One room.
The people who decide what's next.

Sam Barend is an entrepreneur who has built her career tackling complex, systemic challenges, aligning incentives, and pioneering new approaches that fundamentally change how industries operate. Since 2021, she has served as CEO of AION Biosystems, leading the development, FDA clearance, and commercialization of TempShield™, an intelligent continuous monitoring platform and wearable technology designed to detect early signs of potentially life-threatening medical complications. Under her leadership, AION has brought TempShield to market at scale, secured national distribution, and is enrolling more cancer patients than any other wearable — pioneering a new approach to healthcare that enables earlier intervention, better patient outcomes, and fewer avoidable hospitalizations. Earlier in her career, Sam served as Executive Director of Governor Paterson’s State Asset Maximization Commission, where she built support among labor unions, elected officials, and business leaders for a new model of public infrastructure financing that aligned public and private incentives to deliver major projects on time and on budget. Her work helped lay the groundwork for landmark projects including the redevelopment of LaGuardia and JFK airports. She later joined AECOM, where she helped launch AECOM Capital, developed billions of dollars in infrastructure projects, and became a national voice on infrastructure finance, testifying before Congress and advancing federal legislation. Sam also founded the Performance Based Building Coalition, made history at age 25 as the youngest woman ever to run for the U.S. Congress, and authored the federal Interstate 86 Act, helping unlock billions in economic development for New York’s Southern Tier. Across infrastructure and healthcare, Sam has challenged conventional thinking, created new models for solving entrenched problems, and aligned stakeholders around shared incentives to turn ambitious ideas into tangible results.

Simon Blanc, MD, is the Director of the Cancer Center at Broward Health, where he leads the cancer service line across strategy, clinical operations, quality, and clinical-trials growth. He is triple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Oncology, with fellowship training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the University of Miami / Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and prior research and clinical positions at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (Leukemia and Thoracic) and MD Anderson Cancer Center (Cardio-Oncology). Dr. Blanc has a long track record of building cancer programs and translating data analytics, real-world evidence, and value-based care principles into measurable improvements in patient outcomes — including reduced ER utilization and stronger pathway adherence. He has authored 70+ peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and presentations and remains active as a mentor to residents and hematology-oncology fellows.

Hala Borno, MD is a physician scientist, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), and Founder and CEO of Trial Library, an AI-enabled research platform advancing access to precision medicine. She has published 100+ peer-reviewed papers, previously served as co-Medical Director of the Genitourinary Medical Oncology Clinic at UCSF's Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, and was a leader in the Recruitment Science Research Hub. She has also served on national oncology committees addressing health disparities and social determinants of health, including as Vice Chair of the Health Disparities Committee for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. Dr. Borno earned her MD as a merit scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed her internal medicine residency, medical oncology fellowship, and NIA-funded research fellowship at UCSF, where she was chief oncology fellow. She continues to serve on expert panels developing advanced prostate cancer guidelines, and her work has been widely covered by national news outlets.

Kelley Carlstrom is the CEO and founder of KelleyCPharmD, an education company dedicated to closing the gap in clinical oncology training for pharmacists. She is a board-certified oncology pharmacist with experience across both traditional and non-traditional roles, including clinical practice in large academic and small community cancer centers and the healthcare technology space designing digital tools and workflows for oncology clinicians and patients. Kelley is passionate about democratizing oncology pharmacy education and supporting pharmacists as they build confidence, competence, and careers in oncology.

Suzette DiMascio, CHE, CMCE, CPC, is a globally recognized pharmaceutical industry executive, entrepreneur, and life sciences strategist with more than three decades of experience in commercialization, market access, and strategic growth. As Founder and CEO of CSI Specialty Group, she built a nationally recognized consulting firm advising pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, health systems, and investors. She led the business for nearly two decades before successfully exiting in 2019. Her expertise spans specialty pharmaceuticals, oncology, rare diseases, patient services, specialty pharmacy, and the product lifecycle—from prelaunch planning through market access and commercial execution. A founding member and former board director of the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, DiMascio launched Women in Specialty Pharmacy and co-founded RxVP, a global leadership network. An APPA Hall of Fame honoree and industry trailblazer, she is known for forging partnerships and connecting innovation to opportunity through strategy and trusted relationships.

