Project Healthcare Cohort Meets Nashville Healthcare Ecosystem
June 28, 2023 / Share:
The culture and fabric of the collaborative ecosystem known as “Nashville Healthcare” was on full display this June. Project Healthcare’s 2023 Cohort embraced curriculum sessions, visits to NTTData, HealthStream, and the Nashville Health Care Council, and two sold out panel events.
Our founders had the opportunity to meet a number of Friends, old and new with two jam-packed days designed to maximize the Cohort’s last in-person visit to Nashville.
Program Manager, Haley Combs, got the teams off and running with pitch practice sessions and feedback. In addition, sessions by Nashville Entrepreneur Center provided details on a number of support service capabilities including marketing, communications, and investor financing.
Immersed in Inspiration: An Excursion with Nashville’s Healthcare Leaders
Project Healthcare founders witnessed the power of community within this industry segment. They met with representatives from our partners NTTData and Nashville Health Care Council and our Friend of Project Healthcare, Healthstream.
Lisa Esch, SVP of Strategy of NTTData, welcomed the Cohort to their Healthcare Strategy and Innovation offices. Esch detailed a rich background on NTTData, and shared her own professional journey starting out as a dietician to her now role in research. She also provided input on each company’s business model and prospects through a thoughtful listening session.
The teams then visited Bobby Frist, founder and CEO of Healthstream. Bobby provided perspective on his own entrepreneurial journey, discussed the benefits of networking, and finished with a confidence-boosting statement for the Cohort, “….remember when you’re on the stage with a mic, in front of a sold out audience, everyone in that room is rooting for you and genuinely wants your innovation to succeed”.
Finally, Apryl Childs-Potter, President and CEO of the Nashville Health Care Council, provided an overview of the Council’s history, data to support the economic impact of the industry, and touched on the Nashville Healthcare Sessions happening this coming September.
Capital Connect: Powering the Path to Investment
At Project Healthcare, we’re on a mission to build the ecosystem of support to transform healthcare. On June 22, our ecosystem, including many representatives from prominent healthcare organizations, converged with our founders to discuss what’s next.
To kick off this final showcase event, a full audience joined in to listen to perspectives from the experts. This panel was moderated by Hayley Hovious of HC9 Ventures, and included: Jillian Wright of Onsite Women’s Health, Chris Oubre of MetaPhyHealth, and two partners from FCA Ventures and Nashville Capital Network, John Orr and Nolan Young.
Key takeaways from the venture capitalists included that although we are now feeling the downstream effects of pre-covid zero interest rates – leading to Fed rate increases and inflation concerns, there is still plenty of opportunity within the healthcare market.
Nolan Young shared, “We are seeing an appetite for good investments from seed all the way through.” He continued that they are looking at companies who are strong in unit economics with the ability to manage cash flow.
Chris Oubre mentioned that raising money isn’t the difficult part; rather, the real value is finding a financial partner who understands your business, believes in you, and wants to help you grow. “Nashville has some really good folks who want to do that – so you’re in good company.”
Other topics included the impact of provider volume increases, shifting sites of care models, and severe workforce challenges and burnout. These companies highlighted investments being allocated towards recruitment and AI technology to improve efficiencies, while navigating these challenges.
Nine Project Healthcare companies pitched to an audience of 200 registered attendees on June 22nd at Nashville Entrepreneur Center. These teams hailed from Nashville, Salt Lake City, Chattanooga, San Francisco, Dallas, Memphis, and Boston were celebrated in their final public pitch.
Founders who participated in pitching their business included:
- Eddie Loomis – Allergy Butler
- Bill Farr – Atadas
- Jessica Walker – Care Sherpa
- Ashleigh Marie Brown – CLAIRE
- Smita Rao – GeneXsure
- Erika Dillard – PopCheck Technologies
- Anupam Khandelwal – SageSurfer
- Gideon Thomas – Serious Health
- Himanshu Agrawal – Verbotics AI
- Kehlin Swain, Isis Ashford – Greens (Xplosion Tech)
Embracing the Dawn of Innovation
Day two began bright and early at the corporate offices of AMSURG – early bird gets the worm. A breakfast and networking function was followed by a panel moderated by healthcare investor and industry expert, Eller Kelliher. Panelists from HCA Healthcare (Chip Blaufuss), Ardent Health Services (Reed Smith), AMSURG (Justin Mooneyhan), and 25mHealth/Lifepoint Health (Chris Poole).
The discussion touched on internal versus external innovation, the impact of priorities on innovation partnerships, and key themes each provider organization is facing in 2023.
We’re excited to see where this group of founders takes these companies and we look forward to working with them in the Fall at Telehealth Academy III (September 21, 2023) and HLTH in Las Vegas (October 8-11, 2023).
Stay connected
The conversation will continue around topics, moderators, and panelists at Telehealth Academy III, an associated event with Nashville Healthcare Sessions:
- Opening Keynote – Paul Keckley of The Keckley Report
- The Current State of Virtual Care – Highs and Lows
- The Post-PHE (Public Health Emergency) Policy and Regulatory Framework
- Generative AI Meets Virtual Care and Telehealth
- Insights from Investors – Providing the Capital to Fund the Future
- More Than Hospital at Home – Enablement of Care at Home
- CHiME Partnership – Sustainable Innovation Models