When Amee Devani watched her mother battle colorectal cancer in Kenya, she witnessed firsthand the stark reality of healthcare inequity. That experience would reshape her entire career trajectory—from investment banking at UBS to founding a digital health startup that's revolutionizing how hospitals manage post-acute care.

"I faint when they take my blood," Amee admits with characteristic candor. Yet today, as CEO and Co-founder of WellBeam, she's tackling one of healthcare's most persistent problems: the black box of care that swallows patients after hospital discharge.

This conversation with host Laurie McGraw reveals how a chance meeting on a Stanford cycling training ride led to a partnership that's now bridging the dangerous gap between acute and post-acute care. Amee and her co-founder Pascal—both Kenyans who met thousands of miles from home—shared more than a homeland. They shared mothers fighting cancer and a determination to fix a broken system.

What started as rejected startup ideas in Stanford surgeons' offices evolved into WellBeam after one crucial conversation with pancreatic surgeon Dr. Brendan Visser. His frustration was clear: exceptional inpatient care followed by total blindness once patients left the hospital. Fax machines. Phone tag. Patients bouncing back to the ER before anyone knew there was a problem.

Now, WellBeam serves as the critical infrastructure connecting hospital EMRs with home health, hospice, and skilled nursing facilities. The result? A 20-30% reduction in readmissions and millions in recovered revenue for physicians doing work they couldn't previously bill.

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Amee also discusses:

Chapter Markers

00:54 - Introduction & Background

04:17 - The Stanford Connection & Finding a Co-founder

07:13 - WellBeam's Origin & Solution

11:28 - Business Model & Market Approach

14:06 - Leadership as a Female CEO & New Mother

21:39 - Advice for Aspiring Female Founders

Guest & Host Links

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What makes this conversation urgent is what's at stake. When people with lower trust in healthcare turn to friends and family instead of medical professionals, when young adults say they'd leave their doctor over political beliefs, when misinformation spreads faster than facts—we're not just facing a communications challenge. We're facing a health crisis.

But Courtney, who's spent 15 years bridging policy, advocacy, and communications, sees opportunity in the challenge. Organizations that share accurate information, take visible action on problems, and paint an optimistic future can still build trust. The question is: will they act fast enough?

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Courtney also speaks about:

Chapter Markers

04:05 - From Policy to Trust: A Career Arc

05:32 - The Misinformation Crisis

08:18 - High Trust vs. Low Trust

10:30 - From Polarization to Grievance

12:11 - Building Trust in a Zero-Sum World

14:27 - Women, Employers, and the Trust Gap

16:12 - A Path Forward for Leaders

Guest & Host Links

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When Colleen Bowman didn't get into her dietetics internship—twice—she thought her career was over before it began. Instead, that rejection became the catalyst that launched her into becoming a transformative HR leader at one of the most unique companies in America.

"I had a little too much fun in college," Colleen admits with a laugh. But that social experience—building networks, connecting with people—turned out to be the foundation of everything that followed. Today, as VP of Human Resources at IAC, she oversees benefits for a portfolio of brands you know and use every day: Angie's List, People Magazine, Food & Wine, and dozens more.

This conversation with host Laurie McGraw isn't just about climbing the corporate ladder—it's about how the detours define us. For Colleen, those detours included a boss who told her she wasn't ready for a promotion (spoiler: she was), mentors who took chances on her, and the realization that sometimes you have to stop waiting for opportunities and start creating them.

What makes Colleen's leadership philosophy unique? "Empathetic with expectations." She leads with understanding but refuses to treat her team "too preciously." She believes in them too much for that. She sets high standards because she knows they can meet them.

Now, as healthcare costs explode and benefits become the single largest line item on corporate balance sheets, Colleen is tackling one of business's biggest challenges: How do you get employees to care about their health before it's a crisis? How do you communicate complex benefits to diverse populations—from magazine editors to home repair professionals? And how do you treat a benefits program like the multi-million dollar business it actually is?

