Safi Bahcall
Physicist, biotech entrepreneur, and author of the national bestseller Loonshots
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Safi Bahcall is a second-generation physicist, a biotech entrepreneur, former public-company CEO, and author of the international bestseller Loonshots.
He received his BA summa cum laude from Harvard and his PhD in physics from Stanford, where he worked with Lenny Susskind in particle physics (the science of the small) and the Nobel laureate Bob Laughlin in condensed matter physics (the science of the many). He was a Miller Fellow in physics at UC Berkeley (the school of the many).
After working for three years as a consultant for McKinsey, Safi co-founded a biotechnology company developing new drugs for cancer. He led its IPO and served as its CEO for 13 years.
In 2008, he was named E&Y New England Biotechnology Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2011, he worked with President Obama’s council of science advisors (PCAST) on the future of national research.
Loonshots: Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries, an instant WSJ bestseller, has been translated into 21 languages and was selected as a best business book of the year by Amazon, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Forbes, Inc., the Washington Post, and more. It was the #1 most recommended book of the year in Bloomberg’s annual survey of CEOs and entrepreneurs and has been recommended by Bill Gates, Daniel Kahneman, Malcolm Gladwell, Tim Ferriss, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, and more.
Safi advises CEOs and leadership teams on strategy and innovation, and has delivered keynote presentations at industry conferences, investor events, leadership retreats, medical meetings, and leading academic institutions around the world. He lives with his wife and two children in Washington, DC.
Physicist, biotech entrepreneur, and author of the national bestseller Loonshots
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Safi Bahcall is a second-generation physicist, a biotech entrepreneur, former public-company CEO, and author of the international bestseller Loonshots.
He received his BA summa cum laude from Harvard and his PhD in physics from Stanford, where he worked with Lenny Susskind in particle physics (the science of the small) and the Nobel laureate Bob Laughlin in condensed matter physics (the science of the many). He was a Miller Fellow in physics at UC Berkeley (the school of the many).
After working for three years as a consultant for McKinsey, Safi co-founded a biotechnology company developing new drugs for cancer. He led its IPO and served as its CEO for 13 years.
In 2008, he was named E&Y New England Biotechnology Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2011, he worked with President Obama’s council of science advisors (PCAST) on the future of national research.
Loonshots: Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries, an instant WSJ bestseller, has been translated into 21 languages and was selected as a best business book of the year by Amazon, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Forbes, Inc., the Washington Post, and more. It was the #1 most recommended book of the year in Bloomberg’s annual survey of CEOs and entrepreneurs and has been recommended by Bill Gates, Daniel Kahneman, Malcolm Gladwell, Tim Ferriss, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, and more.
Safi advises CEOs and leadership teams on strategy and innovation, and has delivered keynote presentations at industry conferences, investor events, leadership retreats, medical meetings, and leading academic institutions around the world. He lives with his wife and two children in Washington, DC.
Sandy L. Chung MD, FAAP
President
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
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Sandy Chung, MD, FAAP, is the 2023 President of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Pediatrician Dr. Sandy Chung has held over 30 state and national leadership positions, including AAP Virginia Chapter President and Founder and Medical Director of the Virginia Mental Health Access Program. She is the CEO of Trusted Doctors, a pediatric practice of over 180 clinicians in Virginia, DC, and Maryland, and serves as Medical Director of Informatics at Children’s National Hospital’s Pediatric Health Network. Her passionate advocacy for child health and pediatricians has delivered major advancements in healthcare equity, mental health, EHR burden reduction, appropriate payment, physician well-being, and optimal child health policies.
She is the recipient of multiple awards including the March of Dimes Lifetime Heroine Award recognizing a lifetime of community volunteerism, the Clarence A. Holland Award for providing outstanding contributions to the community and demonstrating leadership in the field of political advocacy, and the Virginia Chapter Child Advocate Award for standing up for the rights, values, and recognition of Virginia’s children.
As an avid educator of the next generation of pediatricians, her publications include articles on telemedicine, virtual learning, and health information technology. Dr. Chung received her medical degree from the University of Virginia and completed her pediatric residency at the Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital. She has appeared in numerous media outlets including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Washington Business Journal, Virginia Business Magazine, Contemporary Pediatrics, and AAP News. Dr. Chung is the proud mother of four amazing children who teach her something new every day.
President
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
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Sandy Chung, MD, FAAP, is the 2023 President of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Pediatrician Dr. Sandy Chung has held over 30 state and national leadership positions, including AAP Virginia Chapter President and Founder and Medical Director of the Virginia Mental Health Access Program. She is the CEO of Trusted Doctors, a pediatric practice of over 180 clinicians in Virginia, DC, and Maryland, and serves as Medical Director of Informatics at Children’s National Hospital’s Pediatric Health Network. Her passionate advocacy for child health and pediatricians has delivered major advancements in healthcare equity, mental health, EHR burden reduction, appropriate payment, physician well-being, and optimal child health policies.
She is the recipient of multiple awards including the March of Dimes Lifetime Heroine Award recognizing a lifetime of community volunteerism, the Clarence A. Holland Award for providing outstanding contributions to the community and demonstrating leadership in the field of political advocacy, and the Virginia Chapter Child Advocate Award for standing up for the rights, values, and recognition of Virginia’s children.
As an avid educator of the next generation of pediatricians, her publications include articles on telemedicine, virtual learning, and health information technology. Dr. Chung received her medical degree from the University of Virginia and completed her pediatric residency at the Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital. She has appeared in numerous media outlets including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Washington Business Journal, Virginia Business Magazine, Contemporary Pediatrics, and AAP News. Dr. Chung is the proud mother of four amazing children who teach her something new every day.
