Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw

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 leadershi...

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 join...

Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, the sixth president of Morehouse School of Medicine and first woman to lead as president and CEO, cuts through the noise with her refreshingly direct approach to diversifying healthcare. "If Morehouse School of Medicine is not part of the DEI story, I don't know what the DEI story is," Dr. Rice says, refusing to back down from her mission despite today's challenging cl...

Art school isn’t the typical starting point for a tech industry leader, but for Jessica Neal, former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix, it was the first step in an extraordinary career. In this episode, Jessica shares how she transitioned from an aspiring artist to headhunter to leading Netflix’s talent strategy during its explosive growth. Jessica emphasizes the critical importance of providing cle...

“We need to be more ambitious….” Margaret “Peggy” O’Kane transformed healthcare quality measurement in America when she created NCQA 35 years ago. As she reflects on what it has meant to create the foundations for quality measurement, she is also clear that the complex state of healthcare requires leaders across payers, health systems, employers, and providers to do more. Disruption is required. I...

Human Resources is NOT the next obvious step if you began your career as a nutritionist. Yet for Colleen Bowman, VP of HR at IAC, her unconventional path took her exactly there. And when you hear Colleen’s story, it really does all make sense. Colleen started as an athlete. So being competitive and working as a team came naturally. She always had high expectations – of herself and of others. Key s...

Spoiler alert: trust is declining – in government, established institutions, and in media. For 25 years Edelman has been studying trust given its importance as the ultimate currency of a business with its stakeholders. In this Inspiring Women episode, Laurie is speaking with Courtney Gray Haupt, the Global Health Chair and US Co-Chair of Health from Edelman. In discussing the Edelman Trust Baromet...

She is a Latina. She is a leader. She is a visible member of her community. She is a daughter. She is a servant leader. And Brenda Munoz is also, so much more than all of that. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Laurie McGraw speaks with Brenda Munoz, Associate Benefits Director at the Laborers Funds Administrative Office of Northern California, Inc. From a temporary administrative analyst to ...

Growing up, Rae McMahan’s parents had plans for their daughter on what it meant to be a good girl. But then, life took a different turn. Facing a life-threatening illness, receiving great care, and even then realizing that not everyone had the same access that she did, Rae decided she wanted a different path. She changed the definition of what it meant to be a good girl. Rae McMahan, a senior exec...