Today, the Rosenman Institute celebrates the 2023 RISE Cohort: Cindy Blanco, Nicole Cook, Paul Campbell, Christopher Grace, Amy Li, Kwamane Liddell, Wendy Johansson, Jennifer “Jaki” Johnson, Shadi Saberi, Sandra Saldana, and Maryam Ziaei.
RISE is a UCSF Rosenman program that identifies promising entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds in health technology. These entrepreneurs are awarded with top-notch mentorship from the vast UCSF network of advisors and strategic partners. Mentors are matched with RISE Founders based on their personal backgrounds and areas of expertise. Through three months of one-on-one interactions, RISE Founders receive professional guidance and strategic support, advancing the missions of promising startups nationwide.
Over the next three months, RISE founders will work with their mentors on pitch decks, business and go-to-market strategy, team building, and tips and tricks for CEOs. The mentorship is underway and Kwamane Liddell, CEO of Nutrible, shared, “it’s exciting to be matched with a mentor who has a wealth of experience and insight. To get their time, have the opportunity to develop relationships with them, and learn from them is really powerful.”
The founders aren’t the only ones receiving mentorship– however– the mentors too will learn from the founders; one mentor referencing this as “bidirectional mentees”. Clearly, mentorship is an extremely fulfilling experience for both mentors and mentees.
Each chosen founder has a unique perspective and background that has helped shape who they are today and their innovative approach to solving some of the toughest problems facing healthcare. This year’s cohort is made up of inspiring female, immigrant, POC, and first- generation founders that are tackling everything from stroke monitoring, to hearing loss, to nutrition through their startups.
Congratulations to the 2023 RISE Founders!
- Cindy Blanco, CEO, and Wendy Johansson, CPO, of MiSalud Health, the first Spanish-first digital health solution for the underserved Latinx community in the United States.
- Nicole Cook, CEO of Alvee Health, an AI-driven health equity and SDOH data activation and management company.
- Paul Campbell, CEO of Moneta Health, a startup that has developed an accessible, telephone-based, human-in-the-loop, telehealth platform for patients.
- Christopher Grace, CEO of CareAdvisors, a technology platform that enables the elimination of disparities and inequity in healthcare.
- Amy Li, Founder & CEO of Concha Labs, a company that battles hearing loss through a software that creates fully personalized hearing profiles.
- Kwamane Liddell, CEO of Nutrible, a web app that doctors use to deliver medically-tailored meals directly to patients at home.
- Jennifer “Jaki” Johnson, CEO of WellMiss, the first trauma-informed digital health clinic.
- Shadi Saberi, PhD, Chief Technology Officer, and Maryam Ziaei, CEO, of iSono Health, a startup that has developed the first AI-driven wearable and automated breast ultrasound.
- Sandra Saldana, PhD, CEO of Alva Health, a startup developing healthcare wearables for remote stroke monitoring.
These founders and their companies are in for 3 months of incredible growth, whether it be in the communications, legal, business strategy or investment field. The Rosenman mentors are ready to direct graciously, and the mentees are eager to learn– a combination that will improve the lives of many in the years to come.