Speaker Faculty

Afsana Akhter

Chair, Digital Health Forum, MIT Alumni Assn.

Afsana Akhter

Chair, Digital Health Forum, MIT Alumni Assn.

Afsana Akhter’s career spans Tech and Digital Health. Most recently, Afsana was the CEO of Amelia Virtual Care, a VR and Virtual Care Platform for Mental Health. In her commercial leadership roles at Livongo Health, Prealize Health, and Medullan, Afsana promoted the adoption of Digital Health solutions by Payers, Providers, Employers, and Consumers. Afsana is passionate about improving the quality, access, and affordability of healthcare while also empowering people to better manage their own health through better use of technology. Afsana holds BS and MEng degrees in Engineering from MIT and is the chair of the Digital Heath forum of MIT’s Alumni Association.

Shawn was most recently senior vice president at Reservoir Communications Group where he led communications and public affairs strategy and execution on a range of relevant issues, including 340B and the drug supply chain, employer-sponsored insurance regulations, and Medicare payment. He has a strong history of healthcare advocacy and public affairs with employers, plans, hospitals, and consumer organizations. Shawn was previously director of health policy for the Purchaser Business Group on Health, a member of the National Alliance, where he ran efforts to improve quality and affordability for consumers and healthcare purchasers through federal policy. He has held senior leadership roles at Families USA, and America’s Essential Hospitals. Shawn began his career as a lobbyist for the Children’s Hospital Association. He achieved a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University in Washington and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA.

Casey Albert

Managing Partner, SteelSky Ventures

Casey Albert

Managing Partner, SteelSky Ventures

Casey Albert is a Managing Partner at SteelSky Ventures, where she invests in high-growth early-stage women’s health companies. She has invested in consumer, digital and health infrastructure on behalf of leading healthcare companies like Johnson & Johnson and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and now invests alongside Google Ventures, Emerson Collective, and others. Casey founded and was CEO of Kangu, a maternal health tech platform that was acquired in 2018, and was on the founding team of Kiva, which has facilitated billions of dollars in loans to female entrepreneurs in the US and globally. Earlier in her career, Casey advised and led innovation teams in both the private and public sectors, often building bridges between the two. She graduated magna cum laude with a BA from Wellesley College and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Jaclyn Lewis Albin, MD

Medical Director, Food is Medicine Innovation, Center for Innovation and Value Parkland Health; Founding Director, Culinary Medicine Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Jaclyn Lewis Albin, MD

Medical Director, Food is Medicine Innovation, Center for Innovation and Value Parkland Health; Founding Director, Culinary Medicine Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Dr. Albin is board certified in lifestyle medicine and is a certified culinary medicine specialist (CCMS). She teaches nutrition through hands-on cooking classes to students, health care professionals, and the community. She developed the first Culinary Medicine (CM) Clinical Service Line in the United States, integrating a variety of interprofessional CM consults into patient care. She also serves as the founding Associate Program Director for the combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program and remains dedicated to educational innovation in a variety of domains.

Dr. Albin serves as the inaugural Medical Director of Food is Medicine Innovation in the Center for Innovation at Value at Parkland Health. Through partnership with innovation and data science experts, she builds creative collaboratives with community organizations to advance sustainable strategies promoting food security and health equity.

Dr. Albin serves on the national American College of Culinary Medicine Advisory Board, is an Organization Member of the international Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, and studies the impact of culinary medicine in medical education, community settings, and patient care. Dr. Albin is a sought-after speaker, media source, and scientific voice in Culinary Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, and food is medicine spaces. She is passionate about disruptive innovation within healthcare to promote multisector collaboration and drive positive change at a population health level. In her free time, she loves to travel, read, garden, and cook delicious, nourishing food that her adolescent children will actually eat!

Denise Algire

Director of Health, Albertsons Companies

Denise Algire

Director of Health, Albertsons Companies

Denise Algire is the Director of Health for Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the U.S. Ms. Algire is a nationally recognized expert in healthcare including population health and value-based care models. She leads Albertsons Companies Food is Medicine programs focused on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), nutrition and wellbeing strategies nationally.

Laura Allred

Director, Alliance Partnerships, Uber Health

Laura Allred

Director, Alliance Partnerships, Uber Health

Laura leads Payer and Alliance Partnerships at Uber Health. She joins Uber from LetsGetChecked, a diagnostics platform, where she served as the Director of Business Development. Laura helped commercialize new delivery models for diagnostic testing and partnered with health insurance companies to design their population screening protocols, and leverage data for personalized patient experiences. Laura's focus on being patient first was sparked by her time spent at Athenahealth and her early career years as in practice management at a large primary care clinic. She earned her bachelor's degree in Human Health from Emory University and lives in New York, NY with her husband.

Lydia C. Alexander, MD

President Elect, Obesity Medicine Association; Chief Medical Officer, Enara Health

Lydia C. Alexander, MD

President Elect, Obesity Medicine Association; Chief Medical Officer, Enara Health

Dr. Lydia C. Alexander is a renowned medical professional, with certifications from the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. As a medical chef, she combines her medical expertise with her passion for healthy cooking. Dr. Alexander earned her B.A. in International Relations and Spanish from Tufts University, with a minor in Political Science, and her M.D. from UC Davis School of Medicine. Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Alexander completed her residency training at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, where she also served as Chief Resident. Her accolades include the 2018 Obesity Medicine Clinician of the Year Award and the 2019 Dr. Raymond E. Dietz Meritorious Service Award.

Samantha Citro Alexander

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, bitewell

Samantha Citro Alexander

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, bitewell

Samantha Citro Alexander is the CEO & Co-Founder of bitewell – the nutrition intelligence company on a mission to improve the world's health through food. As the Chief Executive Officer of bitewell, Sam is pioneering food as a healthcare benefit.

Steven C. Anderson, FASAE, CAE, IOM

President and Chief Executive Officer, The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

Steven C. Anderson, FASAE, CAE, IOM

President and Chief Executive Officer, The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

Steven C. Anderson FASAE, CAE, IOM is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), a position he assumed in 2007.

Steve also serves as Chairman of the NACDS Foundation, whose mission is to utilize and support education, research, and charitable involvement to help people improve their health and quality of life through an understanding of medication therapy, and the importance of taking medications appropriately.

Steve is the Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). In 2020, ASAE selected Steve as a Fellow, one of the association community’s highest honors.

Steve served three terms on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and he currently serves on the U.S. Chamber Foundation Advisory Committee, and the U.S. Chamber’s Association Committee of 100, and several other U.S. Chamber committees. Steve served as Chairman of the National Board of Trustees of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management. Before he joined NACDS, Steve was President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Restaurant Association. Prior to that, Steve held several management positions at the American Frozen Food Institute before becoming the national trade association’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Before he entered the association profession, Steve was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives from the 16th Congressional District of Illinois. Prior to his candidacy, Steve served as a senior staff member to Congressman John B. Anderson (no relation), the Chairman of the House Republican Conference and the third ranking Republican in the House of Representatives.

Steve currently serves on the Board of Visitors of the Wake Forest University School of Business, and Elon University’s President’s Advisory Council. Steve was the Paul E. Wise Executive in Residence at the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. He served for ten years on the Board of Trustees of Cornell College, and on the Advisory Board of Cornell’s Berry Center for Economics, Business, and Public Policy. Former Secretary of State General Colin L. Powell named Steve to the Board of Trustees of America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth, which was founded by Powell.

Jim Arnold

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, finHealth

Jim Arnold

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, finHealth

Jim founded finHealth in 2014, with a mission to “Simplify & Control Healthcare Costs” for innovative, self-funded employers. By offering exceptional transparency to their medical and PBM data, finHealth’s proprietary “Analytics-as-a-Service” business model and cost containment methodologies enable employers to systematically take back control of their healthcare expenditures. Our powerful AI-enabled platform empowers employers to independently verify that claims are being paid accurately, only for eligible employees, spouses, and their dependents, and at competitive market prices. Industry leading insights aid employers in crafting a health plan strategy that simultaneously drives down costs while improving the quality of care by successfully integrating Prepayment Claim Vetting, Plan Design, Payment Integrity, Contract Compliance, Utilization Management, Site of Care Optimization, Network Management, Population Health, Employee Education, Member Advocacy and more.

In his prior life, Jim founded a company called APEX Analytix that fulfilled a similar mission, for non-healthcare expenditures via Procurement and Accounts Payable. Founded in 1988, Jim and team were able to grow a one-man operation into what is today a $100 million+ revenue global company that currently serves over 250 Fortune 500 clients with audit services and technology. By applying these same proven supply chain methodologies to healthcare, finHealth is “fixing healthcare” one self-funded employer at a time. Much like APEX, finHealth’s approach achieves success for our clients through a combination of education, benchmarking, cost transparency, powerful data analytics and proprietary algorithms.

Charles Aunger

Chief Executive Officer and Founder, HEAL Security, INC

Charles Aunger

Chief Executive Officer and Founder, HEAL Security, INC

Charles Aunger is an internationally recognized IT professional, with over 27 years of experience in leading the development, operation, and transformation of technology solutions to achieve strategic business goals for global organizations across the healthcare sector. He has filed twelve patents on technology and healthcare solutions, five of which have been issued to date. His key skills include strategizing, developing and delivering advanced technology initiatives with a focus on operational improvement and maximizing ROI. A proven team-builder, he has successfully forged collaborative partnerships with major IT vendors to deliver innovative software solutions for healthcare organizations in the US, UK, Europe, Australasia and the Middle East.He is a Council Member and subject matter expert at GLG for technical due diligence and market analysis for private equity, venture capital and investment firms, with a special focus on security, cloud, mobility, software applications, and the healthcare sector.

As well as leading transformative IT projects within the healthcare sector, Charles is a trusted advisor and spokesperson on digital change and next-generation service delivery. He is an official member of Forbes Technology Council, an ELITE Group Executive and Distinguished Fellow by Royal Charter of the British Computer Society since 2014, one of only 29 Citrix Technology Professionals in the world, and was previously a Certified Microsoft Solutions Provider.

Career history
Charles is currently Managing Director of Technology at Health2047, a division of the American Medical Association (AMA), where he leads a major initiative to transform healthcare IT, including defining mobile application and data access standards for the entire US healthcare sector. As part of his role, he is responsible for liaising with institutional and corporate investors to secure funding for several start-up technology companies, as well as being involved in the $150 million AMA technology fund.He was previously Senior Executive IT Director at Stanford Healthcare, where he led the team delivering innovative technology services to over 15,000 personnel across 64 facilities. A Fellow of the British Computer Society since 2014, over the course of his career in the healthcare sector he has held senior consultancy, technical architect and director-level positions at BUPA Healthcare, Accenture, KPMG, Microsoft and Glaxo Wellcome.

David Banks

Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, AdventHealth

David Banks

Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, AdventHealth

David Banks is the chief strategy officer and senior executive vice president at AdventHealth. In this role, he oversees the strategic vision and provides oversight to the acceleration and performance of AdventHealth’s transformation agenda. David is also responsible for strategic planning and corporate communications. Further, he serves as the group CEO for two divisions: the Primary Health Division and the Multi-State Division.

The Primary Health Division drives the diversification of AdventHealth’s service offerings outside hospitals to increase success in taking delegated risk. David oversees the assembly of all services needed to become a health care provider in consumers’ homes, as well as the maintenance and growth of an integrated consumer digital interface.

The Multi-State Division spans five regions comprised of 22 campuses across eight states. David oversees the strategic direction, development, and expansion of entire division. Two of these regions are anchored in the strength of national partnerships for regional relevance – University of Chicago Medicine in the Chicago market, and Texas Health Resources in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. With leadership in both relationships and executive oversight into the boards across the division, David champions the growth and development of AdventHealth outside of Florida. Previously, he served as senior vice president and chief strategy officer for AdventHealth hospitals throughout Florida. Banks has also held positions as administrator for AdventHealth Celebration (formally Florida Hospital Celebration Health) and AdventHealth Kissimmee (formally Florida Hospital Kissimmee), senior vice president of multi-campus administration for AdventHealth campuses in Central Florida and administrator for AdventHealth Orlando (formally Florida Hospital Orlando).

Banks earned a master's degree in nonprofit administration from the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland, and a bachelor's degree from Pacific Union College. He is an active participant in AdventHealth's community involvement program, which supports several nonprofits in Central Florida. In the past, he has served as co-chair of the executive board for the American Heart Association of Central Florida, chairman for Community Vision and on the board of YMCA of Central Florida.

Josh Berlin

Chief Executive Officer, rule of three, LLC

Josh Berlin

Chief Executive Officer, rule of three, LLC

Josh brings more than 25 years of experience, most of which has been in healthcare advisory, service to his clients. Most recently, he has served as Principal and Co-Practice Leader of Citrin Cooperman’s Healthcare Practice and Managing Partner for IBM Watson Health’s Strategic Advisory Practice, leading a unique group of consultants in each instance to serve clients across the full healthcare ecosystem (Providers, Payers, Employers, Governments, Advocacy, etc.). Previous to those roles, he served as a Principal in the healthcare consulting practice at Dixon Hughes Goodman (now FORVIS), helping to lead their Strategy Consulting business. Prior to which, he served as a leader in all versions of KPMG (KPMG Consulting/BearingPoint and KPMG). Currently, he serves on the Boards of the Validation Institute, Population Health Management Journal and HealthTrackRx.

Cal Beyer

Senior Director of SAFE Workplaces, SAFE Project

Cal Beyer

Senior Director of SAFE Workplaces, SAFE Project

Cal Beyer, CWP is the Sr. Director of SAFE Workplaces for national nonprofit SAFE Project (SAFE stands for Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic). In this role, Cal is a catalyst, advocate, and a force multiplier to educate, equip, and empower leaders and organizations to address root causes of addiction AND to amplify their voices and actions to promote successful solutions in workplaces.

He is a Certified Wellness Practitioner through the National Wellness Institute. He has over 30 years of risk management experience in multiple industries. He collaborates with leaders at all levels from C-suite to to functions including Operations, Human Resources and Employee Benefits, and Risk/SafetyManagement.

He serves on the Executive Committee for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and the Lived Experience Advisory Committee of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. He serves on the advisory boards for MindWise Innovations and Goldfinch Health and formerly for the Center for Workplace Mental Health and Youturn Health. Beyer helped launch the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention in 2016. Engineering News-Record named him a Top 25 Newsmaker for 2016. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) presented him with the Mental Health Industry Advocacy Award in 2022. He was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award by United Suicide Survivors International in February 2024. Cal is a frequent speaker at industry events and a regular contributor to various industry publications.

Leah Binder, MA, MGA

President and Chief Executive Officer, The Leapfrog Group

Leah Binder, MA, MGA

President and Chief Executive Officer, The Leapfrog Group

Leah Binder is President & CEO of The Leapfrog Group, representing employers and other purchasers of health care calling for improved safety and quality in hospitals. She is a regular contributor to Forbes.com, Harvard Business Review, and other top tier publications. She has been named on Becker’s list of the 50 most powerful people in healthcare, and consistently cited by Modern Healthcare among the 100 most influential people and top 25 women in healthcare.

Under her leadership, The Leapfrog Group launched the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, which assigns letter grades assessing the safety of general hospitals across the country. She has also fostered groundbreaking innovations in the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey, including partnerships to eliminate early elective deliveries, central line-associated bloodstream infections and safe use of health technology.

She has served on numerous national boards and councils, including the Institute of Medicine Collaboration on Patient Engagement, the Health Care Financial Management Association Leadership Advisory Committee, PCORI Health Systems Advisory Panel, AARP’s Champions for Nursing Strategic Advisory Council, the National Priorities Partnership Board.

Prior to her position at The Leapfrog Group, Ms. Binder spent eight years as vice president at Franklin Community Health Network, an award-winning rural hospital network in Farmington, Maine. She previously worked as a senior policy advisor for the Office of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in New York City and started her career at the National League for Nursing, where she handled policy and communications for more than 6 years.

Ms. Binder has a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and two master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, one from the Annenberg School of Communication and the other from the Fels Institute of Government. She lives in Maryland with her husband, Sam, and two children, Henry and Fanya.

Maggie Biscar

Food as Medicine Expert and Advisor, The NOURISH Movement and Clareo

Maggie Biscar

Food as Medicine Expert and Advisor, The NOURISH Movement and Clareo

Maggie is part of The Nourish Movement core team and a strategist and subject matter expert with Clareo’s Food Practice Area, focusing on food as medicine and cross-sector, multi-stakeholder partnering, bringing deep insights, experience and a network spanning consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail innovation, nonprofit and social innovation, nutrition incentive programs and the aging space. She brings decades of experience focused on developing and executing market-based programs and partnerships to solve entrenched issues in the food, retail, health and adjacent sectors. She directed a global partnership strategy for PepsiCo, working across corporate and commercial business units to develop proactive, shared value partnerships (with retail customers, industry groups, and the public sector) connecting PepsiCo’s commercial, regulatory, and health & sustainability agendas. Prior to PepsiCo, she led the development of AARP Foundation’s SNAP and food as medicine portfolios, including Fruit and Vegetable incentive and food Rx programs; and developed and ran Fresh Savings, an innovative public-private partnership with UnitedHealthcare, Kroger, farmers markets, and USDA that provided monetary incentives for SNAP consumers to incentivize the purchase and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Maggie is also a board member for HERO, advancing health, performance, and well-being through employer leadership, and serves as secretary on the executive committee of DC Central Kitchen. Maggie received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Mercer University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Georgia. She lives and operates out of Washington, D.C.

