Greg Lewis has over 21 years of working in the pharmaceutical marketing sector at large global agencies as well as small boutique shops. In 2019, he joined Calcium as President and Managing Partners – prior roles included Managing Partner at WPP’s Grey Health Group and President at Havas Health and You.
With a range of experience from biologics to toothpaste, and from large DTC-launched brands to specialty products, he has a keen understanding of the fundamentals needed to drive brand growth in today’s marketplace. He has acted as an integrated world-wide team lead on large global brands for J&J, Pfizer, and Bayer, yet he understands the nuances of becoming a trusted partner at more agile and entrepreneurial client organizations.
Greg has led multiple cross-functional marketing launches and campaigns including all on- and off-line professional promotion, medical education, pharmacy outreach, PR and DTC efforts. He likes to connect the dots and has served in lead integration roles as a Brand Chemist for JNJ’s anti-TNF Golimumab, a US Team Leader for Boehriger Ingelheim and as a Global Brand Leader over-seeing Pfizer’s Hematology portfolio.
Greg received a dual degree in marketing communications and political science from Villanova University. He has taken executive classes at the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth and the Harvard Business School. In 2017 and 2020, he was recognized as a Transformational Leader by PM360 and in 2020 was named as one of the 100 Most Inspiring People by Pharma Voice. He sits on two non-profit boards and lives in Mt Lakes, NJ with his wife and 5 children.
Howard is a Managing Director and focuses on healthcare investments at Asahi Kasei, a diversified conglomerate based in Tokyo. A physician by training, Howard has over 20 years of experience investing in innovative public and private healthcare companies. Prior to Asahi Kasei, he was an investor at Hambrecht and Quist Capital (a leading healthcare fund) and Advent International (one of the largest global private equity firms). His early career includes time at The Advisory Board Company and Goldman Sachs.
Howard received his AB in Economics from Harvard University where he was a member of the Varsity Tennis Team. He then received his MD from Tufts University School of Medicine. Howard lives in the Boston area with his wife and three children.
Passionate. Unique. Loyal. Resilient. These words are commonly used to describe Sharron S. Rouse. Sharron is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the education and nonprofit industries. She is skilled in program coordination, leadership, community outreach, and curriculum development. Sharron is a strong educational professional with an Administrator certification focused in Educational Leadership and Administration.
A native of the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, she has dedicated her life to influencing the world as a kidney disease, dialysis, and now transplant survivor. Sharron actively shares her story to bring hope and healing to anyone facing difficult circumstances in life. To expand the scope of her reach, Sharron founded Kindness for Kidneys International, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, encouraging, and empowering kidney warriors and their families. Sharron lives in Maryland with her husband Shawn and daughter Kyla.
Chet Alan Bennett aka Chef Bennet; Licensed Cosmetologist; School Owner; Salon Owner; Radio Host; Conference Host; Instructor; Motivational Speaker; Author; Executive Producer; and Founder of a non-profit. These are some of the many titles that Mr. Chet A. Bennett has held over the years while being a successful businessman. He is a proud graduate of Morehouse College with a BA in Religion and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Howard University. From holding contracts for the Correctional Corporation of America and the DC Department of Corrections, to coordinating conferences, producing the documentary, “Don’t Put Down the Clippers,” writing the book “My Business is the Beauty Business,” and owning 6 salons, two daycare centers, and a beauty school, Mr. Bennett has achieved great heights in all his endeavors. Although he has held a strong role in the beauty industry for over 29 years, C. Alan Bennett has been cooking and catering since 1992.
It wasn’t until he received a kidney transplant that he decided to spend the rest of his life dedicated to the culinary industry. He created The C. Alan Foundation to not only bring awareness to the kidney disease community, but to educate the community on how to create a healthy lifestyle. Under the foundation, The Kidney Kafe’ with Chef Benne’, and the Kidney Conversations Talk Show was created. C. Alan has become a sought-after caterer at the Bennett Career Institute, The Kidney Kafe Pop-ups; a personal Chef; an inspiring Chef host on a progressive cooking show that airs on The Urban Television Network; his YouTube channel, and his website kidney-kafe.com.
He is now partnering with Access Housing Inc., a Southeast DC Veteran’s Service Center catering meals for the homeless, and is set to air his cooking show this spring on DCTV. He also has a book about a healthy eating lifestyle coming out in April “From the Ground to the Gut.” Chef Benne’ started the Kidney Kafe Garden in Washington DC’s most economically challenged community growing spices and sustainable food for the local area. There is much more to come from C. Alan Bennett, as his impact in the culinary community has just begun.