Jacqueline Cromity MBA, CMF
Chief Executive Officer
Survivor Friendly
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Jacqueline Cromity is a seasoned technical management professional, entrepreneur, and philanthropist with over 22 years of experience. As a senior manager at Cisco, she has a proven track record of managing cross-functional teams, driving profitability, and transforming strategic plans into working solutions across different geographies.
Jacqueline's passion for turning her challenges into other people's strengths is evident in her personal life. She has experienced the loss of both her mother and father to cancer. She founded the Survivor Friendly Foundation® in 2013 to raise awareness about the potential side effects of cancer treatment and to provide free essential items not covered by insurance.
Jacqueline is a triple-negative breast cancer survivor who has battled the disease three times. She experienced firsthand the sad reality of antiquated post-mastectomy durable medical equipment (DME) establishments during her treatment and recovery. Survivor Friendly ® expanded into a for-profit distributor of durable medical equipment (DME) in 2020, focusing on improving the patient experience for those receiving post-mastectomy and lymphedema care items. Additionally, each location includes Blessing Rooms, catering to uninsured patients to ensure everyone receives the needed post-mastectomy and lymphedema care items.
Jacqueline's academic achievements are equally impressive. After earning a Computer Science degree, she began her professional journey at IBM, where her software innovations garnered numerous accolades, including patents and publications. She is also dedicated to lifelong learning and recently earned her BOC Certified Mastectomy Fitter and completed her MBA at North Carolina State University.
Chief Executive Officer
Survivor Friendly
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Jacqueline Cromity is a seasoned technical management professional, entrepreneur, and philanthropist with over 22 years of experience. As a senior manager at Cisco, she has a proven track record of managing cross-functional teams, driving profitability, and transforming strategic plans into working solutions across different geographies.
Jacqueline's passion for turning her challenges into other people's strengths is evident in her personal life. She has experienced the loss of both her mother and father to cancer. She founded the Survivor Friendly Foundation® in 2013 to raise awareness about the potential side effects of cancer treatment and to provide free essential items not covered by insurance.
Jacqueline is a triple-negative breast cancer survivor who has battled the disease three times. She experienced firsthand the sad reality of antiquated post-mastectomy durable medical equipment (DME) establishments during her treatment and recovery. Survivor Friendly ® expanded into a for-profit distributor of durable medical equipment (DME) in 2020, focusing on improving the patient experience for those receiving post-mastectomy and lymphedema care items. Additionally, each location includes Blessing Rooms, catering to uninsured patients to ensure everyone receives the needed post-mastectomy and lymphedema care items.
Jacqueline's academic achievements are equally impressive. After earning a Computer Science degree, she began her professional journey at IBM, where her software innovations garnered numerous accolades, including patents and publications. She is also dedicated to lifelong learning and recently earned her BOC Certified Mastectomy Fitter and completed her MBA at North Carolina State University.
Teri Fontenot
Independent Director
Public and Private Companies
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Teri Fontenot is a high-impact strategist, visionary and C-suite executive whose career was in healthcare–an industry where disruption and risk are the norm. She is known for her innovative thinking and ability to lead beyond the status quo while working collaboratively and leveraging her extensive industry network to help organizations achieve their goals, and is passionate about adding shareholder value through effective governance and strategic direction. Teri is currently serving on the boards of publicly-traded companies AMN Healthcare and Amerisafe in addition to three private, not-for-profit, and private-equity sponsored boards. She is the chair or a member of their audit, risk, clinical quality and governance committees, and is an SEC-qualified financial expert. She is also a strategic and operating partner to three private equity-backed funds.
Teri has chaired or served as a director on state and national boards of insurance, healthcare, banking and utility companies for twenty-five years. Notable board service includes the Audit Committee chair of the Sixth District Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and LHC Group; the 2012 chair of the board of the American Hospital Association, and the NIH Women’s Health Research Council.
Teri’s was the CFO, COO, EVP and CEO at four health systems, and she is the CEO Emeritus of Woman’s Hospital. She is the recipient of the AHA’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. She was named to the lists of Modern Healthcare’s ‘Top 25 Women in Healthcare’ and ‘Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare’; Becker’s ‘Top Twelve Female CEOs Making Their Mark’; and WomenInc's ‘Most Influential Corporate Board Directors’.
Independent Director
Public and Private Companies
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Teri Fontenot is a high-impact strategist, visionary and C-suite executive whose career was in healthcare–an industry where disruption and risk are the norm. She is known for her innovative thinking and ability to lead beyond the status quo while working collaboratively and leveraging her extensive industry network to help organizations achieve their goals, and is passionate about adding shareholder value through effective governance and strategic direction. Teri is currently serving on the boards of publicly-traded companies AMN Healthcare and Amerisafe in addition to three private, not-for-profit, and private-equity sponsored boards. She is the chair or a member of their audit, risk, clinical quality and governance committees, and is an SEC-qualified financial expert. She is also a strategic and operating partner to three private equity-backed funds.
Teri has chaired or served as a director on state and national boards of insurance, healthcare, banking and utility companies for twenty-five years. Notable board service includes the Audit Committee chair of the Sixth District Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and LHC Group; the 2012 chair of the board of the American Hospital Association, and the NIH Women’s Health Research Council.
Teri’s was the CFO, COO, EVP and CEO at four health systems, and she is the CEO Emeritus of Woman’s Hospital. She is the recipient of the AHA’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. She was named to the lists of Modern Healthcare’s ‘Top 25 Women in Healthcare’ and ‘Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare’; Becker’s ‘Top Twelve Female CEOs Making Their Mark’; and WomenInc's ‘Most Influential Corporate Board Directors’.
Aimee Garza
Founder & CEO
CoraVie Medical
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Ms. Garza is a medical device entrepreneur with 27 years of experience in the Medtech industry across multiple functions with advancing leadership responsibilities. She is currently the founder and CEO of CoraVie Medical, Inc., a medical device startup transforming the way blood pressure is monitored for individuals at risk of a stroke, heart disease, or kidney failure.
