Wave Summit 2026
Bio Book
*Summit Speakers
Adam Gale
CEO, KLAS
LinkedIn
-
Adam Gale is the founder and CEO of KLAS Research, the leading healthcare technology research and insights firm dedicated to amplifying the voices of providers and payers to improve healthcare. Since co-founding KLAS in 1996, he has helped build the organization into the industry's trusted source for independent evaluations of healthcare IT, digital health, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and revenue cycle solutions. Under his leadership, KLAS has expanded its global reach while maintaining its commitment to delivering transparent, data-driven insights that help healthcare organizations make informed technology decisions. A recognized thought leader in healthcare innovation, Gale works closely with health system executives, technology companies, and policymakers to advance partnerships that improve patient care and clinician experience. He is a frequent speaker on healthcare transformation, AI adoption, and the evolving digital health landscape, with a leadership philosophy centered on trust, transparency, and long-term collaboration.
Amy Truong
Special Assistant, CMS/CMMI
LinkedIn
-
Amy Truong is a healthcare strategy and policy leader at the intersection of healthcare delivery, emerging technology, entrepreneurship, and federal health policy. She serves as a Special Assistant in the Front Office of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), working across strategic initiatives focused on healthcare tech innovation, policy, payment and care delivery, and cross-agency priorities. Amy brings over two decades of experience across the healthcare ecosystem as a clinician, founder, operator, advisor, and investor with clinical training in oncology, community health, and integrative medicine. Before entering government, she founded and scaled an interdisciplinary healthcare company through acquisition, led technology-enabled clinical transformation across community health and specialty care settings, and advised early-stage health technology and biotherapeutics companies through startup and accelerator programs. Today, she brings that private-sector and clinical perspective to federal healthcare innovation, with a particular interest in how emerging technologies, entrepreneurs, and private capital can translate into scalable improvements in healthcare delivery, outcomes, and policy. She holds an MPH in Health Policy & Management from UCLA, a Doctorate in Chinese medicine, and an MBA candidate at UCLA Anderson.
Alex Ding
Chief Medical & Public Affairs Officer, DataSpring
LinkedIn
-
Alex is the Chief Medical and Public Affairs Officer at DataSpring, Powered by CAQH. A board-certified diagnostic and interventional radiologist, he continues to practice and teach as an Associate Professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Dr. Ding is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare innovation, AI, and medical policy, previously serving as the Enterprise Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Humana, corporate secretary of the American Medical Association Board of Trustees, and advisor to health technology companies, innovation funds, the FDA, and national standards organizations. He holds degrees from UC Berkeley, Wharton, and UCSF, and completed his training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Alex Pastuszak
CEO/Co-Founder, Paterna Biosciences
LinkedIn
-
Alex is a physician-scientist-entrepreneur with extensive experience starting, leading, and building companies that positively impact healthcare across services, therapeutics, clinical research and devices. He currently serves as Cofounder and CEO of Paterna Biosciences and his entrepreneurial work has spanned digital health, reproductive medicine, therapeutics, and medical devices. In parallel with business leadership, Alex is an Associate Professor in Urology (Men’s Health) at the University of Utah.
Andy Bender
Founder, Northstar Investment
LinkedIn
-
Andy Bender is the founder and managing partner of Northstar Global Investment, investment firm focused on healthcare technology and data-driven innovation. Previously, he founded Polaris Solutions, a global healthcare compliance technology company that grew into an international leader serving pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. Andy is a member of the Innovation Committee at White Plains Hospital. Earlier in his career, Andy held leadership roles at Merck-Medco, Boston Consulting Group, and McKinsey & Company. He brings decades of experience helping companies scale through strategic investment, operational leadership, and disciplined execution.
Ami Kemppainen
Managing Partner, ST Global Health
LinkedIn
-
Ami Kemppainen is Managing Partner of ST Global Health, where he invests in public healthcare companies using disruptive technologies and business models to reshape care. He has more than a decade of experience building differentiated public-equity strategies, including founding and managing the Evli Emerging Frontier Fund and developing a healthcare strategy for Global Health Funds. Ami holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.
Andrea Mazzocchi
CEO & Co-Founder, Paceline Bio
LinkedIn
-
Andrea is cofounder and CEO of Paceline Bio, an AI-enabled clinical operations company that gives early-phase biotechs the infrastructure they need to accelerate clinical development. Previously she led Play Health focused on women's health data to improve menopause care in the clinic. Throughout her career, Andrea focused on the promise of personalized medicine and the use of data and analytics to deliver more individualized care at scale from drug discovery through clinical. Her work spans graduate research, founding Known Medicine—an oncology drug development company acquired by Pathos AI in 2023—and now leading Paceline Bio. She believes emerging technologies can expedite and make precision healthcare accessible. She additionally sits on the board of Simbryo Technologies and advises several biotech and health tech companies.
Austin Dirks
GreenLight Medical
LinkedIn
-
Austin is an experienced entrepreneur and executive within the healthcare technology and medical device industry, serving as CEO and Founder of GreenLight Medical from 2014 until the company was acquired by symplr in 2022. He started his career in the medical device industry working in sales and business development with St. Jude Medical and Thoratec Corporation in cardiac and electrophysiology medical technology. Austin operated as Managing Director, SVP within symplr following the acquisition of GreenLight, leading the strategy and product efforts across the supply chain technology portfolio. Most recently, Austin was an Entrepreneur in Residence for the venture studio Terrarium out of Company Ventures. Currently, Austin is an active Angel investor, advisor, and board member to several healthcare technology and medical device companies, and this Fall will be serving as an Adjunct Professor at Vanderbilt University teaching Entrepreneurship. Austin is a Vanderbilt University graduate with a degree in Biomedical Engineering and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Austin Walters
Managing Partner, SpringTide
LinkedIn
-
Austin is a healthcare technology investor and operator who is passionate about supporting fellow entrepreneurs working to improve human health and wellness. Prior to starting SpringTide, he founded or was an early employee at a number of successful ventures, including EchoNous, Edilytics, Friendemic, and Innosight. Past and present board director roles include Great Expectations, PathologyWatch, Prolucent Health, and Vigor Medical Systems.
Ben Kellman
CEO, Augment Biologics
LinkedIn
-
Benjamin P. Kellman, Ph.D., is the co-founder and CEO of Augment Biologics, the first and only AI-powered glycoprotein design platform. Augment uses AI and cutting-edge glycobiology to build best-in-class biologics to transform autoimmune diseases. Ben's career is defined by a deep integration of computational and experimental biology, specifically leveraging bioinformatics to overcome the historical cost and complexity barriers of glycobiology to unlock new therapeutic opportunities.
Augment's story starts with Ben's Ph.D. There, he discovered GlycoTemplating, Augment's foundational technology to genetically encode glycosylation. Realizing the industry need while working for a boutique drug development consulting firm, he moved to Boston to learn experimental biology and built the experimental platform that powers Augment's flywheel.
Ben’s technical background spans immunology, pathology, machine learning, and structural biology. During his Ph.D. in Bioinformatics at UC San Diego, he developed foundational mechanistic and genetic models of glycan biosynthesis. He further refined his expertise in adaptive immunology as a Research Fellow at the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, where he studied maternal-fetal humoral immunity and the modulation of Fc-FcR interactions. Ben is a widely published researcher with over 3,500 citations in prominent peer-reviewed journals.
In therapeutics, Ben’s experience includes drug discovery and development at Monoceros Biosystems and clinical genomics at BioNano Genomics.
At Augment, he pioneered GlycoTemplating, a proprietary technology that uses AI-selected substitutions to stabilize functional glycosylation. GlycoTemplating reduces engineering timescales from years to seconds and addresses critical behaviors like durability, efficacy, and immunogenicity. Ben and Augment have been recognized in prestigious programs including Merck Digital Science Studio, Blueprint at The Engine, SOSV's Indiebio, and UC Berkeley's Bakar Labs.
Ben is also an avid cyclist, having won a California state championship, biked the Mediterranean coast, and led a San Diego to San Francisco fundraiser ride.
Ben Wanamaker
Operating Partner, General Atlantic
LinkedIn
-
Ben Wanamaker is an Operating Partner at General Atlantic and focuses on investments in the firm’s healthcare sector. Before joining General Atlantic in 2023, Ben held senior strategic and operating executive roles in a variety of healthcare industry settings, including value-based care, digital health, and pharmacy and health service care delivery at companies including Humana, CVS / Aetna, and Walmart. He also previously led the healthcare arm of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.
Boris Vabson
Fellow, Paragon Health Insitute
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Boris Vabson is a nationally recognized health economist whose work focuses on Medicare, Medicaid, and healthcare payment reform. He is currently a scholar at the Paragon Health Institute. He previously served as Senior Advisor at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), leading Medicare Advantage policy at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), and overseeing key agency-wide value based care and tech initiatives. Prior to CMS, he was a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and a policy fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. His research on health insurance markets, payment design, and Medicare policy has been widely cited by policymakers and published in leading economics journals. He received his Ph.D from UPenn’s Wharton School and his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College.
Brent Stackhouse
Managing Director, Mount Sinai Ventures
LinkedIn
-
Brent Stackhouse is a seasoned strategic investor and healthcare leader, currently serving as Managing Director of Mount Sinai Ventures, the investment arm of the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City. In this role, he concentrates on early-stage medical venture investments and corporate development, where he builds and operates care-delivery private equity joint ventures. He represents Mount Sinai on the boards of a dozen portfolio companies, and is the president of five operating entities. In addition to his Mount Sinai duties, he is the Senior Global Health Advisor at the Clinton Global Initiative, and founded the Strategic Ventures Group, a national consortium of corporate venture investors spanning more than 80 hospitals, coordinating collaboration and strategic investment across the health care ecosystem. Brent is also a lecturer in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Bioinformatics and Data Science program, sharing his experiences with the next generation of innovators and clinicians.
Brad Otto
Partner, SpringTide
LinkedIn
-
Brad serves as a partner at SpringTide. He enjoys partnering with entrepreneurs chasing bold visions to improve human health. Prior to SpringTide, he was an investor on the corporate VC team at UnitedHealth Group, where he helped launch a behavioral health startup. He started his career as an investment banker focused on healthcare M&A. Brad earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and management information systems from the University of Minnesota and his MBA from Harvard Business School. He is a board director at Paloma Health and Helm. He serves as a board observer at OpenLoop, Nest Health, WearLinq, RxLive, Prolucent Health, and Vigor.
Brad Hirsch
Co-Founder, Highlander Health
LinkedIn
-
Brad is co-founder of Highlander Health, a firm advancing evidence generation and personalized health care for the new era of medical innovation. Brad is an oncologist, trialist, entrepreneur, and product leader dedicated to driving transformation at the intersection of research and care. With a deep expertise in value-based care, Brad has dedicated his career to advancing clinical trials and integrating groundbreaking research into everyday clinical practice. Highlander Health has two parts. Highlander Health Institute is an all-stakeholder platform that creates transparent answers to how best to assure safe, effective, and accessible treatments. Highlander Health Partners invests in companies and technology crucial to personalized care for all. Prior to Highlander Health, Brad served as Head of Product at Verily, Alphabet's life sciences company where he led the development and delivery of solutions to accelerate clinical research and improve care. He joined Verily through its acquisition of SignalPath, a clinical trials technology solution, where he was Co-Founder, CEO, and Chair. Research sites and sponsors use SignalPath to run more efficient and effective clinical research studies, and under Brad's leadership, it was widely adopted by leading health systems and sponsors. Previously, Brad held roles at Flatiron Health, Texas Oncology, and US Oncology and served on the faculty of Duke University. In addition to his corporate and academic roles, Brad gives back through several philanthropic commitments, including Board roles at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), St. Mark's School of Texas, and AT&T Performing Arts of Dallas. He is also on the executive committee for the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (CTTI).
