06 Mar Students Pitch Innovative Healthcare Solutions in 2026 EMPH Business Plan Competition
The UCLA Executive MPH (EMPH) program reached a high-stakes milestone on March 6th as second-year students presented to a distinguished panel of industry experts in the EMPH Business Plan Competition. This capstone event represents the culmination of months of rigorous work, where students synthesize their academic training and professional experience to address pressing, real-world healthcare challenges.
The Business Plan Project draws directly from the program’s core curriculum in marketing, finance, and strategy. Under the guidance of faculty members Dr. Julie Elginer (Healthcare Marketing), Linda Magara Horner, MBA (Healthcare Financial Management), and Dr. Leah Vriesman (Healthcare Strategy), students developed comprehensive, executive-level business documents ranging from 12 to 20 pages. These plans, which include sophisticated data visualizations and financial modeling, are designed to meet the professional standards expected by CEOs and board-level executives.
Five student teams took the stage to pitch diverse ventures aimed at transforming healthcare delivery:
LA Smiles Mobile Dental Clinic: A mobile unit delivering free preventive dental care directly to Los Angeles County’s homeless population. Team: Sarah Hakakha and Zachary Morganstein.
SafeBite Technologies: A Los Angeles-based, women-founded public health startup featuring a risk-management screening tool for food vendors. Team: Emily Brown, Maite Medina, RN, and Trishna Singh.
AccessLink Health: A mobile application designed for working parents with children in need of urgent care. Team: Marina Martinez, Maya Camacho, and D’Artagnan DeBow, MD, MBA.
Belle-Mere: A standardized postpartum continuity of care program. Team: Kennedy Anderson, Nicollette Doomany, and Alexa Osime.
Peer-A: A digital peer-support platform replacing alcohol-centered social engagement with structured, alcohol-free interaction for undergraduates. Team: Miguel Ramirez and Rui Zhao.
The students presented to both EMPH cohorts and a panel of guest judges—the majority of whom are EMPH alumni—who provided critical feedback and industry perspective:
Ardy Haghighat, MBA, MPH (EMPH 2012): Clinical Director, Department of Urology, UCLA Health
Tom Armentrout-Wiswall, MPH, MBA (EMPH 2016): Former VP Human Resources at The Wonderful Company
Harita Reddy, MPH, BSN, FACHE (EMPH 2012): Executive Director, Anesthesiology Department, Cedars-Sinai
Jennifer Fagen, MS: Network Marketing and Communications Executive – Southern California, Adventist Health
Ashley Anderson, MPH (EMPH 2021): Digital Marketing Director, Adventist Health
Erin Quinn, MPH (EMPH 2022): Director for Quality & Innovation, CRI-Help Inc.
The success of these projects was also made possible by the dedicated EMPH alumni mentors who volunteered their time to guide the students through the development process. Special thanks to:
Natalie Yragui, MPH (EMPH 2020) and Aneliese Castro, JD, MPH (EMPH 2020) mentored teams SafeBite Technologies and AccessLink Health.
Rex Hamano, MPH, MBA, CPA (EMPH 2023) and Angela Castro, MPH (EMPH 2020) mentored team Peer-A.
Zulay Carillo, MPH (EMPH 2020) and Jonathan Martinez Vargas, MPH (EMPH 2020) mentored team Belle-Mere.
Visha Subbiah, MD, MPH (EMPH 2024) and Via Moira Ventura, MPH (EMPH 2024) mentored team LA Smiles.
While the presentations are complete, the suspense continues. The winning team will be officially announced and presented with the EMPH Sinaiko Business Plan Competition Award at the Health Policy and Management Alumni Association (HPMAA) Leaders of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow Annual Dinner on May 18th, 2026.
Congratulations to all our students for their hard work and dedication to advancing the future of healthcare!