The aim of the CHI-Zone Fellowship was to bring together a diverse cohort of innovators spanning multiple sectors and professions, with the goal of fostering richer, more varied perspectives on the future of mental health innovation. In practice, it surpassed expectations, creating a rare and valuable opportunity for cross‑sector peer learning, offering fresh insights, and ultimately building relationships and collaborations to drive meaningful change.

Week 5 of the CHI-Zone Fellowship focussed on building with integrity, bringing important discussions around regulations, ethics and IP.

Session four of the CHI-Zone Fellowship switched us from opportunity exploration and market scoping to building business and delivering solutions to market. The focus was on what it really takes to grow a digital health business, work effectively with the NHS, and stay grounded in purpose and people along the way.  

For the third CHI-Zone Fellowship, our focus shifted from ideas to evidence. We took a deep dive into understanding demand, and discussed the importance of challenging assumptions and ensuring our propositions are grounded in real world evidence. 

Taking a wider view, we emphasized that evidence gathering is critical not only to solution development, but to building a credible, defensible commercial narrative.  

Last week our CHI-Zone Fellowship gathered for the second session — and what a session it was. We travelled to St Helens to visit Glass Futures, heard from two extraordinary innovators, and came away reminded how the best might come from the most unexpected corners.