From Idea to Impact: Nexim Healthcare’s Journey to Land and Launch in Hamilton

Nexim Healthcare Consultants Inc. is redefining healthcare staffing in Ontario. From landing in Hamilton to launching nationwide, founder Henry Lukenge reveals the journey behind Nexim’s rapid growth, its tech-driven approach, and what success looks like for the future.

Oct 15, 2025

Community Feature Global Hamilton

Nexim Healthcare Consultants Inc. is redefining staffing in Ontario’s health and social care sectors. As a specialized third-party agency, Nexim connects highly qualified professionals—nurses, personal support workers, home healthcare aides, child and youth workers, residential services staff, and other allied healthcare experts—with organizations that need them most. From long-term placements to short-term and planned assignments, Nexim ensures the right talent is in the right place at the right time.

Their client network spans major hospitals, long-term care and retirement residences, school boards, community living organizations, and home care providers.

What sets Nexim apart is its technology-driven approach. By leveraging an AI-powered platform, the company streamlines every step of the staffing process—from candidate intake and credential verification to high-volume scheduling—while maintaining efficiency and scalability.

In this interview, Stefa Sokolowski from the Global Hamilton team sits down with Henry Lukenge, founder of Nexim, to uncover the story behind the company’s rapid growth and its vision for the future of healthcare staffing.

Origin Story

Q: Where did you get the idea for this business venture?

Long story short—I landed on it by mistake. I was between jobs and not feeling as impactful in my career as an investment banker and tax consultant.

This inspired me to take some time off to travel across South Asia and Eastern Africa. At the end of that journey, I visited my mother in Uganda, who encouraged me to explore opportunities in the healthcare staffing sector here in Canada.

When I came back, I put together a business plan, sold my house, and started the business in Toronto with plans to expand to other regions of Canada. Sixteen years later, this is where we are: three locations—Toronto, Hamilton, and Barrie—with reach as far as Alberta and New Brunswick.

A photo of Henry Lukenge, Nexim Healthcare

Nexim Healthcare Consultants Inc. founder, Henry Lukenge

Moving to Hamilton: Lessons and Growth

Q: Can you tell me about your entrepreneurial journey in Hamilton?

Expanding my business to Hamilton was a journey marked by experimentation and learning what works and what doesn’t. I first attempted to bring Nexim to Hamilton in 2011, about two years after launching the business. I committed to a six-month trial, but the model didn’t gain traction. Over the following two years, I tested the same concept in Oshawa, Kitchener, and Barrie. It was in Barrie that the model found success, providing a blueprint for future growth. Using the Barrie model as a foundation, I returned to Hamilton with a refined approach. In 2024, we successfully launched the new Hamilton facility, which now serves clients not only in the city but also across Western Canada, including Alberta.

Resources and Support

Q: What resources did you leverage to get where you are today?

I launched my business many years ago, at a time when far fewer resources were available than there are today. As a first-generation immigrant without connections or mentors, I had to rely heavily on my own strategic thinking and planning. I was disciplined with every dollar that came in, carefully allocating funds to invest in assets like real estate and supporting other initiatives that ultimately reinforced and sustained my core business.

Suubi Fusion Troupe "Success" - Nido Community

Launching and Scaling

Q: What does the vision of Nexim Healthcare look like 2–3 years down the road?

We are three years into our five-year plan, whose goal is countrywide reach anchored in Ontario. We have invested significantly in our branch network, becoming 24/7/365, and now serve two extra provinces.

We’ve also added other businesses to our portfolio that support our core offering, including a training facility at our Hamilton location. This enables us to train workers quickly, who can then leverage our platform without having to depend on secondary partners.

Overall, our goal is to go countrywide over the next 2–3 years and then establish operations in England to serve the United Kingdom.

Q: What does success look like to you?

Success to me means being able to be impactful while growing my business—that is why I set up our international development charity, NIDO, whose goal is to advance access to education and support wildlife conservation in the developing world. Through our NIDO work, we make significant contributions to increasing access to quality skills to transform communities and countries.

Advice for Entrepreneurs

Q: What advice would you give to a recent immigrant looking to launch a startup in Hamilton?

Start small but think big:

Figure out the fundamentals of your business by establishing who your typical customer is and what makes them your typical customer.
Know your numbers—when do you break even, both in terms of cash and unit sales?
Stay patient even when there are delays—this is not a sprint but a slow-ripening fruit.
Do not lose your optimism—success rarely comes when you are comfortable. To succeed, you need to be comfortable being uncomfortable most, if not all, of the time.

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