HopeLab Announces Chris McCarthy As Vice President Of Strategy & Innovation

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 2, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- HopeLab, the progressive health-focused R&D organization of The Omidyar Group, today announced Chris McCarthy as its new vice president of strategy and innovation. A leader in healthcare design strategy, McCarthy joins HopeLab after a 13-year tenure as co-founder and lead of Kaiser Permanente's Innovation Consultancy where he led human-centered design initiatives that were influential in improving hospital infrastructure, workplace safety and increasing innovation and creativity. In addition, McCarthy is founder and executive director of the Innovation Learning Network (ILN.org), an international healthcare innovation network providing strategic and creative direction to member organizations. He and his team will continue to lead the ILN, ensuring a vibrant innovation community. Chris McCarthy reports directly to HopeLab's president and CEO, Margaret Laws.

"I'm thrilled to join this philanthropic organization focused on innovation for kids and young adults," said McCarthy. "I'm excited to use my design and innovation lens to deepen the impact HopeLab has on the health and wellness of young people."

McCarthy brings a passion for problem solving through human-centered design. In his previous role at Kaiser Permanente's Innovation Consultancy, he explored the social space of elders, the care experience of transgender people, and most recently launched a large scale emotional wellness initiative. His work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, FastCompany, and the New York Times. He was named the 2015 H.I.T. Innovator and the 2011 Ellerbe Beckett Lecturer and is an international speaker on innovation and design.

"As the health care marketplace evolves, HopeLab has an important role to play in advancing our understanding of how technology can improve health and well-being, particularly for kids and young adults," said Margaret Laws, president and CEO of HopeLab. Chris' passion for creating impactful interventions and his design expertise will help us deliver on our mission in new and inspiring ways."

McCarthy will make his first public appearance as a HopeLab executive at this year's South by Southwest festival in Austin. He will lead a panel (March 11) on teen mental health and tech-based innovation with John MacPhee, CEO of The Jed Foundation and Jenny Jaffe, founder of Project UROK. The session will provide an overview of some of the challenges and opportunities in designing new approaches to supporting teen mental and emotional health and wellness.

More information about the SXSW Panel: Teen Mental Health: Can Tech-based Innovation Help?

About HopeLab
Founded in 2001 by Pam Omidyar, HopeLab works with a growing community of partners to accelerate the development of interventions that increase the health and well-being of children and young adults. Our approach combines behavioral science, user-centered design, and strategic partnerships to drive broad impact. HopeLab is a 501(c)3 nonprofit operating foundation and serves as the health-focused R&D organization of The Omidyar Group, which represents the interests of Pam and Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay. Learn more at www.hopelab.org.

CONTACT: Robin Raskob
(650) 569-5982
[email protected]

SOURCE HopeLab