Prior to founding CoraVie Medical, Ms. Garza led marketing and product management for Integer Holdings, the world’s leading contract medical device manufacturer. She was the driving force and visionary that led several corporate-wide initiatives, including implementing improved customer-focus practices, establishing the company’s first corporate social responsibility framework, and developing and leading its first gender diversity program, Integer’s Athena Alliance.
Ms. Garza began her Medtech career as an electrical engineer with Medtronic. A significant portion of her nearly 20-year tenure at Medtronic was dedicated to collaborating directly with physicians, allied health professionals, patients, and economic stakeholders – first in field sales roles and later in marketing functions. She was responsible for building the business case that disrupted the cardiac monitoring market and was part of the team that won the Star of Excellence award for those efforts.
Ms. Garza has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management.
Founder & CEO
CoraVie Medical
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Ms. Garza is a medical device entrepreneur with 27 years of experience in the Medtech industry across multiple functions with advancing leadership responsibilities. She is currently the founder and CEO of CoraVie Medical, Inc., a medical device startup transforming the way blood pressure is monitored for individuals at risk of a stroke, heart disease, or kidney failure.
Prior to founding CoraVie Medical, Ms. Garza led marketing and product management for Integer Holdings, the world’s leading contract medical device manufacturer. She was the driving force and visionary that led several corporate-wide initiatives, including implementing improved customer-focus practices, establishing the company’s first corporate social responsibility framework, and developing and leading its first gender diversity program, Integer’s Athena Alliance.
Ms. Garza began her Medtech career as an electrical engineer with Medtronic. A significant portion of her nearly 20-year tenure at Medtronic was dedicated to collaborating directly with physicians, allied health professionals, patients, and economic stakeholders – first in field sales roles and later in marketing functions. She was responsible for building the business case that disrupted the cardiac monitoring market and was part of the team that won the Star of Excellence award for those efforts.
Ms. Garza has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management.
Jen (Gentzlinger) Lentz
Homecare Advisor, Havencrest Capital Management
CEO, Avid Health at Home
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Jen Lentz is a home care executive and advisor with extensive experience in strategic business development and operations. Formerly the COO for a large home care company, she is now an Operating Partner with Havencrest Capital Management working to build out their home care platform. She is attuned to the ever-changing health care landscape and develops opportunities for home care businesses related to managed care, government health care programs, home health care, utilization review, health care data/information technology, revenue growth, compliance, and operational efficiencies.
Avid Health at Home is a non-medical home care provider delivering exceptional in-home services and support to individuals of all ages who are frail, disabled, and in need of help with the goal of keeping them safely at home. Avid is a tech-enabled home care company that is looking to challenge the status quo delivering care in the home. The company’s core values are defined by: Expanding Access to in-home supports, providing Value-based care, being at the forefront of Innovation, and a Dedication to quality.
In addition to WBL, Jen is also a member of Chief, a private network built to drive more women into leadership positions of power.
Homecare Advisor, Havencrest Capital Management
CEO, Avid Health at Home
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Jen Lentz is a home care executive and advisor with extensive experience in strategic business development and operations. Formerly the COO for a large home care company, she is now an Operating Partner with Havencrest Capital Management working to build out their home care platform. She is attuned to the ever-changing health care landscape and develops opportunities for home care businesses related to managed care, government health care programs, home health care, utilization review, health care data/information technology, revenue growth, compliance, and operational efficiencies.
Avid Health at Home is a non-medical home care provider delivering exceptional in-home services and support to individuals of all ages who are frail, disabled, and in need of help with the goal of keeping them safely at home. Avid is a tech-enabled home care company that is looking to challenge the status quo delivering care in the home. The company’s core values are defined by: Expanding Access to in-home supports, providing Value-based care, being at the forefront of Innovation, and a Dedication to quality.
In addition to WBL, Jen is also a member of Chief, a private network built to drive more women into leadership positions of power.
Jodi Hubler
Board Director/Chair
Gratum Ventures
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Jodi Hubler is an insightful board director, and an accomplished venture capitalist and corporate executive best known for transforming businesses, accelerating growth, and building enviable shareholder value. Capitalizing on a near 30-year career of diverse experiences, Jodi actively divides her time between corporate governance and engaged philanthropy.
An esteemed governance leader, Ms. Hubler currently serves as an Independent Board Director for the privately held companies About, BrainCheck, Marani Health, Omcare, and Paytient. Additionally, Ms. Hubler lends her governance expertise and advocacy to various national nonprofit organizations and private equity and State of Minnesota funds.
Ms. Hubler previously served as a board director or chair of more than a dozen venture and private equity-backed healthcare companies, particularly as the CEO and Managing Director of Lemhi Ventures, a $385M healthcare service venture capital firm. This work included more than 50 financing rounds ranging from de novo startups to late-stage investment, resulting in job creation in the thousands and total value creation in the multiple billions. Her companies have redefined healthcare and payment models and have been acquired by some of the largest leaders in the sector. Her board experience includes chairing numerous compensation, audit, governance, strategy, and finance committees.
She has held executive positions in both public and private companies, including Cargill, Alcoa, Definity Health, Lemhi Ventures, and Bind Benefits. She is especially adept at leading and governing in industries facing transformative change, drawing on her experience across global organizations and multi-industry domains. With over two dozen board experiences to draw upon, Ms. Hubler’s board colleagues value her direct approach, governance expertise, and the astute perspective she brings to help companies achieve peak performance and growth goals.
Board Director/Chair
Gratum Ventures
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Jodi Hubler is an insightful board director, and an accomplished venture capitalist and corporate executive best known for transforming businesses, accelerating growth, and building enviable shareholder value. Capitalizing on a near 30-year career of diverse experiences, Jodi actively divides her time between corporate governance and engaged philanthropy.
