WashU Olin Business of Health Spring Symposium

The future of health is here at Olin.

One year after the launch of WashU Olin’s bold initiative to elevate the business of health, its influence is resonating across WashU and beyond. The spring symposium reflects that momentum, convening researchers, industry leaders, and visionary partners to explore the full health landscape, from care delivery and public health strategy to breakthrough innovation. Just as powerful as the ideas exchanged are the connections formed, bringing together collaborators committed to advancing better health outcomes.

Business of Being Well Symposium

March 31, 2026 — Register Today!

Join us for The Business of Being Well Symposium on March 31, 2026. Keynote speaker Brian Whorley, founder and CEO of Paytient and Olin alum (MBA 2021), will share fresh insights on how companies can rethink out-of-pocket health costs while creating meaningful partnerships that support healthier communities. Whorley has testified before Congress on empowering individuals to make better choices about their own healthcare options.

The symposium will also explore how leaders can build healthcare organizations that better support frontline workers. Industry leaders will share ways to proactively strengthen resilience by taking a systemic approach — one that considers organizational, clinical, psychological, and human factors shaping the industry’s day-to-day experience.

Symposium Highlights

Keynote Speaker

Value by Design: How Smarter Markets Can Keep People Healthy
Brian Whorley, founder and CEO of Paytient and Olin alum (MBA 2021)

AM Breakouts 

• Predicting Well-Being: Using Data to Invest in Health, Not Illness
• Marketing, Morality, and Medicine
• The Well Workforce: Redefining Resilience in Healthcare

Afternoon Session: Health Decoded

One of the flagship components of the health initiative is the monthly seminar series, “Health Decoded.” The spring symposium will feature a mini version of this popular case-focused study series, which breaks down a real-world industry challenge and solution on a specific case. 

PM Breakouts

• The Wellness Economy: Reading the Room on Consumer Trust
• Capital for Care: Building Healthier Markets Through Private Investment
• Futureproofing Wellness: How to Plan When the Future Won’t Sit Still

Past Symposiums

Last year, Olin brought together leaders from translational science, public health, and biotech entrepreneurship to focus on the critical role of cross-sector collaboration in advancing health innovation. The event included an extraordinary lineup — including Professors Lamar Pierce and Bart Hamilton, Dean Michael Mazzeo, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin, Dr. Eric Leuthardt, Dean Sandro Galea, among others — to share insights and showcase the transformative power of the business of health.

Here's what people were saying about the symposium and Olin's commitment to the Business of Health.

“I’m excited that Olin is supporting this intersection between business and health. I think it’s the answer to moving forward in healthcare. And I could not be more excited to be part of this and to watch this happen.”

Alison Gildehaus, EMBA 2024, Chief Medical Officer for External Affairs, Mid-America Transplant

“All of the rich disciplines that we find at Olin — efficiency, good operations, organizational behavior — can inform the way clinicians learn, but also the way the healthcare system functions and how we can leverage real learning to progress into the next phase of what we do and how we care for patients.”

John Schneider, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology–.Head and Neck Surgery Chief, Division of Rhinology and Assistant Dean for Faculty Coaching, WashU Medicine