Tara Bishop, MD

Co-Founder and Managing Director, Black Opal Ventures

Tara Bishop, MD

Co-Founder and Managing Director, Black Opal Ventures

Dr. Tara Bishop is passionate about improving health and healthcare. In her twenty-year career as a physician executive, Tara has on-the-ground experience in delivery system improvement, health policy, payer operations, product development, value-based care, and start-ups. She is the founder and managing partner of Black Opal Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in companies that are transforming healthcare through technology. Tara served as the Chief Medical Officer at Bind, a health insurance start-up that is at the forefront of disrupting healthcare. She was a leader in the early development of the Bind product and helped grow the company 10x in revenue in 3 years. She understands start-ups from early phases of MVPs and lean operations to scaling and growth. Tara is also an associate clinical professor at Weill Cornell Medical School in New York City. Prior to joining Bind, Tara was the Medical Director and Senior Expert at McKinsey & Co. She designed new payment models for numerous clients. She was an associate professor of Medicine and Healthcare Policy at Cornell Medical School where she did cutting-edge research on health policy, innovative technologies, and health services. She directed quality improvement at Cornell and cared for patients as a primary care doctor. Dr. Bishop has published almost 50 peer-reviewed research articles which have been cited by the NY Times, WSJ, and others. Tara serves on the boards of Optellum and the Weill Cornell Alumni Association and the advisory boards of Marani Health, Arsenal Capital, and 25 Madison Health. She previously served on the MIT Alumni Fund Board. In 2022, Tara was named a Woman of Influence in Venture Capital by Private Equity International.

Kathie Callahan Brady

President and Chief Executive Officer, Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI)

Kathie Callahan Brady

President and Chief Executive Officer, Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI)

Kathie Callahan Brady works with some of highly gifted, emerging Biotech and Technology companies as President and CEO of Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI). Since stepping into her role at the incubator/ accelerator in 2016, FITCI has seen their client base grow 476%.

Currently they serve 72 companies, and in total have served over 200+ companies. She herself is an entrepreneur with more than 30 years of executive-level experience in IT, real estate, and business development. She’s led entrepreneurs and corporations in strategies to achieve high-level success. Kathie has founded and helped grow four successful companies in various industries including real estate, telecommunications, healthy lifestyles (Naturopathic Medicine), and consulting.

Kathie continues to pursue her passion for real estate and was a partner in Quantum Realty Capital specializing in commercial real estate financing. She founded Future CEO to empower entrepreneurs to start and operate their own businesses and leads with that same passion at FITCI.

She served as Executive Director at the National Academy of Sciences & taught for University of Maryland. She is an avid networker & passionate about helping others succeed. Her business model, leadership & innovation strategies have guided clients towards productivity resulting in improved profits. Kathie has helped 100’s of companies to raise funding & grow significantly. One client with steady losses over 5 years was turned around to achieve profits of $20m. Her passion is to help owners turned around, increase profits & achieve a better quality life.

Kathie practices what she preaches & has been a member of Vistage for the past several years helping to further developher own leadership while taking her company to $72m. She believes that success is a conscious choice & the role of a leader is to lead change along with drive growth. She feels privileged to work with the top 5% who actually step up, assumes leadership, & makes a tangible difference. To achieve this, leader’s need fresh ideas & feedback from others who have similar experience. She accomplishes this through her work as a CEO Group Chair with Vistage, CEO Space & 212 Business Mastery which was the impetus for the SGAB "Strategic Growth and Advisory Boards" she created at FITCI.

Jessica Brooks-Woods

Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals

Jessica Brooks-Woods

Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals

At the crossroads of healthcare innovation and dynamic leadership stands Jessica Brooks-Woods, the esteemed CEO of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP), the United States' leading health insurance association. Armed with transformative insights from her prior role as President & CEO of the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health (PBGH) from 2013 to 2023, Jessica re-envisioned and recalibrated the nuances of healthcare value, access, equity, and quality for employers. This led PBGH to unprecedented financial milestones, recording annual employer savings of over $30 million. Additionally, Jessica's strategic programs effectively alleviated employees' burdens, sparing them from $6 million in copays and ancillary expenditures.

Revered as the "Velvet Hammer in Healthcare," Jessica seamlessly interweaves fierce advocacy with a sense of purpose, ensuring holistic value delivery across healthcare touchpoints. Her entrepreneurial flair shines through with EARN Staffing Solutions, a paradigm-shifting DE&I-centric consulting and talent placement initiative catering to modern business requisites.In her pursuit of superior patient experiences and advocacy, Jessica introduced the groundbreaking service, Health Desk. This revolutionary initiative proactively addresses and rectifies subpar patient care, raising the bar for healthcare standards globally.

A significant feather in her cap is the development of the AI-empowered Rise Health Equity tool. Understanding the convolutions of navigating healthcare, especially for those who often feel marginalized, Jessica championed the creation of this tool. Rise Health Equity seamlessly translates health concerns into cogent letters and messages, ensuring every voice resonates with the gravity it merits. Advocating for clear communication and equity, the tool is especially committed to amplifying the voices of people of color in healthcare dialogues, ensuring they feel acknowledged and valued. More details can be found on risehealthequity.com.

Jessica's foundational education from the Pennsylvania State University Smeal College of Business, coupled with her Master's in Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University, is a testament to her robust academic prowess.

As a sought-after orator, Jessica's eloquence graces myriad platforms. She's been a distinguished speaker at national conferences, including Benefits Pro, World Congress, HLTH, and NAHPC. Yet, most treasured among her speaking engagements are the moments she stood as the commencement speaker at both her high school and the Penn State University Greater Allegheny Campus. Her expansive community outreach spans a gamut of board positions across non-profit and for-profit entities, such as Maitri Medicinals, Community Health Design Corps., University of Pittsburgh Institute of Entrepreneurial Excellence, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, and the Patient Health Action Network. Jessica's dedication led to her pivotal appointment to the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange, Pennie.

Her leadership trajectory is adorned with accolades. Among them, listings in City and State PA’s Top 50 of Impact in Pennsylvania, 40 Under 40 in Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh’s 2022 Power 100 stand out. Additionally, the Pittsburgh Business Times recognized her as one of the most influential women.

June 2023 heralded the launch of her seminal book, "Race Forward: An Employer's Guide to Health Equity," under the Race and Health Foundation. As she forges ahead with NABIP, the health insurance realm readies itself for another epoch of transformation under Jessica's visionary stewardship.

Michelle Carnahan

President, Thirty Madison

Michelle Carnahan

President, Thirty Madison

Michelle Carnahan is President of Thirty Madison, the healthcare company focused on delivering personalized treatments to specific chronic condition areas and creating exceptional outcomes for all. After spending more than 25 years in healthcare and treatment innovation, Michelle joined Thirty Madison because of her commitment to patients and her desire to improve specialty care. As President, Michelle focuses on leading the company into the future, expanding its offerings, and ensuring a constant patient focus. Michelle is particularly passionate about improving healthcare options and access for women, who are often the Chief Medical Officers of their own households and deserve a trusted partner to support them throughout every phase of their lives. Michelle's background in strategy, marketing, and operations at Sanofi and Eli Lilly allowed her to see how having access to the care patients needed changed their lives for the better.

About Thirty Madison: Thirty Madison exists to deliver on healthcare's biggest opportunities: access and affordability; patient outcomes; and patient experience. Each of its specialized brands is focused on specific chronic condition areas, and thoughtfully designed to support the unique needs of its community with personalized treatments and care. With empathy at the heart of its innovation, its proprietary care model empowers hundreds of thousands of people with ongoing conditions with the accessible, effective treatments across a lifetime of care. Learn more at ThirtyMadison.com.

Expanding Access to Women's health: Broadening healthcare access has always been a part of our DNA — we founded Thirty Madison with the simple idea that specialty-level healthcare is too difficult to access in this country. We’re leaving women behind, despite the fact that they hold the largest healthcare spending power in the U.S, because we have failed to fully dimensionalize the care they need. Women deserve a partner who is going to go all in to tackle their issues, head on – from migraine, to menopause, to Premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Nurx by Thirty Madison serves nearly 500,000 women, and ⅔ of those women reside within or near medically underserved areas. We started our offering with increasing access to contraception, and have expanded to treat women across mental health, dermatology, sexual health, and more. We have the scale to truly make an impact — providing care that is convenient, and consumer-centric, and exciting for women in a way that actually meets their needs.

Sree Chaguturu, MD

Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health

Sree Chaguturu, MD

Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health

Sree Chaguturu, MD is executive vice president and chief medical officer of CVS Health®.

He leads the CVS Health medical affairs organization spanning Aetna®, CVS Caremark®, CVS Pharmacy®, MinuteClinic®, women’s health and genomics, data and analytics, patient safety and health equity.

Sree is focused on advancing the highest possible clinical quality standards, increasing access to care, improving patient outcomes and reducing overall health care costs across the CVS Health enterprise.

He currently oversees the company care delivery strategy, including alignment and integration of existing CVS Health care delivery assets and services and advancement of provider risk and primary care growth strategies.

Sree previously served as chief medical officer of CVS Caremark, the company pharmacy benefits management (PBM) business, where he provided clinical oversight for the pharmacy benefits design strategy. Additionally, he has served as a trusted advisor to employer and health plan clients, their members and CVS Health colleagues throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before joining CVS Health, Sree was chief population health officer of Mass General Brigham, the largest health care system in Massachusetts. He led the system’s accountable care organization and numerous clinical care delivery and innovation programs. He is also a practicing internal medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Sree earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Brown University and his doctorate of medicine from Brown University Medical School. He completed his internal medicine and primary care training at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Sean Cheng

Managing Director, Ascension Ventures

Sean Cheng

Managing Director, Ascension Ventures

Sean leads Medtech and Life Sciences investing at Ascension Ventures, a healthcare strategic venture fund partnered with Ascension and 12 other health systems consisting of 460 acute care facilities across 42 states. He interested in investing at the intersection of devices, life sciences, and software.

He combines more than 15 years of strategic, technical, policy, and M&A experience to create value for companies, drawing from past roles at Philips, U.S. FDA CDRH, Boston Consulting Group, and operating at several health tech startups. Previously as a Partner at Philips Ventures, his investments covered interventional neurovascular and cardiology, patient monitoring, wearables, post-acute rehab, prenatal care, COPD, emergency care, imaging, digital pathology diagnostics, enterprise SaaS, and patient engagement. Sean received a PhD in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, where he focused on medical device design, specifically the study of fluid dynamics in blood flow and pulmonary drug delivery, and graduated from the Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering undergraduate program, where he now serves as an Advisory Board member. Beyond healthcare, Sean is passionate about supporting the development of education access for all.

Andy Chu

Senior Vice President, Product & Technology Incubation, Providence Digital Information Group

Andy Chu

Senior Vice President, Product & Technology Incubation, Providence Digital Information Group

Andy Chu serves as Senior Vice President of Product and Technology Incubation and is responsible for building world-class digital experiences for both consumers and caregivers at Providence (a $25B integrated Health System in the US) and for incubating healthcare SaaS solutions that become commercial offerings for the broader healthcare ecosystem.

Prior to Providence, Andy held number of General Management and technology leadership roles in career management, travel, omni-channel commerce, search, consumer messaging and enterprise software including Microsoft to bring customer-centric, innovative, and profitable solutions to market. He brings over 20 years of cross discipline leadership experience in product, design, technology, business development and marketing—within both mature and start-up companies. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia.

David Contorno

Founder, E Powered Benefits

David Contorno

Founder, E Powered Benefits

David Contorno is founder of E Powered Benefits. As a native of New York, David began his career in the insurance industry at the age of 14 and has since become a leading expert in the realm of employee benefits over the last 22 years.

David was Benefits Selling magazine’s 2015 Broker of the Year, and in March 2016, Forbes deemed him “one of America’s most innovative benefits leaders.” More recently, he received the 2017 Leadership Award at ASCEND, the annual conference of The Association for Insurance Leadership, which recognizes those whose leadership in support of improving the value and performance of employee benefits has significantly advanced the industry.

David is a member of the board of directors for both the Charlotte Association of Health Underwriters and HealthReach Community Clinic. He served on the NC Insurance Commissioners Life and Health Agent Advisory Committee, as well as participated in the Technical Advisory Group that helped with the market reforms required under the Affordable Care Act in North Carolina. He is a longtime member of the Lake Norman and South Iredell Chambers of Commerce as well as the National, North Carolina, New York, and Long Island Associations of Health Underwriters. David contributes to numerous publications, including Forbes, Benefits Selling magazine, Business Leader magazine, and Insurance Thought Leadership.

David is committed to giving back to his community and actively participates in the membership drive for the United Way, assisting the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and supporting The Dove House Child Advocacy Center. When he is not working, he enjoys boating and traveling.

Caree Cotwright, PhD, RDN

Director, Nutrition Security and Health Equity, Food and Nutrition Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Caree Cotwright, PhD, RDN

Director, Nutrition Security and Health Equity, Food and Nutrition Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Dr. Caree Jackson Cotwright serves as the Director of Nutrition Security and Heath Equity for the Food and Nutrition Service at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In this role, Dr. Cotwright leads a whole-of-Department approach to advancing food and nutrition security. She also serves as one of two Departmental representatives on accelerating action on the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health goals to end hunger, improve nutrition and physical activity, and reduce diet-related diseases and disparities and implementing the corresponding National Strategy. Her work includes building public awareness of USDA’s actions to advance food and nutrition security, as well as collaborating and building partnerships with key stakeholders to maximize our reach and impact. Dr. Cotwright is on leave as an Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences in the University of Georgia’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences’ Department of Nutritional Sciences. Her research centers on promoting healthy eating among infants through age five-years-old with a particular focus on accelerating health equity among historically underserved populations via community-based participatory research and focusing on developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining best practices and policies in the early child education setting. She has developed a variety of innovative interventions, which use theater, media, and other arts-based approaches. She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and secured over $1M in grants focused on obesity prevention and health equity from Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the USDA. From 2010-2013, she worked as an ORISE Research Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, where she was highly engaged in the early care education elements of the First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative dedicated to helping kids and families lead healthier lives. Dr. Cotwright holds a PhD in Foods and Nutrition and Community Nutrition and MS in Foods and Nutrition both from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Howard University and is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She lives in Athens, GA with her loving husband and adorable three daughters.

Chris Deacon, JD

Founder, VerSan Consulting

Chris Deacon, JD

Founder, VerSan Consulting

Chris Deacon has a deep understanding of the fiduciary role health plan administrators hold and should be leveraging in order to drive value for their plan sponsors and members. An attorney by training, Deacon formed VerSan Consulting, LLC in order to educate and engage employers to be more prudent purchasers of healthcare. From creative procurement methodologies and demanding contracts, to population health initiatives and primary care investment, Deacon believes that large employer-sponsored health plans not only have an opportunity – but an obligation – to drive health care transformation that delivers value for the market.

Prior to founding VerSan Consulting, Deacon ran one of the largest health plans in the country for the New Jersey Department of Treasury, which covered over 820k public sector lives, including state employees, teachers and uniformed professionals. During her tenure, Deacon was credited with helping the State save over $3 billion through a number of initiatives, including enhanced oversight, payment integrity programs, procurement strategy, and strict accountability for the vendors with which the State engaged. Deacon has also served as a Deputy Attorney General, and then Special Counsel to Governor Christie where she oversaw the Department of Banking and Insurance, Economic Development Authority and Treasury. She holds a JD from Rutgers Law School and BA in International Affairs from The George Washington University.

Wyatt Decker, MD, MBA

Executive Vice President, Chief Physician, Innovation and Value-Based Care, UnitedHealth Group

Wyatt Decker, MD, MBA

Executive Vice President, Chief Physician, Innovation and Value-Based Care, UnitedHealth Group

Dr. Wyatt Decker was named executive vice president for UnitedHealth Group and chief physician, Innovation and Value-Based Care in July 2023. In this role, Decker serves as the lead ambassador working across the enterprise and externally with key stakeholders to further advance accountable models of care. Decker previously served as chief executive officer of Optum Health.

Prior to Optum, Decker served as CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. In that role, he established Mayo Clinic in Arizona as the safest hospital in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. He also launched a state-of-the-art cancer center and the second campus of Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. At Mayo Clinic, Decker pioneered the use of digital technologies, including telemedicine and artificial intelligence. He also served as the founding chair and a professor at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, where he established and directed the emergency medicine residency training program.

Decker earned an M.D. from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Science from University of California Santa Cruz. He has published numerous scientific articles and is recognized among the nation's top 100 health care leaders by Modern Healthcare.

Cristin Dickerson, MD

Founding Partner, Green Imaging

Cristin Dickerson, MD

Founding Partner, Green Imaging

Cristin A. Dickerson, MD is the founding partner of Green Imaging. She is a graduate of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston where she was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Dr. Dickerson completed her radiology residency at UT Houston, where she was a chief resident, and had extensive training in cancer imaging at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Dickerson practiced for 13 years at the Diagnostic Clinic of Houston where she served as a two-term president of the 50-physician clinic and oversaw a self-funded health plan. Her clinical interests include oncologic (cancer) MRI and CT and PET/CT, breast imaging, and cardiac screening.