An esteemed governance leader, Ms. Hubler currently serves as an Independent Board Director for the privately held companies About, BrainCheck, Marani Health, Omcare, and Paytient. Additionally, Ms. Hubler lends her governance expertise and advocacy to various national nonprofit organizations and private equity and State of Minnesota funds.
Ms. Hubler previously served as a board director or chair of more than a dozen venture and private equity-backed healthcare companies, particularly as the CEO and Managing Director of Lemhi Ventures, a $385M healthcare service venture capital firm. This work included more than 50 financing rounds ranging from de novo startups to late-stage investment, resulting in job creation in the thousands and total value creation in the multiple billions. Her companies have redefined healthcare and payment models and have been acquired by some of the largest leaders in the sector. Her board experience includes chairing numerous compensation, audit, governance, strategy, and finance committees.
She has held executive positions in both public and private companies, including Cargill, Alcoa, Definity Health, Lemhi Ventures, and Bind Benefits. She is especially adept at leading and governing in industries facing transformative change, drawing on her experience across global organizations and multi-industry domains. With over two dozen board experiences to draw upon, Ms. Hubler’s board colleagues value her direct approach, governance expertise, and the astute perspective she brings to help companies achieve peak performance and growth goals.
Denise Jackson
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
AMN Healthcare
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Denise Jackson joined AMN Healthcare (AMN: NYSE) in 2000 and is the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. AMN Healthcare is the nation’s largest healthcare talent management solutions company with a market cap and annual revenues of roughly ~$5B.
Ms. Jackson serves on the Board of Tractor Supply Company, the country’s largest rural lifestyle retailer and a Fortune 300 company. Ms. Jackson is Chairperson of the Nominating/Governance Committee. Previously Ms. Jackson served as a director of PipelineRx, a telepharmacy technology and services company, and as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee. Ms. Jackson also serves as a Director for AMN Healthcare’s 25 subsidiaries, and as Chairperson of the Women Corporate Directors – San Diego Chapter.
Ms. Jackson leads the legal, governance, compliance, equity compensation, risk management, and government affairs functions for AMN Healthcare. Notably, Ms. Jackson is also accountable for the development and delivery of AMN’s ESG strategy, including delivery on its health, economic growth, and climate commitments. Ms. Jackson’s expertise reflects the topics that are top of mind in the boardroom today: strategy, ESG, enterprise risk management, privacy, information security, and executive compensation.
Before joining AMN Healthcare, from 1995 to September 2000, Ms. Jackson worked for The Mills Corporation, a NYSE-traded REIT, serving as Vice President and Senior Counsel.
Denise holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Arizona, a Masters of Public Health from The George Washington University, and a Bachelors of Science in Liberal Studies from the University of Arizona. Ms. Jackson is licensed as an attorney in California, the District of Columbia, Arizona and New York.
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
AMN Healthcare
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Denise Jackson joined AMN Healthcare (AMN: NYSE) in 2000 and is the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. AMN Healthcare is the nation’s largest healthcare talent management solutions company with a market cap and annual revenues of roughly ~$5B.
Ms. Jackson serves on the Board of Tractor Supply Company, the country’s largest rural lifestyle retailer and a Fortune 300 company. Ms. Jackson is Chairperson of the Nominating/Governance Committee. Previously Ms. Jackson served as a director of PipelineRx, a telepharmacy technology and services company, and as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee. Ms. Jackson also serves as a Director for AMN Healthcare’s 25 subsidiaries, and as Chairperson of the Women Corporate Directors – San Diego Chapter.
Ms. Jackson leads the legal, governance, compliance, equity compensation, risk management, and government affairs functions for AMN Healthcare. Notably, Ms. Jackson is also accountable for the development and delivery of AMN’s ESG strategy, including delivery on its health, economic growth, and climate commitments. Ms. Jackson’s expertise reflects the topics that are top of mind in the boardroom today: strategy, ESG, enterprise risk management, privacy, information security, and executive compensation.
Before joining AMN Healthcare, from 1995 to September 2000, Ms. Jackson worked for The Mills Corporation, a NYSE-traded REIT, serving as Vice President and Senior Counsel.
Denise holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Arizona, a Masters of Public Health from The George Washington University, and a Bachelors of Science in Liberal Studies from the University of Arizona. Ms. Jackson is licensed as an attorney in California, the District of Columbia, Arizona and New York.
Daphne Jones
CEO and Founder
The Board Curators
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Daphne E. Jones is a seasoned executive with extensive experience implementing digital technologies to drive market growth, seamless customer fulfillment, and internal efficiencies within Fortune 50 corporations. She has over thirty years of experience in general management and executive-level roles at IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Hospira (now Pfizer), and General Electric.
During her tenure at GE, she served as SVP for Future of Work, SVP, and CIO. She co-led a global team that defined GE’s Digital DNA and ran IT for $13B GE Healthcare businesses of Product Engineering, Imaging, Ultrasound, and Post Market Product Services. Prior to GE Healthcare, her early career days were spent at IBM and Johnson & Johnson as Executive Director and VP IT, followed by her role as SVP and CIO at Hospira, Inc. a $5B global pharma and infusion technology company.
Daphne serves on the board of directors for AMN Healthcare, Inc., Barnes Group Inc, and Masonite International Corp, and is on Audit, Compensation, and Governance committees. Named by Savoy Magazine as one of the most influential AA Directors in 2021, she is a member of NACD, Accenture Cybersecurity Council, The Digital Directors Network (DDN), IT Senior Mgt Forum (ITSMF), and the Executive Leadership Council (ELC).
