Our People

Jodi Hubler is a dynamic CEO and board director, venture capital investor and pioneering innovator in the health care industry. She is known for aligning smart business strategy, sound policy and talented teams that invent high-quality health care products, services and business models and drive transformative growth. Hubler currently serves on numerous private, non-profit and investment advisory boards. She has served as a board director or chair of more than a dozen venture and private equity backed health care companies, particularly as the CEO and Managing Director of Lemhi Ventures a $385M health care service venture capital firm. This work has included more than 50 financing rounds ranging from de novo startups to late-stage investment, resulting in job creation in the thousands and total value creation in the multiple billions. She has held executive positions in both public and private companies, including Cargill, Alcoa, Definity Health, Lemhi Ventures and Bind Benefits. She is especially adept at leading and governing in industries facing transformative change, drawing on her experience across global organizations and multi-industry domains. Hubler is a frequent speaker and panelist at health care industry events as well as events focused on empowering woman leaders and entrepreneurs. Her unique experiences, thought leadership and track record have earned her many accolades, including being named to the 500 Most Powerful Minnesota Business Leaders, a Women in Business honoree, a Notable Heroes in Health Care honoree and a TCB Top 100 to Know in 2021. See the LinkedIn profile of Jodi Hubler.

J. Scott Spiker joined the CaringBridge board as a passionate supporter of the formal agreement between our organization and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. To this role, he brings his experience as a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former commissioned officer, a position that found him aboard a frigate as part of a three-year-tour of duty. Scott currently holds a dual role as chief executive officer and chairman of First Command, a company that helps military families achieve financial security at all stages of their lives. He also actively volunteers his time with other organizations throughout his community, including the United Way of Tarrant County and the Financial Services Institute, an organization dedicated to ensuring all individuals have access to competent and affordable financial advice, products and services. See the LinkedIn profile of J. Scott Spiker.

Molly Jungbauer, CPA sees her position on the CaringBridge board as an opportunity to honor those who have overcome health issues or personal tragedy and found reasons to be happy and live their lives productively, despite the setbacks. Her extensive business background, predominantly in accounting and finance, has proven to be a strong complement to the talents of others on the CaringBridge board. Molly also served as the 2019-2020 chair of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, participates on the Carlson School of Management Undergraduate Advisory Board at the University of Minnesota, and volunteers with the housing committee of Solid Ground, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the cycle of homelessness. Professionally, she leads Hollstadt Consulting, a woman-owned IT and management consulting company serving primarily the Twin Cities and Atlanta markets, as chief executive officer. See the LinkedIn profile of Molly Jungbauer.

Sharon Berry, Ph.D., said she feels privileged to serve on the CaringBridge board after personally witnessing the benefits CaringBridge offers family under stress. Sharon also works with the CaringBridge team as an adviser on the How We Heal and Caregivers Up Close series. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who serves as the associate clinical director and psychology director of training for Children’s Minnesota. Over the past 30 years, she has focused her work on children’s mental health, advocated for mental health, and mentored students and young professionals in the psychology field. Sharon is the pediatric psychology liaison to the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child & Family Health and sits on a number of national boards, including the Council of Clinical Health Psychology Training Programs, the American Psychological Association Advocacy Coordinating Committee and the Council of Chairs of Training Councils. See the LinkedIn profile of Sharon Berry.

Caring for each other—regardless of where we are physically located—is how we build community, said board member Paurvi Bhatt. As a daughter of Indian immigrants who grew up with loved ones living far away, she said learning to connect while being apart is essential to staying strong in tough times, and inspiring in better times. Paurvi believes CaringBridge brings this essence of caring to life no matter who we are, or where we live. As president of the Medtronic Foundation and vice president of Medtronic Philanthropy, Paurvi is committed to expanding access to healthcare in underserved communities and making the world a healthier place. Before her work at Medtronic and the Medtronic Foundation, Paurvi served in global health roles for Levi Strauss & Company and Abbott. She also led portfolios in economics and HIV/AIDS at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and served as deputy director of health for the international humanitarian agency CARE. See the LinkedIn profile for Paurvi Bhatt.

Jim Cuene joined the CaringBridge board after seeing the impact of social support on patients and caregivers. He said he is thrilled to be part of helping ensure that no one goes through a health journey alone. With a a drive to create, and a strong belief in the web’s ability to be a tool for human good, Jim has worked in the marketing industry for more than 20 years, and has a unique depth of experience in digital marketing and digital-powered innovation. Throughout his career, he has held leadership positions with GoKart Labs, General Mills and Ameriprise Financial. In 2017, Jim launched Färhen, a company that helps businesses find experienced interim leaders to manage their digital efforts. See the LinkedIn profile of Jim Cuene.

Archelle Georgiou, MD, first connected with CaringBridge as a collaborator on the How We Heal series, in which patients and caregivers share their stories with the hope of helping others along the healing journey. She built a career as a practicing internist before being named chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare. She’s also worked with the Center for Health Transformation, a bi-partisan think-tank founded by former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. The initiative  focused on designing a data-driven 21^st century health system. Archelle also collaborated with bestselling author Dan Buettner as a medical correspondent for a Blue Zones international expedition before publishing a book of her own — Healthcare Choices: 5 Steps to Getting the Medical Care You Want and Need in 2017. See the LinkedIn profile of Dr. Archelle Georgiou.

