Paving a path to brain-saving tech

Kerry Costello set out to advance her career in marketing and honed in on the UBC MBA as the path to reach her goals. Little did she know that this would also be her opportunity to gain skills in entrepreneurship and business development to tackle a major health issue head-on.

Having worked as a volunteer basketball coach, Kerry experienced just how hard it was to accurately diagnose concussions, and recognized this as a major challenge that needed solving.

Through the networking and program opportunities she was exposed to at UBC Sauder, she began a new career path co-founding HeadCheck Health, a revolutionary concussion testing platform now used by over 8,000 athletes across the country.

 

As part of her program, Kerry enrolled in the Tech Entrepreneurship course (see infographic to the right), where MBA students collaborate with other UBC Masters and PhD students to create a business idea. Motivated by her athletic background, Kerry poured her efforts into finding ways to merge technology and sports into a viable venture.

“If I had not taken that course, I would not be an entrepreneur, solving a problem I’m so passionate about.” It was during this time when she first met Harrison Brown, a kinesiology PhD student, who was working on a groundbreaking way to objectively measure balance.

With a shared interest in the field of sports medicine, the two teamed up and began developing a business plan to launch a platform that would eventually challenge how we diagnose and treat one of biggest concerns in sports—concussions.

I signed up for a course on Tech Entrepreneurship, and it changed my life. 

What started as pure balance technology, evolved into a holistic diagnostic tool for concussions.

The HeadCheck Health platform enhances the ability for sports organizations to manage their concussion policy through testing, tracking and reporting— resulting in better and safer management of athletes.

Of course, launching a start-up comes with its own set of obstacles. “It’s an exercise in how many times things can go wrong and how resilient you are,” says Kerry. Thankfully, the MBA program had prepared her for the challenges that come along with entrepreneurship, “I couldn’t have done this without the confidence and strategic leadership skills I gained through the program.”

Now, with the platform being used by major provincial sports organizations like BC Rugby, Rugby Ontario and all levels of hockey, football, and lacrosse, it’s clear that HeadCheck Health is making a serious impact in the world of sports and changing the landscape of how technology can be used to save lives.