Daphne is the CEO/founder of The Board Curators, a company that prepares senior leaders for paid board service (www.theboardcurators.com), and launched her book on November 15, 2022 from McGraw-Hill titled Win When They Say You Won’t. Her thought leadership and experience make her a sought-after speaker on digital, DEI, board development, and personal transformation.
Daphne earned her MBA and BS from Illinois State University.
CEO and Founder
The Board Curators
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Daphne E. Jones is a seasoned executive with extensive experience implementing digital technologies to drive market growth, seamless customer fulfillment, and internal efficiencies within Fortune 50 corporations. She has over thirty years of experience in general management and executive-level roles at IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Hospira (now Pfizer), and General Electric.
During her tenure at GE, she served as SVP for Future of Work, SVP, and CIO. She co-led a global team that defined GE’s Digital DNA and ran IT for $13B GE Healthcare businesses of Product Engineering, Imaging, Ultrasound, and Post Market Product Services. Prior to GE Healthcare, her early career days were spent at IBM and Johnson & Johnson as Executive Director and VP IT, followed by her role as SVP and CIO at Hospira, Inc. a $5B global pharma and infusion technology company.
Daphne serves on the board of directors for AMN Healthcare, Inc., Barnes Group Inc, and Masonite International Corp, and is on Audit, Compensation, and Governance committees. Named by Savoy Magazine as one of the most influential AA Directors in 2021, she is a member of NACD, Accenture Cybersecurity Council, The Digital Directors Network (DDN), IT Senior Mgt Forum (ITSMF), and the Executive Leadership Council (ELC).
Daphne is the CEO/founder of The Board Curators, a company that prepares senior leaders for paid board service (www.theboardcurators.com), and launched her book on November 15, 2022 from McGraw-Hill titled Win When They Say You Won’t. Her thought leadership and experience make her a sought-after speaker on digital, DEI, board development, and personal transformation.
Daphne earned her MBA and BS from Illinois State University.
Christopher W. Kersey M.D., M.B.A
Founding Managing Partner
Havencrest Capital Management
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Christopher W. Kersey serves as the Founding Managing Partner of Havencrest Capital Management, LLC, one of the nation's leading private equity firms focused on the health care and life sciences industry.
Prior to founding Havencrest, Dr. Kersey served as Managing Member and Partner of Camden Partners Holdings LLC, one of the nation’s oldest, largest and top-ranked growth equity and investment management funds, where he focused on private equity investments in the health care and life sciences industry.
Dr. Kersey serves on the board of trustees of the iconic Johns Hopkins Hospital, and he also serves as an Emeritus Trustee of the board of trustees of Johns Hopkins Medicine. From 2011 - 2017, Dr. Kersey served as the Chairman of the Board of Johns Hopkins Medicine International and helped spearhead growth from an emerging pioneer to the established leader in global collaborative health care partnerships by engineering innovative private sector-public sector partnerships with blue-chip institutions such as Saudi Aramco in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HCL Healthcare in India and Pacífico Salud in Peru.
Dr. Kersey’s international experience includes work with Sumitomo Biosciences in Japan and the World Bank in the former Soviet Union (the Republic of Georgia) as well as research fellowships focusing on the National Health Service in the United Kingdom and Sweden-based Telefon LM AB Ericsson’s market entry into China.
A graduate of Stanford University, Emory University School of Medicine and Harvard Business School, Dr. Kersey and his wife, Johannah, have three children and reside in Dallas, Texas.
Founding Managing Partner
Havencrest Capital Management
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Christopher W. Kersey serves as the Founding Managing Partner of Havencrest Capital Management, LLC, one of the nation's leading private equity firms focused on the health care and life sciences industry.
Prior to founding Havencrest, Dr. Kersey served as Managing Member and Partner of Camden Partners Holdings LLC, one of the nation’s oldest, largest and top-ranked growth equity and investment management funds, where he focused on private equity investments in the health care and life sciences industry.
Dr. Kersey serves on the board of trustees of the iconic Johns Hopkins Hospital, and he also serves as an Emeritus Trustee of the board of trustees of Johns Hopkins Medicine. From 2011 - 2017, Dr. Kersey served as the Chairman of the Board of Johns Hopkins Medicine International and helped spearhead growth from an emerging pioneer to the established leader in global collaborative health care partnerships by engineering innovative private sector-public sector partnerships with blue-chip institutions such as Saudi Aramco in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HCL Healthcare in India and Pacífico Salud in Peru.
Dr. Kersey’s international experience includes work with Sumitomo Biosciences in Japan and the World Bank in the former Soviet Union (the Republic of Georgia) as well as research fellowships focusing on the National Health Service in the United Kingdom and Sweden-based Telefon LM AB Ericsson’s market entry into China.
A graduate of Stanford University, Emory University School of Medicine and Harvard Business School, Dr. Kersey and his wife, Johannah, have three children and reside in Dallas, Texas.
Jeanne Meserve
Host, Moderator, and Award-Winning Journalist
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Jeanne Meserve is an expert interviewer, sought-after moderator, podcast host and award-winning journalist.
During her career as an anchor and correspondent with CNN and ABC News Jeanne earned her profession’s highest honors, including two Emmys and the Edward R. Murrow Award. She also contributed to two CNN Peabody Awards.
Jeanne interviews top leaders in industry, government and academia, moderating discussions on a wide array of topics including technology, democracy, national security, health and medicine, women’s issues and the environment. Engagements have included the White House Summit on Democracy, the Munich Security Conference, AtlanticLIVE events, the Copenhagen and Denver Democracy Summits, the Halifax International Security Forum and the global conferences of the International Women’s Forum.
She is also host of the NatSec Tech podcast which explores the impact of technology innovation on security, economics and democracy.
