7th OPEN MIC Night at Richardson Memorial Hall Highlights Health Innovation Across Tulane

Open MIC Night Spring 2026 winners with the judging panel and Kimberly Gramm and Dr. Nassir F. Marrouche

April 20, 2026

Richardson Memorial Hall has long been associated with medicine in New Orleans. The first building to bear the name opened in 1893 near Charity Hospital. When Tulane moved uptown, a new Richardson Memorial Hall opened on campus in 1908, continuing its role as a center for medical education and research during a period when New Orleans was confronting cholera and yellow fever. In keeping with Tulane's early medical innovation tradition in that same building, Dr. Charles C. Bass, then dean of the School of Medicine, invented modern dental floss, reflecting a broader emphasis on applied, solutions-oriented healthcare at Tulane. The School of Architecture and Built Environment has called the building home since 1968, after the School of Medicine returned downtown.

On April 15, 2026, the recently renovated historic building once again became a gathering place for health innovation, as Tulane students, faculty, and staff pitched bold ideas at the 7th Open Medical Innovation Challenge (OPEN MIC) Night.

OPEN MIC Night is presented by the Robert L. Priddy Innovation Lab at the Tulane Innovation Institute in partnership with the Tulane School of Medicine's Deming Department of Medicine. The program was originally conceived by Kimberly Gramm, MBA, PhD, the David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer, and by internationally recognized electrophysiologist Dr. Nassir F. Marrouche, both of whom kicked off the evening.

"What strikes me most about this event is that everyone who walks through that door is here to help someone. The innovators on stage want to help people in their communities who are facing health challenges. The mentors in the room want to help the innovators. The judges and investors want to support the best ideas as they make their way into the world. That chain of people helping people is how change happens - and it starts right here, at Open MIC Night!" Gramm stated.

Since its launch in spring 2023, OPEN MIC Night has received 166 ideas from across the university - spanning undergraduate students, faculty, fellows, and alumni - and has invested over $20,500 in early-stage projects. The 7th cycle drew 36 applicants from 7 Tulane schools, with 10 finalists from 5 schools selected to present.