She founded Green Imaging in 2011 to provide affordable, high-quality medical imaging for uninsured and high-deductible patients in Houston and rapidly expanded the company to provide services throughout most of the US and to employer-sponsored health plans. She loves being able to provide quality services to patients who otherwise couldn’t afford them and delivering significant imaging cost savings to patients with healthcare coverage and to their employers without compromising quality. Dr. Dickerson is passionate about spreading the word that patients and employers do have great new nontraditional healthcare coverage options in the fast-growing alternative healthcare market.

Douglas Eby, MD

Executive Vice President, Specialty Services, Southcentral Foundation

Douglas Eby, MD

Executive Vice President, Specialty Services, Southcentral Foundation

Dr. Doug Eby has served on the leadership teams of Southcentral Foundation and the Alaska Native Medical Center since 1995. He has played a key role in the development of SCF’s innovative primary care system, and speaks, nationally and internationally, on health care system design and quality improvement. In addition to his medical degree, he holds a master’s in public health and is a certified physician executive.

Greg Encelewski

Vice President, Finance, Southcentral Foundation

Greg Encelewski

Vice President, Finance, Southcentral Foundation

Gregory Encelewski is Vice President of Finance for Southcentral Foundation. In his role, he is responsible for finance and revenue cycle. This includes budget management, accounts payable, payroll, contracts, claims management (including billing, revenue recovery, and coding), access management, and more. Gregory joined SCF in 2000 as a Special Assistant before transferring to the Finance department as a Finance Manager. Prior to joining SCF, he served as President and CEO of Ninilchik Natives Association, Inc. Gregory is a shareholder of Ninilchik Natives Association, Inc., and Cook Inlet Region, Inc.

Kofi Essel, MD, MPH, FAAP

Food as Medicine Program Director, Elevance Health

Kofi Essel, MD, MPH, FAAP

Food as Medicine Program Director, Elevance Health

Tammy Fennessy, PHR, GBA

Director of Benefits, DICK’S Sporting Goods

Tammy Fennessy, PHR, GBA

Director of Benefits, DICK’S Sporting Goods

Rachel Fisher, MS, MPH, RD

Senior Advisor and Co-Lead, HHS Food is Medicine Initiative, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Rachel Fisher, MS, MPH, RD

Rachel Fisher, MS, MPH, RD is a Senior Advisor in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) in the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, she advises agency and departmental officials on current physical activity and nutrition science to inform policies and programs related to health promotion and disease prevention. Currently, Rachel co-leads the HHS Food is Medicine Initiative to Unify and Advance Collective Action. She also serves as a Senior Advisor to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition and works with members to educate, engage, and empower all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition. In 2022, Rachel served as the HHS Conference Coordinator of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and is now working to implement actions included in the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Prior to her work at ODPHP, Rachel spent almost 15 years in the Office of Nutrition Research (formerly the Division of Nutrition Research Coordination) at the National Institutes of Health. Rachel is a registered dietitian and earned a Master of Science and Master of Public Health from the Tufts’ Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

Gary Foster, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer, WeightWatchers

Gary Foster, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer, WeightWatchers

Gary Foster, Ph.D., is the Chief Scientific Officer at WeightWatchers (WW). Foster, a psychologist, obesity researcher and behavior change expert, was previously the Founder and Director of the Center of Obesity Research and Education and Laura Carnell Professor of Medicine, Public Health and Psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia. Prior to Temple, he served as the Clinical Director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He has authored more than 225 scientific publications and four books on the causes, prevention and treatment of obesity. His most recent book, The Shift, is a national bestseller. Foster has received numerous honors including President of The Obesity Society, Honorary Member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Outstanding Contributions to Health Psychology from the American Psychological Association, the Atkinson-Stern Award for Distinguished Public Service from The Obesity Society, and the George Bray Outstanding Scientific Achievements Award in Obesity Research from the American Society for Nutrition.

Emma Fox

Partner, E Powered Benefits

Emma Fox

Partner, E Powered Benefits

Holly Freishtat

Senior Director, Feeding Change, Milken Institute

Holly Freishtat

Senior Director, Feeding Change, Milken Institute

Ms. Freishtat is the Senior Director of Feeding Change with the Milken Institute. She is an experienced director, transformative leader and strategist with a 20-year track record developing and implementing food system policies and programs. Holly served as Baltimore City’s first Food Policy Director and Chief of Food Policy & Planning where she founded and directed the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative. She holds an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University, a B.S. in Nutrition from the University of Vermont, and an executive certificate from Carey Business School.

Martin Alexander Gershon, MD, JD, MPH

Managing Partner and CIO, Endeavor Venture Funds & Venture Studio

Martin Alexander Gershon, MD, JD, MPH

Managing Partner and CIO, Endeavor Venture Funds & Venture Studio

Dr. Martin Alexander Gershon, MD, JD, MPH is the Managing Partner and CIO of Endeavor Venture Funds and Endeavor Venture Studio. He is a Leading Healthcare and Life Sciences Innovation Strategist, Futurist and Advisor for emerging Unicorns and Fortune 500 companies, and prominent Venture Capital Investor and entrepreneur featured on CNBC and in Fast Company.

Endeavor Life Sciences was founded in 1999. As the Managing Partner and CIO Dr. Gershon is the architect driving a team of 22 professionals to leverage Endeavor’s ecosystem of collaboration partnerships to provide CEO/Entrepreneurs Founders with bespoke revenue generating Go-to-Market strategies, FDA regulatory services, clinical trial design and reimbursement and coding guidance, and the development of strategic and corporate partnerships to grow, scale, and commercialize disruptive new healthcare and life sciences products and services stemming from technologies like AI and ML.

Dr. Gershon and Endeavor have served as Senior Advisors for Commercialization and Go-to-Market Strategies and FDA and CMS regulatory affairs for McKinsey & Co., Goldman Sachs, Bain Capital, Fidelity Investments, TPG, BlackRock, Tiger Global, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Novartis, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Dr. Gershon is also a prominent Healthcare and Life Sciences Venture Investor, and CIO of Endeavor Venture Funds and Venture Studio, the Chief Innovation and Investment Officer McGill University, and Advisory Board Member McGill Innovation Fund. Endeavor Venture Funds is an evergreen Swiss Healthcare and Life Sciences Fund, established in 2009, and has invested in groundbreaking companies like Moderna and 94 life science companies with 140 investments, reshaping the healthcare system. Endeavor’s companies all possess disruptive technologies with strong scalable commercial potential, driven by great entrepreneur/founders who look for coaching and partnerships within our ecosystem to enhance and build their companies into the next great unicorns.

Dr. Gershon is the Managing Partner and CIO of Endeavor Life Sciences Venture Studio – The Alternative to Accelerators. Unlike an accelerator, a venture studio doesn’t fund existing startups. Instead it provides very “hands on” guidance and operational and strategic guidance with seasoned entrepreneurs, subject matter experts and business leaders to help grow, scale and commercialize the company’s products or services.

Dan Glickman

Senior Fellow, Bipartisan Policy Center; Former Director, USDA

Dan Glickman

Senior Fellow, Bipartisan Policy Center; Former Director, USDA

Dan Glickman is a BPC senior fellow and co-chairs its Commission on Political Reform, Democracy Project, Prevention Initiative, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Task Force. He served as the secretary of agriculture from March 1995 until January 2001. Under his leadership, the Department of Agriculture administered farm and conservation programs, modernized food-safety regulations, forged international trade agreements to expand U.S. markets, and improved its commitment to fairness and equality in civil rights. Glickman is currently the executive director of the Aspen Institute Congressional Program, a nongovernmental, nonpartisan educational program for members of the United States Congress. Previously, he was chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA), which serves as the voice and advocate of the U.S. motion picture, home video, and television industries. Prior to joining the MPAA, Glickman was the director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He also served as a partner and senior advisor to the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Washington, D.C. Prior to becoming the secretary of agriculture, Glickman represented the 4th Congressional District of Kansas for 18 years in the House of Representatives. During that time, he was a member of the House Agriculture Committee, including six years as chairman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over federal farm policy issues. He was also an active member of the House Judiciary Committee, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and was a leading congressional expert on general aviation policy.

Neil Goldfarb

President and Chief Executive Officer, Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health

Neil Goldfarb

President and Chief Executive Officer, Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health

Mr. Neil Goldfarb is President and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health (GPBCH, www.gpbch.org), which brings together employers in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Southern New Jersey who are committed to improving the health of their employees and the safety, quality and value delivered by the healthcare system. GPBCH represents over 1.5 million covered lives nationally. Before founding GPBCH in 2012, Mr. Goldfarb spent over 30 years in healthcare research, quality improvement, and management positions. As Associate Dean for Research in the Jefferson College of Population Health, he was responsible for leading the school’s research agenda, while concurrently serving as Director of Ambulatory Care Performance Improvement for Thomas Jefferson University’s faculty practice plan. His previous positions include Executive Director of a quality improvement consulting firm, and Vice President of Health Services for the Philadelphia region’s first Medicaid managed care plan. Mr. Goldfarb has authored over 60 articles in the peer-reviewed literature. Mr. Goldfarb is active in the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, and directs its College for Value-based Purchasing. He chairs the Nominating Committee for the Community Leadership Board for the local American Diabetes Association. In 2022, Mr. Goldfarb was appointed to the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the lead Federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of healthcare for all Americans. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Jefferson College of Population Health.

Kate Goodrich, MD, MHS

Chief Medical Officer, Humana

Kate Goodrich, MD, MHS

Chief Medical Officer, Humana

Dr. Kate Goodrich serves as Humana’s Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. She leads Humana’s health equity strategy, physician engagement, healthcare research, and efforts to advance the Company’s value-based care and integrated senior care strategies.

Prior to her current role, Kate was Senior Vice President of Clinical Analytics and Trend, Clinical Solutions, where she led the analytics and study designs to support clinical programs designed to improve health outcomes at lower cost. Before joining Humana in 2020, Kate was at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) where she served as Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ). Kate earned her M.D. from Louisiana State University School of Medicine and her master’s in health services research from Yale University. She completed her residency in internal medicine at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Kate continues to practice clinical medicine as a Hospitalist and serves as a professor of medicine at George Washington University Medical Center.

Michael Greeley

Co-Founder and General, Partner Flare Capital Partners

Michael Greeley

Co-Founder and General, Partner Flare Capital Partners

Michael is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Flare Capital Partners. Previously, Michael was the founding General Partner of Flybridge Capital Partners, and earlier in his career was with Polaris Partners, as well as held positions at Wasserstein Perella & Co. and Morgan Stanley & Co.

Current and prior board seats include Aspen RxHealth, Author Health, Axuall, BlueTarp Financial, Cayaba Care, Circulation, Cohere Health, Explorys, Functional Neuromodulation, HealthVerity, higi, Inbound Health, Iora Health, MicroCHIPS, Nuvesse, Oshi Health, PolyRemedy, Predictive Biosciences, Predilytics, RightMove Health, T2 Biosystems, TARIS Biomedical, VidSys, and Welltok (observer). Additionally, Michael served on the board of International Data Group, the founding partner of IDG Capital, a leading venture capital firm in China and other important innovation centers in Asia. He is also on the board of ADA Forsyth Institute, the leading Harvard-affiliated oral health research organization.

Michael has served on various innovation and investment advisory boards for Advocate Health, Boston Children’s Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, MedStar Health, and MGB Ventures, as well as serving on the Governor’s Digital Health Council and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Michael also serves on the Investment Committee for the Partners Innovation Fund and on is the Advisory Board of Harvard Business School’s Health Care Initiative. He was past chairman of the New England Venture Capital Association and on the board and executive committee of the National Venture Capital Association. Michael earned a BA with honors in chemistry from Williams College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Michael authors a blog focused on venture capital, innovation, and healthcare called On the Flying Bridge.

Pamela Greenberg

President and Chief Executive Officer, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW)

Pamela Greenberg

President and Chief Executive Officer, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW)

Pamela Greenberg is the President and CEO of the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW). She joined the association in 1998 and since that time has become a nationally recognized leader on managed behavioral health care policy.

ABHW is the leading association working to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and advance federal policy to improve mental health and addiction care. ABHW represents major national and regional health plans who care for more than 200 million people.

Pamela has extensive experience in behavioral health policy, particularly in the areas of parity, prevention, access, integration, and outcomes. She currently serves on the Joint Commission’s Behavioral Health Care Accreditation Advisory Council and URAC’s Health Standards Committee and Parity Advisory Council.

Prior to joining ABHW Pamela was the Deputy Director of Federal Affairs for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Before joining AHIP Ms. Greenberg was a Legislative Assistant at Capitol Associates, a healthcare consulting firm in Washington, D.C.

Pamela has a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and a Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Jamie Greenleaf

Co-Founder, Fiduciary In A Box

Jamie Greenleaf

Co-Founder, Fiduciary In A Box

Jamie Greenleaf is the Co-Founder of OneVision. She has spent her entire career acting in a Fiduciary capacity, helping employers design and implement retirement programs to create better outcomes for employees. In 2019, Jamie founded TILT, a health plan technology and consulting firm, to help employers fulfill their Fiduciary obligations by controlling cost and providing better health benefits. In 2020, after the Consolidation Appropriations Act (CAA) was signed into law, Jamie co-founded OneVision to support employers and brokers to establish the foundation and framework of a Fiduciary process and mitigate the risk for the plan sponsors, while enhancing transparency around health benefits.

Jamie is a Specialty Leader (Health Care Plan specialization) with the Center for Board Certified Fiduciaries™ (CBCF), a group of fiduciary experts selected for their skills, best practices, and knowledge. She is regularly invited to speak at industry conferences, is a sought after presenter for many continuing education sources, such as Pensions and Investments, HR.com, and SHRM University Conference Services, and is an adjunct lecturer in the Plan Sponsor University certification program for UCLA’s Anderson School of Business-Executive Education.

Shawn Gremminger

President and Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions

Shawn Gremminger

President and Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions

Known for his wide-ranging policy expertise, and government relations experience, Shawn Gremminger brings to the National Alliance a successful record of working with coalitions, employers and other healthcare purchasers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders toward the mission of achieving high-quality, affordable, equitable healthcare.

Nelson Griswold

Founder & Chairman, NextGen Benefits Network and Employer Health Care Network

Nelson Griswold

Founder & Chairman, NextGen Benefits Network and Employer Health Care Network

A disruptive and controversial visionary, author, and in-demand keynote speaker, Nelson Griswold is Founder & Chairman of the NextGen Benefits Network, a national alliance of independent health care advisory & consulting firms. He also is Founder & Chairman of the C-Suite Network’s Employer Health Care Council, an organization that brings together and supports progressive executives who have taken or desire to take control over the quality and cost of their health care spend.

Recently named “Most Influential Industry Organization” in an industry-wide vote, the NextGen Benefits Network is revolutionizing employee benefits and health care delivery. It empowers executives to both improve the quality of care for employees and make health care a controllable cost for both employees and the company. NextGen Benefits moves a company to a “first-party payer” model with health care providers and manages the company’s health care supply chain. It’s success and strategies have been featured in prominent business publications including Chief Executive, Employee Benefit News, and CFO.

An authority and popular speaker on private-sector health care reform, Nelson has addressed audiences in 44 states and the District of Columbia and has keynoted numerous conferences.

The author of DO or DIE, a 2012 trade bestseller for leaders of employee benefits firms, he is lead author of four Amazon #1 bestsellers on health care reform:

BREAKING THROUGH THE STATUS QUO: How Innovative Companies Are Changing the Benefits Game to Help Their Employees and Boost Their Bottom Line (2017);

NEXTGENERATION HEALTHCARE: Proven Secrets of Managing the Healthcare Value Chain to Improve Outcomes and Reduce Costs (2018);

LIFE & DEATH DECISIONS IN THE C-SUITE: How the U.S. Insurance System Puts Your Employees’ Lives and Health at Serious Risk…and How You Can Fix It (2022); and FIXING AMERICAN HEALTHCARE: Restoring Trust in the U.S. Healthcare System for Patients, Physicians & Payers (2023).

CEO Today magazine named Nelson a 2022 Healthcare Awards Finalist. He also was named a Finalist for the 2018 Health Value Awards – Outstanding Consultant Leadership at the World Health Care Congress and was honored with the prestigious Industry Leadership Award by the Voluntary Benefits Association. For almost 10 years, he wrote a monthly column for Employee Benefit Adviser magazine, currently writes a regular column for Employee Benefit News, and writes for other publications including BenefitsPRO and Entrepreneur.

The Founder & Chairman of ASCEND, the national conference for progressive health care advisers and health plan innovation, Nelson also chairs the Benefits Adviser Leadership Track for the World Health Care Congress in Washington, D.C. A Past President of both the Workplace Benefits Association and the Voluntary Benefits Association, he serves on the Advisory Board of the Validation Institute and Ameriflex.

