Day Zero

In this episode, we get to know Day Zero advisory council member Aaron Martin. Aaron serves as EVP, Chief Digital Officer, Providence; Managing General Partner, Providence Ventures. He is interviewed by fellow Day Zero advisory council member Nathan Bays.

Meet Tom Stanis:Tom Stanis is the founder and CEO of Story Health, a platform that uses virtual care and AI to improve treatment for high-acuity patients. Tom was also the co-founder and Head of Software at Verily Life Sciences. Prior to his entrepreneurial endeavors, he was a Principal Engineer at Google Life Sciences. Tom received a BS in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Key Insights:Tom Stanis entered the healthcare sector with an understanding of data, and an eye for the logistic and technology problems healthcare needs solving.Behind the Why. While at Google, Tom was hit by car. A CT scan revealed he had no broken bones, but did have stage 1 kidney cancer. That experience inspired Tom to change careers, and work to improve healthcare. (2:04)Partnership vs. From Scratch. Partnering a start-up with a big company provides capital, brand recognition, and access to technology and resources. Alternatively, founding a company from scratch allows for flexibility, nimbleness, and less bureaucracy. (12:29)Building the Right Team. The most important part of starting a business is finding the right team. Small start-up teams spend a lot of time together, there needs to be the right personality fit. Tom went through multiple groups of people before he found the right match. (18:13)This episode is hosted by Lynne Chou O’Keefe. She is a member of the Advisory Council for Day Zero and is the founder and Managing Partner of Define Ventures.Relevant Links:Learn more about Story Health“Introducing Story Health” by Tom Stanis“Verily Co-founder Launches Virtual Specialty Care Startup” by MedCity News

In this episode, hosted by Think Medium founder Gary Bisbee, Ph.D., we get to know Day Zero Advisory Council Member Lynne Chou O’Keefe. Lynne is the founder and managing partner of Define Ventures, which focuses on investing in early stage digital health companies that will redefine healthcare.

Meet Cliff Illig:Cliff Illig is one of the co-founders of Cerner Corporation. He has served as Cerner’s Chief Operating Officer, President, and Vice Chairman. He is also a principal owner of Sporting Kansas City and founder of FanThreeSixty. Cliff was named to the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame as well as awarded the Henry W. Bloch International Entrepreneur of the Year. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in accounting and business administration.Key Insights:Cliff Illig is a key player in the healthcare industry and has been driving impact and change for multiple decades. Becoming a Founder. Cliff and his partners realized they wanted to found a software company. They made two lists, one with industries they had knowledge of, and the other industries they knew nothing about. Healthcare was on the second list, but their knowledge of manufacturing helped create their first product for sharing lab data within a hospital. (8:05)Handling Complexity. To handle complexity, Cliff recommends breaking the problem down into smaller, compartmentalized pieces and working on those individually.Then step back and see how those individually improved pieces look combined. (12:26)If You Oppose, You Got to Propose. Early on at Cerner, Cliff and his team decided that if you spoke against something, you had to also present a better idea. This empowered employees: ideas were not stuck down because they were “bad,” rather they were replaced with better ones. (28:50)This episode is hosted by Don Trigg who is a member of the Advisory Council for Day Zero and is the former President of Cerner Corporation.Relevant Links:“Kansas Business Hall of Fame announces inductees”“Cerner co-founder Cliff Illig shares his startup story with KU MBA students” by The Lawrence Journal World“Oracle-Cerner Deal Could Help Healthcare Systems Share Data” from The Wall Street Journal

In this episode, we get to know Day Zero advisory council member Donald Trigg. Don is interviewed by fellow advisory council member, Suchi Saria, Ph.D. Don most recently served as President of Cerner Corporation.

