The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the Dallas-based Health Wildcatters’ Women in Science and Healthcare (WISH) Network Initiative as one of 44 Stage Two winners of the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC).

Dallas Innovates wrote about the WISH initiative’s Stage One SBA win in April.

“This support from the SBA will serve as a catalyst for building a strong pipeline of female entrepreneurs in STEM and healthcare, particularly from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds, through these strategic academic partnerships,” said Jovelyn Castellanos, director of Strategic Initiatives and Public Affairs at Health Wildcatters, who’s been leading the WISH Network initiative since its inception in 2022. “Together, we’re driving a more equitable and accessible future for female entrepreneurship in STEM and healthcare, fueling the future of healthcare innovation.”

How the SBA grant helps the WISH Network

Teaming up to promote healthcare and female entrepreneurship via Health Wildcatters’ WISH Network initiative. [Photo: Health Wildcatters]

Health Wildcatters said this recognition will enable the WISH Network to expand its reach across university campuses in North Texas. The WISH Network is dedicated to fostering a vibrant community of like-minded women by providing resources, mentorship, and inspiration from female leaders and entrepreneurs in the healthcare and STEM fields, Health Wildcatters said.

As a recognized Growth Accelerator Partner, the WISH Network will receive a grant prize in acknowledgment of its role in supporting the launch, growth, and scaling of STEM/R&D-focused small businesses in the sustainability and biotechnology sectors, backed by the continued support of the SBA GAFC and Lyda Hill Philanthropies.

Colleges and universities participating in the WISH Network initiative. [Photo: Health Wildcatters]

Recognized earlier this year as an SBA GAFC Stage I recipient with a $50,000 grant, the WISH Network initiative created partnerships among seven universities and colleges, including Dallas College, UT Southwestern, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at Dallas, Baylor University, the University of North Texas at Dallas, and Southern Methodist University.

Health Wildcatters said the partnerships are designed to launch WISH Network programming on their campuses, creating extensive networking and education opportunities for healthcare and STEM/R&D students and entrepreneurs and increasing accessibility to healthcare and STEM entrepreneurship into the North Texas community.

Positive impact on North Texas higher education

UTA students at the university’s WISH Network program launch. [Photo: Health Wildcatters]

Paul J. Corson, chief innovation and entrepreneurship officer at UTA, said the collaboration helps his university.

“UTA is ranked No. 5 nationally for undergraduate diversity by the U.S. News & World Report and is a proud member of the First Scholars Network,” Corson said. “This collaboration with the Health Wildcatters WISH Network initiative and SBA provides invaluable resources for students to envision themselves rewarding entrepreneurial careers.”

UNT Dallas said it also looks forward to its partnership with the WISH Network.

“This collaboration offers outstanding opportunities for all students, particularly women in STEM and healthcare, where our Biology and Public Health majors are 77% female,” Ian Grey, program manager at UNT-D STEM Center, said in a statement. “It provides essential resources, mentorship, and pathways to success in healthcare, science, and entrepreneurship. Together, we aim to further empower our trailblazing students to excel in STEM and healthcare fields, driving growth and innovation in our communities.” 

UTA faculty at the university’s WISH Network program launch. [Photo: Health Wildcatters]

Dallas College said the initiative will enhance entrepreneurship opportunities for college students at the beginning of their careers.

“This partnership is a win-win for Dallas College, providing a unique opportunity for students who are interested in science and healthcare and have an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Jason Treadway, director of Dallas College STEM Institute. “Our institution will also greatly benefit by being in a network with like-minded academics who share a common interest in educating tomorrow’s leaders and growing the North Texas workforce.”

Inspiring ‘more people to consider health entrepreneurship as a way to positively impact our communities’

Health Wildcatters said that in partnership with Eva Garland Consulting, the WISH Network will enhance access to non-dilutive and federal grant funding, empowering innovators within the ecosystem to successfully navigate and secure government funding for their solutions.

“The WISH Network Initiative, launched in 2022, evolved from a WISH hackathon in 2019 and has maintained a steady presence in DFW with dozens of meetings and two additional hackathons,” Health Wildcatters CEO and co-founder Dr. Hubert Zajicek said. “This expansion reflects our deep conviction that we need more people to consider health entrepreneurship as a way to positively impact our communities.”

Health Wildcatters has 118 portfolio companies that have collectively raised over $300 million across the last 11 years.

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