Jacobia Solomon, Founder and CEO of Ignivis

Welcome to the podcast Above the Cloud: Stories from the Boardroom. In every episode, we interview business leaders who are navigating the complex world of B2B marketing. Whether you're trying to grow revenue, swoop into a new market, or launch new products, we promise you've landed in the right spot. And now, your host, Richard Bird. Welcome to the podcast. Today, we have a very special guest on the podcast. We have Miss Jacobia Solomon, and she is a CEO of Ignivas. Welcome to the show, Jacobia. Thank you, Richard.

Thanks for having me. >> Well, it's great to have you on the show today, Tacobia. Um, as you know, we have a a little bit of a a tradition here on the podcast where we ask our guests if their company were a bird. What kind of bird would your company be, Jacobian? >> I would say that we are an eagle. Um, and the reason why I picked the eagle was just because we soar high enough to see the full landscape when I think about what we do. Um and so when it's time to dive in with precision, it's you know about the focus, what exactly are we changing, what is the impact, how are we measuring it.

Um it kind of wraps up everything in a nutshell. And so that's really how Ignis works. We help leaders step back um to see the big picture first of all of the disruption but also of the opportunity. Um and we also help them strike with focus and clarity. So to be clear about what what we're getting after and why and then what does that success look like? So and not only that, eagle stand, you know, for resilience and courage and those are qualities that leaders will need right now um whether they work with Ignis or not.

>> Wow. Yeah, that's that is a great animal. Well, I love the story behind that because when you think about eagles, you think about such a majestic animal and and u and you think about bravery. And you're right, that is that is what our leaders need most today. It's a it's a wild world out there, especially in the healthc care world. >> Yeah. A lot of change for sure. >> Yeah. You need somebody to help you take that 30,000 foot view. Or maybe not that high. I don't think eagles fly that high, but but a bird's eye view.

bird. Exactly. >> Great. Well, tell tell me a little bit about Ignis. Tell me a little bit about the company and and what you guys do for the people who don't know you. >> Yeah. So, we are, you know, we're strategy and innovation. I would say we're advisory group um where we help healthc care um for the most part, but we also play with also um technology organizations where we translate complexity into clarity. Um and so what we do is we partner with executives when they're focused when they want to do digital transformation um scaling growth.

Um and when you think about health care that that impact is holistic. So we also have a passion and mission would say around just making sure equity is in is factored into that care delivery model. Um and so our strength is really turning those big ideas into something that's measurable. um whether we're improving patient access uh we're improving the way work is done um optimizing financial form performance and um accelerating go to market success. So when you think about healthcare sometimes we don't think about that go to market success but it is definitely a major lever when you're thinking about the health of the the financial performance of an organization and especially in healthcare.

So we help leaders build with future and confidence. So I would say in a nutshell, we help teams stop spinning their wheels and actually get some things done. >> Well, man, that is something our system definitely needs help with. Uh, you know, getting that getting things done. It's it's gotten more and more complicated and with all the red tape and regulations and all these other things, it's a real challenge to to navigate those things. uh I guess what are you seeing out there on your side when you have some of the things that you're helping I guess some of the biggest use cases for what you're trying to help your clients navigate.

>> Yeah. So when I think about the trends we're seeing, we're seeing, you know, health systems and payers also, so not just providers doubling it down on, you know, the digital front doors, the care, access, equity, um, and the almighty operational AI, right, to offset labor and make uh, margin pressures. And so when you think about adapting to those changes, you know, we're leaning into rapid cycle solutioning. So, how do you build those playbooks, those data tools that really kind of help organizations respond to those changes without losing the momentum, but more importantly, their mission?

Um, and so working with, you know, of course you're in a competitive environment and we don't look at healthcare as competitive, but it is, you know, and so I would say the differentiator is speed to insight. And so, not just speed, like again, it goes back to that focus, that clarity. And so, you know, for us, it's not about just doing slide decks. For us, we co-create solutions and really implement strategies that help them scale um with that first mindset um thought when you think about the outcome.

