Powered by purpose: Experience the transformative power of nurse-led innovation with an agenda packed with excitement and impact!

Day 1 - April 24, 2025

8:00 – 9:00 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast

9:00 – 9:20 AM | Opening Remarks: Welcome & Introduction to THInC 2025

• Mary Lou Ackerman - President, SONSIEL

• Nico Sciasci - Executive Director, SONSIEL

• Bonnie Grant - Executive Director, PHL Life Sciences at Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau

9:20 – 9:40 AM  | Opening Keynote Speaker

• Sheila Hess, Former City of Philadelphia Representative

9:40 - 10:00 AM | Exhibit Hall Opening & Networking Break 

10:00 - 11:00 AM | Start Where You Are: Stories of Nurse Innovation Across Healthcare (Johnson & Johnson Sponsored Session)

Moderator: Michele Morgan, Director of Global Nursing Initiatives - Johnson & Johnson

Panelists:

• Gregory Eichelzer, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CEN,
  Nursing Innovation Administrator - The Brawerman Nursing Institute

• Kathy Shaffer, Director of Innovation & Associate Professor - Jefferson College of Nursing

• Gifty Boateng, Director of Innovation - Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance

Description: On a hospital floor, the hallways of academia, or under the radar in someone’s own home — wherever nurses are working, innovation is happening. The destination of better health for patients may be the same, but the variety of conditions, circumstances, and communities are endless – and so is the capacity for transformation.

Join us to hear from Gifty Boateng, the 2024 NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon Awardee, tackling maternal mortality rates in Ghana; Greg Eichelzer, forging new forms of nursing excellence at Cedars-Sinai in California; and Kathryn Shaffer, pushing the envelope in nursing education by cultivating the next generation of innovators at Thomas Jefferson University in Pennsylvania.

For more than 125 years, Johnson & Johnson has been proud to advocate for, elevate and empower the nursing profession — essential to connecting communities to care and transforming the care delivery landscape. In this session, three nurses will share inspiring, real-life stories that illustrate the many ways nurses are sparking innovation and improvement across the health landscape, followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM | SONSIEL NurseHack Kickoff

12:30 – 1:15 PM | Networking Lunch

1:15 – 2:30 PM | Breakout Sessions:

1. Main Auditorium (Free)

I Symposium on Nursing Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I-SNIE)

• Reshaping and Transforming Nursing Education

• Inspiring Nurse Leadership as Catalysts for Change

2. Drexel Certificate Program | Workshop 1: Funding for Impact

Speaker: Rob Morier

Whether it's a new medical device, telehealth service, or patient care platform, understanding key aspects of budgeting and financing are critical to ensure an idea is viable and sustainable. Without a solid financial plan, even the best ideas can fail. 

2:30 – 2:45 PM | Exhibit Hall & Networking Break

2:45 – 5:30 PM | SONSIEL NurseHack Continues

6:00 – 7:30 PM | Networking Reception & SONSIEL-DAISY Foundation Award Ceremony (Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson)

8:30 – 9:00 AM | Exhibit & Networking Breakfast

9:00 – 11:00 | SONSIEL NurseHack Continues

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Breakout Sessions: 

1. Main Auditorium (Free)

Student Nursing Panel: Empowering Nursing Leaders of the Future

Moderator: Marion Leary, Director of Innovation - University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing)

Panelists:

• Jonathan Zhu, PhD Student - University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing)

• Amber Jamerson, Undergraduate Nursing Student - Villanova University

• Destiny Jolade - Jefferson College of Nursing

1. Drexel Certificate Program | Workshop 2: Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship

Speaker: Professor Damian Salas

By adopting an entrepreneurial mindset, nurses can become powerful change-makers, driving innovations that improve patient care, streamline processes, and enhance healthcare outcomes

12:00 – 1:00 PM | Lunch & Fireside Chat: The CareForce Collective

• Peter Preziosi, President & CEO, TruMerit (Former CGFNS);

• Gifty Boateng, Director of Innovation - Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance;

• Nico Sciasci, Executive Director, SONSIEL

1:00 – 2:00 PM | Interactive Panel: Artificial Intelligence in Nursing and Healthcare  

Moderator: Kathleen McGrow, Chief Nursing Innovation Officer (CNIO) - Microsoft

Panelists:

• Tracie Risling, President-Elect - Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)

• Rachael Acker, Founder & CEO - Healthero.io

• Ashish Anand, Founder & CEO - Workforce Wellness

2:00 – 2:15 PM | Exhibit & Networking Break

2:15 – 3:15 PM | Breakout Sessions:

1. Main Auditorium (Free)

I Symposium on Nursing Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I-SNIE)

• Advancing Nursing Practice and the Future of Healthcare

2. Drexel Certificate Program | Workshop 3: Developing a Value Proposition

Speaker: Professor Chuck Sacco

For a nurse developing an innovative solution in healthcare, crafting a strong value proposition is crucial to attract interest from stakeholders such as hospitals, patients, investors, or healthcare organizations.

3:15 – 4:00 PM | How to Navigate the Innovation Ecosystem

Moderator: Stephanie Pitts, Vice President Strategic Programs & Innovation - B Braun Medical Inc.

Panelists:

• Olga Kagan, PhD, RN, CIMI, FAAAAI, FHIMSS, FIEL, President Elect - SONSIEL | President, Food Allergy Nursing Association (FANA)

• Onike Williams, MSN, RN, Board Member, SONSIEL | Director of Program Development, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Biodesign Program

• Andy Arluk, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) - HelpfulHelpful

4:00 – 5:00 PM | SONSIEL NurseHack Continues

5:00 PM – Onward | Optional Philly Social Meetup

8:30 – 9:00 AM | Exhibit & Networking Breakfast

9:00 – 09:30 AM | DAISY Awardees Spotlight

09:30 – 11:30 AM | SONSIEL NurseHack (Final Pitches)

11:30 – 11:50 PM | Closing Keynote Speaker:

Marion Leary, Director of Innovation - University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing)

11:50 – 12:00 PM | Closing Remarks:

Olga Kagan (President-Elect 2025)