Healthcare and financial professionals coming together to bring about real change

Combining decades of experience along with unique skill sets to bring health systems and providers together with profitable innovation that builds growth, improves margins, and creates sustainable financial health.

Jami Youmans, MHA

President & CEO

Jami Youmans leads healthcare client strategies and new business design for HealthEco advising clients in the development and implementation of growth and venture strategies. As an architect of HealthEco’s health system network, Jami created a customized methodology for maximizing innovation impact in provider and start-up settings. She ensures portfolio companies are properly structured and governed to achieve scalability and realize the targeted impacts for HealthEco’s clients.

Prior to HealthEco, Jami founded two healthcare consultancies and co-founded Vantedge Ventures, an early-stage strategic venture fund aligned with US-based health systems. Jami’s early career as a healthcare executive was with Trinity Health, a 92-hospital non-profit health system based in Livonia, MI and BJC Healthcare, 13-hospital non-profit health systems based in St. Louis, MO. Jami holds a Masters in Health Administration, summa cum laude, from St. Louis University and BS in Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry from Missouri State University.

Kyle Hathaway

Founder, Board Member

Kyle leads the collaboration efforts of HealthEco’s Co-Production Partner Network health systems advising on growth, innovation, capital, and entrepreneurial strategy. His expertise is the creation of new markets with specialization in leading venture and private equity-backed companies on business launch, capital formation, and go-to-market execution. He focuses his work in HealthEco on convening Co-Production Partner health systems around strategic venture opportunities then leading launch and early market adoption. He has been an advisor to venture capital, private equity, corporate ventures, universities, and health systems on portfolio commercialization and growth strategy.

Kyle has a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Old Dominion University.

Darby Thompson

Vice President of Growth

Darby is an executive leader with nearly 30 years of sales and operational experience in healthcare. He is an expert in navigating the complexities of bringing products and services to market through Group Purchasing Organization [GPO], distributor, and Integrated Delivery Network [IDN] channels. He specializes in delivering provider value and has a proven track record of creating competitive advantages that result in sales growth, GPO and IDN contract awards, access to distribution, and engagement with key influencers and decision-makers. In his current role, Darby leads HealthEco’s sales processes and operations to achieve revenue, margin, and growth goals for the organization and portfolio companies.

Prior to joining HealthEco, Darby was the founder and managing partner at Unicoi Healthcare Solutions and partner at Excelerant Consulting, where he leveraged his broad understanding of operations, and the logistics channel, combined with his team management and extensive relationships in the industry, to eliminate costly mistakes and delays in bringing products and services to market. Darby has also provided services to healthcare manufacturing, service, and distribution organizations, and managed national accounts, medical-surgical distribution, and key accounts for Owens & Minor Distribution, DeRoyal Industries, and Avadim Healthcare.

Darby has a Bachelor in Business Administration in Marketing from University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.

Lydia Setzer

Director of Marketing

Lydia is an accomplished integrated marketing communications executive with 15 years of experience elevating brands through 360 degree, omni-channel campaigns powered by data-driven strategy and dynamic storytelling. In her current role, Lydia works closely with the managing partners to strategize and manage all aspects of the marketing process from research and planning to execution and analysis for the advancement of client engagements and portfolio growth.

Prior to joining HealthEco, Lydia excelled in executive-level marketing and public relations roles on both the agency and brand side, which provided her the opportunity to work with a wide range of health care, CPG, entertainment, media, fitness, food and beverage, beauty, and wellness brands including, NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, Life Time Fitness, Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Biocodex, Phonak, Kellogg’s Specialty Brands, USA Swimming, Coca-Cola, SeriesFest, Meredith Publishing, Comcast, Shondaland, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Starz, Paramount Network and AMC, among others. Notably, Lydia’s strategic marketing communications prowess was recognized by the Public Relations of Society of America (PRSA) with a Silver Anvil Award and a Bronze Anvil Award, and by the American Academy of Dermatology with a Golden Triangle Award.

Lydia received her B.S. in Journalism: Strategic Communications and her B.A. in Spanish from the University of Kansas. She moved from Chicago to Denver in 2017 where she currently lives with her husband and her dog.

Banks Blackwell

Manager of Portfolio Growth

Banks is an experienced investment analyst specializing in market research, underwriting investment opportunities, and portfolio analysis with experience in several healthcare verticals, including telehealth, risk-based modeling, negotiation, and banking. In his current role, Banks leads the internal due diligence and commercialization strategy.

Prior to joining HealthEco, Banks worked at DaVita Dialysis, a leading provider of kidney care in the US, as a strategy and finance analyst. At DaVita, he modeled risk-based and fee-for-service partnerships with prominent payers to create mutually beneficial deal terms while increasing transparency of future earnings. Notably, Banks lead the analysis of DaVita’s fifth largest contract creating a positive net impact of $14M over five years. In addition, he partnered with several healthcare startups to model proforma financial statements and develop board meeting materials, which led to accretive strategic initiatives.

Banks received a B.B.A. in Finance and a B.A. in Plan 2 Honors from the University of Texas in Austin.

Mike Mielke, PMP

Project Manager

Mike is an experienced project manager with a collaborative, creative, high-energy management style. In his current role, Mike works closely with the manager partners to lead enterprise-wide initiatives and business-specific consulting projects. He applies creativity to solution architecture and leverages proactive management methodologies to ensure goals and objectives are accomplished on budget and within prescribed timeframes.

Prior to joining HealthEco, Mike spent five years at a behavioral health-focused nonprofit. There he leveraged his proclivity for innovation and client collaboration to achieve strategic outcomes for nearly a dozen health systems and philanthropic foundations.
Mike received his B.S. in Exercise Science from Metropolitan University of Denver and holds certifications in Process Improvement and Project Management.

Josh Raper

Brand Strategy Consultant

20-year advertising veteran with a diverse background and significant experience in business and strategic marketing across social, digital and traditional experiences. Josh founded Toy Titan in 2012, which specializes in brand strategy, design, visual identity, brand refresh and start-up consulting. Current clientele includes PE holdings, early seed start-ups, medical ventures, college/universities, and restaurants - specializing in QSR. Prior to founding Toy Titan, Josh led major global and national campaigns for McDonald's, Allstate, Kellogg's, InBev, Esurance, among others.

Dan Marcus

Creative Director

Dan has spent 20 years working in the creative industry — helping companies find their visual and verbal voice through the craft of design and business strategy. At HealthEco, Dan works side by side with startup ventures, giving them the tools to share their stories and make their mark within the healthcare field.

Dan brings a wealth of industry experience to HealthEco Having previously spent time at large advertising agencies like Leo Burnett and DDB, small strategy-led design studios, and in-house tech companies. The versatile mix of experiences means Dan has the tools to help both new companies and well-known established brands find their unique place in the market.

Dan grew up in Grand Rapids, MI and now calls Denver, CO home where he lives with his wife and two sons.

Natalie Thompson

Executive Assistant

With a remarkable 21-year career in the hospitality industry, Natalie is a seasoned professional specializing in leading and supporting teams, demonstrating a proven track record of fostering collaboration, enhancing team dynamics, and achieving exceptional results. In her current role as executive assistant, Natalie serves as the internal and external point of contact for our managing partners, while spearheading the coordination of events, meetings, schedules, and processes.

Prior to beginning her journey at HealthEco, Natalie led the spa departments at The Ballantyne Hotel, a Luxury Collection, and The Ritz-Carlton. Her time at both Forbes 4-star rated spas ignited a lasting dedication to excellence that extended beyond her tenure.