Join us for the second annual live show to hear Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) physicians and staff pitch hospital-innovation project ideas to a panel of community leaders for a chance to receive up to $50,000 in grant funding to implement their idea!
Thier ideas could be for new medical equipment, surgical trials, new training opportunities, resources, program materials and more!
Discovery Den meets KHSC during this one-night event to help improve patient and family care experiences.
Employees, donors, volunteers and anyone interested in healthcare is encouraged to attend!
Details:
- Price: $10.00
- Date: Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
- Time: 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (stop by after work!)
- Location: University Club
Schedule:
- 4:30 p.m. - Doors open
- 4:35 p.m. - Cocktails and hors d'oeuvre
- 5:15 p.m. - Award show starts
- 7:00 - 7:30 p.m. - Winners announced
Following doors open at 4:30 p.m. for a cocktail hour, mouthwatering hors d'oeuvre, networking and more!
Learn about last year's winners!
Discovery Den will feature a variety of community leaders and engaged parties from a variety of sectors. Emcees and judges were selected based upon their diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise to provide third party perspectives on what hospital-innovation ideas spark interest and would serve the greater Kingston community best.
Meet our Emcees & Judges:
Emcee: Emma Fitzgerald
Emma was born and raised in Kingston and has a passion for healthcare. Emma has been working at Assante Financial – Fenlon Financial Division as a Financial Advisor since 2016. Outside of work, Emma has been volunteering with University Hospitals Kingston Foundation since 2018 and serves on the YGK Healthcare Champions Executive Committee.
Emcee: Dr. Lawrence Hookey
Dr. Hookey originally came to Kingston to complete internal medicine and gastroenterology training at Queen’s University before embarking on a two-year fellowship abroad. Dr. Hookey’s practice includes general GI with a focus on therapeutic endoscopy and pancreatic and biliary disease. He currently serves as the Chair for the Division of Gastroenterology and the Medical Director of the Endoscopy Units at Kingston Health Sciences Centre.
Judge: Ryan 'Sideshow' Lemmon
Born and raised in Kingston, Sideshow has been a familiar voice on the local airwaves for nearly two decades. Beyond the radio, he’s been the announcer at Kingston Frontenacs games for 14 seasons, lending his energy and passion to every event. As co-owner of Chinlock Wrestling, Sideshow has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities through exciting pro wrestling shows. His support for Kingston’s hospitals runs deep, with a special connection to the NICU staff who saved his daughter Stella’s life in 2015. You can catch him on Kingston’s 102.7 WOW FM every weekday afternoon.
Judge: Tommy Hunter
Born in Kingston and raised in Joyceville, Tommy has become a local leader in the community and restaurant sector. In 2011, at the age of 25, with 8 years' experience in the hospitality industry, he opened his first restaurant, Tommy's. In 2020, he opened both Good Time Party Rentals and Smoke 'N' Barrel. Since 2011, Tommy has supported several community organizations, primarily focused on food insecurity in Kingston, and runs two of his own initiatives, Tommy's Annual Community Christmas (Est. 2013) and Tommy's Food Share Program (Est. March 2020) which sends food out twice a week to Kingston's vulnerable population through the Homebase Housing Outreach Program. As of September 2024, the program has provided more than 12,000 meals. Outside of work, Tommy's family is his priority. He is a proud father to a beautiful three-year-old girl and step-father to a seven-year-old boy.
Judge: Jacqui Collier
Jacqui Collier has dedicated her life’s work towards uplifting and empowering others and is distinguished not only by her career achievements in the private sector Brookland Fine Homes and Tamarack Homes in the past, but also as a strong advocate and effective leader with some of Kingston’s most prominent charitable sector organizations including UHKF. She has earned the distinction of being an inaugural recipient in 2024 of Kingston Economic Development Corporations 40 under 40 awards, as well as winning EnerQuality Corporation’s prestigious Builder Achievement Award for the province of Ontario in 2018. She has been profiled in numerous media for her successes, which she embraces as an opportunity for highlighting the advancement of women in leadership roles. Jacqui hosts a weekly segment on Global News Kingston titled Design Ideas with Jacqui, and is a proud mother of two daughters.
Judge: Alicia Gordon
Alicia Gordon is a Partner at Gordon's Downsizing and Estate Services. She is a REALTOR®, Certified Property Appraiser and Certified Transition and Relocation Specialist. Alicia enjoys helping people in achieving their downsizing and estate settlement goals. Over the years, Alicia has served on numerous boards, giving her time and talents to raise millions for several charities. Presently, Alicia is the Director of the Rotary Club of Kingston, a Paul Harris fellow, member of Seniors Association of Kingston and a founding member and honorary Director of OASIS, a new concept in affordable housing and living for seniors. In 2019, Kingston Chamber of Commerce recognized Alicia as the Business Person of the Year. Alicia is also a United Way leader and a member of UHKF's Women's Giving Circle.
Judge: Greg Brown
Greg Brown is a member of the YGK Healthcare Champions Executive Committee and works alongside University Hospitals Kingston Foundation to empower individuals from all walks of life to join together in support of our community’s health care through Kingston Health Science Centre (KHSC) and Providence Care. Outside of YGK Healthcare Champions, Greg works at Park Place Financial as a Senior Associate Insurance and Wealth Advisor and volunteers as a Patient and Family Advisory Council member for the Regional Cancer Center and KHSC, providing the patient perspective to hospital initiatives.