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From Colleagues to Co-Founders: The Bridge Medical Communications Story

Lorie Spence and Carolyn Pritchard founded Bridge Medical Communications, which was built to fill the patient and healthcare provider gap in the healthcare system.

With a combined 40 years in Business and Healthcare Comms, Lorie and Carolyn witnessed the challenges facing the industry. This ignited their passion to bridge the gap between the industry and patients. Bridge’s vision is to empower healthcare professionals to optimize patient outcomes through innovative communication tools, creative solutions, and strategic collaboration. With their unique expertise.

The fundamentals of evidence-based medicine have the power to improve and change lives dramatically. Bridge’s core focus is to optimize the impact of medical innovations with specialized communications that are clear and impactful. They strive to make a positive and enduring impact on patient-centred care, helping their clients excel in our “new normal” with virtual education and engagement strategies. Bridge Medical Communications was founded on the fundamental belief that medical innovations and the established principles of evidence-based medicine possess the power to save and change countless lives for the better. Through over thirty years of collective experience within the specialized healthcare space, the founders observed complex challenges facing a quickly evolving industry; these issues could no longer be ignored or simply tolerated. Consequently, Lorie and Carolyn set out intentionally to address these persistent challenges by starting a dedicated boutique medical communications consultancy back in 2012.

The business is, genuinely, at its heart, about bridging the critical gap between the innovative industry and the actual patient population. The team believes wholeheartedly that specialized communications directed toward healthcare professionals play an absolutely pivotal role in successfully optimizing the potential impact of medical innovations across the entire healthcare landscape and—ultimately—on the individual patient’s life and health journey. Their defined mission is to transform the entire healthcare landscape through specialized communications delivered precisely to healthcare practitioners and purposefully make change through comprehensive information, essential education, and proactive engagement. Their defined purpose is to bridge the inherent gap between emerging industry innovations and frontline healthcare professionals to make a deeply positive and enduring impact on patient-centred care practices.

The dedicated specialists come from strong medical and science backgrounds, ensuring they completely “get” the technical, complex side of the client’s work and support it robustly with highly-trained, articulate communications specialists. This comprehensive approach is designed to achieve the necessary, measurable effect and desirable outcomes, effectively working to inform, educate, and truly engage the target audience. They are connected and fully informed, knowing all key stakeholders in the dynamic healthcare ecosystem: including practicing physicians, influential key opinion leaders, regulatory bodies, important patient associations, and necessary media organizations. Bridge is further supported by an established team of expert advisors and reliable partners working across a multitude of diverse therapeutic areas, including life-saving oncology, critical respiratory care, vital cardiovascular health, specialized medical cannabis therapies, and many more key areas. With deep access to critical, proprietary insights, current data, and fundamental research materials, the entire organization effectively has its finger securely on the pulse of modern healthcare practice.

The team prides itself on being astute and adaptable. They know exactly when to be technical and when to adopt a more creative approach. They know precisely when to optimize a strategy and when to minimize complexity. This vital quality allows the firm to make substantially more accurate decisions, execute all campaigns effectively and efficiently, reliably increase margins of success for their clients, and ensure a genuinely greater, lasting impact. When a client needs to reach their specific healthcare practitioner audience to fully optimize the significant impact of their medical innovation and valuable solutions—they can confidently turn to Bridge. From high-level consultancy and essential education programs to targeted, professional communication tactics, their proven, customized solutions are specifically designed and tailored to perfectly fit all client needs and desired goals. They boast a great, diverse portfolio of satisfied clients, spanning many critical industries: including major PHARMACEUTICAL corporations, advanced BIOTECH firms, influential MEDICAL & HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATIONS, respected MEDICAL SOCIETIES, and key THERAPEUTIC PATIENT ASSOCIATIONS. The team members engage daily with patients and healthcare professionals to navigate deeply complex challenges through innovative medical communications tactics, always employing a human-centered approach. They deliver science-driven communications that effectively support healthcare professionals, strongly empower individual patients, and reliably spark better outcomes through absolute clarity and genuine connection, fostering creative thinking, innovative problem-solving techniques, and a relentless pursuit of improvement for all tools and solutions offered.


