CLARA is a healthcare technology startup on a mission to make hospital operations safer, smarter, and more responsive. But behind the medical software is something more analog: a team forged through genuine connection, mutual respect, and a shared classroom.
Four of CLARA’s executive team members—Melinda Yormick, Sireesha Panchagnula, Kumar Amitesh, and Dr. Zach Litvack—met in the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business Executive MBA program. They graduated together in 2023. During their time in the program, they formed a bond rooted in complementary skills and a commitment to improving healthcare.
The connection wasn’t accidental. At Foster, program directors take an intentional approach to forming cohort teams, carefully pairing students based on work styles, backgrounds, and strengths. Louise Kapustka, Executive Director of the Executive MBA Program at Foster, describes the behind-the-scenes process: “The ‘secret sauce’ of how we create learning teams begins with the leadership and professional experiences each student brings. We also take into account each person’s unique personality, while acknowledging the team’s collective responsibility: to establish trust, support each other, discover and leverage team strengths, and pull together through obstacles—ultimately performing at a higher level.”
In this Q&A, the four Executive MBA alums reflect on how they came together at Foster and what has helped their partnership thrive beyond the classroom.
CLARA’s leadership team with Foster Professor Ben Hallen (center), whose entrepreneurship courses and mentorship deeply shaped their approach to innovation and collaboration. From left, Kumar Amitesh, Melinda Yormick, Ben Hallen, Sireesha Panchagnula, Zach Litvack.
how did you decide to work together?
Melinda Yormick (CEO and founder): I knew I wanted to work with each of them long before they officially joined CLARA. I’m just lucky they came around to the idea.
Dr. Zach Litvack and I had worked together when I managed a local operating room and he was chief of neurosurgery. I was thrilled to see him in the program. He understands healthcare from both clinical and administrative perspectives, and I knew right away that CLARA would benefit from his involvement.
Sireesha Panchagnula stood out immediately as one of the most intelligent and well-prepared people I’d ever met. I asked her early, before anyone was even talking about the Business Plan Competition, and I’m lucky she said yes.
Kumar Amitesh was on my first-year team, and we called him the “finance wizard.” He helped classmates with coursework and explored startup frameworks with me, even when most assignments were focused on mature companies. We now call him the “money man.” He’s obsessed with numbers and beautiful spreadsheets, and he lives up to it.
Melinda Yormick, founder and CEO of CLARA, credits the Foster Executive MBA program for strengthening her leadership and inspiring the team that now drives her healthcare technology startup. (Photo captured at Seattle’s Columbia Tower.)
Sireesha Panchagnula (COO): My collaboration on CLARA began when Melinda invited me to join her for the Business Plan Competition. Having witnessed her passion and dedication to CLARA, I was excited to work with her on a project with real impact. Prior to that, we had already worked together on other University of Washington business competitions, including the Holloman Health Innovation Challenge and Dempsey Startup Competition.
After graduation, I realized I needed a new challenge beyond the telecommunications job I’d held for 17 years. I approached Melinda to discuss joining CLARA full time and she embraced the idea enthusiastically.
Dr. Zach Litvack (Fractional CIO and health systems advisor): I first knew Melinda when she was an operating room nurse manager at Swedish Health Services and witnessed her decision to leave clinical medicine and build CLARA. It was a great surprise to discover we were in the same Foster Executive MBA cohort.
Later that summer, Melinda asked me to join CLARA as an advisor. Despite being in different program sections, we worked together on several Foster competitions, the including Holloman Health Innovation Challenge and Dempsey Startup Competition, and our Captstone project. Those collaborations deepened my commitment and ultimately led me to join CLARA as Chief Innovation Officer a year after graduation.
Kumar Amitesh (Fractional CFO): I met Melinda on the very first day of our Foster Executive MBA program. As luck would have it, we were placed on the same learning team during the first year. Working closely on several group projects helped us develop a strong friendship and a deep understanding of each other’s work styles. At the beginning of our second year, Melinda reached out and asked if I’d be interested in joining CLARA to lead the finance function. Without hesitation, I said yes.
