At the heart of the Healthworx Accelerator lies one of the most defining elements of our program — our advisors. These leaders aren’t here to simply lend their names; they are active, hands-on contributors shaping the next generation of healthcare innovation. Each advisor brings deep expertise, a bold vision, and authentic passion for transforming how care is delivered and accessed.

What makes this community so unique is the level of engagement and collaboration it inspires. Despite demanding careers and full calendars, our advisors show up — not just for our founders, but for one another. They dive into roundtable discussions, challenge assumptions, and share insights born from real-world experience. The relationships that form between advisors and cohort participants often extend well beyond the twelve weeks of Stage 1, fueling lasting impact that echoes throughout the broader Healthworx ecosystem.

This year’s cohort of advisors is as diverse as it is dynamic, spanning disciplines from clinical practice and digital health to investment and innovation strategy. Together, they embody the mission of Healthworx as a true hub — a place where ideas, capital, and collaboration converge to create tangible progress in healthcare. Their guidance and partnership exemplify what we hope to achieve: a connected, future-ready network dedicated to advancing health and improving lives.

Meet the 2025 Healthworx Accelerator Advisors — leaders who are redefining what’s possible in healthcare through mentorship, collaboration, and impact.

Keisuke Nakagawa, UCSD Health

“I’m excited about partnering with healthcare start-ups to rapidly translate promising ideas into measurable impact for patients and health systems. We're in a unique position to accelerate impact by de-risking projects early, validating AI-enabled workflows, and building evidence that scales.”

Jo'Ann Jackson, MD, Advantia Health

“Through decades of working in healthcare, I have developed a deep understanding of the needs within the space.  I love working with the founders of health care startups as they apply infectious energy and fascinating innovation to finding solutions for those needs.”

Omid Toloui, Red Creek Partners

“I’m excited to validate real solutions with Healthworx partners and scale what works. I’ve worked on the provider floor, inside a payer, and in health tech. I help founders navigate healthcare’s complexities so they can deliver measurable outcomes that strengthen the system and improve health at scale.”

Ben Bohonowicz, RCM&D

“I’m honored to serve for the second year as a Healthworx Advisor, supporting early-stage healthcare startups focused on transforming care. I’m passionate about solving challenges in the employer marketplace that lead to better quality care, greater access, improved patient-provider experiences, and lower costs. The companies in the Healthworx community are some of the most innovative in the field, and I’m excited to contribute my expertise to help shape their solutions and maximize value for the clients and communities we serve.”

Mike McShea, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

“As a former CareFirst board member, I have experienced first hand how Healthworx has successfully cultivated innovation and invested in transformational new healthcare capabilities. The Innovation ecosystem that has been created is poised to make a powerful and impactful contribution to healthcare transformation well beyond CareFirst, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I am especially excited to contribute to the success of 1501 Health companies in this ecosystem, which are at a very exciting and challenging stage for a company. I am energized by the opportunity to help bring new products to market and make them successful!”

Conor Sweeney, Form Health

“Healthcare is truly at an inflection point. Being able to advise the brightest-minds who are building a future that is further enabled by technology is truly an honor.”

Jennifer Bonilla, Moffitt Cancer Center

“What excites me most is the potential to champion novel solutions in care delivery, like scalable digital tools and community-driven models that address health disparities, directly aligning with our efforts to spin out oncology innovations for broader, fairer impact. By bridging Moffitt's cutting-edge research with Healthworx's collaborative firepower, we can accelerate breakthroughs that not only drive higher valuations but also ensure equitable access to life-saving advancements in cancer care and beyond.”

Edo Banach, Foley Hoag

“Working with healthcare startups is about improving the healthcare system of the future.  Meeting folks who are passionate-- as I am-- about making our future healthcare system better than today's literally fuels my journey.”

Christopher Khoury, American Medical Association

“We need bold ideas and action to make our healthcare system better for everybody. Ultimately, this comes from a sense of shared value and purpose. I'm excited to see how emerging companies can contribute toward that reality.”

Sean White, Inflection AI

“What excites me most about working with early-stage healthcare start-ups in the Healthworx community and beyond is the unique moment we’re in with the acceleration of modern AI. For the first time, we have the opportunity to apply powerful new approaches to diagnostics and therapeutics that can tackle age-old challenges in healthcare. Partnering with founders at this stage means helping shape bold ideas into real solutions, transforming not only how we detect and treat disease, but also how we reimagine the future of care delivery itself.”

Stay tuned for the official unveiling of the 2025 Healthworx Accelerator Cohort Companies.