Before his career in benefits and health care, Nelson had a distinguished career as a nationally recognized public policy expert, serving as president of two public policy think tanks promoting a free-market and limited-government agenda. Nelson also has worked in radio, as host of both a morning drive talk show and a popular jazz music program.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, he and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Nashville and have two grown children and a beautiful baby granddaughter.

Walter Harris

President and Chief Executive Officer, Heartland Whole Health Institute

Walter Harris

President and Chief Executive Officer, Heartland Whole Health Institute

Walter Harris is President and CEO of Heartland Whole Health Institute. He also oversees operations for health care transformation initiatives for Alice Walton’s nonprofits including Alice L. Walton School of Medicine.

A mission-focused leader with an extensive history of leadership roles at nonprofit institutions, Harris most recently served as Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in Pasadena, California. Prior to that role, he served as Vice President and COO at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Global COO for the Food and Drug Administration, Chief Management Official for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Chief Information Officer for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also held positions within the Veterans Health Administration.

Harris earned a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Communications from Concordia University and a Master of Business Administration from Regis University. He proudly served in the U.S. Air Force from 1982 to 1991 and as a liaison to the Office of the Secretary of Defense under the Honorable Casper Weinberger. Harris has received several honors, including the Exemplary Service Award, Secretary’s Commendation Award, Blacks in Healthcare Award, Leadership in Government Award, and Distinguished Service Award. He is a certified executive coach, project management professional, and a member of the International Coaching Federation. He is a member of the board of directors for the Mercy Health System, where he serves as Chair of the Co-workers Committee and as a member of the Stewardship Committee.

Jeffrey N. Hausfeld, MD, MBA, FACS

Chairman and Co-Founder, The Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, Chairman of the Board and Chief Medical Officer- BioFactura Inc.

Jeffrey N. Hausfeld, MD, MBA, FACS

Chairman and Co-Founder, The Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, Chairman of the Board and Chief Medical Officer- BioFactura Inc.

Jeffrey Hausfeld, MD., MBA., FACS., has served on the national board and committees of specialty medical societies since he began his practice in Otolaryngology/Facial Plastic Surgery in 1982. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at George Washington University School of Health Sciences and an alumnus of the Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr. Hausfeld is widely published in the medical literature, is the pioneer of innovative laser surgery techniques, is the author of a lay oriented medical book, and has appeared on numerous local and national television and radio shows as a medical expert. He has also served as a health care consultant, spokesperson, and executive coach for multi-national pharmaceutical companies, health care firms, as well as the U.S. military. Dr. Hausfeld stepped down from his clinical duties after receiving a Master’s in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Hausfeld is presently developing and operating assisted living facilities specializing in Alzheimer's and dementia care services.

He serves as a consultant to several healthcare/life science startups in diagnostics, devices, biotech and Health IT. Dr. Hausfeld serves on the Investment Advisory Board of the Center for Innovation Technology's Life Science Gap Fund. The fund supports promising healthcare and life sciences ventures in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Dr. Hausfeld is the Chairman and Co-Founder of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs (www.sopenet.org ), a global network focused on educating healthcare and life science professionals in Bioentrepreneurship and Innovation. Dr. Hausfeld acts as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Medical Officer of BioFactura, Inc., a Maryland biotech firm specializing in biodefense and biosimilar therapeutics. (www.biofactura.com )

David Hines

Executive Director, Benefits, Metro Nashville Public Schools

David Hines

Executive Director, Benefits, Metro Nashville Public Schools

David’s career started at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee in claim’s management. He went on to serve as the Director of Operations for the State of Tennessee Employee Health Plans; Benefit Manager for Nissan Motor Manufacturing; benefits consultant; Insurance Director for Rutherford County, TN and now as Executive Director of Benefits for Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS).

While at MNPS he established a network of primary care clinics to serve their employees, retirees and their dependents. These clinics, staffed by Family Nurse Practitioners are Medical Homes and serve as the main conduit for medical interventions with our covered population. In 2017, he opened MNPS’ first integrated health and wellness facility, combining primary care, behavioral health, health coaching, fitness, physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture and pharmacy. This facility also includes a café and conference area and is designed to be a community center for educators, assisting them to develop professionally and personally. In addition, to help drive individual and group health improvements, he implemented a data warehouse that combines medical, pharmacy, dental and vision claims, medical records, payroll, health risk assessments and evaluation data. His current work extends to creating greater access to specialty care through clinic-based telehealth and the development and expansion of value-based care, including adoption of bundled payment programs for medical services ranging from maternity care to surgical weight loss.

David has been recognized by Employee Benefit News with the Benny Award for Benefits Leadership in Healthcare. Also, resulting from their work in improving population health, the MNPS team has earned numerous recognitions including: Health Value Award; C. Everett Koop National Health Award (honorable mention); American Heart Association Gold Workplace Achievement; Cigna Well Being Award and others.

David serves on the boards of the State and Local Government Benefit Association and the National Association of Worksite Health Centers and Healthcare21.

Jeffrey Hogan

President, Upside Health Advisors

Jeffrey Hogan

President, Upside Health Advisors

Jeffrey Hogan is the President of Upside Health Advisors where he consults for payers and large provider groups for product development and launch, expert witness work, and as a resource to employers desirous of implementing strategies to manage their health spend. Jeff also serves as an advisor to health tech start ups and investors looking to better position solutions into the health care market. Jeff is focused on health care payment reform, health policy, care transformation, value based health care, health care quality and precision medicine. Prior to his role at Upside, Jeff served as the Northeast Regional Manager for Rogers Benefit Group, a national benefits marketing and consulting firm. He retired from Rogers Benefit Group in 2021 after 30 years with the company.

Jeff regularly appears on national forums focused on moving to value-based health care and is actively working to promote health care related transparency measures in the market. He serves as the CT Business Group on Health’s liaison to the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser’s Coalition. Jeff is the Regional Leader for the Leapfrog Group. He is also is one of the Coordinators of Connecticut’s Moving to Value Alliance.

Jeff and his family are active annual participants in the Pan-Mass Challenge and have raised more than 300K for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Jeff served his local government as the Farmington Town Council Chair from 2012-2014 and as a town council member over a 10-year period. Jeff previously served as the Director of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Mountain Leadership School.

Anand Iyer

Chief Analytics Officer, Welldoc

Anand Iyer

Chief Analytics Officer, Welldoc

Illuminating treatment pathways to optimize care | Living with T2 Diabetes

Respected global digital health visionary - most known for insights on and experience with technology, strategy and regulatory policy. Instrumental in Welldoc’s success and development of BlueStar ®, the first FDA-cleared mobile prescription therapy for adults with type 2 diabetes.

Phillip Holowka

Chief Operating Officer Complete Captive Management Services

Phillip Holowka

Chief Operating Officer Complete Captive Management Services

Pramod John

Chief Executive Officer, VIVIO Health

Pramod John

Chief Executive Officer, VIVIO Health

Pramod is team leader at VIVIO, a Public Benefit Corporation that is using analytics to reinvent the use and supply chain for specialty drugs. VIVIO’s solution challenges the current framework of efficacy by extending it to actual effectiveness in the real world resulting in significant acquisition savings and better outcomes for patients. VIVIO’s customers have seen reductions in drug spend of over 40% while removing obstacles to care such as formularies. VIVIO has grown rapidly, and customers include the F500 in various industries such as distribution, manufacturing, high-tech, mining, healthcare services, and education.

Pramod also founded Oration (owned by Change Healthcare), which allowed the capture of prescriptions in physician’s offices and then provided real-time pricing options and automatic routing capabilities. He was also VP of Strategy and Innovation at McKesson, where he helped optimize healthcare delivery systems, infrastructure, and supply chains.

Earlier, Pramod founded and was CEO of PacketMotion, a venture-funded startup in the enterprise network information and policy management industry. VMWare later acquired the company. Pramod also founded netExaminer.com, a managed vulnerability assessment company acquired by SonicWALL.

Pramod earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is an advisor to Folia Water, mentor at StartX, and serves on the board of Wycliffe USA.

Nicholas Jury, PhD

Director of Legislative Affairs and Policy, Office of Nutrition Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Nicholas Jury, PhD

Director of Legislative Affairs and Policy, Office of Nutrition Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dr. Jury serves as the Director of Legislative Affairs and Policy and in this role, he is responsible for planning, analyzing, reporting, and communicating scientific, clinical, and policy issues and information in support of NIH nutrition research programs. He is also charged with coordinating the implementation efforts for the Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research. Additionally, Dr. Jury is responsible for implementing the NIH commitments within the Biden-Harris Administration National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Dr. Jury joined ONR as a health science policy analyst in April 2021. He spent five years with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) as a science policy analyst focused on strengthening clinical data and biospecimen sharing policies, managing the NIH Regenerative Medicine Innovation Project, and producing reports to Congress before coming to the ONR. Prior to that, Dr. Jury was a senior fellow at the National Center for Health Research in Washington, D.C. where he made significant contributions to the 21st Century Cures Act and public health policies. He holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and a B.S. in cell and molecular biology from Bradley University. He completed a two and a half-year postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) where he conducted research examining the effects of age, genetics, sex as a biological variable, and chronic alcohol exposure on brain morphology and related behavioral outcomes.

Anthony Kinslow

Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Georgetown University

Anthony Kinslow

Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Georgetown University

Tony Kinslow is a transformative higher education and healthcare human resources executive. He is a highly sought-after human resources strategist and is often asked to serve as a speaker or panelist. His colleagues and peers selected him to serve on their governing board for the Association of American Universities (AAU) - HR Institute. Now known as the American Research Universities HR Institute, it is composed of 64 top academic research universities in North America.

Tony has also excelled as an international human resources leader while working for the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi. Later he headed up human resources for the Clinic’s international programs and expatriates across several different countries in Asia, South America, and Europe. Tony has been a value adder throughout his career, first as a military officer serving on active duty, then as a reservist and in human resources. He uses innovative approaches to improve talent acquisition, learning and development, retirement plans, leave and disability management, workforce planning, and succession, as well as engagement, all with a tangible positive impact on the organization. Tony also understands how to integrate various aspects of the human resources function into the local community to enhance reputational value. Tony has led HR organizations to awards in Employee Assisted Housing, Diversity, Supplier Diversity, and Engagement, as well as best workplace recognition. He attained a Society of Human Resources Management certification of Senior Professional in Human Resources in 2005.

Tony believes in contributing to the community in which he lives and works. As a result, he has served on several volunteer community boards and committees, including Action For a Better Community, Urban League, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Board, and others. And he has served nationally on the TIAA Advisory Board and the American Research University HR Institute Board. Tony has also served as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leader with three major institutions. His leadership has led to improvements in community reputation for hiring, vendor and supplier access, veteran participation, and pride in the workplace.

Currently, Tony serves as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Georgetown University. He is responsible for directing the University’s overall strategic and operational human resources functions and will provide direction and leadership in the planning, development, and implementation of human resource programs and services in furtherance of the University’s mission. He also oversees talent acquisition and development, employee relations, policy, classification, compensation, benefits, and payroll, and manages Hoya Kids and the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program. He is excited about serving the HR mission and ministry at Georgetown University. He joined Georgetown from the University of Rochester, where he served as Associate Vice President/Chief Human Resources Officer. Prior to working in Rochester, he spent several years in HR leadership roles within the healthcare industry, first as Vice President & CHRO at the Sisters of Mercy Health System in St. Louis, Missouri, as CHRO of the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City Hospital in Abu Dhabi and then as Executive Director of Global Human Resources for the Cleveland Clinic. Tony has also served in HR leadership at Case Western Reserve University, Caltech, and Vanderbilt. He attended the US Air Force Academy and received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from California State University through an Academy/ROTC joint commissioning program. While at the Academy, Tony lettered in football under Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells. Tony earned a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of Southern California. He also holds a Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University School of Law. He is a member of the Bar Associations of Mississippi and Tennessee (inactive).

Tony is honorably retired from the United States Air Force Reserve, where he achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. In his spare time, he enjoys family, friends, walking, cycling, reading, live music, movies and sports

Patrick Kennedy

Former U.S. Representative, Founder, The Kennedy Forum

Patrick Kennedy

Former U.S. Representative, Founder, The Kennedy Forum

During his time in Congress, Patrick J. Kennedy co-authored the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (Federal Parity Law), which requires insurers to cover treatment for mental health and substance use disorders no more restrictively than treatment for illnesses of the body, such as diabetes and cancer. In 2013, he founded The Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit that unites advocates, business leaders, and government agencies to advance evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in mental health and addiction. In 2015, Kennedy co-authored the New York Times Bestseller, “A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction,” which details a bold plan for the future of mental health care in America. In 2017, he was appointed to the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. Kennedy is also the founder of DontDenyMe.org, an educational campaign that empowers consumers and providers to understand parity rights and connects them to essential appeals guidance and resources; co-founder of One Mind, an organization that pushes for greater global investment in brain research; co-founder of Psych Hub, the most comprehensive online learning platform on mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention topics in the world; co-chair of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention National Response to COVID-19 (National Response); and co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Behavioral Health Integration Task Force.

Abbie Klein

Vice President of Compensation, Benefits, and Special Projects, STO Building Group

Abbie Klein

Vice President of Compensation, Benefits, and Special Projects, STO Building Group

Abbie Klein serves as the Vice President of Compensation, Benefits, and Special Projects for STO Building Group based in New York City. She is responsible for the firm’s employee benefits, compensation, and related HR programs, including HR merger integration, and overseeing the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Abbie's 20+ years of experience as an innovative Human Resources and change-management thought-leader have made her a trusted advisor to senior executive management teams in the finance, entertainment, retail, and construction sectors.

Abbie and her husband, David, live in Ridgewood, NJ, and are the proud parents of their pup named Imus.

Brian Klepper, PhD

Principal, Healthcare Performance, Inc.

Brian Klepper, PhD

Principal, Healthcare Performance, Inc.

Brian Klepper is principal of Healthcare Performance, principal of Worksite Health Advisors and a nationally prominent healthcare analyst and commentator. He is a former CEO of the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH), an association representing about 5,000 employers and unions and some 35 million people.

Rick Leach, JD

Food Security and Public Health Expert Founder and former CEO, World Food Program, USA Chairman of the Food as Medicine Board, Avesis, LLC

Rick Leach, JD

Food Security and Public Health Expert Founder and former CEO, World Food Program, USA Chairman of the Food as Medicine Board, Avesis, LLC

Rick Leach is leading initiatives to address food security, public health, and nutrition challenges on global and national levels. Rick is Chairman, Food as Medicine Advisory Board, Avesis LLC. He is leading a consortium of academic institutions to establish centers to address public health crises and with experts in the medical community to develop public policy to further scientific research and discovery. Rick recently served as President and CEO of World Food Program, USA, an organization he established in 1997 to shape U.S. public policy and generate resources for the United Nations World Food Programme. He has held leadership roles in both national and international organizations, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Alliance for Representative Democracy and World Wildlife Fund. Rick served on the foreign policy staff for the US House of Representatives Select Committee on Hunger and worked in the Clinton administration to lead a Presidential initiative to increase childhood immunization rates. Rick Leach is an attorney who began his career practicing corporate and maritime law. He has served on Boards for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, Winrock International, American Lung Association, and George Washington University’s Planet Forward. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Stephanie Koch, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Director, Human Resources, Hendry Marine Industries, Inc.

Stephanie Koch, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Director, Human Resources, Hendry Marine Industries, Inc.

Stephanie Koch is a resident of the Tampa Bay area, currently working as the Director of Human Resources for Hendry Marine Industries. Stephanie has over 25 years of HR leadership experience at various companies. Over the past several years, she has taken an active role in understanding and transforming employee health benefit plans. At Hendry Marine, and in her previous role, she was instrumental in moving the employee health plans to a self-funded model. Stephanie is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience with other HR professionals so that more people understand the benefits a self-funded health plan has for both the company and for employees. Because of Stephanie’s healthcare knowledge and unique experience in self-funding, she has become a frequent speaker at events across the country. She is a graduate of William Paterson University, Leadership Tampa – Class of 2012 as well as a member of SHRM, HR Tampa and was most recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the Florida Alliance for Healthcare Value.

Justin Leader

President and Chief Executive Officer, BenefitsDNA

Justin Leader

President and Chief Executive Officer, BenefitsDNA

Justin Leader’s career began in the Pharmaceutical and Financial Services industries. By 2011, Justin entered into the group benefits field consulting for many notable fortune 500 clients.

In 2014, he established BenefitsDNA, an objective, independent health and welfare benefit plan consulting firm providing compliance oversight, actuarial services, cost mitigation and traditional broker services to Group Health Plan Sponsors. As a Certified Health Rosetta Chartered Advisor (8th advisor to join), he's acknowledged for contributing to healthcare solutions in the U.S. both in policy as well as practice and is an avid supporter of Patient Rights Advocate.

Alison LeBlanc, MS, PMP

Senior Director, ACO Health Equity Programming; Executive Director, Child Health Equity Center, UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center and UMass Chan Medical School, UMass Memorial Health

Alison LeBlanc, MS, PMP

Senior Director, ACO Health Equity Programming; Executive Director, Child Health Equity Center, UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center and UMass Chan Medical School, UMass Memorial Health

Alison LeBlanc, MS, PMP, is an experienced development strategist and health equity advocate with over a decade of experience designing and implementing initiatives to address adverse social determinants of health, including food insecurity. She is the Executive Director of the Child Health Equity Center at UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center and UMass Chan Medical School and Senior Director of ACO Health Equity Programming for the UMass Memorial Health Medicaid Accountable Care Organization where she oversees all housing and nutrition initiatives.