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Why Feedback Beats Big Ideas Every Time

Toronto-based KnowMeQ Founder and CEO Matt Foran knows how AI can address two emerging and linked issues in Higher Education. KnowMeQ is the leading AI enabled, web-based workforce diagnostic & up-skilling assessment tool that identifies real skill gaps to make predictive decisions to improve your company’s workforce skill, performance and agility. KnowMeQ is an Adaptability Quotient (AQ) indicator tool. AQ is regarded as the most important measure for success in today and tomorrow’s world of work. It provides the ability for employees and companies to adapt and thrive in rapidly changing environments. Matt holds a Masters of Education from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in Adult Education with a specialization in Workplace Learning and Social Change. He is a published researcher and in 2010, founded the world’s first fully online adult literacy program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing adults.


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A mission of helping women solopreneurs

The combination of getting fired shortly after a failed marriage made Vera Ilnyckyj feel like a complete failure, purposeless, disconnected and stuck.

She’s grateful for this challenging time because it was the start of discovering her purpose – helping other women get back on track after a major life change.

Ultimately, it led Vera to leave her corporate job and step into her business full time. While she had no training on how to run a business and no formal plan, what she did have was a deep desire to help and inspire others, create belonging, and empower people to take action towards their goals.

A major learning that Vera has had as an entrepreneur is the realization that intense inner work is required to step into a new version of yourself. As a result, she’s developed tools, resources and practices that support self-trust, confidence, resilience, mindset and intuition, along with strategies to support discipline, consistency, goal-setting, marketing, sales and business growth.

Today, Vera’s approach combines the spiritual and the material in order to create impact and income. Her mission is to help women solopreneurs live a genuine, fulfilled and positive life through their business. Vera believes we’re not meant to be on this journey alone which is why she’s committed to uplifting others in community – through her mastermind success collective, in-person and online workshops, retreats, speaking, her podcast, blogs, videos or social channels.

Learn more about Vera and her work: www.createyourbestchapter.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createyourbestchapter/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verailnyckyj/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@createyourbestchapter
Website: https://www.createyourbestchapter.com/


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Inside the Mind Behind Canada’s Boldest Tech Moves

Joel Semeniuk has spent over 25 years helping organizations spark change through innovation. My mission? Making business transformation faster, smoother, and more effective. Joel is all about building a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. As the Chief Strategy Officer at Communitech, he has the opportunity to reshape strategic direction, strengthen connections and help drive growth in Canada’s tech ecosystem. Joel has been part of some pretty cool initiatives like NATO DIANA and CAN Health, which help Canadian innovators tap into Canadian and global markets and opportunities. He also co-founded and scaled Imaginet in 1997. In 2008, he created an international venture studio targeting manufacturing, healthcare and transportation, partnered with accelerators worldwide, and advised a range of companies on adapting to fast-changing markets.


Stay Connected with #CanadasEntrepreneur!

Join our growing community of entrepreneurs across Canada! Don’t miss out on inspiring interviews, expert insights, and the latest business trends from the people shaping the future of our economy.

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Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of our economy

Cato Pastoll is an entrepreneurial success in Fintech. He has spent the last 14 years building Lending Loop Financial. Cato is the co-founder and CEO of Loop where he has been building financial products for Canadian SME businesses for the better part of a decade. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs and small business owners, Cato has an acute awareness of the challenges SMBs face and has advocated for banking reform, pioneered low-cost funding methods for SMBs and helped provide more than $100M to businesses across the country.


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Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind Canada’s economy, and we’re here to support them every step of the way. For exclusive insights, tips, and success stories from Canada’s top business leaders, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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Mastering the Long Game: Solving Problems with Vision

For the past decade Jefferey Doucet has been at the forefront of innovation on the online job search and career wellness. We first met Jeffrey 5 years ago so this is a great example of entrepreneurial growth. Jeffrey founded Thrive, a Career Wellness Platform transforming how organizations manage outplacement and career transitions. Launched in 2019, Thrive now supports the outplacement needs of 400+ organizations globally. Jeffrey now leads a team of passionate colleagues who are focused on building great software to help individuals advance their careers.


