Meet the team!
Joe Gleason
CEO and co-founder
Much of genusConnect stems from the ad-hoc services put together so his family (6 siblings and extended family) could work effectively together. While caring for his father, Jack Gleason (who had Alzheimer's), Joe's mother was feeling the strains of being the primary giver of care. His mother, Mary Gleason, continues to be an inspiration for new ideas and a reminder why caregivers benefit from working closely together.
Show More
genusConnect represents a culmination of projects all centered around bringing people together on the internet.
- One of the largest educational software design & distribution companies
- A web hosting service for small businesses, with over 100,000 sites
- A tribute service that pre-dated Facebook, allowing family members to have a site to pay tribute to those they lose and continue to collect stories
- A video Tribute service that allowed videos to quickly be created for funeral services, reaching millions with an inspirational messages and images of reflections.
"To me, genusConnect represents the perfect combination of passions and experiences of the co-founding team. genusConnect provides caregivers with the resources and tools they need to work together to deliver the best possible care. As an open platform, technology providers, care providers, neighbors, friends, siblings, and grandchildren can come together in an elegant positive way.
All of us at the team see genusConnect as something that is truly a community company, harnessing the best in all of us. We see genusConnect growing into something we (our team, our community) can be proud of for generations to come."
Show Less
Patrick Rio
VP of Marketing and Co-founder
Pat and Joe began discussing genusConnect years back as Joe was working through care related concerns for his parents and family needs. As a system interface designer and marketing consultant for fortune 500 companies, Pat was able to apply that work history and help bring concepts together in a way that supported a positive friendly user experience.
Show More
"As we began developing genusConnect, it became clear to me that this wasn’t just a project. genusConnect™ represents something that allowed me to fully utilize the skills and contacts I had in the medical market. Overseeing the brand and knowing that millions could benefit from it has been a rewarding journey so far."
Pat comes from a UI design and graphics background. Pat also holds a Master's degree in Architecture and is a registered architect in Wisconsin and nationally certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.
Show Less
Karen Hopman, CMPE
Director of Medical Integration
With over 30 years of experience in the medical field, Karen is passionate about helping medical professionals improve both quality of care and clinical performance through the best use of technology and workflow optimization. Karen is the former President of Michigan Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and a National MGMA member.
Show More
“There is a powerful change taking place in the medical system that puts patients and their families at the center of care. Genus is an important part of that movement, helping drive improved out comes, better overall health and connections with community, and driving real value and improved quality of life for patients and families. I truly enjoy being part of genus as we help medical practices harness the new opportunities that bring bottom line improvements and, most importantly, allow our care providers to do what they love doing providing real care for those they serve”
Show Less
Daniel H. Halpren-Ruder MD PhD
Chief Medical Officer
With a distinguished 40-year career blending clinical practice, healthcare quality assurance, and digital health innovation, Dan's journey from an MD and PhD to a vanguard in participatory medicine encapsulates a deep commitment to enhancing healthcare outcomes. His expertise, honed across emergency medicine and healthcare reform, drives his passion for integrating quality management with patient empowerment, advocating for a value-driven transformation in healthcare.
Show More
While providing EM, Dan was recruited by the RI Medical Society to join the board of RI Quality Partners (now Healthcentric Advisors), a Federally (Medicare) mandated QIO. Over 14 years he served as Board Member rising to Board President. Dan remains a staunch advocate of healthcare QA and is Boarded by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians.
Dan is now committed to making a difference at the nexus of healthcare quality management, digital health, and healthcare reform. The participatory patient embodies such a nexus. Dan now serves on the board of the Society for Participatory Medicine because the participatory patient has been shown to have better outcomes (optimizing quality) at likely less cost, the very backbone of the healthcare value transformation.
Today's AI offers us an unprecedented opportunity to not only personalize care at a level that resonates with those we serve exactly where they are at any given moment but also to cultivate self-confidence and foster participatory engagements
Show Less
The Harpreet Virk
CTO
Harpreet Joins Genus with deep system architecture and cloud development experience, with over 20 years of experience creating technology solutions for clients in the healthcare and insurance industries. At genusConnect, he helps ensure rapidly scalable systems that are secure and robust to support the companies mission of “building a community of care around every person in need.”
Show More
Harpreet understands the important role of data integration in efficient interface and database architecture, ensuring supportive frameworks for the needs of the patients as well as the care community.
“What attracted me to genus was deep commitment for strengthening the caregiver network during the process of care. With my background, I saw all too often the challenges coordinating care information has had on all aspects of the care continuum… I am honored and excited to infuse that experience into a powerful platform that will be forefront to change”
Show Less
Sara Harding
COO
Sara Harding has been leading dynamic and various organizations, including a private investment company that managed over $850 million in assets. Her role as COO included optimizing operations, creating and strategic initiatives, and leading the execution of the multiple organizations' tactics for growth and sustainability.
Show More
Show Less
Advisory Board Members
Chris Uhl
VP Social Innovation, The Skillman Foundation
Show More
Chris Uhl is the Foundation’s vice president, social innovation. He guides the Foundation's social innovation work, including a portfolio of innovative grants with both longtime partners and unlikely allies. He also leads work involving PRIs and other creative financing vehicles. He is driven by the belief that all Detroit kids should have the same opportunities that kids in the greater Detroit region have and believes using market solutions to approach systemic problems will lead to better, more sustainable results.
Show Less
Dennis Ramus, MD, F.A.A.F.P, CPABoard Chair of The Physicians Alliance
Show More
Dr. Ramus is board certified in Family Medicine. His seven-physician practice have been leaders in the Patient-Centered Medical Home, CPC and CPC+ programs. Dennis is the Board Chair of The Physicians Alliance (one of the largest physician organizations in SE Michigan with 2,100+ members).
Show Less
Paul SutherlandCEO FIMG.net Global Investments Lead investor
Show More
President and Chief Investment office of Financial & Investment Management Group, Ltd. (FIM Group), a Traverse City, Michigan-based registered investment adviser that manages investment portfolios on a discretionary basis for individuals, trusts, foundations, and retirement plans. Paul is also CEO of the Utopia Foundation, founded in 2007, which is focused on supporting projects and people that have the desire to create sustainable improvements in the livelihoods of those in need. Paul is also the owner of Spirituality and health Magazine and the author of several book centered on inspiration and awakening and development of the human spirit.
Show Less