Testing Ideas to Build Startups at OPEN MIC Night Fall 2025

The OPEN MIC NIGHT Fall 2025 finalists with Kimberly Gramm, MBA, PhD, and Dr. Nassir Marrouche (photo by Stephanie Tarrant)

On October 28, 2025, the Tulane Innovation Institute partnered with the Tulane School of Medicine's Deming Department of Medicine to host the sixth Open Medical Innovation Challenge (MIC) Night at a standing room only event in downtown New Orleans.

Implemented by the Robert L. Priddy Innovation Lab within the Institute, this record-breaking program attracted 38 applicants from seven Tulane schools, making it the most competitive cohort, witnessed by Tulanians, investors, and community members, who cheered on the competitors. All applicants receive complimentary follow-up support from the Innovation Institute, including education, mentorship, and funding opportunities, which shows the Institute's dedication to developing healthcare innovation across campus.

"OPEN MIC Night provides not only a platform for all Tulanians to test ideas and gather feedback from our community but also a way to showcase and celebrate innovation publicly," said Kimberly Gramm, MBA, PhD, David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer. "It's where concepts get their start to become fledgling companies."

Held at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute with a view of the city skyline at sunset, students, faculty, and staff took the stage to present early-stage solutions addressing health and wellness challenges. The event was opened by Gramm and Dr. Nassir Marrouche, Director of the TRIAD Center, Professor of Medicine, and Vice Chair of Innovation & Entrepreneurship in the John W. Deming Department of Medicine at Tulane School of Medicine. Together, Gramm and Dr. Marrouche launched the first edition of the competition in Spring 2023 - just eight short months after the Institute's founding.

Finalists represented a wide array of disciplines: Jordan Williams, Undergraduate Student, School of Liberal Arts; Eli Tsakiris and Jered Davidson, Graduate Students, School of Medicine; Muhammad Abdul Awoal, MS, Lab Supervisor at COBRE Genomics, Spatial Multiomics & Bioinformatics Core; Christian Massad, Research Scientist, TRIAD; Susan Cheng, PhD, Faculty, Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; Miller Dickerson, Graduate Student, School of Science and Engineering; Charlie Kelso, CK Kang, Joseph Agler, Undergraduate Students, School of Science and Engineering; Grant Talkington, Recent Alumnus, School of Medicine; Hailey Faith, Graduate Student, School of Science and Engineering; and Arezu Paganetti, Clinical Research Project Manager, School of Medicine.