Brenton Hill
Head of Operations and General Counsel, CHAI - Coalition of Health AI
LinkedIn
-
Brenton W. Hill is the Head of Operations and General Counsel at the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), healthcare’s leading nonprofit thought partner organization dedicated to providing guidelines for the responsible use of AI in healthcare. Trained as an attorney and a healthcare administrator, Brenton approaches his work from a risk-informed and operationally feasible perspective which helps CHAI move with agility to accomplish its mission and best serve its members. Prior to his role at CHAI, Brenton served as the Regulatory Strategy and Compliance Manager for Mayo Clinic Platform assisting Platform in identifying its approach to emerging AI regulation and risk mitigation strategies. As part of his role, he served as a member of Mayo Clinic’s SaMD Review Board, which provides governance for AI models being implemented at
Mayo Clinic. Additionally, he served as Mayo Clinic’s first legal-trained Administrative Fellow. After his first year in the fellowship program doing traditional hospital operations, Brenton pivoted and spent the next year exclusively focused on digital health regulation and AI implementation where he gained a passion for responsible AI governance and adoption. He is passionate about connecting the entire health sector to CHAI’s work and providing a collaborative community that can help define how AI can help solve some of the health sector’s most pressing issues. Brenton completed his undergraduate studies at Arizona State University and completed his JD and MHA at the University of Kentucky.
Brian Anderson
CEO ,CHAI - Coalition of Health AI
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Brian Anderson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) where he leads a national coalition in the development of technical standards and best practices for MLOps, including governance, testing, evaluation and monitoring in Health AI Assurance Labs. Prior to CHAI, Dr. Anderson was the Chief Digital Health Physician at MITRE where he led research and development efforts across major strategic initiatives in Digital Health, including partnering with the United States Government and private sector organizations. He was responsible for leading MITRE's efforts in Advancing Clinical Trials at the Point of Care (ACT@POC), an effort that develops digital tools and approaches to support more diverse and efficient pragmatic clinical trials in Cancer and other diseases. He was also the co-PI on MITRE’s largest Health R&D effort in Oncology, supporting Cancer Moonshot efforts. Dr. Anderson is an internationally recognized expert and author in digital health and Health AI; he is regularly engaged as a speaker on digital health innovation, Health AI assurance and best practices, health standards development, clinical decision support systems, and interoperability. Prior to MITRE, Dr. Anderson led the Informatics and Network Medicine Division at Athenahealth where he launched a new approach to clinical decision support leveraging machine learning models. He has also served on several national health information technology committees in partnership with the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). Dr. Anderson trained at Massachusetts General Hospital and also practiced at Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. He received his MD with honors from Harvard Medical School, and a BA in Social Anthropology, cum laude from Harvard College. Currently he lives in the greater Boston area, with his wife and 3 children.
Brian Hemstreet
Professor & Chair, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy
LinkedIn
-
Brian Hemstreet, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, is the Smith and Olsen Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. A nationally recognized clinical pharmacist, educator, and healthcare leader, he has more than 25 years of experience advancing pharmacy practice, clinical education, and healthcare innovation. Dr. Hemstreet is widely respected for his leadership in medication optimization, interdisciplinary care, and preparing the next generation of pharmacy professionals through academic and clinical excellence.
Brian Sauer
Founder and CEO, GEM Sleep
LinkedIn
-
Brian Sauer is the Founder and CEO of GEM SLEEP, a medtech startup reimagining how sleep disorders are diagnosed and treated. He previously served as CEO of Sanvello, a mental health medtech, leading it to a successful exit to Optum, and before that was COO of Optum House Calls. Brian is also a Venture Partner at SpringTide.
He holds an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and a BA in Economics from Carleton College, where he played football. Brian lives in Minnesota with his wife, Michelle, and their three college-aged kids, Annika, Bianca, and Bennett; outside of work, he enjoys traveling with his family and staying involved in youth sports.
Brian Kirkpatrick
ProDirector of Investments, Hawks Family Office
LinkedIn
-
Brian Kirkpatrick spent 32 years in private wealth management working for an RIA in Omaha, Nebraska. While there he was part of the team that created and managed equity investment strategies implemented across more than $4 billion in assets. He was also the co-manager of a publicly traded mutual fund and spent time serving as the Chief Compliance Officer. Brian is now the director of investments at a private family office also in Omaha. Brian sits on the board of several 501c3 organizations as well as being involved with his local church.
Brian Poger
Venture Partner, Mayo Clinic
LinkedIn
-
Brian Poger is an accomplished CEO / CXO / Founder/ Investor with a passion for driving innovation in digital health, insuretech & healthcare services and improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare. With a versatile background spanning Fortune 500 companies, management consulting, providers, VC-backed startups, PE-owned companies, and private equity, Brian excels at identifying unmet market needs, assembling exceptional teams, and instilling operational excellence to ensure success. Brian is currently serving Mayo Clinic as a Mayo Venture Partner, helping to create companies that leverage Mayo technology and expand its patient-centric reach. Prior to Mayo, Brian was an executive in residence at Frazier Healthcare Partners, focused on companies that lowered the cost of employer-sponsored healthcare. Brian joined Frazier after leading the integration and strategic revitalization of Benefitter into UnitedHealthcare, serving as CEO following UHG’s acquisition of HealthMarkets & Benefitter in 2019. At HealthMarkets, Brian held the position of COO, where he played a pivotal role in improving profitability and growth at one of the largest FMOs/GAs/Agencies in the individual, Medicare and small group markets, as well as an innovative manufacturer of voluntary and life insurance plans. Brian’s journey to Healthmarkets began with the acquisition of Benefitter, a company he founded. Brian previously founded the Alight Retiree Exchange (aka Aon Retiree Exchange, Senior Educators), which he sold to Aon. Under Brian’s leadership, the company served esteemed clients such as UPS, 3M, and State Farm. He received his MBA with honors from Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University and his BS in engineering, Magna Cum Laude, from Washington University in St. Louis.
Calli Dretke
EVP, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer, Augment Biologics, CHIME
LinkedIn
-
Calli Dretke is on a mission to set the standard for cross association collaboration to create the world’s largest healthcare professional network for digital health. Described by her peers as a “unicorn,” Calli exhibits passion, intellect, creativity, and detailed execution in everything she does. She established a culture of success as the Chief Executive Officer of Next Wave Connect (NWC), developing and delivering smartCONNECT, the next generation of association software for community networking and engagement. A calculated risk-taker with deep healthcare industry knowledge, Calli has championed member engagement programs and tactics to her enterprise customers to help them further achieve success through engagement, retention, growth, and new revenue strategies. Under her leadership, she partnered NWC with the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) to develop and launch their Digital Health Excellence Network (DHX). Now serving as the Executive Vice President, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer at CHIME, Calli Dretke is responsible for overseeing the organization’s entire digital footprint—growing reach, impact, and influence through innovative strategies and transformative technologies. In May 2026, she received the Swaay.Health Marketer of the Year award, a distinguished recognition of her leadership and impact in healthcare marketing. In her expanded role, she leads CHIME’s marketing efforts and media platforms, driving unprecedented growth in engagement across all channels. Her team leads the charge and received the 2026 Swaay.Health Podcast of the Year award for Health Stealth Radio, further reflecting her leadership and CHIME’s growing influence in healthcare marketing and media. Calli is spearheading a focus on generational engagement, ensuring that digital leaders across every age group and throughout the entire healthcare ecosystem are empowered to drive transformation. Her leadership is centered on creating frameworks that integrate cutting-edge technology and dynamic media strategies to foster connections, insights, and collaboration. As a thought leader in both healthcare technology and media, Calli’s work underscores the importance of influencing and supporting digital health leaders across generations, ensuring a future-ready and inclusive community. Through the development of the DHX suite of products, Calli continues to champion the exponential effect of combining communities, analytics, and insights to drive organizations to new levels of performance, understanding, and outcomes. Her visionary leadership is positioning CHIME as a global leader in digital health, creating a lasting impact on the industry and those it serves.
Cameron Bronson
Legal Analyst, Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy
LinkedIn
-
Cameron Bronson is a Legal & Policy Analyst with the Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, where he helps develop state policy and regulatory frameworks for the responsible deployment of AI. A graduate of Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School, Bronson brings experience in public policy research spanning healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and public utilities. His work focuses on practical, state-led approaches to AI governance and fostering effective public-private partnerships to support innovation while protecting the public interest.
Carl Christensen
CEO, Metabody
LinkedIn
-
Carl Christensen is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MetaBody AI, a company developing AI-driven technologies that leverage whole-body data to transform preventive and personalized healthcare. With a career spanning healthcare innovation, enterprise technology, and digital transformation, Christensen has led organizations at the forefront of applying advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to improve patient care and operational performance. At MetaBody AI, he is focused on harnessing multimodal health data to help individuals and healthcare organizations make more informed, proactive decisions about health and longevity.
Chris Callander
CEO, Oaklin Lane
LinkedIn
-
Chris Callander is the Founder and CEO of Oaklin Lane, a pediatric therapy organization focused on delivering integrated, evidence-based care for children through occupational, physical, speech, and feeding therapy. A healthcare entrepreneur with a background spanning operations, strategy, and pediatric services, he is passionate about redesigning care delivery to improve access, clinician experience, and outcomes for children and families. Callander frequently writes and speaks on the future of healthcare, workforce innovation, and the transformative role of artificial intelligence in care delivery.
Carmel Shachar*
Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
LinkedIn
-
Carmel Shachar, JD, MPH, is Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Health Law and Policy Clinic at the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School. A nationally recognized expert in health law and policy, her work focuses on access to care, digital health, telehealth, and public health ethics. She has published extensively in leading medical and legal journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Nature Medicine, and is a frequent commentator in national media. Previously, she served as Executive Director of Harvard's Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics, where she led major research initiatives and strategic programs. She also serves on the Ethics Committee of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Claire Smith
Partner, SpringTide
LinkedIn
-
Claire is a partner at SpringTide and has spent her career focused at the intersection of healthcare, life sciences, and business. Prior to SpringTide, she was an investor at Meridian Street Capital, where she focused on seed-stage health tech, and Anterra Capital, where she focused on the intersection of biotech and agriculture while launching several animal health startups. Previously, she served as the Chief of Staff at Crestovo, a microbiome therapeutics startup acquired by Finch Therapeutics. She began her career at ClearView Healthcare Partners, a boutique life sciences consultancy, where she advised pharma and biotech clients on a variety of growth strategy topics. She is on the board of Leash Labs and serves as a board observer at IgniteData and Paterna Biosciences.
Chris Robertson
Professor, Boston University
LinkedIn
-
Christopher Robertson is a tenured professor and N. Neal Pike Scholar in Health & Disability Law at Boston University, where he is also appointed at the School of Public Health. Professor Robertson is an expert in health law, artificial intelligence, institutional design, scientific integrity, and decision making. His expertise has been featured in the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA, as well as the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CBS News, and NPR Marketplace. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Greenwall Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and AccessLex. In 2019, Harvard University Press published Exposed: Why Our Health Insurance is Incomplete and What Can be Done About It. Robertson has co-edited four books, Nudging Health: Behavioral Economics and Health Law (2016), Blinding as a Solution to Bias: Strengthening Biomedical Science, Forensic Science, and Law (2016), Innovation and Protection: The Future of Medical Device Regulation (2022), and Health Law as Private Law: Pathway or Pathology (2025). Robertson holds a JD from Harvard and a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis. He recently served as the Samuel Williston Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard.
Daria Nikolaeva
Creative Strategist & Design Partner, Giant Shoulders
LinkedIn
-
Daria Nikolaeva is Design Partner at Giant Shoulders, a commercialization design agency focused on helping healthtech and climatetech innovators bring new ideas to market. Daria works at the intersection of information design, brand strategy, and visual storytelling, making innovative ideas tangible and credible. In addition to her work with Giant Shoulders, she works with Figures&Figures and niko design. Some of her standout work includes the visualization of genetic networks for cancer research at MD Anderson, and collaborations with non-profits and Fortune 500 companies building a more empathetic, regenerative world.
Dorothy Smith
Head of Corporate Development/Vice President, Aya Healthcare
LinkedIn
-
Dorothy Smith is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy at Aya Healthcare, where she leads strategic growth initiatives across M&A, partnerships, new business ventures, and corporate strategy. She also oversees Aya’s international service line, with responsibility for its growth, strategy, and operations. Dorothy brings a rare combination of deep healthcare operating experience, investor-side perspective, and a strong track record of executing transformative transactions and building new growth platforms.
