The Launchpad Edition #6
First off — Happy Mother’s Day to all those who have the nurturing energy to so many. We celebrate you.
A few weeks ago, I sat down with my longtime collaborator and friend Robin Strongin on her new podcast, Health Dame. We talked about men’s health — and what started as a conversation about wearables and prevention turned into something deeper: who actually gets seen in the healthcare system, who gets dignified care, who gets to shape the tools being built in their name. Those questions don’t stay in one lane. They run through everything I’m tracking right now.
Because here’s the tension I keep sitting with: institutions are pulling back. Pharma companies that made loud health equity commitments after 2020 are quietly scaling them down. The federal government is actively deleting the public health datasets we’ve spent decades building — infant mortality data, hunger statistics, CDC surveillance reports. The evidence base for this work is being dismantled in real time.
And yet — the field is not retreating. New convening events are being created (shouts to the incredible Brian Komar and his business partner Andrew Means on the Good Tech Together Summit!), capital is being deployed by funding organizations like New Profit to those building the future and Young Futures is equipping the next generation to create innovative impact.
While infrastructure and longstanding frameworks are being dismantled, there is a sense of evolution happening. That’s the thread running through this Launchpad. A lot to dig into. Let’s go.
In The Know
Health Equity in Pharma: Time to Evolve, Not Retreat
One of the most clear-eyed takes I’ve seen on where the health equity work stands in the pharma sector — and by proxy, across the broader healthcare ecosystem. FSG maps out four dimensions where companies are either advancing or falling back into bad habits: strategy integration, governance, implementation and measurement. The framing around data infrastructure is particularly worth your time — AI layered onto incomplete, unrepresentative data doesn’t solve disparities. It amplifies them.
The Trump Administration Is Deleting Government Data
From infant deaths to hunger statistics, the administration has removed or altered thousands of federal datasets — including over 3,000 from the CDC pages. Did you know that the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System was effectively shuttered when all managing staff were placed on administrative leave? The big picture here is: if we can’t measure disparities, we can’t address them. The disappearance of disaggregated public health data is a strategic removal of the accountability infrastructure the field relies on.
The “Smart Shot”: Halle Tecco on Aligning Mission & Margin for Massively Better Healthcare
My longtime friend and digital health pioneer, Halle Tecco — new author of Massively Better Healthcare — joined The Other 80 podcast with the incredible Claudia Williams, for a live conversation worth adding to your watch list. Some great points made during the episode where she makes a point about AI in healthcare is growing faster in this sector than in any other industry. That’s both an opportunity and a responsibility. She’s also refreshingly candid about the limits of hustle culture and why founders need to pick problems they’re genuinely passionate about — because the road in healthcare is long.
Roles Worth Exploring
Payer Partnerships Director — Nourish
Nourish is building an AI-native nutrition healthcare platform — live in all 50 states, $115M raised, partnered with national health insurance companies.
Director of Partnerships — Ōura
Oura is a leading wearable device and data platform that helps you track health metrics, including sleep. They are currently looking for a senior deal-maker to lead their hardware ecosystem partnership strategy — spanning movement, metabolic health, and sleep. You’d own the full partnership lifecycle: sourcing, structuring, negotiating, and launching complex commercial agreements, plus building the team as it scales.
Vice President, Partnerships — Spring Health
Spring Health is a $3.3B mental health platform with 450+ enterprise clients — Microsoft, Target, Delta Airlines among them. The VP of Partnerships will own the full partnership ecosystem strategy (channel, integration, marketplace, distribution) and carry a quota-bearing P&L reporting to the CRO. A serious senior role at a company with real scale and mission.
California Communities Director — The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
The Packard Foundation’s California Communities Initiative (CCI) works across six counties in California to promote resilient communities where families thrive. The incoming Director will lead this portfolio, which sits at the intersection of the Foundation’s three goals: investing in families, protecting the natural world, and creating just societies.
Program Officer, Climate — Broad Reach Foundation
Broad Reach is a private family foundation expanding its grantmaking to $60M in 2026 — up from $49M — and is adding a new Program Officer to its Climate portfolio. This is a genuine inflection point role: the foundation is growing while staying small (7 staff) and the incoming PO will have a real hand in shaping strategy during a turbulent policy moment.
Vice President, People and Operations — Council on Foundations
The Council on Foundations is the national membership association for philanthropy — 1,000+ member organizations, 75 years of history, $15M annual budget, 62 staff. They’re hiring a VP of People and Operations to lead culture, people strategy, and internal operations, reporting directly to the CEO.
Community Spotlights & Opportunities
Featured Listen: André Blackman on Men’s Health, Dignity, and the Future of Care
I had the pleasure of sitting down with another longtime friend and collaborator Robin Strongin on her new podcast, Health Dame. We covered a lot of ground — the role of technology in men’s health, the changing ways men engage with prevention and community, why dignity and empathy need to be designed into care (not bolted on) and the growing importance of representation in clinical research. Robin was also an early investor into the FastForward Health Film Festival that I co-founded back in 2011!
Spotlight: Dr. Ashwin Patel Launches ashwinpatel.io
Former InquisitHealth CEO and Pyx Chief Health Officer, Dr. Ashwin Patel, just launched his personal site and it’s a clear window into where one of healthcare’s sharper thinker-builders is focused. With 14 years at the intersection of healthcare, business and tech — along with knowing the founder journey, Ashwin has guided real-world research innovation projects, advised health plans/pharma and other startups founders.
He’s currently building a stealth startup and writing weekly at HealthLeader.ai — his newsletter is worth adding to your rotation if you’re tracking the intersection of AI, health economics, and strategy. His new site also has an Open Door for new founders who want to trade notes or pressure-test ideas.
Field Notes: Good Tech Together Summit
Dr. Annice Kim attended the Good Tech Together Summit last month in Washington DC and shared a recap on LinkedIn worth reading. Good Tech Together brings together nonprofits, foundations, and tech leaders to design and deploy AI for social impact — 500+ changemakers in the room, centered on practitioner-led innovation over vendor pitches.
Young Futures Awards $1.4M to 16 Nonprofits Helping Young People Navigate AI with Agency
Young Futures, led by CEO Katya Hancock, just announced its 2026 awardees — 16 nonprofits doing the work of helping young people find belonging, safety, and real agency in a digital world. The $1.4M in grants recognizes leaders rethinking what it takes to support young people navigating AI. It’s been an honor to serve as a mentor for this organization!
As always, share this with someone in your network who’s navigating this moment. And if something here sparked a thought or question, hit reply — I read everything.
— André