Munir Ghesani, MD, FACNM, FACR, FSNMMI, is Chief Medical Officer of United Theranostics Enterprise and Medical Director of United Theranostics at Princeton. He also serves as an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and an Adjunct Professor of Radiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he previously served as Chief of Nuclear Medicine. With more than 30 years of experience, he has worked extensively across clinical practice, research, clinical trials, and education in nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy. His interests include PET/CT and SPECT/CT imaging, theranostics, dosimetry, and current and emerging applications of radiopharmaceutical therapies. Dr. Ghesani is a Past President of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), a former Chair of the American Board of Nuclear Medicine, and has held several other national leadership roles in nuclear medicine and radiology. He has contributed to over 200 publications and delivered more than 250 presentations at regional, national, and international meetings.

Tim Gutwald is a partner at Elevare Law, where he advises healthcare companies on the regulatory and transactional questions that decide whether a care model actually works: corporate practice of medicine and MSO structures, fraud and abuse, reimbursement, and compliance that holds up as a business scales. Before Elevare, he was General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Mentavi, building the legal and compliance function of a multi-state digital health company from the inside. Before that, he chaired the Health Care Group at Miller Johnson and practiced at Hall Render, representing health systems and physician groups. Tim is a past President of the Health Care Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, a frequent speaker with the American Health Law Association, and a co-author of the GUIDE framework for AI in mental health care, published in JMIR AI.

Courtney Hurtig is an attorney at Phelps Dunbar who helps physicians, group practices, and healthcare providers across Louisiana and Texas build and protect their businesses. Her practice focuses on the transactional and regulatory issues behind new ways of delivering and paying for care. She advises providers on innovative care delivery models, including structuring value-based arrangements. She also handles physician contracting, recruitment and employment arrangements. Courtney counsels clients on 340B Drug Pricing Program compliance and reviews contract pharmacy arrangements and pharmacy management agreements. She also advises on licensing for brick-and-mortar pharmacies and on pharmacist contracting. Her work also covers mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and traditional and private equity practice sales. Courtney grew up in a family of physicians and worked with children's hospitals and in outpatient psychology. She earned a master's in health services administration before beginning her legal career, which gives her firsthand insight into the operational realities oncology providers face.

Dr. Ira Klein has been the Vice President of Medical Affairs for Payor Relations at Tempus AI for 5+ years, managing in payer policy, payment, and revenue cycle management efforts, focused on medical market access, AI and related technology based solutions. Previously, he was the Chief Medical Officer of Health New England, covering MA, Commercial, and Medicaid products. Before that, he led Healthcare Quality Strategy across all Janssen therapeutic commercial departments for J&J Health Care Services for 5 years. In his prior 10 years at Aetna, he was the National Medical Director for Clinical Thought Leadership, Chief of Staff to the CMO, founded the Oncology Solutions team, and worked in National Accounts. His early career included Assistant CMO of Bayshore Community Health System, was CMO of Elderplan, a CMS enacted HMO for the frail elderly, and Asst. Prof. Medicine at RWJMS for 7 years.

Mike is the Vice President of Oncology for St. David’s Healthcare, a partner with the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute HCA, located in Austin Texas. Mike has over twenty years of oncology executive experience for both large health systems and physician groups which include Advocate, Sutter, and Allina Health Systems. Mike earned his MBA from Northwestern University - Kellogg and his MHA from Texas State University. Mike has presented at several national and international oncology and healthcare conferences including ACCC, ACE, IOLC and ACHE and has written many peer-reviewed articles on oncology strategy and operational trends.

Supriya is the CEO and Cofounder of Cerula Care, a collaborative care company that brings integrated behavioral health and care coordination to people living with cancer. Cerula Care partners with oncology practices to identify and treat anxiety, depression, and other mental health needs alongside cancer treatment, so patients get whole-person care without adding burden to their oncology teams. Supriya brings nearly 20 years of healthcare experience across payers, providers, and digital health. Before founding Cerula Care, she held leadership roles at Aetna/CVS Health, Optum, Boston Consulting Group, and Bend Health. Supriya lives in Northern Connecticut with her husband, their two children (a son and a daughter), and their dog, an adopted Pit/Hound mix. When time permits, she heads out for a run (nothing beats fall in Connecticut!) or settles in with a good memoir or biography.