Kindness for Kidneys International Received an Honorable Mention
Lyfebulb, a patient-empowerment platform that connects patients with industry experts to support user-driven innovation, and CVS Kidney Care®, a CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS) company, are excited to announce that OmniLife was selected as the winner, and Kindness for Kidneys International received an honorable mention, at the 2022 Lyfebulb–CVS Kidney Care® Innovation Challenge: Accelerating Innovations in Kidney Disease to Improve Health Equity and Outcomes.
“True equity means everyone has the opportunity to attain their full health potential,” said Jesse Roach, MD, Senior Medical Director, Health Equity at CVS Kidney Care®. “We applaud OmniLife, Kindness for Kidneys and the other challenge finalists for their efforts to address barriers to care that make preventing and managing kidney disease difficult.”
OmniLife was represented by Co-Founder and CEO Dalton Shaull and will receive a $25,000 monetary award to further develop its end-to-end communication and collaboration solution purpose-built for transplant teams to automate the intake and patient referral management process to provide better outcomes, reduce costs and create an optimal experience for clinicians and their patients.
Additionally, the judges awarded Kindness for Kidneys International, represented by Founder and Executive Director Sharron Rouse, honorable mention for its dedication to educating, encouraging, and empowering kidney warriors and their families.
The 2022 Innovation Challenge took place in Austin, TX over two days on May 18-19. Before a panel of independent judges, each of the ten finalists pitched solutions for bringing equitable care to kidney disease patients. Finalists also had the opportunity to listen to keynotes from leaders in the kidney and health care space, as well as community health leaders in Austin, and take part in two small group learning sessions.
“The level of innovation presented by each finalist was impressive and inspiring, and we look forward to seeing their ventures grow and help to address the disparities that so often prevent access to care and negatively impact health outcomes for those in the CKD and ESRD community,” said Karin Hehenberger, MD, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Lyfebulb. “As a person living with chronic kidney disease and having gone through a living donor kidney transplant, I was especially excited and encouraged by the potential impact these innovations will have on the patient community.”
To continue their commitment to patient entrepreneurship and to raising awareness about health inequities among those in the CKD and ESRD community, Lyfebulb and CVS Kidney Care® will be hosting a Fireside Chat with Dalton Shaull and Sharron Rouse, jury member Jennifer Miller of CVS Kidney Care®, and key opinion leader, Jesse Roach, MD, of CVS Kidney Care®, on Wednesday, June 1 at 4 p.m. EST. This virtual discussion is open to all community members, and more information can be found on Transplantlyfe.com/webinars.
To learn more about CVS Kidney Care®’s work to address equitable health care, visit cvskidneycare.com.
About CVS Kidney Care®
CVS Kidney Care® is reimagining the future of kidney health – because patients deserve care that helps them live on their own terms. Our unmatched patient insights, grounded in the connectivity of CVS Health ®, link data and clinical knowledge to create a personalized approach that breaks down barriers to care, including systemic barriers that have led to disparities in kidney health. Our end-to-end approach is flexible and customizable to help support a truly patient-centered experience. No matter where people are in their kidney-health journey, we help them connect to an integrated network of options that make care easier to understand, more accessible, and suited to their needs. We are changing kidney care as we know it because the more than 37 million Americans living with chronic kidney disease deserve more than twentieth-century solutions. Learn more at cvskidneycare.com.
CHALLENGE TIMELINE
November 1, 2021
Applications Open
December 14, 2021
Submission Deadline
February 2022
Finalist Announcement
May 18-19, 2022
Innovation Challenge
May 19, 2022
Winner Announcement
WINNER
Dalton, a former division one athlete at the University of Iowa, suffered career ending injuries from a near-fatal motorcycle accident during his sophomore year. One of the injuries (to his brachial plexus) left him with a paralyzed right arm. After about a year, during which his arm was paralyzed. Dalton underwent an experimental nerve transplant operation and eventually was able to regain full movement of his arm.
With his co-founder Eric Pahl, Dalton started OmniLife in 2016. They connected initially through their common interest in medical technology and their shared connected purpose to organ and tissue transplant.
Dalton Shaull
Co-Founder & CEO
Honorable Mention
Passionate. Unique. Loyal. Resilient. These words are commonly used to describe Sharron S. Rouse. Sharron is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the education and nonprofit industries. She is skilled in program coordination, leadership, community outreach, and curriculum development. Sharron is a strong educational professional with an Administrator certification focused in Educational Leadership and Administration.
A native of the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, she has dedicated her life to influencing the world as a kidney disease, dialysis, and now transplant survivor. Sharron actively shares her story to bring hope and healing to anyone facing difficult circumstances in life. To expand the scope of her reach, Sharron founded Kindness for Kidneys International, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, encouraging, and empowering kidney warriors and their families. Sharron lives in Maryland with her husband Shawn and daughter Kyla.
