The System Is the Starting Point: Kristin Kelly on Building Healthcare Companies That Last

Kristin Kelly has built healthcare companies, worked inside government, and now helps other founders do the same. In this episode, the Founder and CEO of Voyageur Health Advisory joins Erin O'Brien to share what it really takes to grow in a system that doesn't bend easily — from her time standing up Minnesota's ACA marketplace and scaling Bright Health, to the hard truths she now brings to the startups she advises. They get into what founders consistently misread about government, payment models, and go-to-market timing — and why enduring healthcare companies are built on alignment, not just ambition.