J. Travis Mendel, MD, is a board-certified radiation oncologist and Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Rio Grande Cancer Specialists in El Paso, Texas, where he also directs the only community-based theranostics program in the area. His work focuses on bringing advanced cancer therapies into community practice through integrated urologic oncology, radiation oncology, molecular imaging, and radioligand therapy. He co-chairs the LUGPA Radiation Oncology Working Group and is the founder of JT Mendel Consulting. His professional interests include practical AI adoption, multidisciplinary care, and the operational challenges of building sustainable oncology service lines. Dr. Mendel completed his radiation oncology residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center. At HyperOncology, he brings a community-practice perspective on expanding access to theranostics and translating innovation into coordinated patient care.

Solomon Moshkevich, MBA, serves as president of clinical diagnostics at Natera, where he oversees productization, clinical validation, commercialization, and quality across the company. Since joining Natera in 2011, Moshkevich has built and led multiple teams, including global marketing, product management, medical and scientific affairs, commercial operations, clinical trial operations, business development, international sales, program management, and portfolio strategy. He has played a leading role in the development, clinical validation, and commercial success of all of Natera’s cell-free DNA products including Panorama™, Prospera™, and Signatera™. Most recently, Moshkevich served as general manager of oncology for the company, overseeing a period of tremendous growth and leading the company’s efforts to achieve Medicare coverage for Signatera across multiple cancer types. Moshkevich began his career as a consultant with Bain & Company before joining the private equity investment team at Parthenon Capital. He graduated from Columbia University summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics, and holds an MBA from Stanford University. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bay Area.

As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Norden leads clinical affairs and strategy for OncoHealth, an oncologist-founded company that delivers oncology utilization management and virtual care management services for health plan and employer customers. Dr. Norden previously served as Chief Medical Officer of COTA, where he focused on the curation and use of real-world data extracted from oncology electronic medical record systems. Before COTA, Dr. Norden served as Deputy Chief Health Officer and lead physician for oncology and genomics at IBM Watson Health. Dr. Norden’s career began at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where he served as Associate Chief Medical Officer and led clinical trials for patients with glioma and meningioma. At Dana-Farber, he had clinical responsibility for a network of community satellites and affiliates. He is the author of more than 90 peer-reviewed papers and an active member of ASCO. Dr. Norden attended medical school at Yale School of Medicine and completed his residency training at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals followed by a neuro-oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber. Dr. Norden also earned a Masters of Public Health degree from the Harvard University School of Public Health and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Alti Rahman serves as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at American Oncology Network (AON). He holds master’s degrees in Business Administration and Healthcare Administration and is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt. Alti began his healthcare career as a mental health caseworker, an experience that shaped his commitment to bridging gaps between clinical care, healthcare delivery, and broader public health objectives. Prior to joining AON, Alti spent 15 years at Oncology Consultants in Houston, Texas, advancing value-based care and leading initiatives focused on operational excellence, cost optimization, and quality improvement in community oncology. Alti believes the future of healthcare depends on multidisciplinary collaboration, innovative care models, and aligning stakeholders around a shared commitment to better patient outcomes.

Nicolle Rychlick, PharmD, MBA, is a vice president in Acuvance Coker’s Performance Transformation practice. With more than a decade of pharmacy experience, she helps health systems improve operational efficiency, strengthen financial performance, and deliver high-quality patient care. Nicolle has led enterprise initiatives involving EHR implementation, automated dispensing cabinet standardization, systemwide formulary development, regulatory compliance, workforce optimization, and operational transformation. Her work has generated measurable cost savings, recurring revenue, and margin improvement for complex, multi-site healthcare organizations. She combines clinical and operational expertise with a strategic, results-oriented approach, ensuring transformation efforts align with regulatory requirements and support stronger clinical integration. In addition to leading client engagements, Nicolle contributes to business development through client presentations, sales discussions, and proposal development. She is committed to helping healthcare organizations achieve sustainable performance improvements while maintaining fiscal responsibility and advancing patient care.

