Jeni Chih
Senior Director, Global Health & Wellness
PepsiCo
Jeni is responsible for setting the global strategies, design governance and financial optimization of health insurance, wellness, and ancillary benefits programs in 75+ countries. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Jeni led Global Benefits at Gap Inc. Her role included design, strategy, and execution for their diverse employee population across multiple brands including Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta. In addition to Food/Bev and Retail industries, she also has deep high-tech experience from her role at Oracle where she built out the global benefits function with focus on growth through acquisition. She is passionate about benefits design and driving innovation as well as the importance for employers to collaborate across industries and influence healthcare policy as seen through her work on various boards. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley with B.A. degrees in Psychology and Social Welfare. Jeni lives in San Francisco and looks forward to meeting her colleagues in New York.
Senior Director, Global Health & Wellness
PepsiCo
Jeni is responsible for setting the global strategies, design governance and financial optimization of health insurance, wellness, and ancillary benefits programs in 75+ countries. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Jeni led Global Benefits at Gap Inc. Her role included design, strategy, and execution for their diverse employee population across multiple brands including Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta. In addition to Food/Bev and Retail industries, she also has deep high-tech experience from her role at Oracle where she built out the global benefits function with focus on growth through acquisition. She is passionate about benefits design and driving innovation as well as the importance for employers to collaborate across industries and influence healthcare policy as seen through her work on various boards. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley with B.A. degrees in Psychology and Social Welfare. Jeni lives in San Francisco and looks forward to meeting her colleagues in New York.
Lynne Chou O'Keefe
Founder and Managing Partner
Define Ventures
Lynne is the Founder and Managing Partner of Define Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in digital health companies redefining healthcare. Define Ventures focuses on incubation, seed, Series A, and Series B stage digital health startups. She has partnered with entrepreneurs to help them build category defining digital health companies, such as Livongo (NASDAQ:LVGO), HIMS (NASDAQ:HIMS), etc. Prior to Define Ventures, Lynne’s experience includes both healthcare operating, investing, and finance roles. Previously, she was a Senior Partner at Kleiner Perkins focused on digital health and connected devices early-stage investing.
Before Kleiner Perkins, Lynne worked at Abbott Vascular and Guidant in multiple roles launching over ten product families in the US and internationally. She was responsible for building the global commercial strategy and therapy development as well as playing a key role in the clinical, reimbursement, and operational strategy for these therapies. Earlier in her career, Lynne worked at Apax Partners with a focus on software venture capital investing. Lynne also worked at Goldman Sachs in the Mergers and Acquisitions group and worked on multiple multi-billion-dollar acquisitions and sell side transactions in various industries.
Founder and Managing Partner
Define Ventures
Lynne is the Founder and Managing Partner of Define Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in digital health companies redefining healthcare. Define Ventures focuses on incubation, seed, Series A, and Series B stage digital health startups. She has partnered with entrepreneurs to help them build category defining digital health companies, such as Livongo (NASDAQ:LVGO), HIMS (NASDAQ:HIMS), etc. Prior to Define Ventures, Lynne’s experience includes both healthcare operating, investing, and finance roles. Previously, she was a Senior Partner at Kleiner Perkins focused on digital health and connected devices early-stage investing.
Before Kleiner Perkins, Lynne worked at Abbott Vascular and Guidant in multiple roles launching over ten product families in the US and internationally. She was responsible for building the global commercial strategy and therapy development as well as playing a key role in the clinical, reimbursement, and operational strategy for these therapies. Earlier in her career, Lynne worked at Apax Partners with a focus on software venture capital investing. Lynne also worked at Goldman Sachs in the Mergers and Acquisitions group and worked on multiple multi-billion-dollar acquisitions and sell side transactions in various industries.
Brad Kimler
Advisor
Brad Kimler is Chief Commercial Officer and a member of the Board of Directors at Embold Health. Previously, Brad was executive vice president at Fidelity Investments, where he lead the benefits consulting business and served as a member of the firm-wide executive and operating committees. Before joining Fidelity, Brad was a principal at Hewitt Associates (now Aon), where he lead their health care consulting practice for the eastern US. Brad has also been on the board of ERIC, a lobbying and research group for employee benefits and Minuteman Health. He is currently an independent director of meQuilibrium.
Advisor
Brad Kimler is Chief Commercial Officer and a member of the Board of Directors at Embold Health. Previously, Brad was executive vice president at Fidelity Investments, where he lead the benefits consulting business and served as a member of the firm-wide executive and operating committees. Before joining Fidelity, Brad was a principal at Hewitt Associates (now Aon), where he lead their health care consulting practice for the eastern US. Brad has also been on the board of ERIC, a lobbying and research group for employee benefits and Minuteman Health. He is currently an independent director of meQuilibrium.
