impact on de-risking capital and innovation. And we have a world leading hub here in Vancouver Praxis Spinal Cord Institute.” Arushi Raina, Chief Investment Officer, Praxis NeuroVentures & Director of Innovation, Praxis.
Moving from Insight to Impact
The conversations reinforced something we see every day in our work. Breakthroughs do not scale in isolation. They scale when innovators, clinicians, researchers, investors, and the SCI community work together from the start.
When the right expertise meets real-world insight, progress is not only possible, it is measurable.
What Comes Next
The Showcase is one moment in a much larger journey.
At Praxis, we remain committed to advancing solutions that improve care, recovery, and quality of life for people living with spinal cord injury. We look forward to continuing these conversations and building the partnerships that will shape the next generation of SCI innovation.
If you would like to stay connected, explore collaboration opportunities, or learn more about our innovation initiatives, we invite you to reach out at innovation@praxisinstitute.org.
The work continues.
About Praxis Innovation Program
At Praxis, we focus on advancing SCI research innovations out of the laboratory and into the marketplace where they can benefit people living with SCI. We connect a world-class team of SCI experts and health entrepreneurs with targeted resources to support ventures across different stages of development.