Neal Lemon, MBA, PhD

Executive Director, Cooper Innovation Center, Cooper University Health Care

Neal Lemon, MBA, PhD

Executive Director, Cooper Innovation Center, Cooper University Health Care

Dr. Neal Lemon is the founding Director of the Cooper Innovation Center where he is helping to rapidly accelerate invention development and startup activity in line with Cooper University Health Care’s objectives. Neal has 15+ years’ experience in technology transfer and innovation management working in Germany, Ireland, Canada, and the USA. Prior to joining Cooper, Neal was a member of the PENN Center for Innovation (PCI) team at University of Pennsylvania. As an Associate Director at PCI, in addition to responsibility for IP protection and licensing, Neal successfully helped with startup formation and seed funding. Originally from Canada, Neal’s education includes a PhD in Neurophysiology (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany) and an MBA with a focus on International Business and Finance (University of Victoria, Canada). In addition to his experience in technology transfer, Neal was Director of the Targeted Therapeutics and Theranostics Program at Dublin City University, which included a focus on pain management.

Jessica Lee

Acting Chief Medical Officer, Medicaid and CHIP, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Jessica Lee

Acting Chief Medical Officer, Medicaid and CHIP, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Dr. Jessica Lee is the acting Chief Medical Officer for Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, where she leads the center's clinical strategy and portfolio on health-related social needs. Dr. Lee was previously the medical officer in the Division of Quality and Health Outcomes at CMCS, where she led initiatives in quality measures and quality improvement.

Dr. Lee has a background in health policy at the health system, state, and federal levels. She has served as a senior health policy analyst at the Government Accountability Office, focusing on payment policy, and has conducted grant-funded research focused on the intersection of health care delivery systems and population health.

Dr. Lee continues to care for patients as a practicing pulmonologist at the University of Pennsylvania and ICU physician at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia.

Lee Lewis

Chief Strategy Officer, Health Transformation Alliance

Lee Lewis

Chief Strategy Officer, Health Transformation Alliance

Lee Lewis serves as Chief Strategy Officer and GM Medical Solutions for the Health Transformation Alliance. He leads efforts across over 50 large and jumbo employers and six million employees to save lives and save millions of dollars through improved health delivery, outcomes and experience. Key initiatives include new models of health benefits administration, advanced primary care access, and improved clinical delivery and outcomes.

He has advised healthcare strategy at Fortune 10 employers, insurance companies and administrators, medical associations and the Departments of Justice and Labor. He incubated and helped form two dozen health-benefit startup companies, and has been quoted and featured in Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal.

Lewis is a founding, charter member of the Health Rosetta organization, which seeks to open-source employer health benefits strategy for the public good, and host of the Broken Benefits podcast, interviewing changemakers helping to fix American healthcare.

Before joining the HTA, Lewis was a consultant at Gallagher, where he founded Gallagher’s innovation lab and was ranked second globally in health benefits consulting from among thousands of consultants. In 2019 he received the industry’s top honor as the Outstanding National Consultant for Large & Jumbo Employers by the independent Validation Institute. His consulting clients won Diamond Innovation Awards at the World Healthcare Congress, Innovation Awards from the Texas Business Groups on Health, Top 20 Innovator Awards from Healthcare Revolution Conference, and Financial Innovation and Large Group Management Innovation accolades from the Validation Institute.

Lee is a Rhodes Scholar Nominee and graduated Second in his Class, Magna cum Laude with University Honors and attended the University of Michigan and BYU.

Renzo Luzzatti

President and CEO, US-Rx Care

Renzo Luzzatti

President and CEO, US-Rx Care

Lee is a Rhodes Scholar Nominee and graduated Second in his Class, Magna cum Laude with University Honors and attended the University of Michigan and BYU.

Catherine Macpherson

Chief Nutrition Officer, Mom’s Meals, PurFoods LLC

Catherine Macpherson

Chief Nutrition Officer, Mom’s Meals, PurFoods LLC

Catherine joined Mom’s Meals in 2017 as Senior Vice President of Healthcare Strategy and Development, Chief Nutrition Officer. She is responsible for ensuring the company’s nutrition solutions meet the needs of its partners by designing clinical programs that meet their strategic objectives.

Previously, Macpherson served as Vice President of Medication Adherence and Immunizations at Walgreens, led Healthcare Product Strategy at WebMD, and managed health and wellness programs for Ceridian, the National Institute of Health and the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Catherine is a Registered Dietitian, a healthcare innovator, and a frequent speaker on the importance of nutrition to the aging population, care transitions and those managing chronic conditions.

Macpherson earned her Masters of Science degree in Nutrition from the University of Minnesota and her BA from the University of Michigan.

Jim Massey

Author, Trust in Action - The Leader's Guide to Act. Right. Now.

Jim Massey

Author, Trust in Action - The Leader's Guide to Act. Right. Now.

Jim Massey is an influential figure in the field of business, leadership, and corporate culture. He is widely regarded as a global thought leader due to his extensive work in creating and overseeing innovative initiatives across business and geographies including sales, marketing, operations, human development, compliance, and sustainability over six continents. His success stems from 25 years in life sciences where he has wide-ranging work experiences from being a top sales rep in his first year out of college to the establishment and management of Ambition Zero Carbon, one of the world’s first Net Zero programs.

Jim's dedication to business culture and leadership extends beyond motivating companies to save the planet. Jim is the best-selling author of Trust in Action, a book designed to help leaders at all levels take the action needed to deliver business results. As a leader who continues to be on the front lines of business, he has played a significant role in developing the first Corporate Trust Report, a blueprint designed to assist businesses in building trust with their employees, customers, communities, and investors.

Jim Massey is a vocal advocate for diversity, inclusion, and ethics in the workplace. His commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment aligns with his broader vision for sustainable business practices.

Jim's expertise and contributions have garnered significant recognition in the business community where he serves as an executive advisor and motivational speaker. In 2019, he was honored as one of Compliance Week Magazine's Top Minds, further affirming his influence and impact in the field of corporate culture and ethics.

Jim is a dynamic and engaging leader with experience on a wide range of today’s most urgent topics, drawing on his unique vantage point from diverse experience in business, tackling topics from institutionalizing corporate responsibility to driving innovation where business happens.

Jim holds a Master of Science degree in Organizational Development from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Marketing) from the University of Missouri. He is married to Emily and they enjoy the struggle of the juggle as both pursue their life’s work and raise their children Sawyer (17) and Lawson (15). The family loves the outdoors, travel and are the #1 best-selling authors of Geo Kids: 50 States on School Breaks, a travel guide which helps readers find and experience adventure.

Shweta Maniar

Global Director, Healthcare and Life Sciences Google Cloud

Shweta Maniar

Global Director, Healthcare and Life Sciences Google Cloud

Shweta Maniar is the global strategy and market leader responsible for Life Sciences at Google Cloud. She leverages broad technology solutions, including Gen AI, and cross Alphabet relationships with industry-specific products to deepen engagements. Shweta is a proven commercial executive, and leader, who brings extensive operating experience spanning digital health & technology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology. Prior to joining Google, she led market growth strategies relevant to technology accelerators for therapies and diagnostics at Genentech, where she received multiple awards, including two Innovation Awards and the MVP Award. She is a 2023 PharmaVoice 100 honoree. Shweta currently serves on the board of directors for Orthofix (NASDAQ: OFIX), a global orthopaedic and spinal technology company, and for RXSight (NASDAQ: RXST), an ophthalmic medical technology company. Shweta also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Allen Institute, a bioscience research institute aimed at unlocking the mysteries of human biology through foundational science.

Stephen Massey

Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Health Action Alliance

Stephen Massey

Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Health Action Alliance

Stephen Massey is a social entrepreneur and co-founder of Meteorite, an impact agency that builds large-scale private sector coalitions to strengthen our democracy and improve health and wellness in communities across the country. In this role, he leads the Health Action Alliance, a unique partnership of over 9,000 business, communications and public health organizations to help employers respond to emerging health challenges, improve health equity and help rebuild public health. Two of HAA’s signature initiatives include the U.S. Business Action to End HIV, a national coalition of employers committed to ending HIV in the U.S. by 2030 – and the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health.

Nicole Matrey

Senior Health Services Specialist, Geisinger

Nicole Matrey

Senior Health Services Specialist, Geisinger

Nicole Matrey is a Senior Health Services Specialist with the Geisinger Steele Institute for Innovation. Nicole currently leads Geisinger’s Food is Health strategy, designed as a community driven, sustainable, and impactful solution to address food insecurity and access. Additionally, Nicole has created partnerships with local community organizations to pilot innovative models that serve rural communities in Geisinger’s service area. Nicole’s passion for the social needs space started shortly after receiving her B.A. from Bloomsburg University. Entering the workforce as a child welfare caseworker, Nicole worked to identify and connect families to social services. During this time, she learned how difficult it could be for families to navigate the system. Nicole spent close to 10 years working for child protective services, which further developed her desire to break down barriers for those in need. Nicole joined Geisinger in 2019 and specialized in donor engagement where she was introduced to Geisinger’s Fresh Food Farmacy- an initiative created through philanthropic support. She quickly realized that these innovative programs were solutions to the problems she identified earlier in her career. Nicole transitioned to support Geisinger’s food strategy in 2022 and has had the opportunity to bring her field experience and background to identify and build meaningful solutions.

Suja Mathew, MD, FACP

Executive Vice President, Chief Clinical Officer, Atlantic Health System

Suja Mathew, MD, FACP

Executive Vice President, Chief Clinical Officer, Atlantic Health System

Suja Mathew, MD is Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Atlantic Health System. In her role, Dr. Mathew oversees the quality, research, education and health equity missions of the Atlantic Health organization. With many years of experience in clinical leadership, Dr. Mathew works collaboratively to deliver innovative and high-quality care for patients across the state.

Working directly with Atlantic Health System’s chief medical officers and quality, research and academic teams, Dr. Mathew helps strengthen the bonds that connect Atlantic Health System’s entire network of care, empowering every patient to benefit from its system-wide resources. In her unique role as Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Mathew is primarily focused on three key areas: optimizing patient access to the full Atlantic Health System network of care, elevating the system’s innovative research and academic programs, and continuing the system’s commitment to the highest quality care.

Under her leadership at Atlantic Health, the system has earned numerous, national recognitions for quality care. Most recently Atlantic Health was honored with a 2023 Citation of Merit from the American Hospital Association as part of its prestigious Quest for Quality prize. Dr. Mathew is a leader and sought-after speaker on policy matters involving physicians thanks to several roles she plays with national organizations. She serves on the Board of Regents for the American College of Physicians (ACP), the largest specialty-based physician society in the country and is immediate past governor for the Illinois Northern chapter. She is a delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA) and an elected member of the AMA’s Council on Medical Education and chair of the Continuing Medical Education committee. Additionally, Dr. Mathew works with the AMA as a Senior Practice Advisor and assists leaders in their efforts to improve professional satisfaction among their clinicians.

Before joining Atlantic Health System in March 2022, Dr. Mathew served in the Cook County Health and Hospitals System in Chicago, Illinois for 22 years, most recently as the System Chair of Medicine. She oversaw integrated inpatient and ambulatory internal medicine, dermatology and neurology services across the entire system. Dr. Mathew distinguished herself as a medical educator when she served as program director at Stroger Hospital of Cook County, leading one of the nation’s largest internal medicine training programs and in progressive educational leadership roles at Rush Medical College.

Dr. Mathew earned her medical degree from the Pritzker School of Medicine at The University of Chicago and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honors society. She completed residency training in internal medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Dr. Mathew is passionate for health equity and addressing the needs of marginalized communities. She is an advocate for ensuring that all Americans have access to reliable sources of nutritious food and serves as co-chair of Doctors for a Hunger Free America since 2019. Dr. Mathew is also committed to mentoring the next generation of healthcare leaders through her co-founding of the South Asian Women’s Healthcare Collaborative, a group that aims to mentor and sponsor women of South Asian heritage who aspire to the highest leadership roles in U.S. healthcare. She is an awarded teacher, mentor, and humanitarian.

Daniel McCauley

Founder, Mac Consulting Group

Daniel McCauley

Founder, Mac Consulting Group

Frank McGillin

Chief Executive Officer, The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic

Frank McGillin

Chief Executive Officer, The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic

Frank McGillin is the CEO at The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, a joint venture between Cleveland Clinic and Amwell that aims to expand access to the world’s best healthcare expertise through digital technology. Previously, Frank was Chief Commercial Officer at NeuroMetrix, where he launched a new digital health business addressing the chronic pain epidemic, establishing partnerships with GlaxoSmithKline, CVS Health and Best Buy. His experience ranges from management and innovation roles at digital health startups, to strategic growth & leadership roles at consumer health brands like Philips and Johnson & Johnson. Frank is a graduate of Northeastern University and holds an MBA in Finance from Fordham.

Jim McGovern (D-MA)

Congressman, 2nd District of Massachusetts

Jim McGovern (D-MA)

Congressman, 2nd District of Massachusetts

Congressman Jim McGovern represents the Second District of Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives. He is a champion for the people of his home state of Massachusetts, and a global leader working to end hunger, protect human rights, and promote peace. He believes public service should be about bringing us together and working to make life better for all our families.

Jim has been the top Democrat on the powerful House Rules Committee since 2018, serving as Chairman during the 116th and 117th Congress. Jim has worked hard on the Rules Committee to change business as usual on Capitol Hill and make Congress work in a more open, transparent, bipartisan way. For example, he put in place rules to give all Members of Congress more time to read bills. He required that bills to go through the committee process instead of just being written behind closed doors, and he created a new office to recruit and retain congressional staff that reflect the diversity of the American people.

On the House Agriculture Committee, Jim has been a global leader in the fight to end hunger. He fought for and successfully secured a White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to make ending hunger a national priority. Thanks to Jim's advocacy and tireless work, military families are being screened for hunger for the first time ever, families with children get enhanced food benefits, schools are able to provide more nutritious meals, and America now has a plan to end hunger within the decade.

Jim has spent his career in public service working to strengthen America's global leadership when it comes to protecting human rights and promoting peace. He serves on two commissions which monitor, investigate and advocate on behalf of international human rights, the rule of law, and good governance: the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. He has written and successfully passed into law several bills which help America identify and hold accountable corrupt foreign officials and human rights abusers. He has also authored and passed into law several pieces of legislation to hold the government of China accountable for human rights violations, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, the Tibet Policy and Support Act, and the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act

Jim's concern for human rights goes back to his time as a Congressional staffer, when he led an investigation into the murders of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador. Jim uncovered that the murders were committed by Salvadoran soldiers who had been trained by the United States Government–leading to a major shift in public opinion and a change in U.S. policy that made future military aid contingent on improved human rights in El Salvador.

Jim worked his way through college, earning a BA in history and then spending over a decade working in the office of Congressman Joe Moakley, a Democrat from South Boston. His time working for Moakley taught him that you have to stand up for what you believe in and work hard to give back to your community. After Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 1995, Jim saw that Washington was working harder than ever for the rich and powerful while everyday people fell further and further behind. He successfully ran for Congress in 1996, and has won reelection every two years since then.

Jim takes principled stands on tough issues and works with Members of Congress from across the aisle and throughout the country to ensure that every single person in America and around the world is treated with dignity, decency, fairness, and respect.

Dan Mendelson

Chief Executive Officer, Morgan Health

Dan Mendelson

Chief Executive Officer, Morgan Health

Dan Mendelson is the Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Health at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Mendelson oversees a business unit at JPMorgan Chase focused on accelerating the delivery of new care models that improve the quality, equity and affordability of employer-sponsored healthcare. Mendelson was previously Founder and CEO of Avalere Health, a healthcare advisory company based in Washington DC. He also served as Operating Partner at Welsh Carson, a private equity firm. Before founding Avalere, Mendelson served as associate director for Health at the Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton White House. Mendelson currently serves on the boards of Vera Whole Health and Champions Oncology (CSBR). He is also an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. He previously served on the boards of Coventry Healthcare, HMS Holdings, Pharmerica, Partners in Primary Care, Centrexion, and Audacious Inquiry. Mendelson holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Oberlin College, and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Stephanie E. Mercado, CAE, CPHQ

Chief Executive Officer, National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)

Stephanie E. Mercado, CAE, CPHQ

Chief Executive Officer, National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)

Stephanie Mercado is the chief executive officer/executive director of the National Association for Healthcare Quality® (NAHQ), the leader in the development of industry-standard healthcare quality competencies and certification in healthcare quality. The Chicago-based association serves healthcare professionals across the country and internationally.

Mercado brings more than 20 years of healthcare industry experience to her lead role at NAHQ. Since joining NAHQ in 2013, she has implemented innovations and introduced methodologies to research and define standardized competencies for the healthcare quality profession. This has resulted in advancement of quality professionals and increased visibility of the value of the quality workforce within healthcare.