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Colleen also speaks about: 

Chapter Markers

03:37 From Nutrition Dreams to Benefits Reality 

08:17 When Your Boss Says You're Not Ready 

10:51 Building Relationships as a Leadership Superpower 

14:49 Raising Your Hand vs. Reaching for Opportunities 

16:24 Empathetic with Expectations: A New Leadership Model 

19:38 The Business of Benefits in Divisive Times

Guest & Host Links

Connect with Laurie McGraw on LinkedIn

Connect with Colleen Bowman on LinkedIn

Connect with Inspiring Women

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When Karen Lynch became CEO of CVS Health, it was more than a milestone, it was a signal. Millions were watching. She led through the pandemic. She raised wages. She centered the patient. She broke glass ceilings again and again.

“I remember the day Karen became CEO,” says host Laurie McGraw. “I think the world stood still for a minute. I smiled. I took notice. And so did everyone else.” The accolades poured in: Forbes Most Powerful Women, Fortune’s Most Admired. But the impact went far beyond headlines.

This conversation isn’t just about what Karen accomplished at the top—it’s about the experiences that shaped her long before she got there, and the values driving how she leads today. Like many leaders, Karen’s path was forged in her beginnings. For her, those beginnings were marked by unimaginable loss: losing her mother to suicide at age 12, and just a decade later, losing the aunt who raised her. That grief left an indelible mark—a sense of urgency to fix a healthcare system she had experienced not as a leader, but as someone failed by it.

That lived experience has been her North Star. From her early days in finance to leading one of the largest healthcare organizations in the world, Karen has consistently asked: What does the patient need? And how can we make it simpler? 

As a leader, she learned that courage isn’t a talking point, it’s a practice. And sometimes, it means making a hard decision that costs you. When her tenure at CVS ended, it wasn’t scandal. It wasn't a failure. It was a choice, grounded in accountability. Because real leadership isn’t just about celebrating the wins—it’s about owning the moments that hurt.

Now in a chapter of reinvention, Karen is clear: she’s not stepping back, she’s stepping into purpose. From helping future CEOs find their voice, to launching a women’s leadership institute, to urging healthcare leaders to rebuild public trust before it's too late, she is focused on impact over position. The title may be different. The mission is not.

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Karen also speaks about:

What would healthcare look like if we designed it around the patient?

Can simplicity heal what complexity has broken?

How do we rebuild public trust in healthcare—and what happens if we don’t?

How can we better prepare the next generation of women leaders?

Is technology the single most powerful lever for healthcare transformation?

What does it take to navigate reinvention with optimism, purpose, and grace?

Thank you Karen Lynch. You are an Inspiring Woman.

Chapters

03:11 - From Tragedy to Healthcare Leadership

05:42 - Patient-Centered Philosophy

08:46 - Pandemic Response and Transformational Change

10:02 - Mentorship and Women's Leadership

14:57 - Accountability and Resilience in Leadership

22:53 - Technology Revolution and Giving Back

Guest & Host Links

Connect with Laurie McGraw on LinkedIn

About Karen Lynch

Connect with Inspiring Women

Browse Episodes | LinkedIn | Instagram | Apple | Spotify This episode of Inspiring Women was recorded at the WBL Summit, a leadership, networking, and professional development conference for WBL members that takes place each spring.

WBL is a network of 1500+ senior executive women in healthcare who convene to share ideas, make valuable connections, and solve business challenges. WBL’s mission is to connect and support our members in advancing their careers and impact on our industry.

"Who mentors the mentors?"

"There's no such thing as a cold call in WBL."

"How can I help you?"

These powerful mantras echo through the halls of Women Business Leaders (WBL), the longest-standing executive forum for women in healthcare leadership. And for our landmark 200th episode of Inspiring Women, we're going back to where it all began.

