Announcements
Speaker Submission is now open! Are you interested in presenting at the conference? Submit your interest.
Conference Theme: Bold Bets at Healthcare's Tipping Point
The Wharton Healthcare Alumni Association Annual Conference returns to Penn@Inn and Huntsman Hall on October 29–30, and we invite you to submit your interest to participate as a keynote speaker or panelist. This year's theme — Bold Bets at Healthcare's Tipping Point — reflects a defining moment of reckoning for the industry. U.S. healthcare spending has reached $5.3 trillion, now consuming 18% of GDP — a trajectory no one credibly defends as sustainable. At the same time, the healthcare consumer has fundamentally changed: more informed, more activated, and less willing to accept the friction and opacity that legacy systems were built around. An aging population is compressing the timeline, demanding that care delivery, population health, and access models evolve faster than the institutions designed to serve them. And AI is not waiting — it is already accelerating how we think about diagnostics, care delivery, population management, and drug development, while raising urgent and unresolved questions about ethics, bias, and responsible adoption. Political headwinds and intensifying government scrutiny are simultaneously redrawing the rules of engagement across payers, providers, and life sciences.
This is not a moment to optimize incrementally or wait for clarity that may never come. The responsibility falls on us — as Wharton & Penn-trained healthcare leaders — to place deliberate, informed bets that shape what comes next, not scramble to catch up after AI, policy, and consumer expectations have already moved on. If you have a bold perspective on where healthcare must go, we want you in the room.
Save the Date:
10/29-10/30/2026: The Inn at Penn (Thursday), Huntsman Hall (Friday)
NEW THIS YEAR: The conference returns to Huntsman Hall this year.
CONFERENCE AGENDA
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Thursday - Inn at Penn |
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3:00 - 3:10 PM |
Conference kick-off |
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3:15 - 4:00 PM |
Professional development session |
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4:00 - 5:30 PM |
Pitch Competition |
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5:30 - 7:00 PM |
Networking Reception & Alumni Award Presentations |
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7:00 - 9:00 PM |
Dinner |
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Friday - Huntsman Hall |
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7:30 - 8:00 AM |
Coffee & Breakfast |
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8:00 - 8:05 AM |
Welcome & Opening Remarks |
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8:05 - 8:30 AM |
Alumni Achievement Award Recipient Presentation |
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8:40 - 9:25 AM |
Keynote #1: Fireside Chat (3 industry leaders) |
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9:30 - 10:15 AM |
Policy, Ethics & Trust Plenary |
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10:45 - 11:30 AM |
AM Panel Breakouts: |
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11:45 AM - 12:15 PM |
Pitch Competition & Awards |
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12:15 - 1:30 PM |
Lunch & Networking |
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1:30 - 2:15 PM |
Keynote #2: Healthcare AI |
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2:30 - 3:15 PM |
PM Panel Breakouts: |
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3:30 - 4:15 PM |
Wharton/Penn Medicine Program Case Study |
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4:30 PM |
Conference Wrap |
Registration & Lodging
Ticket registration opens in late June.
A Room Reservation Block is available at The Inn at Penn
Contact Information
For more information, contact the 2026 WHCMAA Alumni Conference Chairs:
Ryan Berger, WG’06: [email protected]
Hailey Ji, WG’24: [email protected]
With special thanks to our sponsors:
Conference Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Other Sponsors
