Lever, Mass Life Sciences Center Announce Health Tech Challenge

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Lever is now accepting applications for the Western Mass Health Technology Challenge, open to health technology startups in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.

Presented in partnership with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), the challenge will award $50,000 to the startup that presents the most scalable and investable healthcare products or services, with $25,000 to the runner-up. Entrepreneurs can learn more and apply at https://leverinc.org/western-massachusetts-health-technology-challenge/.

"We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with Mass Life Sciences and help new companies with the potential to grow, create jobs, and add to the amazing work being done by entrepreneurs in Western Massachusetts," said Lever’s executive director, Jeffrey Thomas. "This is a place full of smart people with great ideas. MLSC’s commitment to this Challenge series gives those smart people another vehicle to develop innovative work that can contribute to the regional economy while improving patient experiences and outcomes in healthcare." 

The Western Mass Health Technology Challenge represents a three-year partnership with Lever and MLSC, which will provide funding for additional Health Technology Challenges in 2023 and 2024. MLSC also funded Lever’s Health Technology Challenges in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Since then, the 22 companies that participated have raised $17 million in additional funding and created at least 40 jobs in Western Massachusetts. 

Participating companies complete Lever’s accelerated Challenge program, which gives them the opportunity to develop their pitches alongside expert mentors, conduct customer interviews, and develop a go-to-market strategy. 

"To truly remain the global leader in the life sciences, we must continue to leverage our regional assets and drive the growth of life science clusters across Massachusetts," said MLSC President and CEO Kenn Turner. "Lever is an essential partner for the Life Sciences Center. We are proud to collaborate on this newest endeavor to drive innovation and support the entrepreneurial community in Western Massachusetts."

North Adams Hopes to Transform Y Into Community Recreation Center

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:19AM / Thursday, May 02, 2024

Mayor Jennifer Macksey updates members of the former YMCA on the status of the roof project and plans for reopening. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city has plans to keep the former YMCA as a community center.

 

"The city of North Adams is very committed to having a recreation center not only for our youth but our young at heart," Mayor Jennifer Macksey said to the applause of some 50 or more YMCA members on Wednesday. "So we are really working hard and making sure we can have all those touch points."

 

The fate of the facility attached to Brayton School has been in limbo since the closure of the pool last year because of structural issues and the departure of the Berkshire Family YMCA in March.

 

The mayor said the city will run some programming over the summer until an operator can be found to take over the facility. It will also need a new name. 

 

"The YMCA, as you know, has departed from our facilities and will not return to our facility in the form that we had," she said to the crowd in Council Chambers. "And that's been mostly a decision on their part. The city of North Adams wanted to really keep our relationship with the Y, certainly, but they wanted to be a Y without borders, and we're going a different direction."

 

The pool was closed in March 2023 after the roof failed a structural inspection. Kyle Lamb, owner of Geary Builders, the contractor on the roof project, said the condition of the laminated beams was far worse than expected. 

 

"When we first went into the Y to do an inspection, we certainly found a lot more than we anticipated. The beams were actually rotted themselves on the bottom where they have to sit on the walls structurally," he said. "The beams actually, from the weight of snow and other things, actually crushed themselves eight to 11 inches. They were actually falling apart. ...