Our team
Ben Freeberg
Founder, Managing Partner
Ben Freeberg is uniquely positioned to build a cancer-focused venture capital fund, having invested in it, built it, and lived it. He has invested in healthcare technology startups at Optum Ventures and Alpha Partners, and helped build Thyme Care, a value-based cancer care company, where he focused on health plan partnerships and operations. He is also a cancer survivor and is now six years cancer-free. Ben holds a BSc in Economics from Duke University.
Khail Macadaeg
Executive Assistant
Khail Macadaeg brings 15+ years of experience across healthcare, technology, public policy, and research, working at the intersection of operations, project management, and executive support. He focuses on building efficient systems, aligning teams, and driving execution in fast-paced environments. Khail is currently pursuing an MBA through a joint program with Oxford Saïd Business School and Metis College, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of the Philippines.
Jay Freeberg, CPA, CFP
Chief Financial Officer
Jay Freeberg is a partner emeritus of a New York-based accounting firm, where he was a partner for 24 years. He has led a financial planning and investment management firm since 1986 and currently operates through Onyx Bridge Wealth Group. Jay previously served on the executive board of the International Association of Independent Accounting Firms and as Chairman of the Personal Financial Planning Committee for the New York State Society of CPAs. He is also a judge for the NYU Entrepreneurs Challenge.
Nandita Kotwani
Venture Associate
Nandita Kotwani brings experience across oncology strategy, operations, and innovation. She most recently led the development of digital products and external partnerships at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and previously advised community oncology practices on digital health solutions at Flatiron Health. Earlier in her career, she completed her Administrative Fellowship at City of Hope and served as Business Manager for Infusion and Pharmacy. Nandita holds a Master of Health Administration from Columbia University.
Advisory Committee
Lee Newcomer, MD
Advisor
Dr. Lee Newcomer served as Chief Medical Officer of UnitedHealth Group for 11 years, where he led initiatives advancing oncology care and value-based payment models. He later returned to UnitedHealth Group to lead a cancer care initiative integrating clinical, financial, and program management expertise. His team developed the first episode payment program for cancer treatment and created the first commercial cancer database combining clinical and claims data. Earlier in his career, Dr. Newcomer practiced medical oncology for nine years. He currently serves as a director at Myriad Genetics, Coherus Bioscience, and Cellworks.
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Emily Melton
Advisor
Emily Melton is a co-founder of Threshold Ventures, where she has backed companies including BetterUp, Brightline, Calibrate, Imagen, Livongo, Ooda Health, Redfin, Tia, Transcarent, Verge Genomics, Vital, Viz, and Wellframe. She was named to the Forbes Midas Brink List in 2019 and is a founding member of All Raise, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access for women and others to start and invest in companies. She also serves as Chairperson of the National Venture Capital Association. Emily holds a BA in Political Philosophy with honors and an MBA from Stanford University.
Nancy Brown
Advisor
Nancy Brown is a General Partner at Oak HC/FT, where she focuses on growth equity and early-stage venture investments in healthcare. She serves on the boards of Firefly Health, Groups Recover Together, Oshi, Regard, Maven, and Unite US, and is actively involved with Noom, Imagine Pediatrics, and Wayspring. Her prior investments include Limeade, OncoHealth, Cricket Health, and OODA Health. Earlier in her career, Nancy held executive roles at McKesson, athenahealth, and Harvard Community Health Plan.
Karen Knudsen, PhD
Advisor
Karen Knudsen is CEO of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, a national network of PICI institutes and portfolio companies developing cancer therapeutics. She previously served as CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and as Executive Vice President of Oncology at Jefferson Health, where she was also Executive Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. She currently serves on the boards of AstraZeneca, 3T Biosciences, Paradigm Health, and ExaiBio, and is a board advisor to Transcarent and ArteraAI.
Brad Hively
Advisor
Brad Hively is the former CEO, and current Vice Chairman, of The Oncology Institute (NASDAQ: TOI). Through a network of 100+ employed clinicians and 200+ affiliated physicians, TOI manages a population of over 2 million patients, taking accountability for both the clinical quality and the total cost of oncology care. He led TOI's go-public process in 2021, listing on the Nasdaq with a market capitalization of ~$1bn. Earlier in his career, Brad spent time as a healthcare investor with TA Associates, General Atlantic, and RLH Equity. Brad holds a BA in Business Economics from UCLA and an MBA. from Stanford.
