About Us
What Drives healthKERI?
Health Data should be easy to share and impossible to hack
We don’t use grand statements about how we’re “revolutionizing healthcare” with cutting-edge technology (though we plan to); or flowery language about the “majestic simplicity” of our solution (though it is simple). We just want health systems to have control over their sensitive health information.
Why We’re in Healthcare
healthKERI exists because healthcare impacts us all, and not in some philosophical sense. Our families, friends, and even our founders themselves have been thrown into the lion’s den of health emergencies. Coming through the other side of those experiences highlights for us how critically important modern technology is to the care setting
Now, making sure that same technology can no longer serve as an attack vector for bad actors—or the care disruptions they cause—is our goal.
Meet the Team
Jared Jeffery, MBA
Founder // CEO
For over a decade, Jared has worked on healthcare’s interoperability problem. From helping disabled Americans gather their (then-paper) medical records to helping KLAS Research shine a light on healthcare’s progress, Jared is dedicated to the vision of what healthcare can become through technology.
He has an MBA in healthcare management and is a fellow of the American College of Health Data Management. Jared frequently speaks as an expert for various industry events, including: Silicon Slopes, the Healthcare IT Marketing Conference (HITmc), Health Data Management, Cambia Grove, and others.
Philip Feairheller
Co-Founder // CTO
Phil Feairheller is the vLEI Architect at GLEIF responsible for the technical architecture and development of the Verifiable LEI (vLEI) ecosystem.
He has over 30 years of experience building bleeding edge technology platforms and protocols for startup companies combined with an in-depth knowledge of architecting meta-cryptographic systems. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the KERI/ACDC Task Force and the did:webs Task Force of the Technology Stack Working Group at Trust Over IP.
Mitch Josephson, MBA
CDO
Mitchell Josephson, MBA, currently serves as the President of the American College of Health Data Management and as CEO of HDM Group. Holding an MBA, his background is deeply rooted in healthcare IT.
His mission is to shine a light on healthcare’s quintuple aim. His expertise extends to his previous role at KLAS Research, where he was instrumental in developing new product lines.
As Chairman of the Board for healthKERI, Mitchell brings more than a decade of healthcare experience to the company.
Samuel Smith, Ph.D
Co-Founder // Chief Architect
Sam is the inventor of the KERI protocol, continuing a long career in machine learning, AI, and more recently verifiable identity systems (KERI).
He has published more than 100 refereed publications to various journals and has been the principal investigator on many federally funded research projects (including when his autonomous submarines participated in war games with the Navy Seals).
His more recent endeavors include an appointment to the Utah State Personal Privacy Oversight Commission, serving as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sovrin Foundation, and now as the Chief Architect of healthKERI.
Timothy Ruff
Co-Founder // Advisor
Timothy is a co-founder and General Partner at Digital Trust Ventures (DTV), a venture studio dedicated to Authentic Web technologies.
Timothy has co-founded five companies, all successful, with two exits, and helped launch four more through DTV. Timothy is a father of seven, grandfather of twelve, and a decent racquetball player.
Alana Jeffery
Co-Founder // Project Manager
Alana has spent 11 years as an entrepreneur running her own vocal studio, leveraging her BFA from Brigham Young University. In the corporate world, she honed her project management skills for years as an internal events owner. She ran everything from +300 person company celebrations to black-tie awards shows in Las Vegas and Orlando, which were always delivered on-time and under-budget.
Alana is the glue that holds the healthKERI ship together as the logistics and coordination leader. In previous roles, internal company-wide gallup polls put Alana as the top ranking manager for employee satisfaction metrics.
Ari Argoud, MCS
Developer
Ari Argoud is a passionate innovator at the intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and a Master’s degree in Computer Science focused on Big Data Systems, he harnesses cutting-edge machine learning models and evolutionary computing techniques at HealthKERI to enhance cybersecurity solutions for healthcare.
Kenneth Deans Jr., DHA
Advisor
Dr. Kenneth R. Deans Jr., with over 35 years in healthcare, technology, and education, is the President and CEO of Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC). Since 2017, he has spearheaded HSSC’s expansion and fostered collaborations in clinical research and public health across the Carolinas. His prior roles include Vice President and COO of Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, and leadership positions at Bassett Healthcare and Greenwich Hospital in the Yale-New Haven Health system.
As an adjunct faculty member at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business since 2019, Dr. Deans teaches key MBA courses like the Revolutionary Leader Practicum and Integrated Technology, focusing on strategic planning and leadership. Dr. Deans holds a Doctor of Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina, an MBA from William & Marv. and a Bachelor of Science from Excelsior College. He also completed Harvard’s Executive Nonprofit Leadership program.
Steven Murray
Advisor
Steven Murray is the Chief Information Security Officer at SimonMed Imaging. His professional journey includes key roles such as Senior Director of Security at Choice Hotels International, Vice President of Security at TrueCar, Inc., and CISO at SparkPost. Murray has also demonstrated his leadership in security operations at SAP Concur and ServiceNow.
He is a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and served as the Commander of the Western Information Operations Center for the US Army.