David Kartchner
CTO, Flax Health
LinkedIn
-
David is a machine learning researcher specializing in deep learning and natural language processing (NLP) for healthcare and biomedical research. Currently researching how to optimally acquire and leverage human input to build and deploy machine learning pipelines without weeks of labeling.
Eric Fish
Partner, Hooper Lundy Bookman
LinkedIn
-
Eric Fish is a partner at Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, the nation’s largest healthcare focused law firm. He advises healthcare organizations, innovators, and trade associations on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and the intersection of state and federal healthcare regulation. His practice combines legal, policy, and strategic counsel to help clients navigate regulatory change and advance their priorities. Before joining HLB, Eric served as Chief Legal Officer of the Federation of State Medical Boards, where he led the drafting of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact and the spearheaded organization’s foundational guidance on regulating AI in clinical settings.
Eric Cragun
Executive Director, Intermountain Health
LinkedIn
-
Eric is a healthcare strategy leader with more than a decade of experience helping organizations navigate growth, innovation, policy, and payment transformation. He is recognized for his ability to combine strategic thinking, relationship building, and project leadership to help healthcare organizations improve care delivery and outcomes. Throughout his career, Eric has advised healthcare executives on topics including health system strategy, value-based care, alternative payment models such as ACOs and bundled payments, MACRA implementation, primary care transformation, and consumer-driven healthcare. His work has focused on aligning organizational priorities, fostering collaboration, and translating complex challenges into actionable strategies. Eric combines rigorous analytical capabilities with strong interpersonal skills, leveraging expertise in statistical analysis, financial modeling, qualitative research, and health policy analysis to support informed decision-making and sustainable organizational success.
Douglas Hayes
Founder, Merblehead & Company
LinkedIn
-
Doug Hayes is the founder of Marblehead & Company and an advisor to startups, venture capital firms, and health systems. Over the past 20 years, he has built and invested at the intersection of healthcare, innovation, and capital, helping connect transformative healthcare ideas with strategic partners and funding.Previously, Doug served as Executive Director of the Atlantic Health Venture Studio, where he helped deploy $40 million across more than 150 portfolio companies. He founded Junto Health, supporting over 60 health system clients, and helped scale Blueprint Health, which launched more than 50 digital health startups and achieved eight successful exits. Earlier in his career, he managed nearly $1 billion at Mousse Partners and built JPMorgan’s first ESG and impact investing portfolios. A Dartmouth graduate, Doug brings deep experience in healthcare innovation, venture building, and investment strategy to advancing the future of healthcare.
Francis Gibson
President & CEO, Utah Hospital Association
LinkedIn
-
Francis Gibson is President and CEO of the Utah Hospital Association (UHA), where he leads statewide advocacy and strategic initiatives on behalf of Utah's hospitals and health systems. Before joining UHA in 2024, he served as CEO of Intermountain Health's Spanish Fork Hospital and previously led Orem Community Hospital, building extensive experience in hospital operations, quality improvement, and healthcare leadership. Gibson also served for 13 years in the Utah House of Representatives, including as Majority Leader and Majority Whip, giving him a unique perspective on the intersection of healthcare policy and legislative affairs. He is recognized for fostering collaboration among providers, policymakers, and community leaders to strengthen healthcare delivery across Utah.
David Garner
Chief Business Officer, Dopl Technologies
LinkedIn
-
David Garner is Chief Business Officer at Dopl Technologies, where he wears many hats across commercialization, partnerships, fundraising, product strategy, and market development. With a background that spans mechanical engineering, design, product, marketing, sales, operations, and venture-backed company building, David has spent more than 25 years helping turn healthcare technologies into scalable businesses.
He has helped raise more than $250 million in venture and private capital and has held leadership roles at Butterfly Network, Philips Healthcare, Verathon, Vave Health, and The Advisory Board Company. David was also Co-Founder and COO/CMO of CalmWave, an AI2 spinout focused on clinician burnout. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Design from Carnegie Mellon University and pursued his graduate studies in System Design & Management at MIT/Sloan.
Dustin Cook
Managing Director and Partner, Intermountain Ventures
LinkedIn
-
Dustin Cook serves as Managing Director and Partner at Intermountain Ventures, where he oversees investments and strategic innovation efforts on behalf of Intermountain Health. With a background spanning healthcare operations, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, he works closely with startups and industry partners to bring innovative solutions to patients, providers, and health systems.
Dallen Allred
CEO, Tava Health
LinkedIn
-
Dallen Allred is Co-Founder and CEO of Tava Health, a mental health platform designed to make high-quality therapy more accessible through employers and health plans. Under his leadership, Tava has built a technology-enabled network connecting individuals with licensed mental health providers while simplifying access to care and practice operations.
Elisabeth Barrett
Managing Director, Commercialization and Venture Building, Cincinatti Children's Hospital Medical Center
LinkedIn
-
Elisabeth Barrett is Managing Director of Commercialization and Venture Building, driving innovation at scale, leading spinouts, and building global ecosystems to support collaboration. A former founding Partner of Mustard Seed (a pan-European VC fund), she has spent over 2 decades investing in, advising, and scaling early-stage technology ventures. She served on the executive team that scaled Multiverse.io from $60M to $1.7B+, was CEO of VC-backed Avado Digital, and held executive roles at Coursera and TNTP. As Chief Scientific Advisor and Director of Analytics and Culture Change at the UK Ministry of Justice, she led system-wide data and culture transformation. Elisabeth began her career with Teach For America and serves on non-profit boards including the national Breakthrough Collaborative, Cincinnati Ballet, and Treebeard Trust. She holds a BA from Yale and an MBA from INSEAD.
George MacKinnon*
Founding Dean, School of Pharmacy, Medical College of Wisconsin
LinkedIn
-
Dr. George E. MacKinnon III is the founding dean of the School of Pharmacy at the Medical College of Wisconsin and a professor of pharmacy, family medicine, and the Institute for Health & Humanity. A nationally recognized leader in pharmacy education, health policy, and academic medicine, he has played a pivotal role in advancing interprofessional education and preparing the next generation of healthcare leaders. Dr. MacKinnon serves as Immediate Past Chair of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Council of Deans and Co-Chair of the Walgreens Deans Advisory Council. A pharmacist, educator, and scholar, his work focuses on medication policy, healthcare innovation, and improving patient outcomes through collaborative care and evidence-based practice.
Grace Baker Magleby
Project Manager, SpringTide
LinkedIn
-
Grace brings a unique combination of technical fluency and people-first thinking. She’s already built machine learning models for Nazca, a Mexico City-based VC firm, conducted market research at BanQu, and developed inventory systems at Culligan Water. Along the way, she’s been selected for the Levinthal Fellowship, working closely with VCs and founders to sharpen her thinking on company building. At SpringTide, Grace is helping us stay aligned as we move through this next phase of growth. Her work touches everything from deal sourcing and reporting to internal operations and capital strategy.
Hamad Husainy
CMO, PointClickCare
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Hamad Husainy is Chief Medical Officer at PointClickCare and a practicing emergency physician with extensive experience advancing healthcare through clinical innovation and technology. A board-certified emergency physician and Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, he previously founded Sycamore Independent Physicians and has held leadership roles across provider organizations and health plans. Dr. Husainy is a nationally recognized voice on AI, interoperability, emergency medicine, and digital transformation, with a focus on using connected data and intelligent technologies to improve care delivery and patient outcomes.
Heather Grey
CEO, Elixir Trials
LinkedIn
-
Heather Grey is Co-Founder and CEO of ElixirTrials, a clinical research technology and infrastructure company enabling research-naive community hospitals and health systems to participate in sponsor-grade clinical trials. ElixirTrials provides the technology, infrastructure, and operational support healthcare organizations need to launch research without building a traditional research program from the ground up. For pharmaceutical and biotech companies, the model offers one contract across the network, access to previously inaccessible patient populations, and consistent, high-quality clinical trial data. Grey brings more than 15 years of experience building and scaling products across clinical research and real-world data. Prior to founding ElixirTrials, she served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Real-World Data & Clinical Trials at Omega Healthcare and Vice President of Clinical Trials at Tempus. Her work is focused on reimagining clinical research through technology, operational innovation, and broader access to trials where patients already receive care.
Hannah Levine
Executive Director, UCM Ventures and Chief of Staff to the CFO, UChicago Medicine, University of Chicago
LinkedIn
-
Hannah Levine is Executive Director of UChicago Medicine Ventures and Chief of Staff to the CFO at UChicago Medicine, where she works across venture investing, strategy, finance, and business development. She leads efforts to identify and support innovative companies and technologies with the potential to advance healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
Henri Fernandez
Investor, SpringTide
LinkedIn
-
Henri is an investor at SpringTide. His investment interests span healthcare AI, robotics, longevity, wellness, and emerging models of patient care, with a particular focus on partnering with founders building category-defining companies. Prior to SpringTide, Henri spent more than six years investing across the healthcare ecosystem. At Royalty Pharma, he led biopharmaceutical investment analyses that contributed to more than $2 billion in investment opportunities and developed firm-wide research initiatives spanning therapeutics, clinical development, and financial innovation. Henri began his career in healthcare investment banking at Credit Suisse, advising healthcare companies on strategic and financial transactions. Henri earned his bachelor's degree in Public Policy from Stanford University and his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he graduated as an Arjay Miller Scholar.
Ian Quigley
CEO & Co-Founder, Leash
LinkedIn
-
Ian Quigley, PhD, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Leash Bio (Leash Biosciences), a Salt Lake City biotech building the large, purpose-built experimental datasets that machine learning needs to drive breakthroughs in medicinal chemistry. Leash generates that data by making physical measurements of many protein targets — via automated in-house protein production — screened against large DNA-encoded chemical libraries, with the goal of predicting how chemicals behave in biological systems and accelerating drug discovery. Before founding Leash, Ian led Recursion's digital chemistry team, where he accelerated drug discovery using computer vision and robotics. Earlier, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, bringing a classical embryological model into the genomic age, and a scientist at Arima Genomics. He earned his PhD in molecular genetics from the University of Texas at Austin.
Gabi Tellez
Investor, SpringTide
LinkedIn
-
Gabi has spent her career at the intersection of healthcare, innovation, and systems design. Most recently, she helped launch and manage the Utah Innovation Fund, a $40M state-backed venture fund focused on deep tech. Before that, she evaluated investments at Intermountain Ventures, the corporate VC arm of Intermountain Health. Her background also includes work in diagnostics, public-private policy coalitions, and regulatory strategy, with projects tied to healthcare interoperability and pharmaceutical supply chain security. At SpringTide, she works closely with founders, tech teams, and healthcare operators to identify ideas that deserve a shot—and to help them scale with integrity. She has a particular interest in companies driving the consumerization of healthcare, advancing deep tech, and expanding access to wellness.
Gita Deo
Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)
LinkedIn
-
Gita Deo, MPH is a healthcare strategist with a career spanning federal policy, healthcare administration, and consulting. She currently serves as Chief of Staff at the CMS Innovation Center and as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Administrator for CMS, where she advances innovation in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Previously, she was an Associate Partner in Healthcare at McKinsey & Company, advising organizations on system transformation and delivery strategy. Earlier roles at Maimonides Medical Center, CareCentrix, and ARIAD Pharmaceuticals shaped her expertise. Gita holds an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Columbia University and an M.P.H. from the Yale School of Public Health.
Hyojun Han
General Manager, Celemics US
LinkedIn
-
Hyojun Han is the General Manager of Celemics USA, where he leads U.S. business development, strategic partnerships, and the commercialization of NGS target enrichment solutions. He has more than 15 years of experience across NGS technology development, molecular diagnostics, global sales, and product commercialization. Previously, he served as Director of the NGS Business Division and led global sales and R&D initiatives at Celemics.
Jacob Avraham
Co-Founder & CMO, Pinch
LinkedIn
-
Jacob is a dedicated physician and entrepreneur, merging clinical excellence with a passion for innovation, while cherishing his role as a devoted husband and father of three. Dr. Avraham is a trauma and critical care surgeon on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he serves as the Division Chief of Surgical Critical Care. He cofounded Pinch, a health technology startup that delivers concierge aesthetic and wellness care, connecting clients with board-certified medical professionals for premium treatments in the comfort of their own homes.
