Melissa Cohen

Melissa Cohen is an experienced healthcare executive and entrepreneur currently serving as the Chief Innovation Officer at Cayuga Health System in Ithaca, New York.1 Her career spans various roles in healthcare, technology, and venture capital.

Professional Experience

Current Roles::

• Chief Innovation Officer at Cayuga Health System (since August 2023)1
• General Partner at Copilot Capital, an early-stage healthcare venture fund1
• Partner at Patient Ventures, a consulting firm specializing in healthcare startups1

Previous Positions::

• Managing Director at NorthShore University HealthSystem's venture capital arm1
• Chief of Staff at Level Ex, Inc., a medical technology company1
• Venture Capital Fellow at MATTER, a healthcare innovation community1
• COO at ZESTxLabs, a neuroscience marketing research firm1

Education and Teaching

Cohen has been a Lead Teaching Assistant at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business since May 2017, where she has been involved in courses related to entrepreneurship and venture capital.1

Entrepreneurial Background

Prior to her current roles, Cohen was a co-founder and CEO of a Chicago-based healthcare IT startup that was strategically acquired in 2019.2

Approach and Philosophy

Cohen emphasizes the importance of:

1. Data-driven decision making
2. Understanding both the end-user and end-payer perspectives in healthcare2
3. Maintaining a stable and calming presence as a leader, especially in high-pressure startup environments2

She advocates for startups to consider various partnership opportunities with health systems beyond just financial investment, highlighting the value of expertise and industry insights that such collaborations can provide.2

Mentorship and Industry Involvement

Cohen is actively involved in mentoring and supporting the healthcare startup ecosystem. She has served as a mentor for the mHUB MedTech Accelerator program2 and has shown interest in connecting startups with opportunities in healthcare venture capital.6

Her LinkedIn username "startupbabe" reflects her deep involvement in the startup world and her passion for innovation in healthcare and technology.1345