Leading the charge for medical device and digital health innovation in Michigan and Ontario

MedHealth is a regional collaboration connecting, convening, and educating the medical innovation ecosystem in Michigan and Ontario to drive innovation for technologies that improve quality of care and contribute to economic growth.

Our story

In 2015, healthcare stakeholders in Southeast Michigan and Southwest Ontario teamed up to discuss gaps in the region’s medical ecosystem. This group of entrepreneurial service organizations, research institutions, businesses, economic development agencies, and healthcare providers quickly identified the opportunity to work together to leverage the region’s combined assets to encourage growth. This steering committee chose to specifically focus on the innovation of medical devices and digital health as a starting point for elevating the region’s health industry.

Today, MedHealth helps stakeholders navigate the healthcare innovation ecosystem to access optimal and timely resources by connecting, convening, and educating our powerful network.

Our team

Stacey Frankovich

Director

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stacey@techtowndetroit.org

Amanda Benno

Program Manager

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amanda@techtowndetroit.org

Dr. Sukhi Ajimal

Consultant and Entrepreneur in Residence

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hello@medhealthinnovation.org

Devankar Mukhi

Program Coordinator

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devankar@techtowndetroit.org

Kristin Hofman

Strategist

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hello@medhealthinnovation.org

Executive board

Nishanth Alluri

Advisor & Lead Business Intelligence Analyst, Corewell Health / Priority Health

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Dom Holmes

Manager of Economic Development Initiatives, External Affairs and Business Intelligence Oakland County

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Ty Faulkner

Professor of Health Information Technology, Lawrence Tech University

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Zain Ismail

Director, Digital Health, Strategic Advisory & Transformation Services, AVIA Health Innovation

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Deborah Livneh Eng

Executive Director, Windsor Essex Capital Angel Network

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Sinziana Luchian

Director, Health Care Initiatives, Detroit Regional Chamber

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Phillip Olla

Professor, University of Detroit Mercy

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Alain Piette

Technology Team Manager, MI-SBDC

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Yvonne Pilon

President & CEO, WEtech Alliance

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‘Tember Shea

Community and Portfolio Manager, ID Ventures

David Stone

Vice President for Research, Oakland University

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Our cluster

The Michigan and Ontario medical innovation community is strong and ready for growth. It is advanced by many businesses, healthcare systems, research universities, and investors. These stakeholders are working toward a common goal—to improve our quality of care and contribute to economic growth.

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Stacey Frankovich

Stacey Frankovich is a director in the southeast Michigan business and entrepreneurial ecosystem and adjunct faculty at Oakland University. Prior to joining MedHealth as the Program Manager, she held the position of North American Lead for the MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge, a global challenge awarding millions of dollars to entrepreneurs using technology to drive economic opportunity for workers. Frankovich has an impressive career in economic development and building programs that are aimed at driving economic impact. Frankovich’s additional experience includes her role as the Director for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Macomb Community College, Leader of the Ideas 2 Business (i2B) program at Oakland University, and she managed the Michigan Doing Business with DARPA Matching Funds Program (MD.MFP) for the Macomb/Oakland University Business Incubator. Frankovich has a great understanding of the business and entrepreneurial ecosystem and has advised hundreds of companies through the startup and growth phases of their business. Frankovich has held a governor-appointed position on the Michigan Board of Medicine since 2015 and is a Fellow of the Federation of State Medical Boards. Frankovich holds a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Administration from Baker College. Together with her husband, Stacey has four children and two grandchildren.

Amanda Benno

Amanda joined TechTown in early 2022 as a program manager for Detroit Urban Solutions and MedHealth. Amanda comes to TechTown with nine years of experience working for a Michigan-based SaaS startup in the education and government technology space, most recently serving the role of operations manager.

Amanda graduated from Oakland University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and is passionate about using technology to improve outcomes for marginalized communities. A Michigan native and first-generation daughter of immigrants, Amanda is excited to bring her experience to Detroit’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to support collaboration and innovation across multiple sectors.