Twenty-five years ago, Lynn Shapiro Snyder found herself one too many times as the only woman at the decision-making table. Instead of accepting this reality, she picked up the phone and made 60 cold calls to the most influential women in healthcare. One by one, they answered with a resounding "yes." And WBL was born.

Join us for an intimate conversation with the visionaries who started it all: Lynn Shapiro Snyder, Jeannine Rivet, Carrie Valiant, and Marcia Nusgart. With candor, wisdom, and plenty of laughter, these pioneers share how their initial gathering evolved from a one-time retreat into a powerful network that has elevated thousands of women into leadership positions.

When women lead, we create a more just and equitable society—full stop. And today, WBL's mission remains as vital as ever.

This 200th episode isn't just a milestone; it's a love song to trailblazing women everywhere—those who stand tall, who lift their voices, and who use their power to push, guide, and pull us all forward.

Join us for this celebration of legacy, leadership, and the sisterhood that continues to transform healthcare and beyond.

Chapter Markers

01:09 How WBL Was Born from One Cold Call

04:01 Planning the First Retreat—and Why It Almost Didn’t Happen

10:32 Saying Yes to Something Bigger Than Yourself

17:56 The First Summit: Envelopes, Oprah Moments, and Self-Promotion

29:33 Why WBL Matters Now More Than Ever

34:52 What WBL Has Meant to Us—Founders Reflect

Guest & Host Links

Connect with Laurie McGraw on LinkedIn

Connect with Lynn Shapiro Snyder on LinkedIn

Connect with Carrie Valiant on LinkedIn

Connect with Marcia Nusgart on LinkedIn

Learn more about Jeannine Rivet, RN, MPH, FAAN 

Connect with Inspiring Women

Browse Episodes | LinkedIn | Instagram | Apple | Spotify This episode of Inspiring Women was recorded at the WBL Summit, a leadership, networking, and professional development conference for WBL members that takes place each spring. 

WBL is a network of 1500+ senior executive women in healthcare who convene to share ideas, make valuable connections, and solve business challenges. WBL’s mission is to connect and support our members in advancing their careers and impact on our industry.

What if the same data that helps sell cereal could also save a life? Kathleen Ellmore asked that question long before most people thought to—and long before healthcare caught up. With roots in consumer marketing, she was using behavioral science to influence buying habits when the term “micro-segmentation” barely existed. But when she stepped into healthcare in the early 2000s, everything changed.

As the mother of a daughter with cerebral palsy, Kathleen knew what it felt like to navigate a system that didn’t see her, didn’t remember her, and didn’t connect the dots. Kathleen’s daughter needs a wheelchair. She recalls all too well the months of time it took to get the right approvals for the appropriate wheelchair her daughter needed. Until something happened, a changed job, a new insurance plan, and then being told she would need to start the many month process ALL OVER again. It is hard to hear this story without feeling the agony of this mother for her child.  

This proverbial straw led to this realization: data wasn’t the problem; disconnection was. That moment became the heartbeat of Kathleen’s work.

She began applying the tools of influence not to sell more products, but to build trust. Her early experiments, like discovering that a male voice on a robocall led to an 86% increase in screenings among Hispanic populations, proved that small shifts, driven by empathy and insight, could drive massive impact. It wasn’t about big data; it was about meaningful data.

Today, as cofounder of Engagys, Kathleen is leading a new era of engagement—layering AI on top of decades of behavioral science to ensure health plans don’t just reach people, but truly connect with them. For her, AI is not a shortcut; it’s a tool to scale human-centered care. And while others chase automation, she remains laser-focused on trust.

You’ll also hear from Kathleen on:

Why most health plans already have the data they need, but fail to use it meaningfully

How behavioral science can transform call center scripts into trust-building tools

What it really took to launch a profitable consultancy—no funding, no incubator, just mission and grit

How Kathleen balances technical innovation with ethical guardrails in a system under pressure

This conversation isn’t just about data. It’s about care, courage, and what happens when you decide to build something better because the system failed you.