And so, um that's what we're seeing when we think about the trends that we're seeing is, you know, that those digital front doors, everybody's excited about what technology can do. Um, and it's about how you do it, um, that will really say whether or not you you were on the right side or the wrong side of it. >> Boy, yeah, I'll tell you that is um, you know, it's when you think about digital transformation and and that's a journey that that I've seen healthcare been be on for a long time. I think that sometimes they have a hard time adopting those technologies just you know because of the the weight of their own organizations or the the regulations or whatever the whatever is out there.

How do you see and you mentioned the the big buzzword of the day AI wouldn't be a podcast in in 2025 unless we talked about >> it. Yeah. How do you how do you see or the healthc care organizations taking embracing AI? I know it's one of those things where people I saw when the uh years ago when I guess healthcare started on that digital the I know the first wave of digital transformation there was a lot of talking about it before they actually got going on it and and all that. Are you seeing the same thing with AI?

Yeah, I would tell you um like AI is not um you know a a unicorn when it when you think about you know the the new thing that's on the block. Um you know I would tell you like many health systems you know they're moving fast with AI. Um it's exciting. There's a big promise behind it. Um but I've seen firsthand how like when you are thinking about AI, how do you implement that without the technical debt? Um you also have governance gap. Healthcare is a regula regulated industry that you really have to be mindful of um so that you don't undermine the trust and the compliance but also your ROI.

And so when you think about a lot of the health care systems, it's a lot of steps. Like you got to turn the fragmented data into one single source of data set that they could trust. Um you got to figure out how to do it so you don't have that that high total cost of ownership and then really align AI with measurable care and business outcomes. I would tell you that there's a common question that I get um from healthcare executives. it's uh you know they know that healthc care is coming and they want to be a part of it because they really do I think they think they understand a lot about what it can do for them.

Um but it's how do you actually make it work without piling onto again that technical debt but also not burning out your team which is a major factor when you think about delivering quality care. um there's a significant group in that and that's your clinicians and physicians um and all their supporting staff in delivering care. And so I would tell you you know what I've seen the challenge isn't usually the tool the AI itself. It's whether the data is organized number one and it's not fragmented. Um but also whether the people who will be using it understand it and and can use it meaning it's part of their dayto-day and not a side hustle that you're now adding to the burnout the um the being less efficient.

And so you so that's you know when I started out when I talked about the big picture you have to consider all of those things but then you start to figure out like where exactly are you um what are you measuring for impact. So is it better patient you know engagement satisfaction but also better just a better workforce environment where you're really bringing joy back to health care. Um, and that's major when you think about delivering high quality quick care, excuse me, consistently. And so those are the pieces that we really kind of narrow in on.

Um, because AI is sexy and everybody wants to do it and they should um because I do think the tool itself does have a lot to offer. It's it's how you implement the tool in addition to your processes. It's in the people that are part of the system. Man, I I think you touched on something that really is important there. In the past, you know, when people brought in technology to health care, they they always said, "This is going to make your life better. It's going to be make your life easier and it and it did exactly what you said.

It added a burden to them because now they had to do on the job training and had to train their people and the technology wasn't really as as build sometimes and you know they spend more their whole time looking into a computer instead of talking to their their patients and typing in all the stuff. I was at my doctor yesterday and he was he was on his laptop right or you know with a little computer in the room and >> doing all his notes and I was trying to help him look at stuff on there when you were looking at my medicine that he was going to prescribe and I was like oh no >> and so yeah we were just like gathered around the computer >> straight versus like what it's supposed to be like to engage and so if you think about that layer but at a multiple layers especially like when you think about social determinance of health um you think about marginalized groups um th those layers get deeper and deeper and that connection gets lost even more and so that's why it's really important that you are measuring the you know the right thing when you're thinking about why AI like what what is it going to do for you?