Barry Russo is Chief Executive Officer of The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD), an independent community oncology practice serving patients across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Since joining CCBD in 2002, he has guided its growth into a multi-site practice with more than 30 providers and roughly 200 employees. Russo is known for leading on value-based care, steering CCBD through early bundled-payment pilots, the Oncology Care Model, and the oncology medical home model. He has also championed technology, including AI-driven risk stratification and home-based supportive care for patients. A frequent speaker and writer on the business of community oncology, he serves on the board of the Community Oncology Alliance and is a member of ACCC, ASCO, and TXMGMA. He holds an MBA from the University of Dallas.

Dr. Deirdre (De) Saulet is passionate about changing how we deliver cancer care in this country. In her role as VP of Provider Growth at Luminate Medical, she partners with innovative cancer programs to increase patient access to safe and-financially sustainable home-based cancer care. In her previous role at Jasper Health, she focused on partnerships and innovations to improve the experience from diagnosis through survivorship for people and families dealing with cancer. At Carrum Health, De oversaw the build-out and expansion of the Cancer Centers of Excellence program, connecting self-insured employers with high-value cancer care providers. Prior to Carrum, De spent ten years at Advisory Board (an independent subsidiary of Optum), where she managed client relationships and led research on oncology trends and best practices in payment reform, patient experience, and clinical innovations. She received her Bachelor of Science from the College of William & Mary and her PhD in Immunology from Duke University. De is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher who practices and leads classes in Richmond, VA, where she lives with her husband, dog, and cat.

Timothy N. Showalter, MD, MPH, MBA, is Chief Medical Officer at Viz.ai, where he leads clinical strategy and evidence generation across the company’s AI-powered care coordination platform. He is a practicing radiation oncologist at the University of Virginia, with more than 20 years of experience spanning academic medicine, health technology, and medtech entrepreneurship. Dr. Showalter has held senior clinical leadership roles across diagnostics, therapeutics, and AI-enabled healthcare companies, including serving as Chief Medical Officer at Artera and Medical Director at Flatiron Health. He is the former Founder/CEO of Advaray, a medical device company he led from inception through FDA de novo clearance and successful acquisition. His expertise includes clinical trial strategy, regulatory and reimbursement pathways, real-world evidence, and precision oncology. Dr. Showalter has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and is nationally recognized for his work in oncology innovation, clinical research, and physician-led technology development.

Jeana M. Singleton is a Member at Brennan, Manna & Diamond, LLC, where she maintains a national healthcare law practice focused on the operational and strategic issues facing healthcare providers. Her work includes regulatory compliance, healthcare transactions, value-based reimbursement, 340B discount drug program matters, corporate law, and business-legal strategy. Jeana has significant experience in representing cancer care providers, including structuring oncology group mergers, partnerships between provider groups and 340B covered entities, and hospital-physician alignment strategies. She advises physicians, practices, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations on navigating complex regulatory requirements while pursuing sustainable growth and innovative care models. A frequent presenter on healthcare legal and operational topics, Jeana brings a practical perspective to the evolving regulatory, reimbursement, and alignment challenges confronting oncology practices.

Amy Ware, MHA, MEd, FACHE, is a healthcare executive and strategist with more than 15 years of experience leading enterprise growth, transformation, and strategic investment. As Head of Healthcare Strategy & Transformation at Thrivence Consulting, she advises CEOs and executive teams on healthcare strategy, growth, and organizational performance. Previously, Amy served as Regional Vice President of Oncology for HCA Healthcare’s Sarah Cannon Cancer Network, overseeing oncology services across 13+ hospitals and more than 40 outpatient sites. She delivered sustained double-digit growth, expanded physician networks, and launched over a dozen advanced clinical programs, strengthening regional access to specialized cancer care. Earlier, as Senior Strategy Advisor to the CEO of The James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University, she guided institutional growth, capital investment, and strategic initiatives. A doctoral candidate and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Amy is a Forbes contributor, recognized among Tennessee’s Top 50 Women Leaders, and serves on the American Cancer Society’s Tennessee Board.