Five innovative leaders spoke at a panel discussion held by the Milken Institute School of Public Health titled “Lessons From Leaders in Civic Innovation & Social Impact.” The featured speakers were Eric Letsinger, CEO, Quantified Ventures; Enrique Martinez, Director of The Lab at the Office of Personnel Management; Veronica Vela, DrPH(C) in Health Policy and Management and Health Design Strategist at the Department of Veterans Affairs; Samson Williams, Chief Strategy Officer, CoFund | SeedUps; and David Yokum Director of The Lab @ DC. The panelists are from behavioral science, design, public health, and finance/ management consulting backgrounds, but their work transcends their training. The panel, which was held in early October, was curated and moderated by Pierre Vigilance, Associate Dean for Practice and Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management.
Approximately 60 students, staff and faculty attended the event and received professional development and career insight from the panelists, and also learned about novel approaches the District and federal government are taking to identifying and solving civic problems; design thinking (human centered design); social impact bonds; and blockchain (a digital ledger with potential public health applications in which data can be recorded chronologically and shared in a secure, compliant, and public manner). Event partners included The Lab @ DC and Onboard Health and the panel was broadcast via Facebook Live. A reception followed.