Kumar Amitesh, CLARA’s Fractional CFO and Foster Executive MBA alum, credits the program with sharpening his instincts for clarity, collaboration, and financial storytelling.
is there a moment when your shared executive mba experience helped you navigate a tough decision?
Melinda Yormick: Our shared background from Foster helped steer us toward a more focused go-to-market product. We’d been working toward a large hospital deployment, but shifting to a commercial application in the operating room made more sense from a marketing, development, financial, and risk-reduction standpoint. The Executive MBA gave us a shared understanding that made it easier to align quickly.
Kumar Amitesh: One defining moment was when we made the tough but strategic decision to scale down our initial financial projections. Some saw it as overly conservative, but using lessons from our Foster coursework in strategy, finance, and marketing, we reframed the model. We introduced sensitivity analyses and grounded our assumptions in realistic, achievable metrics. That shared language was key in helping us align quickly and build a stronger, more credible financial plan.
Sireesha Panchagnula: Six months into my full-time role, one of the original founders left abruptly, causing both emotional and operational challenges. Our shared background helped us navigate it, especially insights from Foster’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership courses. We approached the departure with empathy, fairness, and a structure that allowed both sides to part ways with mutual respect and understanding.
Dr. Zach Litvack: When we decided to launch CLARA in a scaled-down form, focusing on real-time location services for operating rooms instead of full hospital deployment, some worried we were straying from our original vision. But we leaned on Foster’s frameworks from business strategy, marketing, and entrepreneurship classes to reframe it as a refinement of our minimum viable product rather than a pivot. That shift helped us build traction and prepare for broader deployment.
Sireesha Panchagnula, CLARA’s Chief Operating Officer and Foster Executive MBA alum, emphasizes trust, respect, and shared purpose as the foundation of great teamwork. (Photo captured at Seattle’s Columbia Tower.)
executive mba lessons in partnership and collaboration
Sireesha Panchagnula: We deeply understand each other’s strengths and respect what each person brings to CLARA. That foundation started in the Business Plan Competition and continued through other shared projects. My advice: take time to get to know your teammates, build trust, assess compatibility, and work with respect and grace. Commit to a shared goal, and execute while supporting each other along the way.
Melinda Yormick: Our partnership works because we’re aligned on mission, fueled by individual curiosity, and guided by what our CTO, Aaron Cooke, always says: “assume best intent.” My advice? Know what you want, and don’t be afraid to make the ask. Cultural fit is everything. As Foster Professor Michael Johnson says, “Leadership is getting people to do something hard for a really long time.” If you don’t focus on fit, the long-time part is at risk.
Kumar Amitesh: From the beginning, we spent time understanding each other’s strengths, working styles, and expectations. That early investment built trust and psychological safety, which allows for open, honest communication. It makes the work not just effective but enjoyable.
Dr. Zach Litvack: Foster emphasized structured collaboration early on. After graduation, we spent six weeks defining how we’d work together: communication norms, tools, and collaboration protocols. That structure was transformative for me, as it directly addressed my past challenges with delegation. My advice: invest early in clarifying roles, trust each other’s unique strengths, and commit fully to shared accountability.
For Dr. Zach Litvack, CLARA’s Chief Innovation Officer and Foster Executive MBA alum, the program’s structured approach to teamwork reshaped his understanding of trust and leadership. (Photo captured at Seattle’s Columbia Tower.)
The lasting impact of an executive mba
What began as Melinda Yormick’s vision grew into a partnership strengthened by the “secret sauce” of Foster’s Executive MBA program: trust, accountability, and curiosity.
For the CLARA team, those lessons extend far beyond the classroom, shaped by the guidance of faculty, the rigor of experiential learning, and the collaboration of classmates. Their story is a reminder that at Foster, the real return on an Executive MBA isn’t just knowledge; it’s the fusion of world-class teaching, practical insight, and the people who help you elevate your career and expand your impact.
Learn more about the Executive MBA here.