The Ann & Gary Crocker Catalyst Foundation has been established to implement the charitable endeavors of the Gary and Ann Crocker family. The foundation has a broad spectrum of philanthropic interests and supports efforts with the mission “to be a catalyst that empowers individuals and organizations to attain health, educational, artistic, and humanitarian outcomes that otherwise may not have been possible.”
Jan 17, 2025 | Salt Lake City, UT
With over 100 students and healthcare professionals in attendance at its annual Mentor Mixer and Open House event on Thursday evening, the Center for Medical Innovation at the University of Utah announced that local philanthropic organization Crocker Catalyst Foundation will be the new premiere sponsor of CMI's Bench to Bedside Program. The program will be renamed to “Bench to Bedside: Powered by Crocker Catalyst Foundation” in recognition of the multi-year agreement to support the program.
Founded to implement the charitable endeavors of the Crocker family, the Ann & Gary Crocker Catalyst Foundation focuses giving to groups supporting innovation and improvement in education, healthcare, and technology and research (among other areas).
"In today's rapidly changing landscape of medical technology, innovation is key to addressing the pressing health challenges of our time,” said Gary Crocker, Director of Crocker Catalyst Foundation. “We are proud to support CMI’s Bench to Bedside program and continue expanding its impact for students in Utah. Empowering the next generation of thinkers and creators is essential for driving meaningful change in healthcare.”
Gary and Ann Crocker were also present at the event on Thursday night at CMI, in acknowledgement of the renaming of the program and to meet with students and mentors participating in this year’s competition. Supporting students is nothing new to the Crocker family – the couple provided the anchor donation for the new Gary L. and Ann S. Crocker Science Center at the University of Utah dedicated in 2018.
“We are thrilled to have Crocker Catalyst Foundation supporting CMI’s Bench to Bedside program,” said Mark Paul, Executive Director of the Center for Medical Innovation. “Gary and Ann have been tremendous supporters of CMI for years, and having their support for our flagship student program gives another generation of innovators the resources they need to succeed.”
In 1983, Gary Crocker founded Research Medical, a manufacturer and marketer of specialty cardiac catheters and related medical devices utilized in open heart surgeries. He served as the president and CEO until 1997 when it was acquired by Baxter International’s Edwards Life Science division, one of the world's largest medical device companies, for $236 million. At the time, it was the largest medical device merger in Utah history. Since 2004, he has been chairman of Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, a personalized oncology drug company. He also serves as chairman of orthopedic medical device firms, Nexus CMF and Nexus Spine, and TMClear, a neuroprotection drug company based on technology licensed from the U of U’s Moran Eye Center.
Now in its 15th year, CMI’s Bench to Bedside (B2B) Competition offers undergraduate and graduate students at universities across Utah the opportunity to develop innovative new medical technologies under the mentorship of clinicians, regulatory experts, and industry professionals. Throughout the academic year CMI hosts educational and networking events, as well as provides prototyping, legal and business development strategies for each B2B team to refine their project.
The program culminates each year in April at the annual CMI B2B Competition Night event with each team presenting their project to a host of judges, university leadership, friends, family, and the public. Award winning teams will leave “Comp Night” with nearly $100,000 in milestone funding to further develop their project and prepare for launching their device or new technology as a start-up company. With just over three months to go, the 30+ registered student teams are heading into the busiest portion of their projects. This year’s annual Bench to Bedside: Powered by Crocker Catalyst Foundation Competition Night will be held on Monday April 14, 2025, in a new venue: the Ken Garff Scholarship Club at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
About Crocker Catalyst Foundation
The Ann & Gary Crocker Catalyst Foundation has been established to implement the charitable endeavors of the Gary and Ann Crocker family. The foundation has a broad spectrum of philanthropic interests and supports efforts with the mission “to be a catalyst that empowers individuals and organizations to attain health, educational, artistic, and humanitarian outcomes that otherwise may not have been possible.”
To learn more, please visit: www.crockercatalystfoundation.org
About the Center for Medical Innovation
A collaborative effort among the University of Utah's leaders in health, business, engineering, and commercialization, the Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) combines formal education programs, faculty and student project development, and support for facilitation of device development and commercialization. CMI creates a one-stop-shop environment that assists both the novice and experienced innovator through ideation, concept generation, intellectual property, market analysis, prototyping and testing, business plan development, and commercialization.
To learn more, please visit: cmi.uofuhealth.org