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Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind Canada’s economy, and we’re here to support them every step of the way. For exclusive insights, tips, and success stories from Canada’s top business leaders, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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Why Every Marketer Needs to Get Up to Speed on AI

Ryan Walker is CEO and Managing Partner of Central Station, an independent creative agency based in Toronto. Central Station has been at the forefront of blending experiential marketing, digital innovation, and AI-driven strategies for top global brands like Spin Master, Nike, and Dior.

Ryan brings a unique perspective to the conversation around disruption in marketing. With a background in engineering and over 20 years in the creative industry, he’s led Central Station in revolutionizing how brands engage with consumers through immersive, tech-forward experiences.

Ryan will give us insights into how technology is transforming the way brands build relationships with consumers and how agencies like Central Station are pushing the boundaries of marketing in the digital age.


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Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind Canada’s economy, and we’re here to support them every step of the way. For exclusive insights, tips, and success stories from Canada’s top business leaders, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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From Big Tech to Healthcare: Zameer Rizvi’s Mission to Improve Patient Care

Ontario-based Zameer Rizvi is the Founder & CEO of Odesso and has a great entrepreneurial story.

Zameer has two decades of institutional and professional experience with notable companies such as Amazon, VMware, Amgen, Citrix, and Blackberry.

Patient care has been deeply neglected as healthcare systems are overburdened and underfunded. Zameer recognized this in and realized he had to do something and so he launched Odesso in 2017. Odesso helps healthcare providers shift focus back to the patient by alleviating operational challenges. The company powers some of the most notable players in North America’s healthcare industry today. Odesso helps healthcare providers shift focus back to the patient by alleviating operational challenges. The company powers some of the most notable players in North America’s healthcare industry today.

He’d love to share his journey, why he started the company, where it’s at and how it’s helping solve one of North America’s biggest health challenges today.


Join Our Community of Canadian Entrepreneurs!

Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind Canada’s economy, and we’re here to support them every step of the way. For exclusive insights, tips, and success stories from Canada’s top business leaders, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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Bridging a gap by connecting clients with independent, highly skilled cleaners

Nick Ross, Co-Founder and Acting CEO of Home Spritz, is a dynamic leader with more than a decade of software development experience. A self-professed tech enthusiast, Nick has honed his expertise in team leadership and contributed to reputable FinTech companies. His entrepreneurial drive is evident in his track record of product development across startups and established enterprises.


Join Our Community of Canadian Entrepreneurs!

Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind Canada’s economy, and we’re here to support them every step of the way. For exclusive insights, tips, and success stories from Canada’s top business leaders, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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From Journalist to PR Powerhouse: How Jonathon Narvey Helps Tech Companies Shine

Jonathon Narvey is the CEO and Founder of Mind Meld PR, a Vancouver-based public relations agency specializing in securing media coverage for tech companies. Before establishing Mind Meld PR, Jonathon built his career as a journalist, primarily covering business and technology topics. He also held various marketing and communications roles within the tech sector, further honing his expertise.

On social media, Jonathon frequently shares valuable tips for companies aiming to secure news coverage, paired with insightful and feisty commentary on the media industry and current events.

A storyteller at heart, Jonathon leads a talented team dedicated to delivering impactful results. While his team operates globally, Jonathon is based in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, at the heart of the west coast’s thriving tech hub.


Join Our Community of Canadian Entrepreneurs!

Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind Canada’s economy, and we’re here to support them every step of the way. For exclusive insights, tips, and success stories from Canada’s top business leaders, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Want to stay ahead with the latest #entrepreneur podcasts, business strategies, and news? Don’t miss out—subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter for updates delivered straight to your inbox! Join thousands of Canadian entrepreneurs who rely on us for the resources they need to succeed.