At CNN Meserve anchored worldwide coverage of the Yitzhak Rabin assassination and the death of Princess Diana. She created the network’s homeland security beat and was the first to report on the devastating flooding in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. She was also a key member of the CNN political team during the 1996 and 2000 elections. While at ABC News she covered the State Department and reported from the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
Jeanne has provided communications coaching to leaders in the corporate, government, academic and non-profit world. She is a member of the Homeland Security Experts Group and the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity and is on the board of the non-profit Space Foundation.
Host, Moderator, and Award-Winning Journalist
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Jeanne Meserve is an expert interviewer, sought-after moderator, podcast host and award-winning journalist.
During her career as an anchor and correspondent with CNN and ABC News Jeanne earned her profession’s highest honors, including two Emmys and the Edward R. Murrow Award. She also contributed to two CNN Peabody Awards.
Jeanne interviews top leaders in industry, government and academia, moderating discussions on a wide array of topics including technology, democracy, national security, health and medicine, women’s issues and the environment. Engagements have included the White House Summit on Democracy, the Munich Security Conference, AtlanticLIVE events, the Copenhagen and Denver Democracy Summits, the Halifax International Security Forum and the global conferences of the International Women’s Forum.
She is also host of the NatSec Tech podcast which explores the impact of technology innovation on security, economics and democracy.
At CNN Meserve anchored worldwide coverage of the Yitzhak Rabin assassination and the death of Princess Diana. She created the network’s homeland security beat and was the first to report on the devastating flooding in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. She was also a key member of the CNN political team during the 1996 and 2000 elections. While at ABC News she covered the State Department and reported from the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
Jeanne has provided communications coaching to leaders in the corporate, government, academic and non-profit world. She is a member of the Homeland Security Experts Group and the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity and is on the board of the non-profit Space Foundation.
Michelle Perugini
CEO & Co-Founder
Presagen
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Dr. Michelle Perugini is a health tech entrepreneur with extensive experience in healthcare and advanced AI technologies. Michelle is an avid supporter of the AI and women’s health sectors globally, and won the 2021 Women in AI (WAI) Healthcare Award. She has a PhD in Medicine and was a post-doctoral research fellow in Oncology for a decade. She has founded two global AI tech companies, the first of which was acquired by EY in 2015.
Michelle is currently Co-Founder and CEO of Presagen, an AI healthcare company with a focus on women’s health. Presagen’s first product Life Whisperer uses AI for embryo selection to improve pregnancy outcomes in IVF, and is being used in IVF clinics globally.
CEO & Co-Founder
Presagen
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Dr. Michelle Perugini is a health tech entrepreneur with extensive experience in healthcare and advanced AI technologies. Michelle is an avid supporter of the AI and women’s health sectors globally, and won the 2021 Women in AI (WAI) Healthcare Award. She has a PhD in Medicine and was a post-doctoral research fellow in Oncology for a decade. She has founded two global AI tech companies, the first of which was acquired by EY in 2015.
Michelle is currently Co-Founder and CEO of Presagen, an AI healthcare company with a focus on women’s health. Presagen’s first product Life Whisperer uses AI for embryo selection to improve pregnancy outcomes in IVF, and is being used in IVF clinics globally.
Eleanor Rosiak
Executive Director
WBL
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Eleanor Rosiak is the Executive Director of the Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation based in Washington, D.C. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization and the organization’s governance activities. Additionally, she focuses on WBL’s corporate governance-related initiatives, such as working with board search firms and other individuals to seek out corporate board opportunities for WBL’s members.
She authored a chapter of Answering the Call, WBL’s publication about the duties, risks, and rewards of corporate governance. Eleanor joined WBL’s staff in 2004 as a Research Assistant. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia where she graduated with Honors with a minor in Politics. She enjoys Mexican food, riding bikes that go nowhere, and spending time with her husband and two young daughters.
Executive Director
WBL
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Eleanor Rosiak is the Executive Director of the Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation based in Washington, D.C. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization and the organization’s governance activities. Additionally, she focuses on WBL’s corporate governance-related initiatives, such as working with board search firms and other individuals to seek out corporate board opportunities for WBL’s members.
She authored a chapter of Answering the Call, WBL’s publication about the duties, risks, and rewards of corporate governance. Eleanor joined WBL’s staff in 2004 as a Research Assistant. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia where she graduated with Honors with a minor in Politics. She enjoys Mexican food, riding bikes that go nowhere, and spending time with her husband and two young daughters.
Lynn Shapiro Snyder
Senior Member
Epstein Becker Green
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Lynn Shapiro Snyder is a Board Member and Senior Member of Epstein Becker Green in Washington, D.C., a law firm with one of the largest health care and life sciences practices in the country. There, she advises clients about federal, state, and international health law issues, including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, compliance, and managed care issues. Her clients include health care providers, payors, pharmaceutical/device manufacturers, and those companies and financial services firms that support the health care industry, including management and separate board representations. She publishes extensively and is a frequent speaker, particularly on topics related to health reform, enterprise risk, and compliance. She has been at Epstein Becker Green for over 40 years.
Additionally, Lynn is the Founder, Chairperson, and President of the Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation (WBL), a non-profit that connects and convenes senior executive women from all across the health care industry. WBL’s focus is on helping these women expand their leadership, such as by serving on a board of directors. The organization has helped to propel hundreds of women to board directorships and C-suite positions.
Named a “Director to Watch,” Lynn is a leader in the governance arena, currently serving on the boards of EBG, Trustmark Companies, PT Solutions (a General Atlantic Company) and WBL. She also is on the advisory board of the Nashville Health Care Council and was most recently on the board of Apria (a Blackstone Company) before its sale. She authored Advancing Women in Business: 10 Best Practices and co-authored Answering the Call: Understanding the Duties, Risks and Rewards of Corporate Governance.