Dr. Sukhi Ajimal

Dr. Sukhi Ajimal is part of the TechTown MedHealth division and assists entrepreneurs in the healthcare space with idea development, research, grants, funding, and other services. Sukhi is a recent graduate of Michigan State University-College of Osteopathic Medicine and is training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Sukhi also works with Woodward Angels, an angel investment firm, evaluating life sciences deals. In the past, Sukhi has been extensively involved with clinical research at Detroit Medical Center, helping initiate a clinical trial that examines cardiovascular health. He has done several presentations and publications within the cardiovascular and emergency medicine space. Sukhi’s interests within the healthcare space include value-based care, medical devices, digital health, and access to care. Outside of work, Sukhi enjoys playing golf, collecting sneakers, and spending time with his family.

Devankar Mukhi

Devankar Mukhi is a passionate community organizer, content creator, and member of the Rotary Club of Detroit. As a first-generation American, he brings a unique perspective to his work. Devankar studied at Wayne State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a co-major in Peace and Conflict Studies.

Devankar's experience revolves around fostering community engagement. He has a history of organizing impactful community dialogues, hosting conferences aimed at empowering youth, and educating community members about the transformative efforts of various organizations.

A seasoned speaker, Devankar has delivered over 100 talks locally and virtually emphasizing the importance of active participation and taking action within the community to create a better world. He has had the honor of keynoting in prominent cities such as Philadelphia, Hartford, and Toronto, Canada.

Storytelling is at the core of Devankar's values, and he serves as a dedicated content creator in Detroit. Through his short and long-form videos, he shines a spotlight on local events, businesses, and community organizations. His content inspires followers to become self-starters, embark on their personal growth journeys, and take control of their lives by nurturing their mental and spiritual well-being. Devankar Mukhi strives to be a driving force for positive change in Detroit's vibrant community and his social media presence worldwide.

Kristin Hofman

Kristin helps MedHealth plan and implement marketing and communications efforts, including matchmaking events. She supports MedHealth stakeholders through sound research, purposeful strategies, and the creation of compelling interactive tools.

She has a flair for problem solving and is skilled at translating complex concepts into concise, easy-to-understand communications with end audiences always in mind. Aside from her marketing work, she also helps facilitate multistakeholder initiatives and especially thrives when assisting clients with advancing community and economic development. Kristin has spent the past several years working with nonprofits, economic development organizations, and universities across the state in her role as the director of content marketing at Public Sector Consultants.

Nishanth Alluri

Nishanth (Nish) Alluri is the Lead Business Intelligence Analyst on the Market Development & Health Plan Innovations Team at Priority Health. He is responsible for leading the team focused on M&A, Joint Ventures & Other Partnerships with Corewell Health, and bringing Innovation to Priority Health members. Nish possesses a strong commitment to delivering compassionate and patient-centered care, and high-quality insurance benefits to members, and ensuring the highest standards of excellence.

Known for his strong analytical skills and ability to make data-driven decisions, Nish is seasoned professional who is highly regarded for his expertise in navigating complex healthcare systems.
Predating his time at Priority Health, Nish has extensive experience working in diverse analytical roles within the healthcare industry, including at Mercy Virtual (Chesterfield, MO) and BJC HealthCare (Saint Louis, MO).

Prior to his current endeavors, Nish excelled as a Client Success Manager at Health Recovery Solution where he worked with Health Systems and Payviders across the U.S. and played a key role in building successful Remote Patient Monitoring programs, maximizing operational efficiency, and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Nish holds his Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, Medical Anthropology, Peace & Conflict Management, and University Honors from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI. Nish earned his Masters Degree in Administration with an emphasis on Leadership from Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI.

His board assignments have included: MedHealth (Detroit Techtown), Corewell Health NEXT Business Resource Group, & Wayne State University's Center for Peace & Conflict Studies Campus Advisory Committee

Dom Holmes

Dom Holmes is the Administrator for Oakland County’s Emerging Growth and Innovation unit. In his role, Dom works closely with local, state and federal stakeholders to aid businesses in their efforts to innovate and grow in Oakland County, Michigan. His unit is focused on the development of programs and assets that support companies focused on advanced manufacturing, mobility, aerospace and defense and digital technologies – key pillars of the County’s economy. Previously he served as the Manager of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Automation Alley, a nonprofit Industry 4.0 knowledge center and home to the World Economic Forum's US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing. There he managed programs and activities designed to provide technical assistance, funding and training to new and existing small businesses across Southeast Michigan.