James Hereford*
President & CEO, Fairview Health Services
LinkedIn
-
James is the Chief Executive officer of Fairview Health Services, one of Minnesota’s leading healthcare organizations. Since joining Fairview in 2016, James has led the organization through significant transformation, including the merger with HealthEast Care System and partnership with the University of Minnesota Physicians faculty practice group and offers access to breakthrough medical research and specialty expertise as part of a continuum of care that reaches all ages and health needs through those relationships. Today, Fairview is the region’s only health system that combines academic medicine with community-based care to drive innovation and improve health outcomes. Known for tackling complex challenges and delivering results, James focuses on creating better outcomes for patients, employees, and the communities Fairview serves. A passionate advocate for making healthcare more equitable and accessible, he is committed to leveraging Fairview’s scale and resources in partnership with local communities through workforce development, local investment, and initiatives that advance community wellbeing.
Jay Calhoun
Managing Partner, Intertribal Holdings
LinkedIn
-
Jay Calhoun is Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Intertribal Holdings. Intertribal is a national partnership of four sovereign Tribal Nations focused on investments in outcome-based healthcare innovations, with particular interest in those that can positively impact rural and Tribal healthcare.
Jared Hollinger
CEO, Sower Investment Partners
LinkedIn
-
As CEO & Sr. Managing Partner of Sower Investment Partners, Jared has over two decades of experience guiding real estate related investments of all types. His investment strategies also include venture capital and debt investments. This experience has been facilitated by a belief in strong systems, processes and partners, coupled with solid industry insight and work ethic. He currently serves on several boards and serves as a Director for Westgate Bank.
Jawad Ali
General Partner, Caravan Health Ventures
LinkedIn
-
Jawad is a practicing surgeon, health technology advocate, and investor. He is the Director of Surgical Services at Central Health, the rapidly expanding county health system for Austin / Travis County. He also has an active clinical practice with more than a decade of experience including trauma/acute care, endoscopy, and robotic surgery. He founded and leads Austin Medtech Connect - the most active health tech ecosystem organization in Central Texas (austinmedtech.org). He is also a general partner at Caravan Health Partners (caravanhealth.vc) - a health tech syndicate uniting exceptional founders with strategic investors with a focus on the large Texas healthcare market.
Jennifer Shannon
CMO, Glacis Technologies, Inc
LinkedIn
-
Jennifer Shannon, MD, is a practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist and physician executive specializing in healthcare AI, digital mental health, and clinical governance. At GLACIS Technologies, she leads efforts to advance AI safety, liability, and evidence infrastructure, helping healthcare organizations deploy trustworthy AI systems. A recognized thought leader at the intersection of medicine, technology, and regulation, Dr. Shannon frequently speaks and writes on AI governance, clinical risk, and responsible innovation, bringing a unique perspective shaped by both frontline clinical practice and digital health leadership.
Joe Braidwood
Founder & CEO, Glacis Technologies, Inc
LinkedIn
-
Joe Braidwood is Co-Founder and CEO of GLACIS Technologies, an AI trust and governance company building infrastructure to help organizations deploy AI safely in high-stakes environments. GLACIS enables enterprises to generate verifiable evidence that AI safeguards and governance controls are operating as intended, with an initial focus on healthcare and other regulated industries. A repeat technology entrepreneur and operator, Joe previously served as Chief Strategy Officer at Vektor Medical, co-founded the social viewing platform Scener, and held a leadership role at SwiftKey, the AI-powered mobile keyboard company acquired by Microsoft. He is also a Resident Expert at the AI2 Incubator, where he supports entrepreneurs building AI-first companies. Joe is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and brings experience spanning AI, healthcare technology, entrepreneurship, and responsible technology deployment to his work at GLACIS.
John Perez
Managing Director, UNC Health Ventures
LinkedIn
-
John Perez is Managing Director at UNC Health Ventures (UNCHV), the early-stage investment fund of UNC Health, where he co-leads strategic venture investments in companies and technologies advancing the future of healthcare. His experience spans healthcare venture capital, digital health, innovation and strategic partnerships, with a focus on connecting promising early-stage companies with health systems. Prior to joining UNCHV in 2024, Perez served as Managing Director at Ballad Health Ventures and as a Director at AVIA. At AVIA, he designed and led the AVIA Venture Network, bringing together more than a dozen health systems representing over $750 million in collective assets dedicated to investing in emerging digital health solutions. Perez earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University.
Joe Platten
Director of Finance, Sower
LinkedIn
-
Joe focuses on underwriting and portfolio management across a range of private investments, from evaluating new opportunities through ongoing portfolio monitoring and reporting. His work includes venture and healthcare investments, where he is involved in both diligence and post-investment analysis. Joe began his career in audit at a Big Four accounting firm, where he spent nearly four years before moving into investment management. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
Jon Lensing*
CEO & Co-Founder, OpenLoop
LinkedIn
-
Jon Lensing is the CEO and co-founder of OpenLoop, a health tech company on a mission to bring healing anywhere by powering virtual care across all 50 states. He co-founded OpenLoop as a medical student at the University of Iowa, drawing on his leadership, research, and technology skills to build it into a leading healthcare infrastructure platform. He was named the University of Iowa's Young Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022 and made the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2024. Under his leadership, OpenLoop has raised millions in funding and won honors including the Technology Association of Iowa's 2022 Prometheus Award for Software Development Company of the Year.
Jon Manis*
CIO, Christus Health
LinkedIn
-
Jonathan Manis is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at CHRISTUS Health, where he leads technology strategy for one of the nation's largest faith-based health systems serving communities across the United States and Latin America. A healthcare IT executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience, he previously served as CIO for Sutter Health, Provena Health, and Advocate Health. Before his healthcare career, Manis served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, participating in combat operations during Panama, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and Haiti. He is a recognized speaker and thought leader on digital transformation, healthcare innovation, and the application of generative AI in healthcare.
Josh Walker
Co-Founder & COO, Nomi Health
LinkedIn
-
Josh is a healthcare executive with more than 20 years of experience driving growth, operational transformation, and market expansion across the United States, Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, and Europe. Known for building high-performing teams and leading complex strategic initiatives, he has worked across provider organizations, biotechnology, and healthcare services. His career includes leadership roles at a leading pediatric health system, Huntsman Biotechnology Corporation, and Optum, where he helped drive global expansion initiatives, operational improvements, and large-scale cost savings. At Optum, he played a key role in establishing global business process operations and launching healthcare initiatives in the Middle East, creating strategic partnerships and strengthening relationships with healthcare regulators. Recognized for his ability to enter new markets, scale organizations, and lead transformation efforts, he is passionate about improving healthcare delivery through innovation, operational excellence, and strategic growth.
Josh Cowdin
CFO, SpringTide
LinkedIn
-
Josh is the CFO of the SpringTide Ventures team. Prior to SpringTide, Josh was the founding CEO of Belltower Fund Group, AngelList’s spin-off of its native fund administration business, where he led the firm through its transition to an independent entity and advanced its mission to deliver institutional-grade, tech-enabled support to venture managers. Josh also served as the CFO and Managing Director of Investor Relations at Banner Capital Management and spent more than a decade in leadership roles at Strata Fund Solutions and Alter Domus, helping grow the platform to hundreds of employees and tens of billions in assets serviced. Josh holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Brigham Young University. As the CFO of SpringTide, Josh brings deep expertise in fund administration, financial operations, and scaling services organizations.
Joseph Rafferty
Managing Member, Eule Health Advisors
LinkedIn
-
Joe Rafferty brings more than 25 years of healthcare leadership experience across academic medical centers, community hospitals, and physician groups. He spent nearly a decade as a hospital CEO, consistently blending strategic vision with disciplined operational execution to strengthen performance and care delivery. Joe excels in financially distressed environments, where his steady leadership and culture‑driven approach help organizations regain stability and momentum. His entrepreneurial drive began early in life and ultimately led to a successful exit in the healthcare sector. He now channels that experience into advising startups on go‑to‑market strategy, operational scaling, and revenue growth. Joe is also deeply committed to supporting U.S. Veterans, working to introduce innovative technologies into the VA and Department of War.
Justin Norden*
Co-Founder & CEO, Qualified Health
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Justin Norden MD, MBA, MPhil is Co-Founder and CEO of Qualified Health - building the infrastructure for Generative AI in healthcare. Additionally, he is an Adjunct Professor at Stanford Medicine in the Department of Biomedical Informatics Research where he teaches the Generative AI and Medicine course. Previously, Dr. Norden was Co-Founder and CEO of Trustworthy AI, a company focused on algorithm safety and trust, which was acquired by Waymo (Google Self-Driving). He was a Partner at GSR Ventures leading AI in healthcare investments, worked on the healthcare team at Apple, and helped start the Stanford Center for Digital Health. Dr. Justin Norden received an MD and MBA from Stanford University, an MPhil in Computational Biology from the University of Cambridge, and a BA in Computer Science from Carleton College. Extracurricularly, Dr. Norden was a professional athlete for the Spiders (ultimate frisbee) - holding the team all-time records for assists and completions. He is a 3x World Champion, 1x professional champion, former Team USA Captain (U24), and D1 University National Champion.
Katie Swenson
Executive Clinical Director, Intermountain Healthcare
LinkedIn
-
U.S. Air Force Academy and Harvard Business Analytics Program graduate, board-certified Physician Associate (PA-C), and seasoned healthcare executive with demonstrated success in developing clinical leaders and driving sustained surgical outcomes at an enterprise level. Adept at infusing innovation at the system level and identifying opportunities for value creation by harnessing the power of business analytics: data science pipelines, data-driven marketing, and data visualization techniques.
Keith Fraidenburg
EVP, COO & Innovation Officer, CHIME
LinkedIn
-
Keith is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating and Innovation Officer for the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), a 14,000-plus member professional organization for healthcare information technology executives and digital health leaders. Mr. Fraidenburg has more than 35 years of experience working in the healthcare industry, including more than 25 years of nonprofit association leadership experience. In his role, he is responsible for providing overall leadership and execution of the organization’s strategic plan while identifying and cultivating new membership growth opportunities in support of the organization’s long-term strategic goals. He also maintains primary responsibility for the organization’s innovation programs and services, business development, international strategy and chapter operations, and its portfolio of education and professional development programs and services. In addition to his responsibilities within CHIME, Mr. Fraidenburg is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). He achieved his MBA from Columbia College and a degree in business administration from Central Michigan University.
Kelly Ko
VP, Technology Ventures & Innovation, Banner Health
LinkedIn
-
Kelly currently serves as the Vice President of Technology Ventures & Innovation at Banner Health, where responsibilities include leading innovation initiatives and managing strategic partnerships. Ko holds board positions at EvoNexus and Privacy Analytics and is an advisory board member for the Zahn Innovation Platform at San Diego State University. Previous experience includes leadership roles at Sharp HealthCare, focusing on innovation and data governance, and West Health, overseeing clinical research funding and initiatives. Ko possesses a strong academic background with a PhD in Psychology from the University of Utah, complemented by an MS in Developmental Psychology and a BA in Psychology.
Kim Muller
Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Biotechology, CU Anschutz, General Partner, CU Healthcare Innovation Fund, Co-Founder, UCHealth CARE Innovation Center, CU Anschutz
LinkedIn
-
Kimberly Muller is the Executive Director of CU Innovations where she leads innovation for the University of Colorado Anschutz. Kimberly’s business development responsibilities include investing, company creation, innovation management, forming key strategic industry partnerships, and licensing. Large-scale industry collaborations have been established in areas such as AI and drug development. She also manages several investment funds, including a $10 million innovation grant fund, a $50 million early-stage venture fund, a $75 million follow-on fund, and partners with UCHealth on a $100 million growth stage fund.
Kimberly joined the University of Colorado from Yale University where she was formerly the Deputy Director of the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute (YEI), and managed New Ventures in the Office of Cooperative Research. During Kimberly’s tenure, Yale’s Office of Cooperative Research started more than 70 new ventures that have raised over $5 billion in investor capital.