Chapters

01:52 Applying Consumer Marketing to Healthcare

03:04 Building Engagys from the Ground Up

06:32 Trust, Data, and Personal Motivation

11:00 A Mother's Experience with a Broken System

13:10 AI, Behavioral Science, and Human-Centered Care

20:00 Leadership, LinkedIn, and Advice for Founders

Guest & Host Links

Connect with Laurie McGraw on LinkedIn

Connect with Kathleen Ellmore on LinkedIn

About Engagys

Connect with Inspiring Women

Browse Episodes | LinkedIn | Instagram | Apple | Spotify This episode of Inspiring Women was recorded at the WBL Summit, a leadership, networking, and professional development conference for WBL members that takes place each spring. 

WBL is a network of 1500+ senior executive women in healthcare who convene to share ideas, make valuable connections, and solve business challenges. WBL’s mission is to connect and support our members in advancing their careers and impact on our industry.

After losing both her sister and a close friend to cancer in the same year, Carissa Rollins knew she couldn’t stay where she was. As CIO of UnitedHealthcare, she had scale and power, but not proximity to the technology that might have changed those outcomes. So when the call came from Illumina, a company pioneering genomic sequencing, she listened. And then she leapt.

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Carissa shares how grief reshaped her career and how purpose—not title—has always been her compass. She talks candidly about what it means to walk away from the “biggest job of your life” to chase deeper impact, and how she’s now using her insider knowledge of the payer system to open doors for patients who would otherwise be left out of the genomic revolution.

Carissa also reflects on the turning points that built her leadership style—from writing a three-page letter to fight for a promotion, to insisting on coaching even when her boss said she didn’t need it. She’s quick to credit the mentors who pulled her forward—but equally passionate about pulling others up behind her. “Why are you sitting in the back?” she recalls asking one young woman. “Your voice is important.”

Now at Illumina, she’s helping her teams think critically about how AI can reduce burnout—not by cutting jobs, but by removing outdated, burdensome processes and freeing people to do more meaningful work. It’s a nuanced, systems-based view that resists the hype and centers on impact.

You’ll also hear Carissa speak on:

Why she sees restlessness as a sign it’s time to grow

The alarming drop in women in tech—and what we can do about it

How the Grand Canyon Conservancy helps her stay grounded (and where she thinks tech could help the parks)

What it really takes to make space at the table—and why women can’t afford to close the door behind them

This conversation is full of hard-earned wisdom, honest reflections, and a fierce belief in using every ounce of power to move others forward.

Chapters

03:52 Overcoming Restlessness & Seeking New Challenges

10:05 Impact, Market Access & Personal Fulfillment

14:59 AI’s Role in Operations & Efficiency

15:53 Inspiring Young Women in Technology

17:38 Challenges & Setbacks for Women in Tech

19:52 Empowering Advice for Future Leaders

Guest & Host Links

Connect with Laurie McGraw on LinkedIn

Connect with Carissa Rollins on LinkedIn

About Illumina

Connect with Inspiring Women

Browse Episodes | LinkedIn | Instagram | Apple | Spotify

This episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw was recorded at the WBL Summit, a leadership, networking, and professional development conference for WBL members that takes place each spring.

WBL is a network of 1500+ senior executive women in healthcare who convene to share ideas, make valuable connections, and solve business challenges. WBL’s mission is to connect and support our members in advancing their careers and impact on our industry.

Sophia Kim has spent her career breaking molds, and building better models for leadership and care delivery.

From her early start navigating journalism and consulting to leading high-growth teams in healthcare, Sophia’s path has been shaped by adaptability, ambition, and a commitment to creating change that matters.

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Sophia shares her journey from balancing a demanding consulting career with raising two young children to finding her footing in healthcare leadership - without a clinical background, but with a deep understanding of people, systems, and what real innovation requires.

