Bridging Home, Family, and Health Plans: Avanlee Christine on Caregiver-First Health Innovation

StartUp Health community member Avanlee Christine, CEO & Co-founder of Avanlee Care, joins Unity Stoakes on StartUp Health NOW to share how a pivot from fundraising to customer development unlocked product traction, investor interest, and partnerships with innovative health plans. From Billings, Montana, Avanlee explains why integrating unpaid family caregivers into care workflows improves outcomes, raises satisfaction, and helps Medicare Advantage plans do more with less.

In this episode:

• How shifting focus from pitching to building sparked inbound VC interest, including the first venture investor
  
  


• Why 60% of Medicare Advantage members rely on informal caregivers, and how formalizing that communication closes gaps
  
  


• Practical ways caregiver engagement boosts stars, adherence, annual wellness visits, and CAHPS
  
  


• Lessons from scaling a health tech company in Montana, with support from mentors and investors like Esther Dyson
  
  


• Real talk on resilience, motherhood, team building, and staying alive through tough cycles
  
  


• What health plan leaders, quality and risk teams, and investor partners should know about Avanlee Care right now

Listen for:

• Simple, structured steps health plans can take to bring caregivers into the loop
  
  


• A founder’s playbook for surviving early years, finding product-market fit, and creating momentum outside traditional tech hubs

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