Ty Faulkner

Ty Faulkner is a national speaker and thought leader in the health information technology industry. He's a college professor teaching courses in leadership, research careers, communications, and health technology at multiple colleges in Michigan and online across the US. Mr. Faulkner honorably served in the US Marine Corps, holds an undergraduate degree from Indiana University’s School of Public & Environmental Affairs, a graduate degree from Michigan State University in Communications & Advertising, and is a licensed Health IT Management Systems Consultant Advisor. He also studied at Fairleigh Dickinson University's Executive MBA School specializing in Pharmaceutical & Chemical studies. He's certified as an American Health Information Management Association Health Information Technology Software Applications Lead. Most recently, he has spent the last decade working as an advisor to Silicon Valley's big tech companies assessing operating models and transformative processes. Additionally, he is passionate about making new pathways in STEM for today’s underrepresented youth, as he teaches a new “Sports Science Research & Culture” course for dual-enrolled high school students. He's a steering committee leader for the world largest healthcare tech association called Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS), he's a member of The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), and he's a member of the distinguished healthcare data security leadership "think tank" group known as the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Security (AEHIS).

Zain Ismail

Zain Ismail is a seasoned health innovator, strategist, and intrapreneur, leading innovation in health systems in Canada, the United States, and East Africa. Drawing on his background in and affinity for hospitality, Zain is on a mission to humanize the health system through innovation by implementing novel practices into the health system to improve the patient experience and deliver value.

Before joining AVIA, Zain was a Principal Transformation Consultant at Henry Ford Health System (HFHS), a 7 billion-dollar integrated delivery system headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. He partners with HFHS’s executive and senior leadership to develop and execute enterprise-wide strategic initiatives in digital health, retail health, primary care, specialty service line growth, and talent.

Zain is called upon when organizations need structure and a frame to highly ambiguous and future-facing, cross-functional strategies that require creativity, foresight, and a bend for understanding consumer insights.

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Zain led an agile team to stand-up inpatient surge units. He developed and marketed new products and services to support Henry Ford’s retail clients. Lastly, Zain was appointed as Section Chief of Planning and Strategy for Henry Ford’s vaccine deployment incident command. He is responsible for planning, finance, staffing, and emergency management.

Deborah Livneh Eng

Deborah Livneh Eng. MBA connects investors to high potential innovative startup companies and helps entrepreneurs access capital and connections. Deborah is the Executive Director at WECAN Investors angel group. Angel investors support early-stage innovative ventures with their own capital connections, and mentorship. WECAN investors had partnered with a sizable angel community of over 120 angel investors members in Southwestern Ontario.

Deborah had co-founded a medical device company. She sold it to a publicly traded US med-tech company, and had led the Canadian plant of the multinational Olympus Medical Corp.

Since her ‘exit’ from the medical device corporation, Deborah has been helping startup entrepreneurs be successful. Deborah participated in the VentureWell Aspire Medtech programs in the role of Mentor-in-Residence. She had served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at WEtech Alliance – coaching startups and technology companies, especially in healthcare sector. In that role, she had co-founded the MedHealth Innovation cluster initiative to build and grow the high value MedHealth sector in the entire region.

Ms. Livneh is a lifelong community volunteer and served on numerous boards. Notably, she is past Chair of the Board of Governors at St. Clair College

Sinziana Luchian

Sinziana Luchian serves as Director, Health Care Initiatives for the Detroit Regional Chamber. In this role, she directs strategies to encourage healthier workplaces and communities through various initiatives and partnerships. Sinziana works closely with health care experts and business leaders to align efforts around community health and employee well-being.

Prior to leading the Health and Wellness Initiatives at the Chamber, Sinziana led community engagement efforts in the nonprofit sector, advocating for mental health, disability inclusion, and underserved children and families. Sinziana currently serves on a variety of community-based projects including the Detroit Health Department Community Health Committee, Southeast Michigan Alliance for Addiction-Free Communities, and the Michigan Wellness Council Advisory Board, with the goal to improve health outcomes in the Detroit region.

She obtained a Master of Business Administration from the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University.

Phillip Olla

Phillip is an Associate Professor of Health Service Administration at the University of Detroit Mercy. He is also the CEO of Audacia Bioscience, a Clinical Research Organization that uses breath biomarkers, AI, and smartphone technology to advance medical research. With over 10 years of leadership experience, Phillip has successfully delivered projects with budgets ranging from $5k to $5 million. He is a renowned worldwide speaker, having spoken at the UN, IAF, and WHO, and his technical consulting services span a diverse range of industries, including Oracle, 02, British Telecom, Roche Diagnostics, and NASA.