Meet Gary Bisbee:Gary Bisbee is founder, Chairman, and CEO of Think Medium. Prior to Think Medium, Gary was co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Health Management Academy. He was Chairman and CEO of APACHE Medical Systems, Aros Corporation, ReGen Biologics, and Sequel Corporation. Gary received his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in chronic disease epidemiology from Yale University. He is currently a member of the board of directors of Cerner Corporation. Key Insights:Gary Bisbee, Ph.D. has rich experience as a lifelong entrepreneur and accomplished board member. He shares insights valuable to founders, operators, and board members alike.Listening. When founding a company, listen to potential customers and experts knowledgeable about the field. This information adds depth to the business’ design and informs the financial model. (15:27)Advise for Board Members. Each board require Gary to play a different role. Understanding your role improves board chemistry and effectiveness. Additionally, board members must strike the balance between management and governance, and learn to ask the right questions. (23:12)Everyone as a Leader. Leaders, regardless of company size, should encourage every person to be a leader in whatever role they are in. If you treat them and define their role that way, it will pay dividends to the organization. (31:18)This episode is hosted by Nathan Bays. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Day Zero and is a senior banker at Citigroup.Relevant Links:Read more about Think MediumGary is the host of The Gary Bisbee Show, check it out hereConnect with Gary Bisbee, Ph.D. on LinkedIn

In this episode, we get to know Day Zero advisory council member Nathan Bays. Nathan is a senior banker at Citigroup, focused on M&A and strategic advisory with Leading Health Systems and health services companies.

Meet Daphne Koller, Ph.D.:Daphne Koller, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of insitro, a company that aims to improve drug discovery and development through machine learning. She is also a co-founder and board member for Engageli. Previously, Dr. Koller co-founded Coursera and served as the co-CEO, President, and eventually co-Chairman. She was also the Chief Computing Officer for CalicoLabs. Dr. Koller earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science at Stanford University and taught there as a professor for 18 years. Key Insights:Dr. Koller is “bilingual” in the worlds of biomedicine and machine learning. She has had a diverse career in academia, industry, and entrepreneurism.Two Worlds. At insitro, Dr. Koller brings together the two worlds of machine learning and biomedicine. Machine learning understands the capabilities of what data can provide, and biomedicine understands the insights that can be extracted. Working together can not only solve problems, but reveal new questions. (7:27)Science as a Team Sport. Dr. Koller contrasts academia’s focus on the individual researcher with industry’s focus on organizational growth and teamwork. She emphasizes the importance of releasing one’s ego and creating a whole that is larger than the sum of the parts. (22:16)The Right Team. It is important for founders to build the right team around them. The executive leadership needs to have the ability to strategize and shape the vision, as well as be equipped with industry expertise. From day one, be deliberate about culture and creating alignment. (25:03)This episode is hosted by Suchi Saria, Ph.D. She is a member of the Advisory Council for Day Zero and is the founder and CEO of Bayesian Health. She is also an Associate Professor of computer science, statistics, and health policy, and the Director of the Machine Learning and Healthcare Lab at Johns Hopkins University.Relevant Links:Learn more about insitroTake one of Dr. Koller’s courses on CourseraFollow Dr. Koller on Twitter

In this episode, we get to know Day Zero advisory council member Suchi Saria, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Bayesian Health. Dr. Saria’s research has pioneered the development of next-generation diagnostic and treatment planning tools that use statistical machine learning methods to individualize care.

Meet Brandon Weber:Brandon Weber is the co-founder and CEO of Nava, a benefits brokerage firm that facilitates high quality healthcare to employers. He is a co-founder and advisor for VTS and serves on the board of Directors for WiredScore. Additionally, Brandon is an Advisor for CityBldr and he previously founded and was CEO of Hightower Inc. Brandon earned degrees in Computer Information Systems and Human Computer Interactions from Carnegie Mellon University. Key Insights:When founders become truly obsessed about a problem, the solution is therapeutic. That’s how Brandon Weber feels about the ever-increasing cost of healthcare, and Nava scratches that itch.Bottleneck. There is a huge explosion of innovation on the supply side of healthcare, but it is not reaching buyers. Part of the bottleneck is in the benefits brokerage industry, which Nava hopes to change. Brandon thinks the future might already be here, it’s just not evenly distributed.(1:11)Strong Beliefs, Held Loosely. Entrepreneurs need to have an unwavering conviction that a problem exists, but listen to the data and consumers to develop solutions. (13:23)Be the Change. Brandon is passionate about convincing founders to take the leap. From family stories to subreddit anecdotes, many Americans have experienced healthcare events that adversely impacted their health or finances. There is no shortage of problems to solve. (16:29)This episode is hosted by Marcus Osborne. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Day Zero and the former Senior Vice President for Walmart Health.Relevant Links:Learn more about NavaFollow Brandon on TwitterListen to the podcast “Disrupting the healthcare benefits industry with Nava's Brandon Weber” by Authentically Successful