DVEN CEO Selected at Mission Daybreak Proposal Reviewer

Suicide is a serious public health problem that affects communities everywhere.  In 2019, more than 45,000 American adults died from suicide, including 6,261 U.S. Veterans.  Veterans make up just 7% of the US population but account for almost 14% of annual suicides.

DVEN is pleased to announce that Founder and CEO Robert Hess, himself an Army veteran and PTSD survivor, has been selected to be a proposal reviewer for Mission Daybreak innovation submissions.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a significant effort to reduce veteran suicides. Mission Daybreak is a $20 million grand challenge to develop innovative solutions that meet the diverse needs of Veterans.

The grand challenge, designed and produced by Luminary Labs through a contract with Capital Consulting Corporation, is part of the VA’s 10-year strategy to prevent Veteran suicide through a comprehensive, public health approach.

Proposed solutions should seek to significantly reduce Veteran suicides by addressing one or more of the challenge focus areas.  Some finalists will have market-ready solutions, while others will have early concepts — in Phase 1 of Mission Daybreak, the quality of the idea and potential for viability is more critical than present-day maturity.

Phase 1 will award $8.5 million in prizes: 30 finalists will each receive $250,000 and advance to Phase 2, where they will gain exclusive access to accelerator resources.  An additional 10 teams will each receive a Promise Award of $100,000.

In Phase 2, finalists will participate in an eight-week virtual accelerator, which will provide resources — from exclusive data sets to networking and mentorship — to help solvers prepare their final submissions.  In November 2022, finalists will present their solutions to key stakeholders, investors, and partners at Demo Day, a live-pitch event.

Phase 2 will award $11.5 million in prizes: Two first-place winners will each receive $3 million, three second-place winners will each receive $1 million, and five third-place winners will each receive $500,000.

About Mission Daybreak

Mission Daybreak launched on May 25, 2022, with a call for innovators to develop suicide prevention solutions that meet the diverse needs of Veterans.

Mission Daybreak builds on VA’s long history of advancing health innovation to create an entire ecosystem of support for innovators and their solutions.  The challenge offers $20 million in non-dilutive funding, as well as non-monetary resources that include data, research, mentorship, educational webinars, and partnership opportunities.

As the nation’s largest integrated healthcare system, the VA is leveraging expertise from private-sector, nonprofit, and government collaborators to support this ambitious mission.  Suicide has no single cause, and no single strategy can end Veteran suicide.  That’s why Mission Daybreak is fostering solutions across a broad spectrum of focus areas:

  • Utilizing digital footprint data from active and passive sources.
  • Creating improved access to and efficiency of Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) services
  • through technological innovations.
  • Preventing firearm suicide and enhancing lethal means safety.
  • Reaching all Veterans in need with right-care, right-time, and right-place solutions.
  • Improving community resilience and connection.
  • Incorporating family and community into Veteran well-being.
  • Transitioning from military service to civilian life.
  • Addressing social determinants of wellbeing.
  • Reducing barriers to asking for help.
  • Other innovative solutions, focused on areas not specified above.