Phillip's passion for healthcare and technology is reflected in his research and publications. He has a Ph.D. in Information Systems from Brunel University in the UK and has published over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, 5 industry reports, 7 book chapters, and 5 books. His current focus is on the use of breath biomarkers and AI in clinical research. His work with Audacia Bioscience has received recognition from the healthcare industry. Phillip's vision for the future of healthcare involves the integration of digital health and personalized medicine.

Alain Piette

Alain is the MI-SBDC Technology Team manager for the last 11 years. With his team he is focused on supporting the early-stage high technology companies in the Michigan ecosystem. Prior to this assignment, Alain was the founder and president of an advanced high tech manufacturing company. The company was a technology spinout from a large automotive supplier. His activities included the technology spinout, the marketing and commercialization and leading the advanced R&D activities. The company focused its efforts in the aerospace, military and transportation industries. Alain has also worked in Europe, Southern Africa, Central and South America for international corporations such as DuPont, Sherwin Williams and Kongsberg Automotive. He has also been involved with turn-around, startup and M&A activities. Alain brings his extensive experience in organizational development, manufacturing, R&D, market development, technology transfer and international expansion to the team. Alain is also very involved with translational research and sits on the Agricultural and Advanced Material MTRAC platforms. Alain earned an BSBA and MBA from Wayne State University.

Yvonne Pilon

Yvonne Pilon is an accomplished leader in the technology and innovation sector, currently serving as the President and CEO of WEtech Alliance, a Regional Innovation Centre (RIC). With a proven track record of driving economic growth and fostering entrepreneurial communities, Yvonne has made significant contributions to the industry.

Yvonne's journey began at the age of 24 when she founded AD2IT, her first tech venture. By the age of 29, she became the youngest female to lead a RIC, showcasing her exceptional leadership abilities. With nearly 15 years of experience in the tech n industry, Yvonne has dedicated her career to building thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems. Her passion for technology and its impact led her to host the popular 'Tech In The City' podcast, where she shares her unique insights on tech and business. Recognized as a Top Social Media Influencer in Canadian Tech in 2019, Yvonne's expertise and influence extend across the Canadian tech landscape.

Beyond her role at WEtech Alliance, Yvonne serves on the Board of Directors for the Technology Councils of North America, the VENN Innovation, and the Advisory Board for the Canadian Tech Network. Her accomplishments have earned her numerous accolades, including recognition as an emerging leader in startups and tech by The Peak and selection as one of the 48 young entrepreneurs representing Canada at the G20 Youth Entrepreneurs' Alliance.

Yvonne's commitment to the industry and her community is evident through her involvement in initiatives like YKNOT Windsor-Essex, which focuses on retaining and attracting young talent. Her efforts resulted in international exposure and the creation of Windsor180, the first-ever Millennial-led Summit in the region. As a visionary leader, Yvonne is shaping the future of technology and entrepreneurship in Canada, making a lasting impact in the industry and inspiring others along the way.

David Stone

David A. Stone, Ph.D. is Vice President for Research, Professor of Interdisciplinary Health and Professor of Philosophy at Oakland University. As Vice President, Dr. Stone oversees all aspects of the Oakland University research enterprise, including all research development, administration, compliance, and research mobilization activities.

Dr. Stone holds two interdisciplinary degrees (a combined BA/MA degree and PhD) from the University Professors Program at Boston University. The former explored the intersection of law and psychiatry. The latter combined the philosophy of science, the philosophy of technology, economics, sociology of work, organizational behavior, cognitive science, and expert systems to examine the nature, meaning, and limits of knowledge-intensive technology. He has taught and conducted research at Harvard’s Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, Sheffield University (UK) and NIU. He served as founding director of the South East European Research Center (Greece) which addressed the needs of the Balkan nations following cessation of the Balkan Wars. Prior to that, he served as director of the Fenway Health Center Research Department (Boston), co-founder of the Pediatric and Adolescent Research Center at Tufts University, as director of Harvard’s Boston Violence Prevention Project, where he founded BostonCares for Injured Youth and the Boston Colloquium for Qualitative Research in Health.