Lawrence Leisure
Managing Partner
Chicago Pacific Founders
Larry brings over four decades of experience in the healthcare industry to Chicago Pacific Founders (CPF). His oversight and influence have been the driving force behind successes across multiple companies on the leading edge of health tech and managed care. Providing better care and more affordable care with greater efficiency has been his guiding motivation, one that’s brought him real success in identifying and addressing key areas of need in the industry.
He co-founded Washington, DC based ADVI, health care advisory firm, where he oversaw a dynamic executive team in the fields of Life Science, Managed Care, and Digital Health. In a field where cutting-edge technology can transform the world, Larry’s experience helped guide some of the most forward-thinking firms bringing true benefit to patients, employers, health systems, payers, and investors alike.
Previously, he served in senior leadership positions including as an Operating Partner at Kleiner, Perkins Caufield & Byers, Global Managing Partner for Accenture’s Health Care Vertical, Health Practice Leader at Towers Perrin (now known as Willis Towers Watson), UnitedHealth Care and Kaiser Permanente.
Managing Partner
Chicago Pacific Founders
Larry brings over four decades of experience in the healthcare industry to Chicago Pacific Founders (CPF). His oversight and influence have been the driving force behind successes across multiple companies on the leading edge of health tech and managed care. Providing better care and more affordable care with greater efficiency has been his guiding motivation, one that’s brought him real success in identifying and addressing key areas of need in the industry.
He co-founded Washington, DC based ADVI, health care advisory firm, where he oversaw a dynamic executive team in the fields of Life Science, Managed Care, and Digital Health. In a field where cutting-edge technology can transform the world, Larry’s experience helped guide some of the most forward-thinking firms bringing true benefit to patients, employers, health systems, payers, and investors alike.
Previously, he served in senior leadership positions including as an Operating Partner at Kleiner, Perkins Caufield & Byers, Global Managing Partner for Accenture’s Health Care Vertical, Health Practice Leader at Towers Perrin (now known as Willis Towers Watson), UnitedHealth Care and Kaiser Permanente.
Barbara E. Wachsman
Consultant
Formerly with The Walt Disney Company
Ms. Wachsman served as the Director of Strategy and Engagement for Enterprise Benefits for the Walt Disney Company; where she led the strategic initiatives and designed benefits programs that identified and addressed Disney’s long-term healthcare and goals and objectives. She currently serves as a Senior Advisor to a preeminent private equity firm specializing in healthcare financing and serves on the advisory boards of five healthcare early stage/startups.
Prior to Disney, she held senior management positions with two international benefit consulting firms, as well as served as a Principal with Arthur Andersen, where she ran the West Regional Human Capital practice. She began her career with a consulting firm providing financial feasibility analysis for hospitals going into the bond market.
Ms. Wachsman is a national speaker on topics such as hospital/physician/employer relations, effective managed care and provider reimbursement models, employee engagement and incentives and has published articles in Pension&Investments, Business Insurance and specialty health care journals about the value of managed care. Much of her work has involved helping employers and providers create more effective, direct partnerships.
Consultant
Formerly with The Walt Disney Company
Ms. Wachsman served as the Director of Strategy and Engagement for Enterprise Benefits for the Walt Disney Company; where she led the strategic initiatives and designed benefits programs that identified and addressed Disney’s long-term healthcare and goals and objectives. She currently serves as a Senior Advisor to a preeminent private equity firm specializing in healthcare financing and serves on the advisory boards of five healthcare early stage/startups.
Prior to Disney, she held senior management positions with two international benefit consulting firms, as well as served as a Principal with Arthur Andersen, where she ran the West Regional Human Capital practice. She began her career with a consulting firm providing financial feasibility analysis for hospitals going into the bond market.
Ms. Wachsman is a national speaker on topics such as hospital/physician/employer relations, effective managed care and provider reimbursement models, employee engagement and incentives and has published articles in Pension&Investments, Business Insurance and specialty health care journals about the value of managed care. Much of her work has involved helping employers and providers create more effective, direct partnerships.
Michael Yang
Managing Partner
OMERS Ventures
Michael Yang is a Managing Partner with OMERS Ventures, a venture capital firm in Palo Alto, where he invests in health-tech startups. Some of his investments include PeerWell (MSK) and WithMe Health (medication guidance). He was previously a Managing Director with Comcast Ventures where he was a long time board member of Accolade (navigation) and part of the team at Comcast that incubated Brightside (financial wellness).
Managing Partner
OMERS Ventures
Michael Yang is a Managing Partner with OMERS Ventures, a venture capital firm in Palo Alto, where he invests in health-tech startups. Some of his investments include PeerWell (MSK) and WithMe Health (medication guidance). He was previously a Managing Director with Comcast Ventures where he was a long time board member of Accolade (navigation) and part of the team at Comcast that incubated Brightside (financial wellness).