Senior Member
Epstein Becker Green
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Lynn Shapiro Snyder is a Board Member and Senior Member of Epstein Becker Green in Washington, D.C., a law firm with one of the largest health care and life sciences practices in the country. There, she advises clients about federal, state, and international health law issues, including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, compliance, and managed care issues. Her clients include health care providers, payors, pharmaceutical/device manufacturers, and those companies and financial services firms that support the health care industry, including management and separate board representations. She publishes extensively and is a frequent speaker, particularly on topics related to health reform, enterprise risk, and compliance. She has been at Epstein Becker Green for over 40 years.
Additionally, Lynn is the Founder, Chairperson, and President of the Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation (WBL), a non-profit that connects and convenes senior executive women from all across the health care industry. WBL’s focus is on helping these women expand their leadership, such as by serving on a board of directors. The organization has helped to propel hundreds of women to board directorships and C-suite positions.
Named a “Director to Watch,” Lynn is a leader in the governance arena, currently serving on the boards of EBG, Trustmark Companies, PT Solutions (a General Atlantic Company) and WBL. She also is on the advisory board of the Nashville Health Care Council and was most recently on the board of Apria (a Blackstone Company) before its sale. She authored Advancing Women in Business: 10 Best Practices and co-authored Answering the Call: Understanding the Duties, Risks and Rewards of Corporate Governance.
Carrie Shaw MS
CEO & Founder
Embodied Labs
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Carrie Shaw, MS, is a medical illustrator, public health educator, and CEO & Founder of Embodied Labs, an immersive caregiver training platform.
Founded in 2016, Embodied Labs serves 200+ subscribing organizations including senior services providers, government agencies, hospital systems, and corporations to train students, healthcare workforce, and informal caregivers. Embodied Labs has been recognized globally for its work by the AARP and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and has been featured in Oprah Magazine, CBS - The Doctors, The New York Times, and CNN International Tech for Good.
Through her work building Embodied Labs, Carrie's mission is to accelerate global behavior change for healthier aging at scale by positively impacting the health of self and others through immersive learning experiences.
CEO & Founder
Embodied Labs
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Carrie Shaw, MS, is a medical illustrator, public health educator, and CEO & Founder of Embodied Labs, an immersive caregiver training platform.
Founded in 2016, Embodied Labs serves 200+ subscribing organizations including senior services providers, government agencies, hospital systems, and corporations to train students, healthcare workforce, and informal caregivers. Embodied Labs has been recognized globally for its work by the AARP and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and has been featured in Oprah Magazine, CBS - The Doctors, The New York Times, and CNN International Tech for Good.
Through her work building Embodied Labs, Carrie's mission is to accelerate global behavior change for healthier aging at scale by positively impacting the health of self and others through immersive learning experiences.
Jen Shirkani
Author and Emotional Intelligence Expert
Penumbra Group
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Jen Shirkani is a nationally recognized expert on emotional intelligence and a featured speaker at national and state conferences, universities, government agencies, and at business organizations around the world. She is the author of Ego vs EQ and Choose Resilience, guides for leveraging the power of emotional intelligence.
In addition to emotional intelligence, she frequently speaks and writes about employee engagement, interviewing and selection, and coachability. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership. She has also been a frequent guest of several national radio programs, and has been featured in Bloomberg/Businessweek, Leadership Excellence magazine, Reader’s Digest, Inc.com, Business Insider, Publishers Weekly, Fast Company, and Upstart Business Journal. Based in Phoenix, Jen speaks globally to share her insights on how to make common sense more common.
Author and Emotional Intelligence Expert
Penumbra Group
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Jen Shirkani is a nationally recognized expert on emotional intelligence and a featured speaker at national and state conferences, universities, government agencies, and at business organizations around the world. She is the author of Ego vs EQ and Choose Resilience, guides for leveraging the power of emotional intelligence.
In addition to emotional intelligence, she frequently speaks and writes about employee engagement, interviewing and selection, and coachability. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership. She has also been a frequent guest of several national radio programs, and has been featured in Bloomberg/Businessweek, Leadership Excellence magazine, Reader’s Digest, Inc.com, Business Insider, Publishers Weekly, Fast Company, and Upstart Business Journal. Based in Phoenix, Jen speaks globally to share her insights on how to make common sense more common.
Sandra Volpe
Independent Director
Republic Services
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Sandra Volpe, MBA, is currently an independent Director on the Board of Directors of Republic Services (NYSE: RSG) and serves on the Finance, Nominating and Corporate Governance, and Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility committees. She is also an accomplished senior executive and a Qualified Financial Expert. Passionate about health, education, leadership development, DEI, and entrepreneurship, Sandra is the incoming Chair of the Board of the American Heart Association, Eastern States Region, Vice Chairman of the National Advisory Board of Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship and a National Trustee on the Board Of Trustees of Kent State University.
Until retiring in June 2022, Sandra was Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning, Communications, and Business Development Solutions at FedEx. Prior to that, she held a series of positions as VP, Strategic Planning, VP, Finance, and Managing Director, Finance at FedEx with a reputation as a strong leader with broad capabilities to advise and influence at all levels of an organization on corporate finance, capital budgets, strategic planning, M&A, business development, marketing, and communications.
Independent Director
Republic Services
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Sandra Volpe, MBA, is currently an independent Director on the Board of Directors of Republic Services (NYSE: RSG) and serves on the Finance, Nominating and Corporate Governance, and Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility committees. She is also an accomplished senior executive and a Qualified Financial Expert. Passionate about health, education, leadership development, DEI, and entrepreneurship, Sandra is the incoming Chair of the Board of the American Heart Association, Eastern States Region, Vice Chairman of the National Advisory Board of Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship and a National Trustee on the Board Of Trustees of Kent State University.