Under Mercado’s visionary leadership, the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality® (CPHQ) certification has doubled from approximately 7,000 CPHQs to more than 15,000. Over the same time period, NAHQ membership has grown from about 4,500 members to nearly 10,000. She also orchestrated the development of the first and only database that articulates the work of those working in healthcare quality.

In partnership with NAHQ’s board of directors, staff and volunteers, Mercado led the development of industry-elevating initiatives, such as the twice-validated Healthcare Quality Competency Framework, and the profession’s first workforce study, offering critical insights to workforce development opportunities for healthcare quality and safety professionals.

Prior to joining NAHQ, Mercado served in executive positions with the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and the American Orthopaedic Association. Throughout her career, she has been focused on advancing competencies and skills in practical and actionable application within various professions.

Mike Miele, FSA, MAAA

Senior Vice President, Insured Services, Capital Rx

Mike Miele, FSA, MAAA

Senior Vice President, Insured Services, Capital Rx

Mike is responsible for developing business relationships with advisors, payers, and health systems at Capital Rx. Mike is a health care actuary with significant experience in all aspects of employer health and welfare benefits, including pharmacy benefit management, data analytics, and medical management. Before Capital Rx, Mike held many senior leadership positions over the last 12 years at Arthur J. Gallagher and established their national pharmacy practice. Prior to joining Gallagher, Mike was the founder of PatientCentrix, a medical management and data management provider that he sold to SHPS Healthcare.

Mike is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a graduate of the University of Michigan with a dual degree in Mathematics and Statistics. In his spare time, Mike enjoys golfing, fishing, and traveling.

Lorie Montague

Sales Executive, HUB International

Lorie Montague

Sales Executive, HUB International

Brad B. Moore, MD, MPH, FACP

Director, Lifestyle Medicine Program, Associate Professor of Medicine and Health Policy, The George Washington University

Brad B. Moore, MD, MPH, FACP

Director, Lifestyle Medicine Program, Associate Professor of Medicine and Health Policy, The George Washington University

Brad Moore, MD, MPH, FACP, Dip.ABLM is Director of the Lifestyle Medicine Program at The GW Medical Faculty Associates and an Associate Professor at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. Moore completed his undergraduate work at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He attended medical school, completed a primary care internal medicine residency, and served as Chief Medical Resident and Chief Administrative House Officer at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [Now Drexel University School of Medicine]. He came to GW in 1993 as a Fellow in Medicine and Primary Care and completed a master's in public health in health care administration.

He has been practicing general internal medicine as faculty at the MFA since 1995. He holds additional appointments as Associate Professor of Health Services Management and Leadership and of Health Policy in the Schools of Medicine and Public Health at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. He was Medical Director of the GW Physician Assistant program from 1995-2012 and actively teaches in the School of Medicine, PA Program, School of Public Health, and the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Moore's scholarly and clinical interests center on lifestyle medicine, asthma, immunization science, preventive medicine, and health care informatics. He has published and spoken in these areas. He is listed as a "Top Doc" in Washingtonian Magazine and a "Top Doc" and "Top Primary Care Physician" in Washington Consumer's Checkbook. Research shows that lifestyle choices are the drivers behind chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and some cancers. By optimizing diet, physical activity, sleep, stress management and relationships and by avoiding harmful substances like tobacco, most of these diseases can be prevented and reversed. Dr. Moore is committed to helping his patients make positive lifestyle changes as a first step toward leading healthier lives.

GW’s Lifestyle Medicine Program focuses on six aspects of lifestyle change: a healthy plant-based diet, physical activity, stress reduction, sleep health, social connections, and avoidance of risky substances such as tobacco. Collectively, these therapeutic interventions are delivered by clinicians trained and certified in this specialty, to prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic disease.

Karen Moseley

President and Chief Executive Officer, Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO)

Karen Moseley

President and Chief Executive Officer, Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO)

Karen Moseley is President & CEO of the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a national think tank dedicated to advancing best practices in workplace health and well-being. In collaboration with HERO members, Karen and the HERO team provide leadership in research and education by connecting science and practice to demonstrate value of a health and well-being employer ecosystem.

Prior to being appointed President of HERO, Karen served as the organization’s Vice President of Education and Director of Operations. In these positions, she was instrumental in growing HERO membership, increasing member engagement, and continuously improving educational programming and supporting HERO’s robust research agenda. Karen also managed HERO’s grant-funded projects, which include a multi-stakeholder collaboration to support employer involvement in community health initiatives and another to identify common measures of community health, both funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Having worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 30 years, Karen has managed the development and dissemination of a number of publications and educational conferences. She is the 2021 recipient of the Leader in Workplace Wellness Award presented by the Global Wellness Summit. Karen received her Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

To stay healthy, Karen enjoys yoga, testing new healthy recipes, and soaking up the great outdoors. Karen and her husband, T.J., are proud parents of two adult children and reside in Wake Forest, NC.

Chris Mosunic

Chief Clinical Officer, Calm

Chris Mosunic

Chief Clinical Officer, Calm

Chris Mosunic is Chief Clinical Officer at Calm. Chris is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Registered Dietitian specializing in starting, scaling, and managing large provider teams and networks at healthcare startups, as well as both privately and publicly held healthcare organizations. Prior to his current role as the Chief Clinical Officer at Calm, Chris served as an executive healthcare leader at Yale New Haven Health, Johnson and Johnson, Rivermend Health, Advanced Recovery Systems, and Vida Health.

Chris has authored numerous scientific publications, clinical programs, and presentations throughout his career on topics such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mental health, integrated care, obesity, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. Chris received his undergraduate degree in Biology & Psychology from Bucknell University, his MS in Nutritional Biochemistry from Tufts, his PhD in clinical psychology from Vanderbilt, and his MBA from Yale.

Dariush Mozaffarian, MD

Jean Mayer Professor and Director, Food is Medicine Institute, Tufts University

Dariush Mozaffarian, MD

Jean Mayer Professor and Director, Food is Medicine Institute, Tufts University

Dariush Mozaffarian is a cardiologist, Jean Mayer Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Professor of Medicine at Tufts School of Medicine, and an attending physician at Tufts Medical Center. His work aims to create the science and translation for a food system that is nutritious, equitable, and sustainable. Dr. Mozaffarian has authored more than 500 scientific publications on dietary priorities for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, and on evidence-based policy approaches and innovations to reduce diet-related diseases and improve health equity in the US and globally. Areas of focus include defining healthy diets, nutritional biomarkers, Food is Medicine interventions in healthcare, business innovation and entrepreneurship, and food policy. He is one of the top cited researchers in medicine globally, he has served in numerous advisory roles, and his work has been featured in an array of media outlets. Thomson Reuters has named him as one of the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds In 2023, Dr. Mozaffarian was nominated by President Biden to serve on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (PCSFN), a federal advisory committee that aims to promote healthy eating and physical activity for all Americans.

Dr. Mozaffarian received his B.S. in biological sciences from Stanford University, M.D. from Columbia University, and Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard University; and additional clinical training in internal medicine at Stanford University and in cardiology at the University of Washington. He is married, has three children, and actively trains as a Fourth Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.

Mohan Nair

CEO and Edmund Hillary Fellow, New Zealand, Emerge, Inc, The Innovation Transformation Company

Mohan Nair

CEO and Edmund Hillary Fellow, New Zealand, Emerge, Inc, The Innovation Transformation Company

Mohan Nair began his journey as an engineer at Intel focused on AI, and in the 30 years since, has taken a leading role as a builder and transformer of organizations. He has created and launched six cause-driven startups within a $10 billion enterprise as a 10-year SVP Chief Innovation Officer; has launched three startups with two successful exits; and has served as a high-level corporate executive for three different corporations. Mohan was called by the President of the United States to serve the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the AHIC Chronic Care Workgroup (2004-2009). He serves the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise as a Beachhead advisor as well as an Edmund Hillary Fellow. He is an accomplished interviewer, facilitator, moderator, and keynote speaker. He is an effective ingredient in innumerable conferences and offsites. Now, Mohan is teaching the world’s leading institutions about the transformative power of pursuing our inner nature as innovators. In the context of generative AI and exponential cycles of innovation, we are challenged to understand our role as executives in the fog of the future. Mohan provides a context for what he calls “Finding the inner innovator in all of us beyond AI”. His work is focused on allowing leaders to find their innovative selves in the world of AI and technological transformation. His TEDx talk outlines his working philosophy of transformation. After his third book, “Strategic Business Transformation” he is now authoring his fourth, “The Innovator’s Mojo: Finding your inner innovator beyond AI.”

Geeta Nayyar, MD

Chief Medical officer, Technologist, Best-Selling Author, Dead Wrong: Diagnosing and Treating Healthcare’s Misinformation Illness

Geeta Nayyar, MD

Chief Medical officer, Technologist, Best-Selling Author, Dead Wrong: Diagnosing and Treating Healthcare’s Misinformation Illness

Geeta Nayyar, MD, MBA, is a globally recognized chief medical officer, technologist, and bestselling author who helps leaders leverage a human approach to innovation, including rapid advances in AI, to achieve better health and business outcomes.

A widely sought-after speaker and author of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller “Dead Wrong: Diagnosing and Treating Healthcare’s Misinformation Illness,” Dr. G has appeared on CNBC, CNN, CBS, and other prominent media outlets. She has served as chief medical officer for Salesforce and AT&T, among other executive roles. She currently serves on the board of the American Telemedicine Association and as an advisor to the American Medical Association.

A rheumatologist, Dr. G earned her medical degree at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where she was admitted into an accelerated program at age 17, and her MBA at The George Washington University School of Business.

Benny Nwokeabia

Co-Founder, Conference Center Comedy

Benny Nwokeabia

Co-Founder, Conference Center Comedy

Co- Founder of Conference Center Comedy Born in Washington DC Benny is half Nigerian half Ethiopian but grew up overseas in Geneva, Switzerland. Benny blends his comedy with cultured quick witted jokes touching audiences from a range of different backgrounds with charisma cleverness and killer smile. He has worked with acts such as Matt Rife, Deray Davis, Nate Jackson, Zainab Johnson, Martin Amini, Ian Lara, Shapel Lacey, Tony Woods as well as others. Most recently auditioned in Montreal to be featured on Just For Laughs New Faces. He was named runner up in the Magoobys 2022 Comedian of the year competition and was named Winner of the DC Improv’s Comedy Kumite competition and most recently runner up in the 43rd Seattle international comedy competition. Sessions

Cora Opsahl

Health Fund Director, 32BJ Health Fund

Cora Opsahl

Health Fund Director, 32BJ Health Fund

As Director of the 32BJ Health Fund, a self-funded plan that provides affordable, comprehensive, and innovative health coverage to 200,000 union members and their families, Cora Opsahl has implemented multiple benefit changes that saved more than $35 million in 2022: removing NewYork-Presbyterian hospital system and physicians from the network; transitioning to a new pharmacy vendor and pharmacy group purchasing coalition; and establishing an expanded Centers of Excellence program administered by Mount Sinai Solutions. Currently, she is leading a comprehensive medical RFP.

Prior to joining the 32BJ Health Fund, Ms. Opsahl spent 12 years at Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit manager, where she held a variety of roles, including with Medicare Part D, strategy and acquisitions, operations, and account management. She holds an MBA from Saint Louis University.

Hugh O'Toole

Chief Executive Officer, Innovu

Hugh O'Toole

Chief Executive Officer, Innovu

As Chief Executive Officer of Innovu, Hugh O’Toole is changing advisor/consultant practice models from their siloed focus on Health & Welfare, Retirement and Property & Casualty, to a model focused on holistic Human Capital Risk Management. He understands that the world of retirement services and benefits can be complicated.

Hugh has dedicated his career to aligning the financial wellness of American employees with the positive impact their wellness has on the financial statement of their employers. With leading capabilities in data aggregation, data science/analytics and behavioral finance, the industry can have a much greater impact with the convergence of data and benefit disciplines versus a siloed view.

In 2014, he founded Viability AG LLC, to address the relationship between financially well employees and the impact on the employer’s financial statement, through mitigating the future liability from healthcare, risk protection/management, productivity, and engagement of their employees. In 2015, Viability was purchased by MassMutual, and he once again joined the MassMutual team as a Senior Vice President. His first mission was to bring non-profit employers and their employees institutional investment product, versus the legacy insurance products historically sold to them. As a partner of Professional Pensions, Inc. (PPI), they accomplished this mission, and the firm grew rapidly. Principal Financial Group purchased PPI in 1999.

Outside of work, Hugh enjoys kayaking, hiking, playing golf, and traveling with his family. He is very involved in his church and community.

Sally Pace

Chief Executive Officer, Connect Healthcare Collaboration

Sally Pace

Chief Executive Officer, Connect Healthcare Collaboration

Sally Pace is CEO of Connect Healthcare Collaboration, the marketing and sales engine that powers the benefits industry and connects benefits advisors, employers and healthcare solutions. CHC has three lines of business including marketing and communication services, comprehensive coordinated care and advocacy services, and The Granite List benefits marketplace.

Prior to her role at CHC, Sally served as senior vice president of marketing and communication for FHN Financial, the fixed income sales, research and trading arm of Memphis-based First Horizon National Corp (NYSE: FHNC). While in the financial industry, Sally served on the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s National Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s National Marketing and Compliance Review Committee.

Previously, Sally held a variety of positions within AutoZone and at HGTV. Sally also played an integral role in the development of a program called MemphisConnect, a tool used by the city’s corporate leaders to attract and retain top talent. Because of her work around building this model, Sally was tapped by the Brookings Institution in 2008 to participate in a global discussion on “the war for talent.” She was one of 15 U.S. leaders invited to participate in the event in Turin, Italy.

Outside of her work life, Sally has volunteered her time to a variety of civic and charitable organizations. She is board chair of Memphis Tourism, a Past President of the Junior League of Memphis and serves on the board of NEXUS. Sally is also a member of the International Women’s Forum and the Self-Insurance Institute of America’s Workers Compensation Programs committee. She has served on a number of other nonprofit boards throughout her career, as well as the Knowledge Enhancement Committee of the Memphis Regional Chamber’s International Business Council. Additionally, Sally is a Fellow of New Memphis Institute and a graduate of their Masters program, has been named to the Memphis Business Journal’s Super Women in Business, Top 40 Under 40, and has been tapped as a Power Player in the field of Philanthropy by Memphis Business Quarterly.

Anand Parekh, MD

Chief Medical Advisor, Bipartisan Policy Center

Anand Parekh, MD

Chief Medical Advisor, Bipartisan Policy Center

Dr. Anand Parekh is Chief Medical Advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) where he provides clinical and public health expertise across the organization. Since 2015, he has led specific efforts tackling a variety of policy issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, future of public health, opioid crisis, obesity epidemic & nutrition, health & housing, domestic and global HIV/AIDS, business & public health collaboration, emergency preparedness, social isolation, rural health, and prescription drug costs. His healthcare expertise has been recognized by the Washingtonian in its listing of Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People.

Prior to joining BPC, he completed a decade of service at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As an HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health in the Senior Executive Service from 2008 to 2015, he developed and implemented national initiatives focused on prevention, wellness, and care management. Specifically, he played instrumental roles in the implementation of the Recovery Act’s Prevention and Wellness Fund, the Affordable Care Act’s prevention initiatives, and HHS’ Multiple Chronic Conditions Initiative. He received the Surgeon General’s Outstanding Service Award for his efforts.

Briefly in 2007, he was delegated the authorities of the HHS Assistant Secretary for Health overseeing ten health program offices and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Earlier in his HHS career, he played key roles in public health emergency preparedness efforts related to pandemic influenza and bioterrorism as special assistant to the science advisor to the secretary.

Parekh is a board-certified internal medicine physician, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, an adjunct professor of health management and policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and an adjunct assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, where he previously completed his residency training in the Osler Medical Program of the Department of Medicine. He provided volunteer clinical services for many years at the Holy Cross Hospital Health Center, a clinic for the uninsured in Silver Spring, MD.

He currently serves on the Board of Population Health and Public Health Practice at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Dean’s Advisory Board of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Board of Directors of the Presidential Scholars Foundation, Board of Directors of WaterAid America, and the Founders Council at the United States of Care.

He has spoken widely and written extensively on a variety of health topics such as chronic care management, population health, value in health care, and the need for health and human services integration. His book Prevention First: Policymaking for a Healthier America was released in December 2019 and argues that prevention must be our nation’s top health policy priority. He is also a Forbes healthcare contributor focused on the coronavirus.

A native of Michigan, Parekh received a B.A. in political science, an M.D., and an M.P.H. in health management and policy from the University of Michigan. He was selected as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in 1994.

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Neil Parikh, MD

Chief Medical Officer, Thirty Madison

Neil Parikh, MD

Chief Medical Officer, Thirty Madison

Dr. Neil Parikh is the Chief Medical Officer of Thirty Madison, focused on implementing technology to deliver care at scale. He oversees the clinical, research, and strategic partnership organizations within the company. Prior to Thirty Madison, Neil was President of Oscar Medical Group and Senior Medical Director at Oscar Health leading Care Delivery, where he oversaw Oscar’s clinic and telemedicine operations, complex case management, and clinical concierge services. Neil is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California Los Angeles, where he has been teaching and practicing since 2014. Neil completed his Internal Medicine residency at Cedars Sinai, his MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and his MD at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Neil stays connected to philanthropy through Amply, a giving platform he co-founded, and as a member of the Healthcare Advisory Council to the Ronald McDonald House NY.