Yeah, I I love it. And I think another thing you touched on there that I really want to circle back to was this idea of, you know, you're talking about the commercial side of the business. Uh, and and it's really interesting because when we've wor we work with a lot of people in the, you know, clinicians and I feel like there's only two categories of clinicians. There's clinicians who are not commercially motivated at all. They're just 100% care motivated and they're on their mission. And then there's the other doctors who really not that they're I won't say that they're not care oriented but they're also very commercially motivated and they they love the idea of making money and you know how and growing their business and they're very entrepreneurial and I think you know in your world uh you know it's really important for these hospitals to do that because if they don't make any money >> yeah doors are closing >> yeah the doors are going to close and then they can't provide that health care and that equality of care across the board.

Um, they've got to figure out some way to raise money or or to be more efficient or one any of those other levers that any other business has to go through. >> Uhu. >> How are you weighing that or what are you seeing on your side? Are they are the people that you work with more care oriented and and then you have to educate them on, you know, here's why this is important, you know, to have commercial success or um or do you see a mix? I you know in some in some places there is a mix um but there is that it depends on what seat they're sitting right of course when I'm speaking with um clinicians u physicians um for the most part they are very careoriented and you do have some physicians and clinicians that are um you know they're they are they have a very vast understanding of operations and they have a ve very vast understanding of what those oper operations are impeding and it's seeing more clients offering more services, but it still goes back, I think, at the end of the day to why to the mission of why they're there.

It always for me starts there. Um, and even when you're talking to, you know, your executives, again, the seat they're in is to just make sure that there's there's a healthy organization. um you know they're able to provide services and optimal care uh to you know to patients um so they're in a seat where they do have to wear a lot of times that commercial hat so but it's always important where you know what I always think it's always great to really kind of marry the heart and the head together so it's not one or or the other it's both because they are intrinsic can't have commercial success without having optimal care because People will walk through your doors.

They will want the services you're offering. You're able to offer more services because you're more efficient. You're allocating your allocation of resources is is in line to support, you know, not having missed appointments or long wait times or, you know, now now before it used to be, you know, heads in the beds. Now you don't really want that too much, right? Um, so it's it's that it's that understanding of you are an organization that that's really part of a community. And so how do you make sure that your community is healthy?

You do that by making sure you have mamography services, colonoscopy, any kind of preventive screening that allows your community that you serve to be healthy. Um, and then when you think about, you know, the efficiency of care, how do your patients really navigate that whole health care jargon where it's not just about seeing the doctor, it's making an appointment, it's also understanding transparency around my bills or medicine and being able to make a holistic um, decision and and so it really is a partnership.

But I do to go back to your question, I do think they are both intrinsic and I never navigate without again I I focus on heart and head the why we're doing this and then how we're going to do it so that it strategically lines up with what you're trying to deliver. Um and and it shows up again it shows up nice if you're doing all the right things on your fiveinut sheets. >> Yeah, that's great. I'm glad I'm glad somebody's helping helping them take a a balanced approach to that and I think that sounds like exactly uh what you're up to over there.

Tell me a little bit about about your company and we talked a little bit about the kind of problems you're solving. How how big is your company and um how many you know what um tell me about your day-to-day tasks over there. >> So um there are six of us um that's a part of it. We have varied I would say experience uh in health care. Some have 20 plus years um and others I would say like myself or five or less. Um and so I think it's a a good group. Um I would tell you that a small percent does work in non-healthcare.

Um really kind of doing the same thing around the digital transformation just a different conversation. Um because there are different needs. So, I would say my day-to-day is probably never the same. Um, some days I'm deep in strategy conversations um with executives and boards. Other days I'm working with um you know really kind of the hospital staff when you think about your chief medical officers, your chief nur nursing officers um really aligning AI to patient outcomes meaning why should they disrupt everything they know um that they think works well to to uh incorporate this technology um into their process.

