A convening for innovators, investors & payers
Future
Forward
Medicaid & Mental Health Innovation
At Behavioral Health Tech 2026 · The Gaylord, Nashville, TN · Sept 24, 2026 · Noon – 6:00 PM
Where Medicaid innovation finally closes the deal.
Future Forward brings youth mental health founders together with Medicaid Managed Care leaders, state policy voices, and venture investors to align outcomes-based models with reimbursement reality — in one room, for one afternoon.
What we're looking for
Help us fill the room.
Speakers
Active leaders from Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), state Medicaid agencies, or behavioral health policy roles — for our Payer Panel and co-presentation sessions.
Attendees
MCO executives and state Medicaid leaders who want a curated, working-session afternoon with the founders and investors building the next generation of youth behavioral health solutions.
If you know someone who fits, a warm introduction — or simply forwarding this page — is exactly the kind of help that makes this event work.
Event overview
The day
Illustrative, still under development. The agenda pairs hard policy data early with peer-to-peer exchange later — building toward a lightning round designed to turn conversations into real relationships.
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Welcome Lunch & Intros
Opening notes and dynamic group introductions — who's in the room and what they're working on.
1:00 – 1:30 PM
Payer / Company Co-Presentation
A real-world case study on what it takes for a digital health platform to scale with an MCO partner.
1:30 – 2:15 PM
Payer Panel: Best Practices in Contracting
Medicaid Managed Care leaders on de-risking market entry and aligning digital health models with state reimbursement pathways.
2:15 – 3:15 PM
Roundtable: “Ask Me Anything” Rotations
Two fast-paced rotations across Policy, Payers, and Venture Capital tables.
3:15 – 4:30 PM
The Lightning Round Mingle
Structured high-energy connection session — 2–3 minutes per pair: one Ask, one Offer.
4:30 – 6:00 PM
Happy Hour
Unwind and keep the conversation going over drinks and light bites.
Speakers
Last year's voices.
We're building this year's roster now — with a particular focus on adding more active voices from Medicaid Managed Care Organizations.
Amber Pace
Colorado Access
Heather Carter
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona — Medicaid
Jennifer Christian-Herman
Former Kaiser Permanente / Blue Shield of California
Kody Kinsley
Advisor; Former NC Dept. of Health and Human Services
Melissa Reilly
Consultant; Former UnitedHealthcare / Evernorth
Sandra Berg
Former CareSource Medicaid
Tory Gildred
Molina Healthcare of Washington
Whitney Howard
Molina Healthcare of Washington
David Bond
Former Blue Shield of California (Promise Health Plan)
Sarika Kasaraneni
Health Net
Know someone who should be on this year's stage? We'd love an introduction.
Confirmed participants
Portfolio companies in the room.
Youth mental health and behavioral health founders actively navigating Medicaid reimbursement and managed care partnerships.
Partners
Future Forward is hosted by Hopelab in partnership with:
Fiore Ventures
Invitation only
Make an introduction.
If you can connect us with MCO leadership, state Medicaid policy contacts, or behavioral health payer voices — as speakers or attendees — please reach out.
Adina Safer · asafer@hopelab.org