Jennifer Malin, MD, PhD
Advisor
Dr. Jennifer Malin served as Chief Medical Officer of Optum Health Solutions and led value-based oncology and genetics programs at UnitedHealthcare. She has over 15 years of experience in value-based care across oncology, rare disease, and precision medicine, with deep expertise in coverage, reimbursement, and alternative payment models. Earlier, Dr. Malin launched Anthem’s Cancer Care Quality Program, the first national pay-for-performance model for cancer pathways. She now advises healthcare organizations, health plans, and life sciences companies on innovative care models and AI-enabled healthcare.
Carolyn Starrett
Advisor
Carolyn Starrett is CEO of Flatiron Health, where she leads efforts to transform real-world patient data into insights that accelerate cancer research and improve care. She also serves on the boards of Flatiron Health and Foundation Medicine. Prior to joining Flatiron, she held senior commercial, product, and operations roles at data and technology companies and was a principal at Boston Consulting Group, leading strategy and transformation initiatives for healthcare and technology organizations. Carolyn holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University.
Limited Partner Advisory Committee
Jason Shook
Chief Operating Officer
Jason Shook is Chief Operating Officer of Texas Oncology, where he oversees the organization’s operational, financial, and administrative functions. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer for The US Oncology Network and Practice Management business at McKesson, following an 18-year tenure with the company across provider technologies, clinical and imaging operations, and senior leadership roles in the UK, including finance, mergers and acquisitions, and managing director.
Harlan Levine, MD
President of Health Innovation and Policy
Dr. Harlan Levine leads innovation, product development, and government relations at City of Hope. He previously held executive roles at UnitedHealth Group, Towers Watson, and Anthem. He serves on advisory boards for multiple healthcare organizations and is Chairman of the Board of AccessHope, a City of Hope spinout.
Diana Verrilli
General Manager, Navista (a Cardinal Health company)
Diana is a healthcare executive focused on driving growth and operational excellence in community oncology. She held senior leadership roles at McKesson and The US Oncology Network for over two decades, where she led oncology care model development, payer strategy, and practice transformation initiatives. She also served as Chief Growth Officer at DispatchHealth, where she led sales, marketing, and strategic planning. She currently serves on the boards of Boulder Community Health and GelSana Therapeutics and is active in mentorship through WBL and Greenhouse Scholars. Diana holds a master’s degree from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from Smith College.
Xavier Avat
Chief Business Officer
Xavier Avat leads business development, entrepreneurship, and innovation strategy at Moffitt Cancer Center. He brings nearly 30 years of experience across marketing, operations, and business development, most recently serving as Chief Business Officer at Capricor Therapeutics. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at life sciences and biotech companies including Genentech and Gilead Sciences.
Nida Shekhani
Deputy COO & Chief Strategy Officer
Nida Shekhani is the Deputy COO & Chief Strategy Officer at Fred Hutch, where she leads business development, strategic planning, government relations, and marketing & communications. She previously served as VP of Cancer Services at UChicago Medicine, overseeing strategy, clinical growth, and operations, and held strategy and business development roles at UCSF Health and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
David Cohn, MD
Interim Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Medical Officer
Dr. David Cohn leads the strategic direction of the cancer hospital and its clinical practice, where he also practices as a gynecologic oncologist. He is an NCI-funded scientist with patents for his discoveries and has published over 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts. He has held leadership roles across his field and serves as editor-in-chief of a leading subspecialty journal.
Jenny Soriano
Manager
Jenny Soriano, MBA, is Manager of the Venture Studio at Atlantic Health, where she leads innovation through strategic partnerships, investments, and venture development. Jenny works closely with clinical and executive leaders to identify high-impact opportunities and scale solutions that enhance care delivery, improve patient outcomes, and drive operational performance. With a background in healthcare technology and clinical systems, she brings a practical, frontline-informed approach to building and implementing innovation in complex health systems.