Um so you know that's that's something that is not a oneanddone. It takes time where you're aligning, you're walking the floors, you're pointing out opportunity, you're asking what they think, um, and they start to navigate and understand where and decide where they think they need it the most. And to me, those are the stickable models. Um, we're not a massive group, and I would tell you that's intentional. U, we're built to really be agile. So, um, that allows us to plug right into leadership teams, um, where real decisions really get made.

Yeah, that's great. I think with consulting firms, I think there obviously there's there's massive consulting firms out there that do well for themselves, but but I think, you know, when you you're a specialist firm, I think it really does help to be nimble and just to have, you know, a small group of ninjas going in there and add a lot of value to what um to what your clients are doing and to to help them um because they I think a lot of times your customers are big companies and um they already have enough bureaucracy and layers of of support.

They don't need that with a consulting firm. >> No. And then I mean and the fact that you are very I would say be our approach is very laser focused. Um and we're we're not looking for everybody to to work with. We're looking for the right partner. So that partner has to be you know looking at looking at ways that you know what's important to them you know when I think about high impact leaders and what do they want to do differently and how do they tie AI to um you know value based care that financial outcomes so it's important that they understand that we're building a partnership so you have to be the right partner um and have at least a a good thought about what you're looking for um as we jump off.

You don't have to have all the answers because that's why we are there um is to help you really kind of narrow that in and really kind of bring focus of what you're trying to do. But I will tell you that uh we we are small and we're we're not for everybody and that's okay. >> Yeah, that's great. That's first rule of marketing, right? You got to know >> you got to know your target audience and uh and only go after those that u that make sense for you. Yeah. >> So, I guess you know, one of the things that you said there that really made me smile a little bit was this idea of you have to know what they want from AI.

>> I feel like, you know, that is maybe a taller task than uh than you would than normally would be the case. I feel like AI is one of those things that people see it as like the easy button. We we were we were in a workshops last week and and everything they were like >> that I don't know how we'll do that. we'll just use AI for that. And I was like, I don't know about that. You know, it's like, we'll just use AI for that. We'll just use AI for that. And I'm like, I don't know that you guys are going to be able to get AI to to just do that.

Like, it's not the it's not an easy button. Like there's >> no, it's definitely not the silver bullet. And that's why I think, you know, when I when I truly say >> AI is not a line item, it is a leadership test is because you really have to understand >> what you're tying it to. You have to understand how you're going to measure that. You know, measure the implementation. And we're not just talking about did you implement AI. What is the real ROI around it? Are you are you you know, again, are you able to offer more services?

Are you more efficient? Um have you increased your your your patient throughput? Is your patient satisfaction? Are your patient satisfaction um measures high? So it's you it's about the scale part but is it you know you have to be efficient as well without sacrificing that care that empathy um and so when it it's just certain questions like I would tell you we asked um you know some of the leaders certain questions around around you know how is the organization currently approaching AI in the workforce rights um where do you see the biggest gaps data people or governance.

Um, we also asked what kind of options would matter the most if if AI were working well for you like patient experience, workforce efficiency, um, and even their financial ROI. And then we ask, you know, how does your organization really ensure equity and trust in the tech the technology adoption? And so those are part of some of the conversations that we, you know, ask those questions to really engage the client at an executive level. And if they haven't thought about that, that's okay. Then I think that's the first step is you got to start thinking about it.

You got to be able at some point to be able to answer some of those questions really thoughtfully because th those are the questions those questions and excuse me the answers to those questions are the foundation of why we're there. What do you want to do? >> Wow, that is a great way of looking at it. You know, I always believe in beginning with the end in mind, you know, for sure. It's a great it's a it's a little bit of a platitude these days, but man, you can tell when people do it and when they don't.

And even though it's a simple thought that people a lot of times don't don't uh don't lead with that. And I think that is um it's the only way you really stand a chance of getting what you want unless you just get super lucky. >> Yeah. Yeah. And it and it really kind of sets the mindset that are you really sure you want to go down this road because those are the questions you're going to have to ask. >> Yeah. Well, one thing that's always true about AI is that a lot of outcome at the end of the day because it makes everything faster and more efficient, but you better hope that you like what you're getting a lot of.