Previously, Kimberly started and sold companies in the biotech, tech, and clean energy fields, companies included Curagen Corporation (acquired by Celldex Therapeutics), 454 Life Science (acquired by Roche), and Arbor Fuel, a biofuel company that utilized recombinant microorganisms for the production of ethanol and butanol. Kimberly began her career in New York as a patent attorney for Chadbourne and Parke, LLP.
Kimberly has a graduate degree in Genetics and received her law degree with highest honors from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Khurram Mir
Managing Director, UCI Health
LinkedIn
-
Khurram Mir is an early-stage investor and healthcare executive focused on companies operating in complex, regulated markets. He is the Founding Managing Director of UC Irvine Health Ventures, a $50 million corporate venture platform investing across healthcare technology, AI, medical devices, diagnostics, and life sciences. His portfolio spans AI-native clinical documentation, revenue cycle automation, smart hospital infrastructure, in-home diagnostics, robotics, and next-generation therapeutics. Prior to venture investing, Khurram spent nearly two decades leading technology and digital transformation initiatives within academic health systems, including programs across EHRs, care-at-home, remote monitoring, and AI. His experience as both an investor and health system operator shapes his approach to early-stage investing, with a particular focus on technologies where workflow integration, clinical adoption, and execution determine whether innovation can scale. He also serves as an advisor and board member to early-stage companies and organizations across the healthcare innovation ecosystem. Khurram holds an M.S. in Biomedical Informatics, a B.S. in Public Health, and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), a Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO) through CHIME.
Kent Pickering
Vice President, The University of Texas Medical Branch
LinkedIn
-
Kent Pickering is Vice President at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), where he helps lead strategic initiatives that advance healthcare delivery, innovation, and institutional growth. With extensive experience spanning healthcare operations, academic medicine, and strategic partnerships, Pickering has played a key role in strengthening UTMB's mission across clinical care, education, and research. His work focuses on building collaborations that improve access, operational excellence, and long-term health system performance.
Kristina Emery
Principal, RN, Corewell Health Ventures
LinkedIn
-
Kristina Emery is a Principal at Corewell Health Ventures, where she helps identify, evaluate, and scale innovative healthcare companies that can improve outcomes, enhance operational performance, and advance the future of care delivery. She works at the intersection of clinical operations, innovation, strategy, and venture investment, partnering with early-stage companies, health system leadership teams, and strategic investors to accelerate solutions that address meaningful healthcare challenges.
With more than three decades of healthcare experience, Kristina brings a unique combination of frontline clinical expertise, operational leadership, and innovation-driven venture engagement. Her career began in nursing, where she served patients and caregivers across a variety of hospital settings, including emergency medicine, oncology, surgical services, observation care, and resource management. She later advanced into leadership roles overseeing clinical teams and patient care operations.
Since joining Corewell Health's innovation and venture teams in 2015, Kristina has played a pivotal role in advancing healthcare innovation initiatives and supporting the development, validation, licensing, and commercialization of new healthcare technologies. She has contributed to the launch and growth of numerous healthcare products and startup ventures while helping bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and health system stakeholders.
Today, Kristina supports venture investment and strategic partnership activities across Corewell Health Ventures, connecting emerging companies with clinical, operational, and payer expertise to evaluate real-world impact, accelerate adoption, and create scalable solutions. She actively collaborates with health system executives, innovators, and investment partners nationwide to advance technologies that improve patient, provider, and caregiver experiences.
Kristina earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ferris State University and has completed advanced training in human-centered design, healthcare innovation, venture and entrepreneurship. Her professional development includes certifications from LUMA Institute, IBM Enterprise Design Thinking, Duke University, and VC University through Berkeley Law Executive Education.
A lifelong advocate for the nursing profession and community service, Kristina remains actively involved in honoring the contributions of nurses through her work with regional Nurse Honor Guard organizations. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family, biking, gardening, and supporting her family's Michigan farm.
Kyle Lucal
Principal, Prasco Ventures
LinkedIn
-
Kyle Lucal is a Principal at Prasco Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Prasco and Aprecia, two privately held pharmaceutical companies. Prasco is the leading provider of authorized generics partnering with more than 60 pharmaceutical brand companies. Aprecia pioneers additive manufacturing technologies for next-generation pharmaceuticals. He brings experience across strategic business commercialization, business development, and venture investing. At Prasco Ventures, he collaborates with entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders to identify and support innovative healthcare companies, leveraging strategic capital and industry expertise to help accelerate growth and commercialization. Kyle holds a BS in Finance from Georgetown College (KY).
Kamila Khasanova
CEO & Founder, On Top Strategy
LinkedIn
-
Kamila is the founder and CEO of On Top Strategy, a NYC-based communications firm that works with high-growth startups from seed stage through exit, as well as VCs focused on seed to Series C. Her team helps founders and investors navigate critical moments of scale – developing PR, founder thought leadership, and positioning strategies that drive fundraising and market expansion. With a background in government lobbying and public affairs, Kamila’s team has worked with companies across health tech, fintech, and other verticals whose founders have collectively raised over $500M.
Katie Hughes
Chief Data Officer, Indiana Department of Health
LinkedIn
-
Katie Hughes is Chief Data Officer at the Indiana Department of Health, where she leads the agency's data strategy, governance, and analytics initiatives to improve public health decision-making. She oversees enterprise data programs that connect strategy, compliance, and technology, helping transform complex health data into actionable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities across Indiana. Hughes has more than a decade of experience building data-driven organizations and advancing modern data governance practices in both the public and private sectors. She is an advocate for responsible AI, data literacy, and cross-sector collaboration to improve health outcomes.
Karl Persson
Head of Product & Engineering, Metabody
LinkedIn
-
Karl leads technology at Metabody AI — product, engineering, data, and AI — building a vertically integrated metabolic health platform that unifies licensed clinicians, continuous biosignal monitoring, and AI co-clinicians. He brings 15+ years of shipping products at scale: at Ro, he led platform strategy across commerce, identity, and privacy as the company scaled toward a billion-dollar-plus revenue run-rate, and earlier drove product and data at PE-backed Apple Leisure Group (Bain Capital, KKR), contributing to its $2.7B acquisition by Hyatt. A PhD computer scientist, Karl has built 0-to-1 generative AI products and co-founded a commerce startup through successful exit.
Linh Pham
CEO, Lexi
LinkedIn
-
Linh Pham is the co-founder and CEO of Lexi, an AI-native language access platform for healthcare. A design engineer, researcher, and inventor, she builds inclusive technology at the intersection of AI, design, and healthcare. Born and raised in Vietnam before moving to the United States, Linh experienced firsthand how language barriers can limit access to care and leave people without a voice in critical moments. She holds degrees from Brown University and Harvard University and has led work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Motional, where she worked on autonomous vehicles and the human experience of robotaxis. Her research has been published in ACM and IEEE venues, and she is a named inventor on multiple patents. Guided by the principles of universal design and a commitment to expanding access for underserved communities, Linh founded Lexi with a mission to make healthcare more accessible, so everyone can communicate, understand, and navigate their care with agency and dignity.
Lynne Nowak*
Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Surescripts
LinkedIn
-
Experienced physician executive with deep expertise at the intersection of clinical care, data, interoperability, and healthcare strategy. After 15 years in clinical practice, she has led enterprise initiatives spanning value-based care, digital provider solutions, FHIR interoperability, price transparency, analytics, and product strategy, managing more than $150 million in strategic investments. She is passionate about leveraging technology and data to improve the quality, cost, and experience of healthcare for patients, providers, and payers. Outside of work, she is a proud twin mom, Notre Dame fan, and backyard gardener.
Manu Nair
Associate Chief Business Development Officer, Mayo Clinic
LinkedIn
-
Manu Nair is Associate Chief Business Development Officer at Mayo Clinic, leading technology commercialization, strategic business development, and investment activities, including Mayo’s $770M strategic investment fund. Previously, he held technology commercialization and licensing roles at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and Mayo Clinic Ventures. He serves on several biotech and healthcare boards and advises research and technology organizations. He holds an MBA from Lamar University and an LLM in intellectual property, commerce, and technology law from the University of New Hampshire School of Law.
Mark Davis
MD, Isquared Capital/Axumedge Inc
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Mark A. Davis is an advisor, investor, healthcare leader, and emergency physician driven by a lifelong commitment to improving how care is delivered, in the US and globally. As Senior Advisor to I Squared Capital and President of AxumEdge Global Healthcare, he advises investors, companies, and health systems on where healthcare value is created — strategy, operations, infrastructure build-out, and the margin performance that sustains mission, increasingly through AI and operating efficiencies. His work spans early-stage healthcare companies through mid-market infrastructure platforms in the $300M to $750M+ deal range. Previously, he served as COO of Baptist Health Cancer Care and Miami Cancer Institute, and VP of Global Network Development at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he founded a global health institute and a Harvard School of Public Health fellowship extending care capacity internationally and across rural and Native American communities. Earlier, he was a National Academy of Sciences Visiting Fellow and Scientist at NASA.
Meryl Holt
General Counsel, Cadence
LinkedIn
-
Meryl Holt is General Counsel at Cadence, where she oversees the company’s legal, compliance, policy, communications, and board governance functions. Before joining Cadence, she served as a federal prosecutor and practiced at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York, focusing on internal investigations, regulatory inquiries, and complex civil litigation. Meryl previously served as a New York City Corporation Counsel Honors Fellow and as a Director at the Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama Administration. She began her legal career as a clerk to Judge Joel M. Flaum of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Meryl holds a JD/MBA from Harvard University and a BA from Stanford University.
Matt Scholl
Partner, TrueNorth Health Ventures
LinkedIn
-
Matt is Founder and Partner at TrueNorth Health Ventures, a strategic advisory firm serving emerging-growth and enterprise healthcare organizations. He is also a General Partner at Lemhi Ventures and brings deep experience in healthcare innovation, startup growth, business development, and investing. Previously, Matt held leadership roles at Verily (Google’s life sciences division), where he led business development for the Onduo virtual care platform, and at RedBrick Health, a pioneer in behavior-change and wellness solutions. He began his career in healthcare investment banking at TripleTree, advising healthcare companies on growth, capital formation, and M&A. Matt serves on the board of Mendota Health and holds an MBA from San Diego State University and graduate degrees in psychology and counseling from the University of San Diego.
Mark Michalski
Chief Information Officer, Deerfield
LinkedIn
-
Mark is the CEO of Ascertain and Chief Information Officer at Deerfield Management. Both organizations focus on some of the toughest technology problems in healthcare and life sciences—building systems that support the providers who deliver care and the patients who count on it. Previously, Mark led pan-Amazon healthcare and life sciences partnerships and built AWS’s global AI/ML business development strategy in the sector. Earlier in his career, he was part of the early leadership of two medical device companies that went public ($BFLY, $HYPR), and helped launch the Mass General Brigham AI (formerly the Center for Clinical Data Science). Mark is also a licensed, board-certified radiologist.
Michael Stamatinos
Managing Partner, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Consortium
LinkedIn
-
Michael Stamatinos is a healthcare operator, advisor, and ecosystem builder focused on a mission to facilitate access for 1 million people per day. With 20+ years across healthcare delivery, strategy, and commercialization, he works at the intersection of trust, relationships, and execution. He is the founder of the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Consortium and host of the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, featuring 180+ conversations with healthcare executives, founders, investors, and operators. Michael developed the Relationship Equity Principle™, a framework that leverages trust and value creation to accelerate healthcare adoption. He serves on the boards of the Department of Health System Science at the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine, Home Centered Care Institute, and Aris AI.
Michele Buenafe
Partner, Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius, LLP
LinkedIn
-
Michele Buenafe is a partner at Morgan Lewis, where she serves as practice group leader of the firm's FDA and healthcare practice, leader of its digital health team, and co-leader of its life sciences industry team. She counsels clients on FDA compliance and enforcement matters related to medical devices, combination products, and digital health technologies — including software as a medical device (SaMD), clinical decision support software, telemedicine systems, wearable devices, artificial intelligence systems, and mobile medical apps. She also advises on Drug Enforcement Administration and state regulatory requirements for controlled substances and the distribution and dispensing of drugs and devices, working with clients that range from multinational medical device and technology companies to startups, clinical laboratories, and software developers. She holds a JD with high honors from The George Washington University Law School and a BS from the University of Arizona.
