Five Questions With: Kelly Nevins

KELLY NEVINS, the recently appointed executive director of MedMates, is looking to expand programming and membership of the medical technology association, making it a more important resource for the industry as well as the community as a whole.  / PBN FILE PHOTO
KELLY NEVINS, the recently appointed executive director of MedMates, is looking to expand programming and membership of the medical technology association, making it a more important resource for the industry as well as the community as a whole. / PBN FILE PHOTO

Kelly Nevins is the first full-time executive director of MedMates, Rhode Island’s health care technology network group. The nonprofit organization, which currently has some 650 members, focuses on encouraging collaboration among hospitals, health care facilities, health insurance companies, tech companies and others interested in health care issues.

Before coming to MedMates late this spring, Nevins served most recently as director of tour management at Collette. She holds master’s degrees in education and leadership from the University of Rhode Island and Roger Williams University, respectively.

PBN: Tell us how MedMates has evolved and matured after its 2013 launch?

NEVINS: The big news is that, through the help of the Rhode Island Foundation and the Real Jobs Rhode Island grant, we’ve been able to hire me as the full-time executive director to manage the organization’s activities. With full-time support in place, MedMates is better able to partner with the business community to meet the needs of the health technology, biotechnology and medical technology industries. We have partnered with the Social Enterprise Greenhouse to launch a health & wellness business accelerator program in the fall. SEG brings successful general business accelerator programming to the table, and we bring the industry expertise for idea feasibility, legal and regulatory reviews, clinical trials and connections to funders. After a brief hiatus, we are bringing back a full program of membership events to ensure our members are connected to what is happening with one other and to the industry in Rhode Island. MedMates wants to inspire people to come into this industry, connect those who are already in it to the resources they need, and influence policies and activities that support the development of an ecosystem that will help our members grow.

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PBN: You have talked about your desire to conduct a “listening tour” where you will visit members and talk with them. What do you hope to achieve from that experience and how long will that listening tour take?

NEVINS: Initially, my purpose is to meet with the more active members of MedMates to learn about their companies and the challenges they face in the industry, as well as to hear about what they like about MedMates, and what they hope to get from it moving forward. We’re also meeting with key people at the universities and government agencies to understand the needs and opportunities from their perspective. We’re in an active board- and advisory board-building phase, so assessing everyone’s interest in involvement moving forward is key. I plan to have wrapped up the initial listening tour with some final key interviews during the summer, but honestly, I’ll be listening actively to all of our members and the community moving forward. To that end, we have a live survey that is taking place at surveymonkey.com/r/FFK7RNS. I encourage any businesses in Rhode Island in the health technology, biotechnology and medical technology industry sectors to participate, as their answers will inform MedMates’ activities moving forward. I’m also benchmarking what we’re doing against other similar organizations throughout the country – seeing what works for them and what mix of services they bring to their membership.

PBN: What are your short-term goals during the next 60 to 120 days and long-term goals, in the next year or so, for MedMates?

NEVINS: In the short term, we are creating our MedMates’ programming for this year and next, which will be a variety of workshops and events targeted at both entrepreneurs and the general MedMates’ membership. Our goal is to have at least one meeting per month from September through May. We also need to expand our board and committee structure, so I’m actively recruiting for a variety of roles, including individuals who are willing to be mentors or who need mentoring. Once we have both those important items in place, we’ll be laying out the long-term strategy for MedMates. Having networked with similar professional associations in other states, I know we could be doing a lot more than we are today. It’s all a matter of time, priorities and resources.

PBN: How do you think your education and prior professional experiences prepare you for the role as MedMates’ first executive director; what do you bring to the table that others may not have?

NEVINS: I ran a nonprofit organization more than a decade ago, and I am very proud of what it was able to accomplish with a little support from the community. By cultivating the right volunteers and a lot of hard work, the organization grew by 500 percent. During that time, we created a connecting tool that received support from the Points of Light Foundation and the United Way of America, created fee-for-service funding streams, ran workshops and conferences, and so much more. That experience, coupled with two master’s degrees – one in education and another in leadership – as well as strong business community relationships, give me a launching pad for the work ahead with MedMates. The secret ingredient that I bring to the table is my love for Rhode Island and the idea that success for MedMates ultimately means more well-paid jobs in the community, in an industry that works to improve people’s lives.

PBN: Fast forward to five years from now: How will you know that you’re doing a good job?

NEVINS: At the end of the day, if we are inspiring, connecting and influencing, the industry will grow and there will be more good-paying jobs in Rhode Island that stay in the state. Certainly, our members will identify us as a positive force in the industry and community. I’d love to see MedMates grow as well, so that we are viewed as a community resource providing valuable data on the industry, bringing more funding to our state entrepreneurs and perhaps even housing industry businesses with access to clean labs, research pools and equipment. In order to do that, we definitely need to show we are making a difference, as well as attract resources and talent. Stay tuned!

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