Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw

"What's the problem we're trying to solve? Because oddly enough, sometimes that's not really understood." Before Mercedes Ikard solves a problem, she asks a question most leaders skip: Are we even solving the right problem? In a world demanding immediate action, she's built her leadership on something more powerful: the discipline to pause, listen, understand, and ensure everyone's calibrated on w...

"I had no idea. I didn't know what an HSA was, all the acronyms—HRA, HSA, HDHP, ERISA. I really had to learn all of that." When Tammy Sun pitched her fertility startup a decade ago, the category she was building didn't exist. Investors dismissed it as a lifestyle business, a niche play unworthy of venture capital. After 99 rejections, she raised her first million. Today, Carrot Fertility operates ...

"By 2030, 2035, they're saying we're gonna have more older adults than children in this country. And if Medicaid cuts happen, where are people gonna get care? Their first resort is gonna be going to the emergency department." Dr. Sarita Mohanty knows exactly what's coming—she sees it every shift in urgent care. As President and CEO of The SCAN Foundation, she's racing to transform how America ages...

Approximately one in four people will face a cancer diagnosis. For most, the hardest part won't be the treatment itself but the waiting, the 3 AM questions, the logistical maze of care coordination that can mean the difference between hope and despair. Ann Stadjuhar knows this truth from both sides of the stethoscope. When Ann navigated her own cancer diagnosis, she had every advantage: 20 years o...

Dr. Mitzi Krockover has been the first in every leadership role she's taken—from founding UCLA's Women's Health Center to becoming Humana's first Vice President of Women's Health to now investing in women-led healthcare companies. In this powerful conversation with Laurie McGraw, Dr. Krockover reveals why she's optimistic about women's health innovation despite recent funding challenges, sharing h...

Emmy-nominated journalist Julia Boorstin spent years interviewing thousands of executives before discovering something unexpected: the most successful women leaders had no playbook. After 25 years covering business transformation at Fortune and CNBC, Julia set out to understand why women receive only 2% of venture capital despite outperforming their counterparts—and what she found changed everythi...

"I bleed purple at work. I don't bleed Republican red or Democrat blue—I bleed purple, the color of my company." When two of healthcare technology's most influential policy voices join forces, you get the unvarnished truth about how healthcare transformation really happens in Washington and beyond. Leigh Burchell (VP Policy and Public Affairs at Altera Digital Health) and Leslie Krigstein (VP Comm...

Emily Shields dropped her kids off at school this morning—an eighth grader, a fifth grader, and a toddler—before stepping into her role as Chief Strategy Officer at OSF HealthCare. It's a balance she's perfected through years of strategic career moves and honest self-assessment about what matters most each week. Starting as a physician recruiter at OSF, Emily built relationships across the entire ...

"This transition was about more than just a business model. It was about trust for the community." When Deborah Visconi took the helm at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, she wasn't just changing a hospital's tax status—she was rebuilding an institution's soul. Tasked with transforming a for-profit hospital into a true safety net for New Jersey's most vulnerable communities, Deborah brought someth...