Doba Parushev

Managing Partner and Vice President, Venture Capital, Healthworx Ventures, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

Doba Parushev

Managing Partner and Vice President, Venture Capital, Healthworx Ventures, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

Doba Parushev leads Healthworx, the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield investing in and working with innovative companies that are building the future of healthcare. Prior to Healthworx, Doba spent most of his career supporting entrepreneurs—from assisting start-ups in Latin America to investing in growth-stage technology businesses across the United States. Having both led innovation programs for corporations and been an institutional investor, he is passionate about connecting the strength and scale of large companies with the agility and vision of startups. Doba holds a BSE in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Gina Plata-Nino, JD

Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition and Agriculture, Domestic Policy Council, The White House

Gina Plata-Nino, JD

Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition and Agriculture, Domestic Policy Council, The White House

Gina is the Senior Policy Advisor on Nutrition and Agriculture for the Domestic Policy Council in the White House. Previously, she was the Deputy Director for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), a national anti-hunger organization where she provided technical assistance, analysis, training, strategic advice, and other hands-on support to national, state and community-based organizations. Before joining FRAC she worked as an attorney with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and the Central West Justice Center. Gina began her career by clerking at the Massachusetts State Appeals Court and by working as Legal Consultant in Southeast Asia. She has a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law.

Tim Pollard

Chief Executive Officer, Oratium

Tim Pollard

Chief Executive Officer, Oratium

For leaders, communication has always been as critical as it is challenging. And in today’s turbulent world with so many contentious issues to navigate, (and a virtual environment now to master) the challenges have been significantly amplified.

Tim Pollard, CEO of Oratium, helps equip leaders to tell their story in a powerful and compelling way, in the certain knowledge that extraordinary messaging leads to extraordinary outcomes.

Tim, and Oratium, have trained executives in companies as diverse as Disney, Cisco, Linkedin, Salesforce, Ernst and Young.

Buck Poropatich

Head of Lyft Healthcare, Lyft

Buck Poropatich

Head of Lyft Healthcare, Lyft

Buck Poropatich leads Lyft Healthcare, the largest Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) provider in the U.S. Since pioneering entry into the healthcare industry in 2016, Lyft Healthcare has emerged as a trailblazer, now serving over 3,000 healthcare organizations, including leading providers, payers, transportation managers and platforms across the country.

Buck's healthcare expertise originates from previous roles at McKesson and Change Healthcare, where he focused on corporate strategy and business development. His leadership at Lyft Healthcare underscores a commitment to the intersection of consumer technology and healthcare, with a goal of improving access to services promoting better health, by ensuring that every individual in need receives reliable transportation, regardless of age, income, or ability.

Mehreen Rashid

Deputy Director, State Demonstrations Group, Centers for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Mehreen Rashid

Deputy Director, State Demonstrations Group, Centers for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Mehreen Rashid is currently the Deputy Director of the State Demonstrations Group (SDG) at the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) in the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services where she supports the agency’s work on Medicaid demonstrations authorized under section 1115 of the Social Security Act. With a decade of federal experience on section 1115 demonstrations, including nearly a year as the Acting Director of SDG, she oversees the Group’s policy development and negotiations with states seeking demonstrations to advance their Medicaid program innovations. She directs the group’s work across all phases of the lifecycle of section 1115 demonstration work. Mehreen is an expert in Medicaid delivery system reform and payment reform, value-based care, health-related social needs, and maternal health. Before Mehreen came to CMS in 2014, she worked for five years in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in the Office of Budget as the lead analyst for budget and policy development for federal Medicaid spending and other related CMS programs. During that time, she also supported senior leadership in the development and establishment of early Affordable Care Act programs. Mehreen received her Master of Public Administration from George Washington University and a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Purva Rawal, PhD

Chief Strategy Officer, CMS Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Purva Rawal, PhD

Chief Strategy Officer, CMS Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Purva Rawal, PhD, is the Chief Strategy Officer at the CMS Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As part of the Senior Leadership team, she provides guidance and leadership on the execution of the Innovation Center’s strategy. Most recently, she was a principal at CapView Strategies, where she developed evidence-based public policy and business strategies and conducted policy research on health system transformation and sustainability issues. She was also an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University. In 2016, she published a book, The Affordable Care Act: Examining the Facts and has published book chapter, blogs, and papers on value-based care. Previously, Dr. Rawal served as professional staff on the Senate Budget Committee during the passage of the Affordable Care Act and as the health and social policy advisor to Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT). She was also a director in the Health Insurance and Reform Practice at Avalere Health. She began her health policy career as a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Fellow at the National Academy of Sciences and as a Congressional Fellow for the Society for Research on Child Development and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Rawal received her B.A. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

Vanessa Roknic

Director, Digital Transformation & Innovation, Novo Nordisk

Vanessa Roknic

Director, Digital Transformation & Innovation, Novo Nordisk

Vanessa Roknic has built a solid reputation for transforming organizations by identifying customers’ pain points, ideating viable solutions, and leading high-performing teams to execute. She leverages her R&D background coupled with expertise in front-end drug development and regulatory compliance to inform digital innovation and transformation from initial problem identification to creation of a total solution. In her current role as Director, Digital Transformation and Innovation for Novo Nordisk, Vanessa leads the operations and expansion of the company’s first internal innovation incubator: Apis Labs. She builds novel partnerships with internal groups and external academic institutions to accelerate the volume and velocity of the innovation portfolio. Throughout her 8-year tenure with Novo Nordisk, Vanessa progressed from clinical project management roles first in Australia and then in the US, to newly formed roles in business performance and commercial innovation. She met the executive team’s mandate to pioneer a Proof of Concept (PoC) innovation incubator that drove rapid, incremental, and iterative experimentation to identify innovation opportunities.

Jason J. Rose, MD, MBA

Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Dean, Innovation & Physician Science Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Director of Faculty Entrepreneurship. Executive Director, UM-BILD, University of Maryland, Baltimore

Jason J. Rose, MD, MBA

Dr. Rose completed a BSE in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2006 and went on to attend medical school at Wayne State University. He completed residency in Internal Medicine at Duke University Medical Center in 2013 before coming to the University of Pittsburgh in 2013 for his clinical and research fellowship training in Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine (PACCM). He joined the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2016 and was recently promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine and Bioengineering. Dr. Rose obtained his MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University in 2017 to pursue his entrepreneurial aspirations for drug development in the field of inhalational toxicology. He regularly rounds in medical intensive care unit with a clinical focus on mechanical ventilation, medical toxicology, and telemedicine in critical care. His research work in carbon monoxide poisoning has contributed to the development of a novel class of antidotal therapies — leading to multiple patents and a spin-out company, Globin Solutions, Inc., which he co-founded in 2017. Dr. Rose currently serves as the President & CEO of Globin Solution. Under his leadership, Globin Solutions raised $5,500,000 in Series A funding in 2018 and was awarded a multi-PI Phase I/II Fast-Track STTR grant from the NIH in 2020. In support of his academic pursuits, he received a K08 award from the NIH, a Parker B Francis Fellowship, a Battlefield Resuscitation for Immediate Stabilization of Combat Casualties from the Department of Defense, a Young Investigator award from the American Heart Association, and a Young Physician-Scientist award from the American Society of Clinical Investigation.

Dr. Rose took on multiple leadership roles in developing innovation and commercialization opportunities for physician-scientists throughout while at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. As Associate Vice Chair of Medicine, Dr. Rose partnered with UPMC Enterprises (the Investment Arm of UPMC health system) and the University of Pittsburgh to enhance innovative research and the commercialization of projects within the Department. He worked with Divisional leaders and Department faculty to connect investigators with the UPMC Enterprises Translational Sciences Portfolio and leverage their expertise and financial resources for commercialization of critical biomedical discoveries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Rose served as Interim Director of Alternative Resourcing, assisting in Department efforts to explore innovative solutions to potential shortfalls in PPE and critical medical devices.

Kristina Saffran

Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Equip

Kristina Saffran

Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Equip

Kristina Saffran is the co-founder and CEO of Equip, the leading provider of virtual, evidence-based eating disorder treatment in the U.S. Founded in 2019, Equip is built upon a combination of clinical expertise and lived experience to transform eating disorder care and make it accessible to all patients and families. Since recovering from anorexia as a teenager, Kristina has been on a mission to ensure that all families have access to high quality treatment. Kristina co-founded and is an active board member of Project HEAL, a Fortune 40 under 40 honoree, an Ashoka Fellow, a Forbes 30 under 30 social entrepreneur, and a Facebook Community Leadership Fellow, and graduated from Harvard College with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2014.

Michele Salle

Global Head of Rewards, Syneos Health

Michele Salle

Global Head of Rewards, Syneos Health

Michele Sallé has built her career on leveraging consummate business acumen encompassing financials, operations, and human resources to influence the strategic direction of established and start-up businesses across a wide range of industries. She maximizes utilization of organizations’ most valuable resources – their people – to advance the vision, mission, and purpose of the business, and achieve goals and objectives in any environment.

Michele positions enterprises for profitable, scalable, and sustainable growth by:

Balancing a Strategic, Visionary Approach with Pragmatic, Tactical Execution – Michele builds organizational design, structure, and framework around people, revenue goals, profit objectives, and target markets only after accurately defining the business purpose and value. Her approach ensures alignment between vision, mission, strategy, and execution.
Creating Positive Organizational Cultures – Across diverse business units and functional areas, Michele determines the best possible composition, focus, and tone of leadership teams, resulting in cultures that attract, engage, and enable key talent to thrive.
Championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) – Michele collaborates with C-suite executives to create and implement DE&I strategies that embed diversity, equity, and inclusion into every aspect of the business, making it a corporate priority. She advocates for elevating DE&I into an equal and separate function from HR.

Michele is currently SVP of Total Rewards for Syneos Health since November, 2023. Previously, she was as Chief Experience Officer with an innovative startup in the technology space, Mobeus. She built out the Customer and Employee experience as well as provided leadership counsel and guidance as a core leadership team member.

Previously as Chief People Officer, Americas for Dentsu International, Michele worked directly with senior business and functional executives across the region to develop, align, and drive the people strategy with corporate objectives. She built a new executive compensation structure and career framework that impacted executives across the $2.2BN business, elevating their experience with clear and consistent career paths.

Prior to her role at Dentsu, Michele held 5 different HR leadership positions at Accenture in 14 years. She was appointed to Managing Director, Northeast Regional HR Lead in 2016 to lead the company’s largest and most complex region. With $4.1BN in revenue, 15,000 employees deployed in the region and another 30,000 in other regional and offshore locations across 4 business units and 5 client service groups, she established Talent Centers of Excellence (COEs) throughout North America and brought the talent strategy to life.

From 2006 to 2016, Michele was Managing Director / HRBP for 3 distinct strategic business units (SBUs) – Technology, Financial Services, and New Businesses. Over the course of 10 years leading complex, mission-critical HR matters for these SBUs with revenues of up to $8.5BN annually and as many as 18,000 employees, she was named the HR lead for Accenture’s largest acquisition to date; restructured the leadership team to successfully pivot during the financial crisis; and launched 11 different organic / inorganic startups. Her career began at Martin Marietta as a Mechanical Engineer before transitioning to management consulting work with Andersen Consulting. After several years at Andersen, Michele joined Accenture as a Human Resource Manager for Strategy and Business Architecture.

Michele holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. She enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, volunteering, and home renovation projects.

Obadiah Sang

Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategic Investment, Independence Blue Cross

Obadiah Sang

Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategic Investment, Independence Blue Cross

Obadiah Sang has more than 10 years of experience in corporate development, investing, and market strategy. In his role as Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategic Investments, he provides strategic oversight for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic investing. Sang also oversees Independence’s strategic innovation portfolio and leads the company’s pursuit of new and innovative ways to grow business and drive diversification.

Since joining Independence in 2020, Sang has played a key role on several strategic initiatives on behalf of the company, including: Independence’s expanded relationship with Penn Medicine centered on Penn Medicine’s purchase of a minority equity stake in Tandigm Health. Penn’s long-term commitment to work with Tandigm focuses on primary care and aims to improve patient outcomes and contain costs.Independence’s investment in Quartet Health to achieve speed to quality mental health care for all patients. The partnership builds on Independence’s whole-person health initiative.

Sang holds board observer roles across several of Independence’s strategic innovation portfolio companies.

Obadiah received a bachelors in finance from Metropolitan State University and his MBA from the University of Iowa, Tippie College of Business.

Kathryn Schubert

President and Chief Executive Officer, Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR)

Kathryn Schubert

President and Chief Executive Officer, Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR)

Kathryn (Katie) Schubert joined the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) as President and CEO in April 2020. Under Katie’s leadership SWHR developed a strategic plan focused on fulfilling the organization’s mission of promoting research on biological sex differences in disease and improving women’s health through science, policy, and education. She previously worked for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), where she served as the organization’s chief advocacy officer, growing SMFM’s role nationally and building its reputation in women’s health. Katie is a trusted leader and consensus builder among women’s health stakeholders, particularly in the policy arena. She has served in multiple Board roles for nonprofit organizations in the Washington, DC-area, including as Chair of the Board of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance and as advisor to the John E. Lewy Fund for Children’s Health. She is a past president of Women in Government Relations. Prior to SMFM, Katie served as senior vice president at CRD Associates, where she advised clients — including nonprofit patient advocacy groups, medical professional organizations, and private companies — on government relations and public policy related to health and biomedical research issues, among others. She has also spent time working in key legislative roles on Capitol Hill. She received her BA from Mary Washington College and her Masters of Public Policy from George Washington University.

John Schultz, MBA, CLP

Director, Office of Technology Transfer, Houston Methodist Hospital

John Schultz, MBA, CLP

Director, Office of Technology Transfer, Houston Methodist Hospital

John is currently the Director for the Office of Technology Transfer at Houston Methodist Hospital. Previously, he was Acting Vice President of Business Development at Pharmozyme Inc., an engineered enzyme platform company. Prior to that he was Vice President of Corporate Development at Intrexon Corporation where he led all corporate development activities supporting a portfolio of synthetic biology assets in the healthcare, food and industrial biotech sectors. He was also Director of Business Development at Roche Tissue Diagnostics and the Senior Vice President of Licensing and Strategic Development at Clinical Data Inc. a drug development (vilazodone) and laboratory services provider of patient testing and contract DNA sequencing services for pharma, which was acquired by Forest Laboratories. John has also worked in various general management, sales and marketing positions for BioChem Pharma and Sigma-Aldrich Chemical. He began his career as the Asia-Pacific Sales and Marketing Manager –for Mallinckrodt. He joined the Office of Technology Transfer at Houston Methodist in 2016.

Pamela M. Schwartz, MPH

Executive Director, Community Health, Kaiser Permanente

Pamela M. Schwartz, MPH

Executive Director, Community Health, Kaiser Permanente

Pamela Schwartz, MPH, is executive director of community health for Kaiser Permanente. She leads the organization’s national food-security strategy and other social health priorities, including ensuring that social health interventions are integrated seamlessly into care and services provided to Medicaid members and across all lines of business. Pam and her team created the organization’s earliest outreach campaigns to help eligible members enroll in public-benefit programs. With deep experience designing, testing and scaling social health interventions and collaborating across sectors to inform and shape public policy, Pam oversees Kaiser Permanente’s $50 million Food is Medicine commitment, made alongside its role in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. As an early advocate in the Food is Medicine movement, Pam has helped establish the evidence base and business case for addressing food- and nutrition-insecurity at Kaiser Permanente and in health care systems across America.

Pam has over 25 years’ experience in community health strategy and evaluation. She serves on many advisory committees and expert panels and has authored several journal articles. She is currently on faculty at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine.

Pam has a master’s degree in public health and completed Kaiser Permanente’s Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School

Julie Selesnick

Senior Counsel, Healthcare and Employee Benefits Groups, Berger Montague

Julie Selesnick

Senior Counsel, Healthcare and Employee Benefits Groups, Berger Montague

Julie Selesnick has over twenty years of experience litigating in complex dispute resolution forums representing both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Julie also has a wide variety of arbitration and mediation experience, including as first chair in both jury and bench trials, and has represented some of the largest companies in the US as well as small companies, labor unions, individuals and classes of plaintiffs.

Julie’s current practice is a mix of class action litigation on behalf of individuals, union funds, and employers, and a growing consulting practice working with self-funded health plans and service providers to health plans, including but not limited to advising on ERISA and other regulatory compliance issues, drafting and negotiating service provider contracts, NDA/Confidentiality and BAA agreements, negotiating on behalf of health plans or brokers with third-party administrators to gain access to plan claims data as well as the terms of provider agreements related to payment, and assisting plans and service providers with a variety of other issues related to the new disclosure requirements under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, such as drafting for vendors and assisting plan fiduciaries in obtaining 408(b)(2)(B) compensation disclosures, advising on and drafting MHPAEA NQTL comparative analysis reports, negotiating access to RxDC submissions made by TPAs and PBMs on behalf of plans, and finding and removing gag clauses from administrative service contracts with carriers and PBMs.

