The Prosper Healthtech Accelerator has a familiar face as its newly appointed managing director.
Kellie Clark was picked to lead the accelerator, a program aimed at making Birmingham a center of health technology solutions through investments in entrepreneurship, talent and community engagements. Clark stepped down from her role as CEO at AppThink to take on the endeavor. Her replacement at AppThink has not yet been determined.
“We are thrilled to have Kellie on board as the managing director for the Prosper Healthtech Accelerator," said J.W. Carpenter, president and CEO of Prosper. "Her passion for supporting early-stage companies and her focus on promoting a vibrant and inclusive economy align perfectly with the mission of Prosper. We are confident that under Kellie's leadership, the accelerator will continue to thrive and make a meaningful impact on the Birmingham community."
Clark brings experience from her previous roles, including her position at Appthink, a platform which supports accelerators in emerging ecosystems with tools and frameworks to first-time founders through the problem-solution validation process. She has also played roles in various entrepreneurship and accelerator programs, such as director of programs at Innovation Depot where she served as interim managing director of Velocity Accelerator and spearheaded the creation of Voltage, Innovation Depot’s idea incubation program.
In her new role, she will lead the accelerator, a collaborative effort between Prosper, gener8tor, Redhawk and other key partners in the region. It aims to invest in and support health technology companies while also promoting inclusive economic growth for Birmingham.
"Birmingham's reputation as a hub for medical advancements is well-earned," Clark said." We have all the variables necessary to become the epicenter for health tech innovation. The most important variable is the investment from our stakeholders, both in the form of capital and by piloting early products that address their deepest pain points or opportunities. If you have the audacity to believe your team can transform health care and you know your customers better than anyone else, then there isn't a more optimal place to spend 12 weeks of your startups’ life and build."
The accelerator is a 12-week experience that invests in five startups per program. Each cohort is intentionally kept small to ensure meaningful engagement. Participants receive intensive and individualized coaching and access to Prosper and gener8tor’s national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors. Throughout the 12 weeks, the program team will help each startup secure customers, gain mentorship, accelerate its revenue growth and secure additional funding through the support of Redhawk, which is managing Prosper’s investment fund, and other investor partners.
The Prosper Healthtech Accelerator is now accepting applications for its next cohort, scheduled to launch spring 2024.