Until retiring in June 2022, Sandra was Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning, Communications, and Business Development Solutions at FedEx. Prior to that, she held a series of positions as VP, Strategic Planning, VP, Finance, and Managing Director, Finance at FedEx with a reputation as a strong leader with broad capabilities to advise and influence at all levels of an organization on corporate finance, capital budgets, strategic planning, M&A, business development, marketing, and communications.
Ashlee Wisdom MPH
Co-Founder & CEO
Health In Her HUE
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Ashlee Wisdom is CEO and Co-Founder of Health in Her HUE, a digital health platform with a mission to reduce racial health disparities by leveraging the power of technology, media and community to improve health outcomes for Black women.
Wisdom holds over a decade of experience working across top healthcare companies such as NYC Health + Hospitals, Weill Cornell Medicine and Junto Health in leadership roles supporting a range of programmatic and functional areas including program development, recruitment and regulatory activities, and grants management.
Ashlee is a passionate public health innovator and a champion for equitable access to quality care for all. She is a Board Member for Peer Health Exchange. In 2022, she was named an Aspen Institute Healthy Communities Fellow and was honored by FemTech Focus with the First in FemTech Award. In 2021, she was named a Top 50 in Digital Health by Rock Health for her health equity advocacy. Ashlee also presented to the TEDx audience in 2020.
She holds a Master of Public Health with a focus in Healthcare Policy and Management from New York University’s School of Global Public Health and a Bachelor of Science degree in both Biology and Psychology from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Ashlee lives in New York City and enjoys traveling, going to brunch, and riding her Peloton bike.
Co-Founder & CEO
Health In Her HUE
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Ashlee Wisdom is CEO and Co-Founder of Health in Her HUE, a digital health platform with a mission to reduce racial health disparities by leveraging the power of technology, media and community to improve health outcomes for Black women.
Wisdom holds over a decade of experience working across top healthcare companies such as NYC Health + Hospitals, Weill Cornell Medicine and Junto Health in leadership roles supporting a range of programmatic and functional areas including program development, recruitment and regulatory activities, and grants management.
Ashlee is a passionate public health innovator and a champion for equitable access to quality care for all. She is a Board Member for Peer Health Exchange. In 2022, she was named an Aspen Institute Healthy Communities Fellow and was honored by FemTech Focus with the First in FemTech Award. In 2021, she was named a Top 50 in Digital Health by Rock Health for her health equity advocacy. Ashlee also presented to the TEDx audience in 2020.
She holds a Master of Public Health with a focus in Healthcare Policy and Management from New York University’s School of Global Public Health and a Bachelor of Science degree in both Biology and Psychology from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Ashlee lives in New York City and enjoys traveling, going to brunch, and riding her Peloton bike.
Phoebe Yang
Fortune 2 Executive and Board Director
GE Healthcare, CommonSpirit Health, Doximity
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Phoebe L. Yang is an experienced senior executive and board director at some of the world’s most valued and admired companies and an appointee in two presidential administrations. As a recognized expert in digital transformation, global expansion, technology, healthcare, consumer media, and M&A, she currently serves on the boards of GE Healthcare (NASDAQ: GEHC), Doximity (NYSE: DOCS), CommonSpirit Health, and previously Providence-St. Joseph Health. As Managing Director of Rock Water Ventures, LLC, she is strategic advisor to institutional investors and pre-IPO companies.
Previously, Ms. Yang was General Manager of Amazon Web Services, Healthcare, where she led one of the highest growth businesses within the world’s most broadly adopted cloud platform and one of Amazon’s highest margin healthcare businesses. She served at Ascension as Chief Strategy Officer for Population Health and Managing Director for Ascension Holdings International, where she launched and grew two successful businesses in value-based care and global supply chain, respectively. She was an executive at The Advisory Board Company, Discovery, and AOL Time Warner. In public service, she was Senior Advisor to FCC Chairman on Broadband, appointee to White House Task Forces on Health IT and on Broadband, and U.S. Special Coordinator for China Rule of Law at the U.S. State Department.
Her recent awards include Modern Healthcare Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and Fierce Healthcare Top 10 Women of Influence. A Council on Foreign Relations member and Rotary Scholar, she graduated from the University of Virginia (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa) and Stanford Law School (J.D., President (Editor-in-Chief) of Stanford Law Review).
Fortune 2 Executive and Board Director
GE Healthcare, CommonSpirit Health, Doximity
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Phoebe L. Yang is an experienced senior executive and board director at some of the world’s most valued and admired companies and an appointee in two presidential administrations. As a recognized expert in digital transformation, global expansion, technology, healthcare, consumer media, and M&A, she currently serves on the boards of GE Healthcare (NASDAQ: GEHC), Doximity (NYSE: DOCS), CommonSpirit Health, and previously Providence-St. Joseph Health. As Managing Director of Rock Water Ventures, LLC, she is strategic advisor to institutional investors and pre-IPO companies.
Previously, Ms. Yang was General Manager of Amazon Web Services, Healthcare, where she led one of the highest growth businesses within the world’s most broadly adopted cloud platform and one of Amazon’s highest margin healthcare businesses. She served at Ascension as Chief Strategy Officer for Population Health and Managing Director for Ascension Holdings International, where she launched and grew two successful businesses in value-based care and global supply chain, respectively. She was an executive at The Advisory Board Company, Discovery, and AOL Time Warner. In public service, she was Senior Advisor to FCC Chairman on Broadband, appointee to White House Task Forces on Health IT and on Broadband, and U.S. Special Coordinator for China Rule of Law at the U.S. State Department.
Her recent awards include Modern Healthcare Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and Fierce Healthcare Top 10 Women of Influence. A Council on Foreign Relations member and Rotary Scholar, she graduated from the University of Virginia (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa) and Stanford Law School (J.D., President (Editor-in-Chief) of Stanford Law Review).