>> Well, that's another silver bullet that came out what 20 plus years ago, Lima Six Sigma, right? Garbage in, garbage out. So it's you definitely have to be intentional um about why you're why you're implementing uh you know any type of technology and AI just happened to be the name of the game today. >> It really is. But you know I think that AI is really good at some things. Going through lots of complex data and helping synthesize that and increase that efficiency is is a great use case for AI. And boy, if there's ever an industry that uh has lots of complicated and complex data with lots of data sources and needs an efficiency boost, I I definitely think it's the the healthcare industry.

>> Yeah. Yeah. No, I don't I don't disagree with you at all. Um because there is a lot of data um especially as you go throughout, you know, the journey of healthcare, not just on the provider side, but linking up to payers as well. Um I just you know again it's about being intentional and you have to think about the you know what are you delivering and it is it is services around care um and so you have to really really think about that because there are some things that uh I would say you know AI doesn't think about because it's not it's not intuitive it's human centered and human nature and that's where I I really try to tie in and make sure that we're not creating you know a wider gap with AI.

So when you you know because based on that data you can consider a patient not compliant without understanding you know are they do they have trouble with housing? Do they have trouble with transportation or food? And so they may not can comply with what you're saying and wanting them to do in something as easy as just showing up for an appointment. So you have to really kind of be you have to be thoughtful and and intentional about marrying that technology to to the mission. Yeah, that is definitely a topic I want to dig a little deeper on because, you know, when you when you're when you're talking about equity and access to technology in healthcare, that's that's a subject that I think is um so interesting today and you see people, you know, buy getting buying into like concierge medicine because they want that extra level of support, but you know, nobody not everybody can afford that extra, you know, extra level of of service or, >> you know, I think about one of the big cancer hospitals here in Houston, you know, they have a whole proton therapy uh division of their company, but they don't take insurance and you have to pay cash for that and it's very very expensive.

So, you know, I'm I'm not in the market for that, you know, uh and so, you know, what are you doing to ensure that with your clients? Because at the end of the day, there are very few people could who could really afford a two week stay in the hospital with all the treatments and everything that you have, then be able to just cut a check for that tomorrow. I think healthcare is expensive for everybody and it's out of most everybody's budget at some point, but there are also the halves and have nots in in healthcare.

How do you ensure that your clients are meeting the those demands because it seems quite challenging today. >> Yeah. So, um what we have we have a whole framework that really steps us through how to make sure we're not widening the gap with this with the technology implementation or the digital transformation that we're not widening that gap. Um I would tell you just to you know give an example when you talk about data uh you know to incorporate population health understand population health understand those social determinance of health um when you think about you know you're tied into EMR EHR data when you you know something as simple as language is is is one of them and it's like what type of data are you capturing where does that data come um and then what analysis or questions more importantly are being asked about that data.

So data is one thing. Um but the other and and having a true source of data is another but understanding what what questions are you asking about that data that will ensure that you're not widening the gap. So there's a whole framework that we use somehow. >> Wow. That's that is really good. I think you know I think about access to data and we my doctor uses my chart like a lot of other companies do and I just >> it's all it was such a not a great experience for the user for the patient I would say you know I think about like I have somehow I wound up with two loginins and like some of my data is in there some of it's not you know one >> it's a different systems depending on your doctors yeah >> yeah I'm like man like how did I log into that with my old work email address my new work email address >> and I can't I can't log into I can't remember my password for the old one and and I I can't get to both that data.

My primary doctor now can't get that data and you know I would love for my doctor to have all my data. You know they need to see that. >> Yeah. No, I I hear you. I log into different systems depending on which system my my doctor's practice is signed up for. Like it comes to my mind of how do I get this to them? so that when they see me, you know, they're aware of everything and they're making decisions based on the information and honestly not relying on me to tell them because some things I may miss or not say just because it's a doctor appointment and either you have other things on your mind to do before or after or you're concerned about the doctor appointment.