CaringBridge board member Kevin O’Leary describes himself as “a Minnesotan tinkering in new ideas in healthcare that connect new care models, payment models and technologies.” He is motivated by the mission of the nonprofit CaringBridge: “To build bridge of care and communication providing love and support on a health journey,” and sees opportunity for innovation and inspiration at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Kevin currently advises healthcare organizations building new care delivery models, in addition to writing a popular weekly newsletter on healthcare innovation. He previously led innovation for Allina Health, a not-for-profit health care system that owns or operates 13 hospitals and more than 90 clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin. See LinkedIn profile for Kevin O’Leary.

Since a diagnosis of colorectal cancer in 2018, CaringBridge board member and Mayo Clinic chief information officer Cris Ross has come to look at the integration of healthcare and technology from a professional and personal perspective. “We know we can do better,” he said. “So many challenges and opportunities lie ahead for healthcare IT and we have a responsibility to drive much needed change.” Cris is excited to bring to the CaringBridge board his expertise and passion for topics important to CaringBridge users, including information security and privacy. In addition to his leadership role at Mayo, Cris also serves as chair of the board of the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS), an organization which seeks to reform the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology, and the board of virtual healthcare provider Zipnosis. See the LinkedIn profile for Cris Ross.

Adrian Slobin joined CaringBridge after learning about (and witnessing first-hand) how much of a positive impact its platform can have for people going through challenging health journeys. For over 20 years, Adrian has been passionate about how technology can transform industries, especially those in the healthcare space. With deep experience in business strategy, digital business transformation, innovation methodologies, and emerging experiences, Adrian is currently a partner at EY. Prior to this role, he led Nerdery (a mid-sized technology consultancy) as Chief Executive Officer. Before that, he was head of business transformation services for Publicis.Sapient. See the LinkedIn profile of Adrian Slobin.

Bruce Smith is honored to give back to CaringBridge. He first became familiar with the platform when he and his family used it as an outlet to communicate during the cancer journey of his wife, Kate. Bruce, along with his daughters, serve on the board of the Kate P. Smith Foundation, a nonprofit honoring a wife and mom gone too soon. In his professional life, Bruce serves as president, Marsh & McLennan Agencies, a global insurance broker, risk management and human resources consulting services. He has more than 25 years of professional service consulting experience in areas ranging from health and benefit consulting to enterprise risk management. See the LinkedIn profile of Bruce Smith.

Pete Sommerness said he is excited to help advance the short and long-term goals of a nonprofit that sits at the intersection of healthcare and technology.  With more than 20 years of experience in the medical-device/healthcare industry, Pete held leadership positions with Boston Scientific and McKinsey & Company before joining Respicardia as CEO. In this role, he oversees all business operations for the company, which designs, develops and commercializes implantable devices for the treatment of central sleep apnea. Pete also volunteers his time as a board member of the American Heart Association. See the LinkedIn profile of Pete Sommerness.

A suspicious lump that led to a bout with testicular cancer at age 31 changed the way Andy Thieman sees the world. It also inspired a philanthropic tour de force that now includes his service on the CaringBridge board of directors. Cancer-free since 2011, Andy launched the nonprofit Blood + Sweat + Chemo to help de-mystify testicular cancer. He also supports the work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists, which promotes responsible riding and preservation of the state’s natural resources. Professionally, Andy is the VP of Marketing and Brand Strategy at NorthRock Partners. He brings to CaringBridge an ability to increase brand recognition at a global scale. Andy began his career as an advertising copywriter, evolving into leadership roles at the in-house agencies of JCPenney and Minnesota-based companies including Target, Best Buy and General Mills. Andy also served as executive creative director for the Minneapolis advertising agency Yamamoto, as well as EVP/ECD for the global public relations firm, Weber Shandwick. See the LinkedIn profile for Andy Thieman.

Solome Tibebu is a behavioral health strategist and investor passionate about frontier technologies and solutions transforming mental health, equity and access. Solome’s work has spanned behavioral health and human service consulting, venture capital, corporate development and various operating roles at behavioral health software companies large and small. Solome founded and ran a mental health tech startup and, as a former anxious teen, founded and ran the non-profit AnxietyInTeens.org for ten years. Beyond her role at CaringBridge, Solome is a board director or advisor to various adolescent and adult mental health organizations and for-profit companies, including the Telosity adolescent mental wellbeing venture fund, Headstream youth mental health incubator, Hopelab, Made of Millions. She is also the co-author of ReThink Behavioral Health Innovation, the source for digital behavioral health technology and startups. Solome’s work as an investor, entrepreneur, non-profit consultant and behavioral health technology expert has been featured as a Harvard Business Review case study, TEDx Talk, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Inc Magazine, Upworthy, Psychology Today and more. See the LinkedIn profile for Solome Tibebu.

As CEO, Tia ensures that all operations contribute toward the CaringBridge vision — a world where no one goes through a health journey alone. She joined the team in 2021, passionate about building on the 24-year CaringBridge legacy and leading the team in finding the next opportunities for growth that exponentially help more families with their health journeys.

Prior to joining CaringBridge, she was Chief Commercial Officer at Generate Life sciences and has spent the last decade in executive healthcare industry roles (Cord Blood Registry, Prelude Fertility, Kindara) with a foundation in technology and consumer packaged goods (Hewlett Packard, Frito Lay, Clorox, Revlon).

Newcomer holds a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. See the LinkedIn profile of Tia Newcomer.

Since 2017, Elizabeth has been directing the finance and administration team for the CaringBridge organization.

She enjoys working closely with the team to ensure financial success for the organization as it continues to grow and help more families.

For more than 25 years, Elizabeth has worked as a senior financial executive in a variety of industries, including nonprofits and private firms.

She attended Oberlin college, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and economics before going onto earn her Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School.  See the LinkedIn profile of Elizabeth Olson.