In this powerful episode of Transformers, Ann Funai sits down with Dr. Michelle Barry, PhD, CEO and co-founder of CTI LifeHealth to explore how her team is revolutionizing healthcare for underserved communities across the globe. From rural Africa to rural Alabama, Michelle shares how CTI’s modular digital health ecosystem bridges the gap between lifestyle and clinical care starting with the patient, not the institution. 

With a background in sociocultural and medical anthropology, Michelle brings a unique lens to innovation and transformation, emphasizing cultural responsiveness, data sovereignty and the importance of listening loudly. This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about health equity, AI tech for good and the future of global wellness. 

Chapters 

00:00 — Cold open question 

00:57 — Meet Michelle Barry and CTI Life Health, a digital health ecosystem 

01:52 — Built in Africa, by Africa, for Africa: A patient-first view of digital healthcare 

03:38 — Listening loudly: Designing responsive tech for a cultural fit 

07:04 — Building trust and individual agency in the face of resistance to AI  

10:00 — Empowering patients with data ownership and sovereignty 

12:28 — Designing for the edges: Scaling healthcare with empathy for all 

16:03 — Bridging institutional and community health at a solutions level 

25:48 — Body hacking and improving whole-person wellness 

28:45 — Bridging gaps to the basics: Indigenous wisdom, community connectivity and leapfrogging legacy systems for best-in-class tech in emerging countries 

31:25 — Partnerships Over Competition: Building Ecosystems 

34:33 — Healing through creativity 

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.