So, I totally agree with you. Um, >> and you know, it's it's it's still opportunity. So, I like we're talking about opportunity within systems, right? within the provider, within the payer, um, and even a pharmaceutical and even home health, but or postacute I should say, but at the end of the day, how do you link those silos together? To me, that's that's huge. And I don't you know as we venture into this digital transformation um there's a lot as you said like you know earlier healthcare is one of those places where the data opportunity is vast and not just within but even throughout the whole healthc care journey because that's when you really will have a full picture of the individual and what they and you know where they are in the process and and truly can create a plan to to get healthy.

>> Yeah, that is something that you know I hear as I as I think about AI and I watch a lot on YouTube and you know all these things and there's the people that are like it's this panacea where we'll live forever if we have AI and all and all the way to well it's not going to matter because the robots are going to kill us in the next five years. I hope both sides are wrong. Hope it's something in the middle there. We're are a little farther to the right. >> Yeah. >> Cool. Well, tell me tell me a little bit about your career at Jacobia because it it's um I have you know we've met earlier and uh and I think it's a really interesting how you got how you got into to your current role.

>> I'm an engineer by trade um and I started um my career at in automotive at a Ford Motor Company. I was a design engineer and so just solving product problems at the product level um creating new products um you know was exciting but I always wanted to you know not just focus on creating something but also being able to lead people around that creation. Um and so from there I moved through leadership roles um in manufacturing uh with with several companies um in logistics most recently prior to healthcare with seammens um and then you know eventually leading through you know those you know massive scallops.

So some of the companies that I worked with were most of them I would say probably are medium to large. Um and they did have opportunities to work with some small startups that really I would say filled my my toolkit. It's a different environment. It's a different understanding. You wear multiple hats. Um, and I would say that I probably when I think about systematic thinking, um, I would tell you that I probably increased my depth in those small startups around systematic thinking because I wore multiple hats because I had to understand um, you know, the processes and make visible and and really understand you know what the momentum look like and and what the inputs and outputs and really how to manage that.

you know, at Seammen's Logistics, I managed multiund million dollar operation. I was afforded the opportunity to um really lead and run the Canada operations. And so that was exciting, not just the work part, but also just being in a a different country. uh as close as Canada is I think and I've made a couple of trips like in my younger life uh across the border to go to the stores or or something uh but never really fully living there and so when you think it's a stone thrown away you think it's like the US um but as you really kind of navigate throughout you know the their providences it's very influenced I would say by you know European style so that was different um and and I think that feeds into the culture of just having a more I would say balance.

I hate to I hate to use the word balance especially when we think about work life balance. Um so I'll say harmony. Uh they felt like they had a lot more harmony. So, um, one of the benefits I got from that is just really taking time to be grateful and be, um, you know, have some retrospect about just life, family, um, and just me as a person. And so, I think, you know, just my time there, you know, was not just only successful professionally, but also personally. Um and so I had the opportunity to step in at AM in healthcare and um I would tell you the the biggest thing about the opportunity there is it really connected to my passion.

Um it you know I helped the organization grow nationally um both the growth and transformation because it was a startup and so that that previous startup life helped me understand this new startup but this startup had been acquired by a bigger company and so it just really kind of helped me understand how to thread the change in always changing building scaling transforming um that led to that success But you know just when I think about as an engineer you are always trying to improve something right the way the people work the way people live.

Um but in healthc care you have the the best opportunity to really have individual impact on the human being and um it was very exhilarating. It was exciting. Um, even the hard moments felt like still good moments because you never forgot the mission of really being there and providing a service or solution for individual in their most trying times. And um to be able to marry, you know, my passion around that purpose was, you know, for me the biggest impact which is why when I when you know I thought about what do I do next?