Sharron Rouse
Founder & Executive Director
ABOUT THE SUMMIT AND AWARD
The Lyfebulb-CVS Kidney Care® Innovation Challenge will take place in March 2022 and is currently accepting applications through December 14, 2021. Selected applicants will receive an invitation to pitch their ideas and solutions to an expert panel of judges comprised of healthcare industry, medical, and patient leaders over the course of the two-day summit. One entrepreneur will be awarded the 2022 Lyfebulb-CVS Kidney Care Innovation Award, including a $25,000 monetary grant to grow their company. Competing finalists may be considered by CVS Kidney Care for possible partnerships or investment opportunities.rnrnIn addition to presenting their innovative ventures, finalists will have the opportunity to exchange ideas on how to further advance patient innovation in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and engage with Lyfebulb founders, CVS Kidney Care leadership, representatives from the CKD/ESRD patient community, key opinion leaders, and potential investors.rnrnNote: The Summit is currently scheduled to take place in person. However, Lyfebulb will continue to monitor the national, state, and local COVID-19 situation, and the details of this event remain subject to change from in-person to virtual as needed.
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KEY PILLARS OF INNOVATION
Through Lyfebulb and CVS Kidney Care’s shared commitment to patients and their loved ones, the Lyfebulb-CVS Kidney Care Innovation Challenge is seeking a wide range of solutions to address health disparities among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In order to address the health disparities facing kidney patients and their care partners, we will identify scalable solutions that do one or more of the following:
Improve early evaluation for kidney disease
Educate health care providers and patients around eGFR kidney function
Increase cultural empathy among healthcare workers
Remove social barriers that affect kidney health outcomes
Increase the diversity of nephrologists
We also encourage the submission of all creative and strategic solutions to provide equitable care and improve patient and care partner outcomes. Primary areas of interest supporting this mission include education and awareness, early identification and disease progression, and overall quality of life.
Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, DOM Vice Chair of Diversity and Inclusion, and Chief, Pediatric Nephrology Division at UNC School of Medicine
Director, External Relations and Patient Engagement at UW Kidney Research Institute/Center for Dialysis Innovation and Chief Strategy and Operations Officer – Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Center
CRITERIA FOR APPLYING TO THE CHALLENGE
Applicants from historically underrepresented communities and those personally affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are particularly encouraged to submit their ideas.
CATEGORIES OF INNOVATION
Devices
Consumer products
Healthcare IT
Healthcare services
ORGANIZATIONS
US entities only
For-profit companies
Non-profit organizations
Individuals with registered organizations
STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
Idea stage
Early development
Mature development
JUDGING CRITERIA
The judging panel will assess the following:
UNMET NEED
Strategic basis for addressing health equity challenges facing patients and their care partners
How these challenges are specifically being addressed
IMPACT
Potential of the innovation to improve the lives of people affected by kidney disease
Degree of impact (market impact and patient impact)
Measurability of impact
MARKET FEASIBILITY
Uniqueness to the market
Feasibility of development and implementation
Market sustainability
THE CHALLENGE IN NUMBERS
1
NOVEMBER
Applications opened on Monday, November 1, 2021
14
DECEMBER
Applications closed on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at 11:59 PM EST
2
Days
The Challenge took place May 18-19, 2022
$25
Thousand
One entrepreneur was awarded the 2022 Lyfebulb-CVS Health Innovation Award, including a $25,000 monetary grant to grow their company
The inaugural 2022 Innovation Challenge is one component of a larger partnership between Lyfebulb and CVS Kidney Care, which is built upon a shared commitment to advancing patient-driven innovation, supporting the exchange of experiences and insights in the area of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD), improving health equity and outcomes among CKD and ESRD patients, and ultimately improving quality of life for patients as well as care partners. The Lyfebulb Innovation Challenge, sponsored by CVS Kidney Care, stems from the concept of the Lyfebulb Entrepreneur Circle established in 2015, which features individuals who have created a product and/or a company in response to their personal experiences with a chronic illness (through their own diagnosis or that of a loved one).
Lyfebulb is an innovation accelerator that bridges the gap between patient communities and the healthcare industry by working directly with patients and care partners to generate insights and build new solutions to reduce the burden of living with chronic disease. Lyfebulb operates across 11 disease states and counting.
We harness the power of technology, a flexible, end-to-end ecosystem of care, and the size and scale of CVS Health to anticipate and manage patient needs, no matter who and
where you are. Bringing care closer to home, we help close the gap in care affecting historically underserved communities and encourage patients to start their care at home, on