Michael Ha
Senior Equity Research Analyst - Managed Care and Healthcare Facilities, Robert W Baird & Co
LinkedIn
-
Michael Ha is Senior Equity Research Analyst at Baird covering Managed Care and Healthcare Facilities, with a focus on Medicare Advantage and the evolving economics of U.S. healthcare.
His research focuses on mispriced risks, structural shifts, and differentiated views across the healthcare landscape. Recent work has centered on Medicare Advantage risk adjustment, vertical integration, and the long-term sustainability of industry economics.
Prior to equity research, Michael held operating roles in healthcare, including at agilon health and Vantage Oncology. That experience informs a research approach grounded not only in financial analysis, but also in how the healthcare system operates in practice.
He has been featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and has appeared on leading investing podcasts including Steve Eisman’s The Real Eisman Playbook and Prof G Markets. Bloomberg described him as UnitedHealth’s last bear standing.
Mike Walter
SVP, Financial Operations, Atlantic Health System
LinkedIn
-
Mike Walter joined Atlantic Health in September, 2022. Mike is a senior finance, accounting and operating executive with over 25 years of progressive, in-depth insurance and financial services experience, across multiple finance functions in both public and private companies of varying size. Mike oversees the fiscal services, revenue cycle and materials management of the organization and works collaboratively with hospital Presidents and the Executive leadership team to drive operational and financial system improvement.
Prior to joining Atlantic Health, Mike was employed at CareFirst in Baltimore, Maryland where he served most recently as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer responsible for all aspects of finance functions related to Medicare, Medicaid and Federal Employee Programs. Mike was hired into this created role to manage existing government business while launching into Medicaid and Medicare markets and played an integral role as finance lead for Medicaid plan acquisitions.
Before his role at CareFirst, Mike had longstanding careers at MedStar Health Plans, Highmark and Cigna. His experience included roles within financial reporting, investor relations, information technology, and line of business finance and operations. While in those roles Mike directed all enterprise financial planning and analysis and accounting and reporting functions for one of the country’s three largest Blues plans – $15 billion in annual revenues and 5 million members, including Commercial, Medicare, Dental, and Vision, as well as Medicaid and other joint ventures.
Mike began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers serving financial services clients within the greater Washington, DC and Philadelphia markets.
Mike is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and has served as Treasurer and Vice President on several Boards. A few of those being MedStar Family Choice, CareFirst Community Health of Maryland and District of Columbia, and CareFirst Advantage.
Nick Rolfes
Senior Director, DaVita Venture Group
LinkedIn
-
Nick Rolfes leads DaVita’s venture investing strategy. Previously, he was a healthcare private equity investor at Charlesbank Capital Partners and a strategy consultant at Oliver Wyman. He was also on the founding team of Blue Ridge Labs @ Robin Hood, a venture incubator for entrepreneurs building technology products for low-income communities. Nick holds a BA, magna cum laude, in Mathematics, Engineering Sciences, and Economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Palmer Scholar. He lives in Denver with his wife, two daughters, and goldendoodle, Moose.
Nickolas Mark
Managing Partner, Intermountain Ventures
LinkedIn
-
Nickolas is a highly accomplished healthcare industry leader who is deeply committed to addressing the most pressing challenges in healthcare. As the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Intermountain Ventures, a healthcare venture capital fund, Nickolas collaborates with early-stage pioneers, creative entrepreneurs, and mission-driven organizations to drive innovation and transformation in the industry. Prior to co-founding Intermountain Ventures, Nickolas held senior leadership positions at a global investment firm with approximately $50 billion in assets under management. He also worked as a senior advisor at leading consulting firms where he focused on executing innovation and growth-related initiatives for Fortune 500 companies and global organizations. Nickolas has a relentless focus on making a meaningful, measurable, and positive impact in the healthcare industry. He is dedicated to partnering with innovative pioneers, creative entrepreneurs, and mission-driven organizations to drive change and address the biggest challenges in healthcare.
Nicole Eckerson
Operations Director, Giant Shoulders
LinkedIn
-
Nicole is passionate about supporting healtech startups with commercialization design - aligning brand, marketing, and sales to scale revenue. She spent ten years in patient care, initially as a nurse then as a nurse practitioner. In 2019, she pivoted away from the bedside and now brings her attention to detail, strong operations processes, and administration skills to her work at Giant Shoulders, managing both individual projects and business operations. She holds a BSN from UMass Dartmouth and an MS-FNP from Georgetown University.
Noura Abul-Husn
Physician Scientist & Executive, CMO, 23andMe
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Noura Abul-Husn, MD, PhD, is a physician-scientist and global leader in genomic medicine. As Chief Medical Officer of the 23andMe Research Institute, she leads efforts to translate large-scale health data into real-world impact.
Previously, she founded and led the Division of Genomic Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she maintains a faculty appointment and active research program. Her work integrating genomics into routine care has been published in leading journals, shaping population genomic screening standards and informing personalized healthcare at scale.
Dr. Abul-Husn earned her MD and PhD at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Genetics. She believes data-driven, personalized care should be the standard of healthcare, not the exception.
Nizan Friedman
CEO, Tenovi
LinkedIn
-
Nizan Friedman is co-founder and CEO of Tenovi, a healthcare technology company transforming remote patient monitoring through automated, device-agnostic data collection. Under his leadership, Tenovi has developed a plug-and-play cellular platform that seamlessly connects FDA-cleared medical devices with providers, reducing workflow burden while enabling more proactive management of chronic disease. A biomedical engineer and second-time medtech entrepreneur, Friedman is passionate about using connected technologies to shift healthcare from reactive treatment to preventive, data-driven care.
Nina de Lacy
Assistant Professor, University of Utah
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Nina de Lacy is a physician-scientist whose research sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computational science, and mental health. Her laboratory develops machine learning and digital phenotyping approaches to better understand psychiatric illness, predict mental health outcomes, and enable more personalized interventions. Before pursuing medicine, Dr. de Lacy spent a decade in finance and investment banking, bringing a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective to advancing AI-driven precision psychiatry.
Patrick Ostendarp
VP, Innovation & AI Strategy, Rochester Regional Health
LinkedIn
-
Patrick Ostendarp is Vice President of Innovation & AI Strategy at Rochester Regional Health, where he leads efforts to advance artificial intelligence, digital innovation and emerging technologies across the health system. His work focuses on translating new technologies into practical solutions that improve care delivery, clinical workflows and the patient experience. Prior to joining Rochester Regional Health, Ostendarp spent much of his career at Johns Hopkins, holding a series of technology and innovation leadership roles, including within the Johns Hopkins Medicine Technology Innovation Center. He also served as Senior Director at Quil, a digital health company created by Comcast NBCUniversal and Independence Health Group. Ostendarp holds an MS/MBA in Information Systems from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a BS in Information Systems from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Peter Weir
Chief Population Health Officer, University of Utah
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Peter Weir is Chief Population Health Officer at University of Utah Health, where he leads initiatives focused on value-based care, population health strategy, and care delivery transformation. A family physician with a Master of Public Health, Dr. Weir has extensive experience designing innovative care models that improve quality while reducing costs. His work spans Medicaid, post-acute care, employer health, and high-risk population management, with a focus on creating more affordable, accessible, and patient-centered healthcare systems.
Prabhjot Singh*
Senior Advisor & CEO, Peterson Health Technology Institute & Altitude
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Prabhjot Singh, MD, PhD, is Co-Founder and CEO of Altitude, as well as Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives at the Peterson Center on Healthcare and Peterson Health Technology Institute. Most recently, he was Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of CHW Cares (acquired by Oak Street Health, now part of $CVS). He is also the author of Dying and Living in the Neighborhood: A Street Level View of America’s Healthcare Promise (Hopkins Press). Prabhjot completed a BA in history and BS in biology at the University of Rochester. He earned his MD at Weill Cornell and his PhD in neural and genetic systems at Rockefeller University. He is board-certified in internal medicine and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in sustainable development at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. He was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 40th Anniversary Young Leader, Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations Term Member and a Presidential Leadership Scholar.
Omar Perez
Manager, Portfolio Business Affairs, Cedars-Sinai Health System
LinkedIn
-
Omar Perez serves as Manager of Portfolio Business Affairs for Cedars-Sinai Technology Ventures and Accelerator+ initiatives both of which help advance innovative solutions with the potential to transform healthcare and its delivery. He leads engagement across the accelerator’s alumni community, develops partnerships with innovation-focused organizations, and provides strategic and tactical support to help founders and collaborators move promising ideas forward. Through this work, Omar has built relationships with hundreds of organizations and become a sought-after speaker at healthcare innovation conferences and industry events. Omar brings more than 30 years of healthcare experience spanning innovation, business development, strategic partnerships, revenue-cycle services, clinical operations, training, customer experience, and enterprise transformation. He has held leadership positions at Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, and USC, where he led financial, operational, and clinical teams of varying sizes. Throughout his career, he has focused on strengthening organizational performance, developing high-performing teams, and helping people and programs realize their full potential. A natural connector and enthusiastic champion of entrepreneurship, Omar is passionate about bringing together innovators, investors, mentors, and healthcare leaders to transform promising ideas into meaningful solutions. Omar is a native of Alice, Texas—the “Hub City” of South Texas and home of the Fighting Coyotes. A loyal Longhorn, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He has called Los Angeles home for more than 37 years and shares his household—and, presumably, most major decisions—with Frida the Cat.
Nick Archer
VP, Cincinatti Children's
LinkedIn
-
At Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Nick oversees the translation of scientific discovery into real-world impact, shepherding innovations from bench to bedside through technology transfer and venture creation. Prior to Cincinnati Children's, Nick joined Hippocratic AI as an early team member at the seed stage, helping scale the company from its $50M seed funding to a $1.6B Series B valuation. Throughout his career, he has witnessed healthcare's profound shifts while learning a critical truth: innovation alone doesn't create change. A graduate of Oakwood University and an MBA from University of Florida with executive education from Harvard Business School, Nick has served on numerous boards focused on healthcare access and community development. He enjoys spending time with his sons and family and is an avid cyclist and sports enthusiast.
Rafael Torres
SVP, Chief Quality Officer and Medical Director East Post Road Ventures, White Plains Hospital, East Post Road Ventures
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Rafael E. Torres is Chief Quality Officer at White Plains Hospital, where he leads quality, patient safety, clinical performance, and care transformation across inpatient and ambulatory settings. An emergency medicine physician by training, he has spent more than two decades improving healthcare delivery through clinical leadership, operational innovation, and technology-enabled transformation. Dr. Torres also serves as Medical Director of East Post Road Ventures, the hospital’s venture investment arm, where he works with early-stage healthcare companies on clinical diligence, product strategy, implementation, and enterprise adoption. He previously served as Director of Emergency Medicine at White Plains Hospital. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the George Washington University School of Medicine, he also holds an MBA with a certificate in Healthcare Quality.
Rafid Fadul*
CMO, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Rafid Fadul joined ARPA-H in January 2026 and brings a unique combination of clinical expertise and healthcare innovation leadership to his role as the inaugural Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for ARPA-H. In this capacity, he reports to the agency’s Director. After transitioning from bedside practice to healthcare technology entrepreneurship, Fadul has spent the past decade building and scaling companies at the intersection of clinical care delivery, therapeutics, and devices. He joins ARPA-H from Zivian Health, a company he co-founded and led in developing comprehensive healthcare software platforms serving medical providers nationwide, addressing challenges in regulatory compliance, clinical workflow optimization, and data interoperability. Fadul is board-certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, and critical care medicine and holds an M.D. from the George Washington University, as well as an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.