She talks about:

How she’s helping rethink access to heart care through virtual-first models — and why bold ideas are needed to meet today’s healthcare challenges.

The leadership lessons she’s carried from consulting rooms to executive suites — including why being able to “be like water” has been essential to growth.

How women leaders can create space not just for themselves, but for the next generation.

Why technology must always serve people first — and how to balance innovation with the human experience.

Sophia’s story is about more than business growth. It’s about resilience, reinvention, and the power of leading with both strategy and heart.

Chapters

00:01:27 Sophia’s Immigrant Story & Early Career Background

00:08:32 Leading Through the Pandemic

00:11:28 Complexity of Cardiovascular Health

00:12:39 Cardiologist Shortage & Access Issues

00:15:06 Role of AI in Cardiology & Patient Engagement

00:19:54 Sophia’s Leadership Style

Guest & Host Links

Connect with Laurie McGraw on LinkedIn

Connect with Sophia Kim on LinkedIn

Connect with Inspiring Women

Browse Episodes | LinkedIn | Instagram | Apple | Spotify This episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw was recorded at the WBL Summit, a leadership, networking, and professional development conference for WBL members that takes place each spring.

WBL is a network of 1500+ senior executive women in healthcare who convene to share ideas, make valuable connections, and solve business challenges. WBL’s mission is to connect and support our members in advancing their careers and impact on our industry.

What happens when the system meant to care for everyone, doesn’t?

Healthcare equity isn’t theoretical. It’s about who lives, who dies, and who gets a chance. For Rita Johnson-Mills, this isn’t abstract. It’s the work of a lifetime.

As a former Medicaid executive, CEO, and now board leader, she has spent decades fighting to ensure Black and Brown communities receive the care, dignity, and leadership they deserve.

Rita’s not just breaking glass ceilings. She’s questioning who built the ceiling in the first place. Her leadership spans public health, corporate boardrooms, and the lives of the women she’s mentored into executive roles. Her impact is structural. Her mission is urgent.

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Rita speaks about:

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Rita speaks about:

Rita’s leadership isn’t just impressive. It’s necessary. She’s not just creating space—she’s changing the system itself.

Guest & Host Links

Connect with Inspiring Women

Browse Episodes | LinkedIn | Instagram | Apple | Spotify

This episode of Inspiring Women was recorded at the WBL Summit, a leadership, networking, and professional development conference for WBL members that takes place each spring.

WBL is a network of 1500+ senior executive women in healthcare who convene to share ideas, make valuable connections, and solve business challenges. WBL’s mission is to connect and support our members in advancing their careers and impact on our industry.

When a diagnosis is shared, the questions come fast: What happened? How can I help?

For families in crisis, support is critical—but often chaotic. Without a structure to manage communication or coordinate care, caregivers are left to navigate emotional overwhelm and logistical complexity at the same time.

That’s where CaringBridge steps in.

In this episode of Inspiring Women, CEO Tia Newcomer joins Laurie McGraw to talk about what it takes to bring real support into the healthcare experience—not as a nice-to-have, but as essential infrastructure. Under her leadership, CaringBridge is expanding its reach, embedding into points of diagnosis and discharge, and protecting trust in a space where many would trade it for scale.

With two decades of executive leadership across Fortune 100, VC, and private equity–backed health tech and consumer brands, Tia brings a sharp operational lens to deeply human problems and a clear vision for what care can look like when support is treated as essential, not optional.

Key themes explored:

Guest & Host Links



Connect with Inspiring Women

Browse Episodes | LinkedIn | Instagram | Apple | Spotify

This episode of Inspiring Women was recorded at the WBL Summit, a leadership, networking, and professional development conference for WBL members that takes place each spring.

WBL is a network of 1500+ senior executive women in healthcare who convene to share ideas, make valuable connections, and solve business challenges. WBL’s mission is to connect and support our members in advancing their careers and impact on our industry.