Slingshot Accelerator

We are recruiting inspiring entrepreneurs to accelerate social ventures that tackle the risk factors and patterns of inequity driving lifestyle-based chronic diseases. 

Lifestyle-based chronic diseases including type II diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and chronic respiratory disease currently affect three in five Canadians over the age of twenty. Indigenous, racialized people and other equity seeking groups are disproportionately affected by these four diseases. 

Social ventures tackling risk factors of lifestyle-based chronic disease may be focused on affecting individual behaviour changes such as unhealthy eating and physical inactivity – or may focus on enabling conditions for healthy behaviours including maternal literacy, food security, or interventions in the built environment. Some social ventures targeting poverty, racism and colonization, with an explicit link to health promotion and chronic disease prevention, may also be eligible for this program. 

As an example, your product or service might be: 

• Increasing food access in underserved communities
• Reclaiming Indigenous food systems
• Activating public space in ways that increase safety and belonging for marginalized groups
• Promoting active transportation, or physical activity for underserved populations
• Contributing to healthier community or institutional environments
• Addressing loneliness and/or social isolation
• Increasing maternal health and literacy
• Providing health education, or producing media that challenges dominant narratives towards a more systemic analysis of health promotion
• Encouraging responsible use of alcohol or tobacco cessation (excluding tobacco use for cultural practices)
• Increasing availability, acceptability or accessibility of health promoting services through a cultural safety lens
• Or a combination of these!

Please note:

1. Our current funding does not allow us to work with ventures whose primary intent is to support better mental health outcomes. 
2. Food products, which do not have a cultural or educational component to them are not eligible.

Venture Stage

• Demonstrated traction (eg. $50k-$200k in revenue or known demand),
• Focused on broadening your impact and growing your business,
• Driven to become growth and investment ready
• Or existing ventures with an expansion to test (new product/service offering, geography, user, etc.)

Up to three core team members per venture can participate. RADIUS is committed to social inclusion and seeks participants from communities directly impacted by health inequities to create and incubate innovative new models, ventures, partnerships, and health system interventions as part of the Health Promotion Lab.

Still not sure about program fit? Don’t hesitate to contact us (contact info below).