Raja Kamal
Senior Director, NUS Medicine International Council (NIC)
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Raja Kamal is Senior Director of the NUS Medicine International Council (NIC) at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, where he leads a global network of distinguished leaders advancing international collaboration, innovation, and strategic partnerships in medicine and healthcare. Previously, he spent 16 years at Harvard Kennedy School as Director of New Initiatives and International Development, building partnerships with governments, universities, and industry leaders around the world. An economist by training, Dr. Kamal brings deep expertise in global health strategy, institutional advancement, and international engagement, with a focus on connecting healthcare innovation across Asia and the United States.
Roger Carstens*
Senior Fellow; Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, 2020 - 2025, McCain Institute
LinkedIn
-
Ambassador Roger D. Carstens is the inaugural John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Distinguished Senior Fellow. Prior to assuming this role, he served as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. During his tenure, he orchestrated and led negotiations with the Taliban, Syria’s Assad Regime, Venezuela’s Maduro government, the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Belarus, and Foreign Terrorist Organizations such as Yemen’s Houthis, and Mali’s JNIM, returning over 65 Americans during the Trump and Biden Administrations. He is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served in Special Forces and the 1st Ranger Battalion. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and holds master’s degrees from the U.S. Naval War College and St. John’s College.
Ricky Bloomfield*
Chief Medical Officer, Oura
LinkedIn
-
Ricky Bloomfield, MD, is Oura’s Chief Medical Officer, leading its global healthcare strategy, partnerships, regulatory efforts, and expansion of healthcare solutions. Previously, he was Clinical and Health Informatics Lead at Apple, where he helped launch Health Records on iPhone and iPad. At Duke University Health System, he led efforts to improve health-data interoperability through FHIR-based APIs and contributed to digital health research, including a large-scale autism study. He also practiced as a hospitalist in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.
Rick Abramson*
Associate Director for Digital Health and Director of the Digital Health Center of Excellence within the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Rick Abramson is Associate Director for Digital Health and Director of the Digital Health Center of Excellence at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, where he leads efforts on the development, evaluation, and regulation of digital health technologies, including AI and software-based medical devices. A physician-executive with 20+ years of experience across healthcare, technology, and policy, he previously held leadership roles at Annalise-AI, Covera Health, HCA Healthcare, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He has also worked in health policy and strategy at McKinsey, the White House OMB, and Avalere. Dr. Abramson earned degrees from Harvard and Dartmouth and completed medical training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins. He has authored 80+ peer-reviewed publications.
Ryan Howells
Principal, Leavitt Partners
LinkedIn
-
Ryan Howells is a nationally recognized expert in digital health policy and interoperability. Based in Leavitt Partners’ Washington, D.C. office, he collaborates with the private sector, the White House, Congress, HHS, and the VHA to improve health care nationwide. His team at Leavitt Partners wrote a whitepaper in March 2025 called Kill the Clipboard! A Federal Policy and Industry Roadmap to Accelerate Innovation and Cut Administrative Waste.
Since 2016, Ryan has co-led the CARIN Alliance (www.carinalliance.com) which has driven advancements in consumer-directed exchange. CARIN’s work has been adopted by every CMS payer and provider in the country, cited as an “industry best practice” in multiple federal regulations, named in the 2025 CMS Health Tech Ecosystem announcement, and honored with a World Changing Idea Award from Fast Company magazine.
In addition, Ryan partners with CMS and NCQA to advance digital quality measures, works with the Utah Governor’s Office on the nation’s first statewide multi-payer, multi-provider FHIR API interoperability initiative, and collaborates with the VHA and Clinical Architecture on development of the PIQI Alliance (piqiframework.org) to assess patient data quality. A strong advocate for digital identity federation in health care since 2017, he has also contributed to public health data modernization efforts with the CDC and ONC. His mission is to ensure the right data reaches the right person at the right time and place to drive meaningful improvements in health care outcomes.
Previously, Ryan served as General Manager of a digital health product company and now holds board and advisory roles with multiple healthcare and educational organizations. He is a member of the CMS MITA Governance Board, Vice Chair of the Carequality Steering Committee, a DirectTrust Board member, and a member of the HL7 FAST Identity Tiger Team. He holds an MHA from USC and a BA from BYU. Ryan resides in Georgia with his wife, Alison, and their five children.
Russ Branzell
CEO & President, CHIME
LinkedIn
-
Russell P. Branzell is the CEO and President of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and its affiliate associations, the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Security (AEHIS), the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Technology (AEHIT) and the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Applications (AEHIA). In addition to his position at CHIME, he serves on the faculty at CHIME University and Columbia University, where he teaches executive classes in health information technology. He also is a member of the Baldrige Foundation Board and a former member of the Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a position that was appointed by the Secretary of Commerce.
Mr. Branzell joined CHIME as President and CEO in April 2013 after being an active member for 15 years. He served on the CHIME Board of Trustees from 2004-2008, as chair of the CHIME Education Committee from 2004-2008 and as chair of the CHIME Education Foundation.
Prior to taking his position at CHIME, he was the CEO at the Colorado Health Medical Group; Vice President of Information Services and CIO for Poudre Valley Health System; President/CEO of Innovation Enterprises (PVHS' for-profit IS entity); and Regional Deputy CIO and Executive Director of Information Services for Sisters of Mercy Health System in St. Louis, MO. He served on active duty in the United States Air Force and retired from the Air Force Reserves in 2008. While on active duty, he held numerous healthcare administration positions, including CIO for the Air Mobility Command Surgeon General’s Office.
A native of San Antonio, Mr. Branzell earned an undergraduate degree in business administration, specializing in human resource management and labor relations from the University of Texas. In addition, he earned a master’s degree in Aerospace Science from Embry-Riddle University with an emphasis in management.
Ryan Morley
Partner, SpringTide
LinkedIn
-
Ryan is a partner at SpringTide with experience driving innovation within health systems and in startup environments. Prior to SpringTide, Ryan helped pioneer population health models within the University of Utah Health delivery and payer arms. Ryan was the CFO of a digital health platform, TruClinic, and led its acquisition by InTouch Health, which was subsequently acquired by Teladoc. Ryan also served as the National Deputy Finance Director for Senator Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. He is a board director at OpenLoop, Troomi, Paterna Biosciences, and IgniteData. He is a board observer at Aegle Health Partners and Okadoc.
Rishi Soni
Director, Cain Brothers
LinkedIn
-
Rishi is a Director focused on mergers and acquisitions and growth equity financing transactions for clients in the health tech sector with a particular focus across areas of provider tech, payor tech, and digital health. Rishi has over 12 years of experience advising both public and private companies in a variety of transactions across healthcare services and technology. Rishi joined the firm in 2025 from Oppenheimer, where he served as an Executive Director. Prior to Oppenheimer, Rishi was a member of Deutsche Bank and UBS’ healthcare investment banking groups. Rishi earned a BS in Business Administration with a Finance concentration from Northeastern University.
Ryan Kenney
VP of Strategy Enablement, Nebraska Medicine
LinkedIn
-
Ryan Kenney serves as Vice President of Strategy Enablement at Nebraska Medicine, where he leads enterprise strategy, AI engineering and analytics, performance improvement, and data-driven transformation initiatives across one of the region’s most innovative academic health systems. In this role, Ryan partners with executive and clinical leaders to align organizational priorities, drive execution of strategic growth plans, and translate complex insights into actionable outcomes for patients, providers, and the community.
Ryan James
CEO, Dopl Technologies
LinkedIn
-
Ryan James, PhD, is Co-Founder and CEO of Dopl Technologies, where he is building AI-powered telerobotic technology to expand access to diagnostic ultrasound and procedural care. He previously worked in software and AI at Microsoft and NVIDIA and earned his PhD in Biomedical and Health Informatics from the University of Washington.
Saharsh Patel
CEO, Noble Forum
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Saharsh Patel is a physician, entrepreneur, and healthcare technology leader focused on building the next generation of digital health infrastructure. Saharsh is the co-founder and CEO of Noble, a nationwide leadership platform for physician executives, and the Managing Partner of Patient Capital, an early-stage healthcare AI venture fund. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Canvas Medical, where he built an agentic ambulatory EHR for modern care delivery. He is a recognized voice on the future of healthcare technology, physician leadership, and AI-enabled care delivery.
Sahir Jaggi
CEO, Forus
LinkedIn
-
Sahir Jaggi is the founder and CEO of Forus, an AI-powered healthcare infrastructure company transforming how patients access prescription medications. Founded in 2023 (originally as Tandem), Forus automates the complex administrative workflows that occur after a prescription is written—including prior authorizations, affordability programs, pharmacy routing, and patient communication—to help patients start treatment faster. Today, the platform supports thousands of physician practices and health systems nationwide and works with leading biopharma companies to accelerate access to innovative therapies. Before founding Forus, Jaggi spent nearly six years at Oscar Health, where he led product strategy and developed deep expertise in payer operations and medication access. He earned a degree in biomedical engineering from Columbia University and was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare list. Under his leadership, Forus has emerged as one of healthcare's fastest-growing AI companies, raising more than $160 million from investors including Thrive Capital, General Catalyst, and Accel.
Scott Barlow
Executive Director, One Utah Health Collaborative
LinkedIn
-
Scott is Executive Director of the One Utah Health Collaborative, a statewide nonprofit initiative focused on improving healthcare outcomes, affordability, and patient experience across Utah. He also serves, alongside his wife Collette, as Executive Director of the Volunteer Care Clinic in Provo. Previously, Scott was CEO of Revere Health from 2001 to 2025, leading its growth from 19 providers to more than 400 providers across 100+ locations in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. Under his leadership, Revere became a national leader in value-based care, achieving significant improvements in quality and cost outcomes through CMS healthcare reform programs. A frequent speaker on healthcare transformation, Scott has served on numerous state and national boards and is recognized for advancing practical approaches to better outcomes, lower costs, and improved patient experiences. He holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Utah and an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Westminster University.
Siddarth Ur
Co-Founder & CPO, Lexi
LinkedIn
-
Sid is a creative and empathetic being. He has been listed in Forbes India 30 under 30, 2023. He has been awarded 85 international design awards for his work that focuses on saving & improving people’s lives globally through meaningful design solutions. He believes design is a mindset, a thought process, & a mental state in which you strive to provide purpose-driven, meaningful design solutions for the betterment of the people, planet, & beyond. He is excited about Healthcare, Social Impact, & Space Exploration.
Sharad Mishra
Director, LabCorp
LinkedIn
-
Sharad is Director of Venture Investments at Labcorp and also serves as a Venture Partner at DigitalDx Ventures and Cancer Fund. A physician by training and a healthcare investor and operator for more than 20 years, he has worked across diagnostics, oncology, digital health, care delivery, and medical technology. His life and work across Asia, the Middle East, the UK, and the US have given him a global perspective on healthcare innovation. At Labcorp, Sharad leads strategic investments in emerging healthcare technologies and diagnostics, partnering with startups to evaluate new diagnostic platforms, care models, and commercialization opportunities. At DigitalDx Ventures, he invests in early-stage diagnostics companies while also working closely with founders on strategy, clinical validation, market access, and growth. Previously, he was part of UnitedHealth Group’s R&D Ventures team, where he supported investments and innovation initiatives focused on care access and delivery across oncology, neurology, and other specialty areas.
Shakira Grant
CEO, CROSS Global Research & Strategy
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Shakira J. Grant is a physician executive, hematologist-oncologist, and nationally recognized leader in healthcare AI governance. As founder and CEO of CROSS Global Research & Strategy, she advises health systems, life sciences organizations, and technology companies on responsible AI implementation, clinical strategy, and regulatory readiness. Her work focuses on translating complex clinical, policy, and ethical considerations into practical governance frameworks that support safe, equitable, and scalable AI adoption. Prior to founding CROSS Global, Dr. Grant served as the ASH?AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow and a Health Policy Advisor to the U.S. House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, where she advised congressional leaders on AI governance, Medicare policy, and digital health legislation. She is also the founder of GrantLab, a research laboratory dedicated to advancing health equity and access to cancer care, and contributes to global AI governance initiatives through organizations including the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), HealthAI-The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health, and URAC.
Staci Roberts
CEO, Prolucent
LinkedIn
-
Staci is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth and transforming organizations through strategic planning, sales leadership, and scalable business solutions. Passionate about leveraging data-driven insights to optimize processes and create lasting client relationships, Staci is equally dedicated to mentoring future leaders and building agile, innovative teams that deliver long-term success.
