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Lisa Prasad began her entrepreneurial journey facilitating community development around “anchor” institutions. Now she is leading a new wave of innovation at one such institution.
Lisa Prasad emigrated to Michigan from India at age 10. She learned English by watching episodes of Gilligan’s Island, an experience that was an early indication of Lisa’s voracious curiosity about her newfound home and the world in general. By the time Lisa completed her college education at University of Michigan and University of Pennsylvania, she had the analytical and business skills to turn her curiosity into real value.
Lisa cut her teeth as an urban innovator by first working in the consulting industry, then working for a pioneering U Penn initiative to revitalize the West Philadelphia neighborhood around the university. She later took what she learned from that effort to co-found U3 Ventures, a company dedicated to revitalizing the community around “anchor institutions” like universities and hospital systems. This work brought Lisa back to Michigan, where she is today the Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Henry Ford Health. In her current role, Lisa is leading a new wave of health care innovation and incubating a new cadre of health care entrepreneurs.
Episode Summary
In this episode of Urban Game Changers, Lisa Prasad, Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Henry Ford Health, shares her journey from consulting and academia to entrepreneurship and healthcare leadership. She discusses how innovation happens inside complex systems, the role of anchor institutions in driving economic development, and how Detroit is emerging as a hub for healthcare innovation. Lisa breaks down the realities of building and scaling new ventures—emphasizing that the most successful founders start with a clearly defined problem, not just a compelling idea or technology. She also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how health systems evaluate, pilot, and commercialize new technologies, and what it takes for startups to successfully navigate highly regulated environments. From lessons learned during the 2008 financial crisis to building innovation ecosystems that connect clinicians, entrepreneurs, and investors, this conversation highlights the intersection of entrepreneurship, healthcare, and community impact—and what it really takes to turn ideas into meaningful change.
- Urban Game Changers Episode 11
- Anchor for Innovation
- Guest: Lisa Prasad, Vice-President and Chief Innovation Officer at Henry Ford Health
- Release date: April 2, 2026
- Length: 56:41
- Executive Producer & Host: W. David Tarver
- Producer & Editor: Ben Reynolds
- Associate Producers: Anshiqa Miskowski and Felipé Furtado, MD
If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to Urban Game Changers and share this episode with someone building or supporting ventures in their community.
Chapter Markers
00:00 — Why startups fail to define the problem
00:26 — Introduction to Lisa Prasad & Henry Ford Health
01:08 — A non-linear career across consulting, startups, and healthcare
02:10 — Growing up between India and the U.S. & embracing uncertainty
03:15 — Education: University of Michigan & UPenn
04:24 — Starting in consulting: lessons from early career
06:05 — The pros and limits of consulting work
08:20 — Moving to University of Pennsylvania & community development
09:24 — Transforming West Philadelphia: anchor institution strategy
13:05 — How institutions catalyze private investment
15:53 — Becoming an accidental entrepreneur (U3 Ventures)
18:00 — The realities of starting a company
21:24 — Navigating the 2008 financial crisis as a founder
23:20 — Applying anchor strategies to cities like Detroit
25:03 — Commercializing innovation inside healthcare systems
28:00 — Returning to Michigan & building Henry Ford Innovations
29:25 — What the Innovation Institute actually does
32:30 — Example: solving hospital inefficiencies (OR delays)
34:49 — How healthcare systems generate ROI from innovation
36:00 — How startups partner with large health systems
37:00 — The #1 mistake founders make
38:30 — Evaluating startups: what makes the cut
39:40 — Turning ideas into real-world healthcare solutions
41:00 — Building an innovation ecosystem in Detroit
43:00 — Measuring success in innovation programs
46:30 — What founders don’t understand about healthcare adoption
50:00 — Lessons from a career across sectors
52:00 — Empathy for entrepreneurs navigating uncertainty
54:00 — Scaling innovation at Henry Ford Health
55:00 — Final advice: just start