Judy Seybold

Co-Founder and Chief Nutrition Officer, Sifter

Judy Seybold

Co-Founder and Chief Nutrition Officer, Sifter

As Sifter co-founder and Chief Nutrition Officer, Judy Seybold leads the nutrition innovation, government affairs, and scientific disciplines behind Sifter’s Nutrition as a Service® digital technology for health and retail organizations. She brings regulatory rigor, clinical research expertise, and digital experience developing nutrition applications that deliver scalable Food as Medicine solutions. A retail nutrition pioneer, Judy has developed hundreds of metadata-driven applications and consumer shelf-edge programs that support medically tailored grocery interventions. While in R&D, Judy championed nutrition strategies that included approval of Vitamin D in cheese products, oat health claims, and AHA certifications. Over several decades, Judy has helped grow healthy brands for Fortune 100 companies (Quaker Oats and Kraft Foods); worked with numerous health start-ups (SPINS, ItemMaster, InteliChoice, Label Insight, healthyAisles); and managed several NIH-funded research studies while at Feinberg Northwestern Medical School. She has an MS in Food Science from the University of Illinois and is a Licensed Registered Dietitian and Certified Lifestyle Counselor. Judy represents Sifter on the Tufts FNII Food as Medicine and Nutrition Security working groups, which are creating solutions to support the White House Initiative on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.

Dan Shields

Chief Executive Officer, Digital Medicine, Ochsner Health

Dan Shields

Chief Executive Officer, Digital Medicine, Ochsner Health

As the CEO of Digital Medicine at Ochsner Health, Dan is responsible for the success of innovative and cutting-edge services that leverage digital technology, data analytics, and behavioral science to improve health outcomes and reduce costs.

Through over 20 years in the Population Health space, Dan's prior roles have included the creation and promotion of programs across the care continuum including preventive care, chronic condition care, and mental health.

Dexter Shurney, MD

President, Blue Zones Well-Being Institute

Dexter Shurney, MD

President, Blue Zones Well-Being Institute

Dr. Dexter Shurney leads the strategy and execution of Blue Zones research initiatives and scientific partnerships. Dexter is a population health innovator and is board certified in Preventive Medicine, Public Health, and Lifestyle Medicine. He’s the former Chief Medical Officer of Adventist Health, the Immediate Past-President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, former faculty at Vanderbilt University, and former Chief Medical Director/Executive Director of Global Health and Wellness at Cummins, Inc.

Former roles Dr. Shurney has held include Chief Medical Director / Executive Director for Global Health Benefits and Corporate Wellness for Cummins, Inc., and Chief Medical Director, Employee Health Plan for Vanderbilt University and Medical Center. During his tenure at Vanderbilt he also held joint faculty appointments as Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Internal Medicine and Public Health, and Adjunct Faculty, Owens Graduate School of Management. For a number of years, he served as the Chief Medical Officer for Healthways. It was at that time that he was appointed by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen to Chair the Tennessee Diabetes Prevention and Health Improvement Board. He is also the former Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of medical affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and the most recent Chair of the Business Strategies Committee for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP). Dr. Shurney is co-author of the book “Integrating Wellness into Your Disease Management Programs” which is a “how- to” strategic guide for employers that wish to innovate their approach to chronic condition management.

He attended Loma Linda University for his undergraduate training, and later Howard University College of Medicine where he received his degree in medicine. He holds Masters’ Degrees in Business and in Public Health from the University of Detroit/Mercy and the Medical College of Wisconsin, respectively. He is a fellow in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and is board certified in both Preventive Medicine and in Lifestyle Medicine.

Brock Snyder

Founder, Four Corners Entertainment

Brock Snyder

Founder, Four Corners Entertainment

Terri Stone, MD, FACP, DipABLM

Co-Founder and Medical Director, Fresh & Savory Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Program, MedStar Health

Terri Stone, MD, FACP, DipABLM

Co-Founder and Medical Director, Fresh & Savory Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Program, MedStar Health

Dr. Stone co-founded and runs Fresh & Savory Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Pop Up Teaching Kitchen Shared Medical Appointment. She works with patients to create sustainable evidence- based lifestyle choices that prevent, decrease progression of chronic illness and promote wellbeing. She has been awarded Recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance Physician Practice Connections Patient-Centered Medical Home Program (PPC-PCMH). Recognition identifies clinicians who make the most of clinical information to make better decisions and provide better follow-up care.

Dr. Stone was recognized by Washingtonian magazine as a Top Doctor in 2012 2017,2018,2019,2020

Mary Stutts

Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA)

Mary Stutts

Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA)

Mary Stutts is the Chief Executive Officer of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), where she leads the global mission to accelerate the advancement and impact of women in the business of healthcare and health equity.

Mary brings to the HBA 30 years of experience leading the strategic integration of corporate branding, marketing, health equity, inclusion and digital innovation for biopharma, healthcare, and media companies. Her expertise and cross functional acumen have provided global leadership to organizations and Fortune 500 companies including Genentech, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sumitovant, UnitedHealth Group, Kaiser Permanente, Stanford Health Care and Comcast NBCUniversal.

Previously Stutts was the Global Chief Inclusion and Health Equity Officer at Real Chemistry where she drove inclusion and equitable care for clients by integrating customized digital analytics and data intelligence to increase market penetration and clinical trial diversity.

Among her many accomplishments, as the former Chief Inclusion and Health Equity Officer at Stanford Health Care, Stutts worked directly with the board to curate the Inclusive Leadership Workshop which was designed to develop executives capable of leading, growing and transforming organizations while addressing racial and social injustice and inequity amongst all stakeholders. Additionally, Stutts led Genentech’s $5 million Diversity in Clinical Trials initiative to increase the representation of people of color and women; enhanced a culture of workplace inclusion and health equity during Bristol Myers Squibb’s business model transformation; and oversaw fulfillment of the FCC’s digital equity conditions in Comcast’s California Region required for the acquisition of NBC Universal.

Stutts is a recognized advocate of women in leadership and has been at the forefront of board readiness programs to increase the representation of women and people of color on public and private corporate boards.

As an accomplished author, Mary’s new book, Recurring Themes of Exclusion in the Workplace, provides an in-depth analysis of ongoing exclusionary practices in the workplace and details the path needed to achieve true “inclusive diversity.” Her book The Missing Mentor: Women Advising Women on Power, Progress and Priorities has been dubbed a surrogate mentor for women focused on career advancement.

Stutts earned a Master of Health Administration degree at the University of Southern California and is a graduate of the Executive Program on Strategy and Organization at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FACS

Chief Physician Officer, Geisinger System Services; Chairman, Musculoskeletal Institute and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Geisinger Health System

Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FACS

Chief Physician Officer, Geisinger System Services; Chairman, Musculoskeletal Institute and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Geisinger Health System

Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FACS is Chief Physician Officer for Geisinger System Services and Chair of the Geisinger Musculoskeletal Institute for the Geisinger Health System based in Danville, PA. Originally selected to lead the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in 2012, Dr. Suk became one of the youngest persons to head an academic orthopaedic department in the United States. Beginning with 2 main hospital centers and 22 orthopaedic surgeons, over the past 12 years Dr. Suk has overseen the tremendous programmatic growth at 13 diverse hospital platforms including one Level I and three Level II trauma centers representing over 100 employed and non-employed surgeons. As the clinical driving force behind the Geisinger ProvenCare® Acute Orthopaedic Programs in Total Hip, Total Knee, Hip Fracture and Lumbar Spine – Dr. Suk is widely sought after for his expertise in new models for healthcare payment and delivery, physician engagement and leadership.

An accomplished leader in organized medicine, Dr. Suk achieved distinction as the first medical student and first Asian-American to be directly elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association in 1994. Dr. Suk has also served on the AMA Council on Medical Service and Chair of the AMA’s Resident and Fellows Section where he led the AMA efforts to create governance guidelines on resident work hours. Notably, Dr. Suk was recognized by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea as an outstanding leader of Korean heritage worldwide. In addition, in 2016, Dr. Suk was appointed to the American Medical Political Action Committee Board of Directors – spearheading advocacy for the entire medical profession in Washington, DC. In 2019, Dr. Suk was again elected to the AMA Board of Trustees – 25 years after his election to as a student and the first to have served in both capacities.

Dr. Suk received a B.A. with distinction in African-American history from Carleton College, where he achieved athletic recognition in collegiate tennis and was elected Class President. He then went on to simultaneously complete an M.D. at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and a J.D./M.P.H. with special certification in health care law at Boston University School of Law and School of Public Health. He later completed his orthopaedic surgery residency training at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY and a fellowship in orthopaedic trauma at the Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill College of Medicine at Cornell University in New York City. In addition, Dr. Suk completed his M.B.A. from the Kania School of Management at the University of Scranton, where he achieved distinction in the international academic honor society, Alpha Sigma Nu by serving as the Keynote Speaker at his own induction ceremony.

Yetta Toliver

Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Xerox Corporation

Yetta Toliver

Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Xerox Corporation

Dr. Toliver is an experienced leader with a rich management background across several disciplines including Customer Operations, Business Transformation, Lean Six Sigma, Sales Enablement, and Contract Compliance. As the Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) at Xerox, she leads the DIB strategy and roadmap to inspire culture change and ensure the company’s workforce mirrors the markets it serves. In 2022, she was recognized as one of Mogul's Top 100 DEI Leaders and in 2023 named one of the Top 15 Influential Women in Diversity by Diversity Global, DEI Executive of the Year by HRO Today, Positive Difference Award by The Alliance Women, and Ally Changemaker Finalist by Out & Equal.

Dr. Toliver holds a Bachelor of Science in business management from Southern University, a Master of Business Administration from Dallas Baptist University, a Doctorate in Business Administration from Walden University, and a certification in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. She is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Martin Tull

Senior Deputy Director, Strategy, Innovation and Development, American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM)

Martin Tull

Senior Deputy Director, Strategy, Innovation and Development, American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM)

Martin is a strategist & systems thinker advising organizations and communities on collaborative solutions to complex problems.

Focusing on the vital intersection between impact strategies, business objectives, and market forces, Martin advises partners on how to imagine, fund, pilot, and scale innovative impact projects & campaigns. He currently serves as Senior Deputy Director of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and as a senior advisor for health, social impact & environmental initiatives.

Previously, Martin served in many senior leadership positions in the field of environmental sustainability & the outdoor recreation industry, including serving as the Founding Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance, leading the organization from a handful of founding teams into an international coalition of hundreds of professional & collegiate sports teams integrating sustainable practices throughout the sports industry today.

Martin has designed & facilitated workshops worldwide & been an invited speaker at numerous events including The White House Sports & Sustainability Summit, Sustainable Brands, Food as Medicine Summit, GoGreen New York, Beyond Sport Summit, Oregon Sport & Sustainability Summit, Sustainable Opportunities Summit, Green Sports Alliance Summit, AASHE, Collegiate Athletics Facilities Summit, PlantStock, Reducetarian Summit, Regional Innovation Forum, Sport Positive Summit, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the Global Impact Institute.

Public recognition & awards include Good Magazine’s 100, Pivotal Leader, Portland Business Journal 40 under 40 Award, Better Bricks Emerging Leader Award, & Sustainable Business Oregon’s 15 People to Watch.

Tracy Watts

Senior Partner Mercer

Tracy Watts

Senior Partner Mercer

Tracy Watts is a Senior Partner and US Leader for Healthcare Policy at Mercer. She advises large employers on their health benefit strategies for active and retired employees. A consultant with Mercer for over 35 years, she’s widely quoted as a spokesperson for Mercer's survey of employer sponsored health benefit plans and is a lead contributor on Mercer’s US Health News blog. Tracy is ex-officio Board Chair of the American Benefits Council, on the executive steering committee of The Alliance to Fight for HealthCare and the Business Advisory Council for the Health Action Alliance (HAA). She leads Mercer’s involvement with the National Commission on Climate and Worker Health, Business Action to End HIV, and The Kennedy Forum. She frequently represents employer interests to policymakers in Washington DC and has testified before Congress on several occasions. In 2018, Tracy was named a “Top 25 Consultant” for excellence in healthcare by Consulting® Magazine.

Kate Valette

Vice President, Clinical Lead Workers’ Health 360, Employee Health and Benefits, Marsh McLennan Agency

Kate Valette

Vice President, Clinical Lead Workers’ Health 360, Employee Health and Benefits, Marsh McLennan Agency

Kate Valette is a Vice President with Marsh McLennan Agency’s Employee Health & Benefits division and acts as Clinical Lead for MMA’s Workers’ Health 360 program. In this role, Kate helps MMA’s clients leverage their workers' compensation, medical claims, pharmacy, short- and long-term disability, and leave data to identify patterns and trends across their organization. She supports employers to develop and execute strategies to control health care costs, improve health outcomes and promote employee engagement through analytics-based state of the art innovations and reporting. Kate has more than 20 years of direct patient care experience as a registered nurse in the emergency department, burn and surgical ICU, and acute hemodialysis specialty team prior to moving to case management and the insurance industry. During her tenure with a government contractor, she led clinical and nonclinical team members within a total rewards department. Her responsibilities were the management of the following programs; wellness, in-house disability, leave administration, workers compensation, reasonable accommodation requests, and clinical management for populations ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 employees. Additional clinical experiences were quality management, utilization review, and client consultation with employee health and benefits. She earned an associate’s degree in nursing from SUNY Morrisville and Bachelor’s of Science in nursing from the University of Phoenix. She is a Legal Nurse Consultant and an active member of the Alliance for Nursing Informatics policy committe

S. Tien Wong

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Opus8, Inc.

S. Tien Wong

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Opus8, Inc.

Mr. Tien Wong is a tech investor, entrepreneur, and CEO. He is Chairman & CEO of Opus8, Inc., a private investment and advisory firm investing in exceptional life science and tech enabled services companies, as well as specializing in raising capital for promising tech companies and alternative investment fund managers.

He is Founder of CONNECTpreneur, a global community of 25,000+ founders, investors, CEOs, and business leaders. CONNECTpreneur organizes the world’s largest monthly virtual investor pitch events as well as in-person Forums with upwards of 500 attendees, featuring VIP guests, speakers, exciting presenting companies, and the best CXO to CXO networking on the East Coast. Since 2012, over 1200 companies have presented, half of whom have received funding from investors from the CONNECTpreneur investor network. Mr. Wong is also a Venture Partner in IronGate Capital Advisors, a VC and Fund of Funds manager investing in dual use technologies; Investment Advisory Board member of Virginia Venture Partners; and Chairman of Lumious, an ed tech company which provides learning & development services to Fortune 500 customers.

Mr. Wong was appointed by Governor Martin O'Malley to the 9-person Maryland Venture Fund Authority which oversees $84 million in VC allocations; he serves on the Boards of Directors of the Austin Venture Association, Association for Enterprise Growth (Chair), Frederick Innovative Technology Corp., Inc. (FITCI), and Junior Achievement, as well as on the Council of Advisors for the Washington Institute for Business, Government, & Society and the Entrepreneurship Advisory Council of The Universities at Shady Grove. He is a Mentor at the Mach37 Cybersecurity Accelerator and Conscious Venture Labs.

Mr. Wong received the 2001 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Greater Washington and the 2003 EY Performance Excellence Award. He was inducted into the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame and the Montgomery County Business Hall of Fame. He has been named by Washingtonian magazine as a “Tech Titan” for the last 7 years (’17 – ‘23), a 2-time Washington Business Journal "Power 100" selection as one of the region's most influential leaders (‘12 and ‘13), a 3-time SmartCEO Magazine selection as a "Smart100" CEO ('09, '10 and '11), a 2013 InTheCapital "Fifty on Fire" awardee, community service honoree as a member of Greater DC Cares 2009 "Class of Change” and The Gazette of Politics and Business selection in 2010 as one of "25 CEOs You Need to Know." He is a frequent guest lecturer on entrepreneurship, leadership, venture capital, and private equity at the University of Maryland and Georgetown University where he is an Entrepreneur in Residence.

Jason Woo, MD, MPH

Senior Partner, Mindset4Results

Jason Woo, MD, MPH

Senior Partner, Mindset4Results

Dr Jason Woo is the founder and senior managing partner of LearningCoreLeadership, Inc, that does business as Mindset4Results, and a senior health consultant for the Arbinger Institute. He is passionate about improving the health of populations and systems since his postgraduate studies in third world economic development at the London School of Economics.

With his expertise and decades of experience in the data collection,analysis and utilization realms along with his clinical, organizational and leadership development application expertise, he has created a unique approach to cultural transformation guided by metrics to organizational results provided by Mindset4Results.

He retired from a 31-year career with the US Public Health Service to continue working to transform health and health systems. He has served in multiple clinical, research, regulatory and emergency response leadership roles throughout his career. His career included clinical and administrative roles at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center, before leading research and regulatory programs at the NIH and FDA. His last federal assignment was to stand up the Office of Generic Drugs and implement the generic drug user fee amendments to improve access to safe, effective, and affordable prescription drugs. Along with his federal agency roles and responsibilities, Dr Woo also developed and taught leadership and systems improvement programs for the USPHS Commissioned Corps. He has been a contributing author to Lange’s Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, and he maintains a clinical and faculty role at the Washington DC MedStar Hospital and Creighton University School of Medicine.