Stephen Saine
Foundeer & CEO, Any Biosignal, Inc.
LinkedIn
-
Stephen Saine is the founder and CEO of AnyBio, the infrastructure health AI runs on, from the sensor to the record. AnyBio enables teams in clinical care, digital health, and research to put AI to work on the data patients generate between visits, without first building the governance and compliance foundation themselves. Now signals get a response, not just an alert.
Sudha Jayaraman
Medical Director, Clinical Strategy and Research, Suki AI
LinkedIn
-
Sudha Jayaraman, MD, MSc, FACS, is Medical Director of Clinical Strategy and Research at Suki, where she leads clinical research, product strategy, and governance for ambient AI in healthcare. A practicing trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist at the University of Virginia, she brings frontline clinical expertise to the safe and effective adoption of AI. Previously, she served as Professor of Surgery and Director of the Center for Global Surgery at the University of Utah, leading global health innovation initiatives across six countries. An NIH-funded researcher, she has authored more than 110 publications and is widely recognized for her work advancing healthcare AI, digital health, and global emergency care systems.
Sunil Budhrani*
Chief Strategy & Medical Officer, Judi Health
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Sunil Budhrani is the Chief Strategy and Medical Officer at Judi Health, where he is responsible for innovative clinical offerings and partnerships, expansion of Judi® platform capabilities, enhanced pharmacy benefit management (PBM) and administration solutions, and continued success with membership growth. He is a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine Physician on the George Washington University School of Medicine faculty and has managed departments and practiced at several other leading institutions nationwide. Dr. Budhrani brings decades of experience as a physician executive to Judi Rx, having most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer of Innovation Health, a first-of-its-kind payer-provider partnership between CVS/Aetna and one of the largest health systems in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area, INOVA Health System. In addition to his roles in hospital settings, Dr. Budhrani also founded one of the first national end-to-end telemedicine solution companies, CareClix Telemedicine, and prior to that, a multi-sited, regional Urgent Care system, PrimeMed Urgent Care Systems. He also served as the first Chief Medical Officer of the Affordable Care Act health plan, Evergreen Health Care, for the State of Maryland.
Sean Sondej
Health System Partnerships, Vega Health
LinkedIn
-
Sean Sondej is Director of Health System Partnerships at Vega Health, where he works with health systems to accelerate the responsible adoption and scaling of artificial intelligence across clinical and operational settings. A seasoned healthcare executive, he previously held leadership roles at Amazon, One Medical, and Duke University Health System, where he led large-scale service line strategy, operations, and innovation initiatives. With more than two decades of experience spanning health system operations, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships, Sondej brings a practical perspective on translating emerging technologies into measurable improvements in patient care and health system performance.
Seth Ciabotti
Managing Director, Alvarez and Marsal
LinkedIn
-
Seth Ciabotti brings over 20 years of leadership experience driving transformation across major health systems and academic medical centers. He has held senior roles at organizations including Mount Sinai Health System and Trinity Health, where he led initiatives in ambulatory expansion, digital integration, and physician enterprise growth.
As Chief Executive Officer of MSU Health Care, Inc., Seth led the organization’s transformation into a modern, statewide healthcare delivery network. Under his leadership, the enterprise achieved profitability within three years, established key joint ventures, and formed public-private partnerships to enhance digital health, patient access, and service line growth.
With deep expertise in physician enterprise, capacity management and operational excellence, Seth advises healthcare organizations on designing and implementing scalable solutions that improve patient access, streamline operations, and optimize resource utilization.. He serves on multiple healthcare and innovation boards, holds an MHA from Hofstra University and a BS in Biology from the University at Albany, and was recognized by Becker’s as a top academic medical center CEO (2023) and one of 2025’s Great Leaders in Healthcare.
Thad Davis
Managing Director, Cain Brothers
LinkedIn
-
Thad is a Managing Director and leads coverage of Healthcare Technology and Services. Thad is responsible for client coverage across healthcare technology including revenue cycle, payor and employer services, interoperability, analytics, and digital health. He is also the Head of Healthcare Private Placements encompassing Cain’s activity in minority stake sales, growth equity placement, and venture capital financings. Thad has over 20 years of experience advising private and public clients on their strategic and capital priorities.
Thad joined the firm in 2024 from Leerink where he served as a Senior Managing Director. Prior to Leerink, Thad was a Managing Director at HSBC and Jefferies within their respective global healthcare teams. Thad was also a Manager of Strategy with Caremark.
Thad earned his Bachelor of Science in Management from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Thad is also an active adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota.
Tom Lindquist
Chief Growth & Strategy Officer, Medica
LinkedIn
-
Tom Lindquist is Chief Growth & Strategy Officer at Medica, where he leads the organizations markets and segments, managing segment strategy, product development, performance, client relationships, network strategy and contracting teams, as well as marketing and customer experience. In addition, he has responsibility for developing and executing strategic growth plans to achieve our objectives across our service areas.
Tom brings extensive healthcare experience including serving as Medicare Region President – Wellcare at Centene. In addition, he has held roles as President & Chief Executive Officer – Ascension Comp at Centene, CEO at the Allina Health | Aetna joint venture, President at Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, and roles with Ochsner Health Plan, UnitedHealth Group, and AccentCare/Texas Home Health.
Tom earned his bachelor's degree in management from the University of Texas - Arlington and his MBA in Finance from the University of Houston.
Tom Cassels
Managing Director, LabCorp
LinkedIn
-
Before AnyBio, he was co-founder and CTO of GreenLight Medical, a hospital supply-chain platform used by hundreds of hospitals, acquired by symplr in 2022. He serves as a technology partner for Springtide Ventures and is based in San Francisco.
Tino Chow
CEO & Founder, Giant Shoulders
LinkedIn
-
Tino Chow is the CEO and founder of Giant Shoulders, a commercialization design agency that helps healthtech founders turn innovation into revenue. A military officer turned designer who began his career during the 2008 recession, Tino has spent fifteen years learning one lesson the hard way: even a world-changing product won't create lasting impact without a sustainable business model. At Giant Shoulders, he helps companies integrate their brand, marketing, and sales to drive demand, shorten sales cycles, and build buyer trust. Tino holds a degree from Rhode Island School of Design and is a TED Fellow.
Tracy George
Presidentand CSO, ARUP Laboratories
LinkedIn
-
Dr. George is the President of the Innovation Business Unit and Chief Scientific Officer at ARUP Laboratories and a professor of pathology at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah. She completed her MD and residency training in anatomic pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of California San Francisco, with fellowships in hematopathology and surgical pathology at Stanford University. Dr. George is board certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, and hematology by the American Board of Pathology. Her research interests include mast cell disease and laboratory hematology. Dr. George is the Past-President for the International Society for Laboratory Hematology and a co-founder of the American Initiative in Mast Cell Diseases. She received the College of American Pathologists Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and has been honored by Utah Business magazine as a 2022 Healthcare Hero.
Umar Farooq
EVP Healthcare Services, Premera
LinkedIn
-
Umar is Executive Vice President of Healthcare Services at Premera Blue Cross and former Chief Strategy Officer. He is a healthcare executive with extensive experience in health plan strategy, operations, growth, and value-based care across Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial markets. Previously, he served in senior leadership roles at Lumeris Health Plan, Commonwealth Care Alliance, and Centene Corporation, where he led market expansion, payer-provider partnerships, and healthcare transformation initiatives. Umar is recognized for building innovative managed care models and advancing value-based healthcare delivery.
Walt Kuhn
Sr. Director, Government Relations & External Engagement, Oura
LinkedIn
-
Walt Kuhn is a public policy leader at ŌURA, where he works at the intersection of healthcare, technology and government affairs. He helps advance Oura’s engagement with policymakers and healthcare leaders around digital health, interoperability, data-driven care and the role of wearable technology in improving health outcomes. Prior to joining Oura, Kuhn held public policy and government affairs roles at Apple and Shopify, bringing experience navigating complex policy issues at two of the world’s leading technology companies. His background spans technology, consumer innovation, entrepreneurship and government engagement. At Oura, Kuhn applies this experience to help connect consumer health technology with the broader healthcare ecosystem.
Willie Underwood
President, American Medical Association
LinkedIn
-
Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH is the 181st President of the American Medical Association and a board-certified urologist with more than 25 years of surgical experience. A nationally recognized expert in health policy and health care disparities, he previously served as Chair of the AMA Board of Trustees and has held leadership roles across numerous health care organizations. Dr. Underwood is a TEDx speaker, NIH-funded researcher, inventor, and author of more than 120 peer-reviewed publications. He also holds a certificate in artificial/augmented intelligence in health care from Harvard Medical School.
Whitney Taylor
Project Manager, SpringTide
LinkedIn
-
Whitney started her career as a neurotrauma nurse and later helped onboard more than 500 clinicians during a hospital expansion at CHOC Children’s Hospital in California. Since then, she’s supported flu and COVID clinics in Manhattan, served as a writing coach for Gantry Group, led essay prep for college-bound students through her own business, and helped raise over $250,000 as PTA Co-President for a New York City public school.
Will Hay
Co-Founder and CEO, Murphy AI
-
Will Hay is the co-founder and CEO of Murph, a personal AI health assistant that helps people reach their health goals. He previously co-founded Collective, where he led product as the company grew to more than 250,000 monthly active users and raised approximately $6 million. He studied computer science at Georgia Tech.
Tom Chvala
Director of Investor Relations, Sower
LinkedIn
-
Tom Chvala is a sixth-generation American entrepreneur from rural Nebraska with over a decade of experience in real estate and private equity investments across multiple asset classes, including venture capital and commercial real estate. Tom holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) with a Real Estate Concentration from the University of Nebraska College of Law, a Master’s in Real Estate from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness/Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Tina Hernandez-Boussard
Board Member, CHAI
LinkedIn
-
Dr. Tina Hernandez-Boussard is Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Medicine, Biomedical Data Science, Surgery, and Epidemiology & Population Health at Stanford University School of Medicine. An internationally recognized leader in biomedical informatics and responsible AI, her research leverages real-world clinical data to improve healthcare quality, advance health equity, and guide the safe deployment of artificial intelligence in medicine. She has published more than 230 scientific articles, is a Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics, and serves on the Board of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), where she helps shape standards for trustworthy AI in healthcare.
Zach Boyd
Director, Utah Office of AI Policy
LinkedIn
-
Zach Boyd, PhD, is the Director of the Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy — the first-in-the-nation state office established to foster AI innovation, protect consumers, and study how the technology works. Created by the Utah Legislature in 2024, the office pairs a "learning lab" that produces legislative recommendations with regulatory mitigation agreements that let AI innovators experiment under temporary relief from legal barriers — an approach that has inspired model legislation nationally. In healthcare, the office has approved demonstration projects testing AI for prescription drug renewals and certain dental diagnoses, with priorities including access, rural needs, and healthcare workforce retention. Dr. Boyd is on long-term leave from Brigham Young University, where he teaches applied and computational mathematics; his research lab focuses on AI, machine learning, and mathematical modeling in social science applications. He was previously a postdoctoral research associate at UNC Chapel Hill, an NDSEG Fellow at UCLA, and a research associate at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Zain Kazmi
Chief Digital & Analytics Officer, University of Texas Health System
LinkedIn
-
Zain serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor, Chief Digital & Analytics Officer in Health Affairs at the University of Texas System. He leads several UT health enterprise-wide, strategic initiatives and collaborations in areas of digital health, technology and EMR optimization, data and AI, pharmacy services, patient access, nursing, and strategy. He’s currently leading the creation and execution of the “One UT Health” strategic framework. Zain is also a digital health investor.
Zach Taft
CEO, IgniteData
LinkedIn
-
Zach is a healthcare executive with a record of accomplishment leading business development and growth at Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurial success through three acquisitions and academic medical center thought leadership shown through the co-founding of MSK’s Clinical Research Innovation Center. Visionary Innovator motivated by developing strategies and delivering industry-first products that enable clinical efficiencies and improve patient care within the healthcare arena.