The promise of AI in healthcare is everywhere. Deployed, trusted, and scalable systems are not.
The CHIL 2026 Unconference is a full-day, highly interactive event held before the CHIL main conference in Seattle on Sunday, June 28, 2026. It focuses on what it actually takes to deploy AI in healthcare. This is a working forum for people who have tried to build, ship, integrate, and sustain AI systems inside real clinical and operational environments.
Across fireside conversations, short implementation talks, roundtables, and collaborative problem-solving sessions, we’ll surface:
The agenda is designed to maximize cross-talk between founders, clinicians, engineers, researchers, operators, and funders, creating space for honest reflection and practical learning.
10:00 – 10:10 AM | Opening Remarks
10:10 – 10:40 AM | Fireside Panel – From Founding to Functioning: Deploying Health AI in the Real World
Real journeys and stories from founding to funding to scale from healthcare AI entrepreneurs and builders.
10:40 – 11:10 AM | Coffee & Networking Break
11:10 – 12:00 PM | Implementation Talks – Stories from the Field
Short talks from companies and health system innovators showcasing deployed AI solutions, what worked, what failed, and what’s next.
12:00 – 1:20 PM | Lunch & Open Networking
1:20 – 2:20 PM | Roundtables – Translating Health AI into Practice
Group discussions on starting, building and executing AI native companies and solutions in the real world.
2:20 – 2:35 PM | Break & Transition
2:35 – 4:00 PM | Roundtables – Research to Venture
Researchers discuss the commercial potential of their work with investors, operators, and customers in open roundtable format—building connections and clarity.
3:40 – 3:45 PM | Closing Remarks
3:45 –7:30 PM | Social – Drinks, Bites & Ideas
Come prepared to share openly, challenge assumptions, and leave with practical insights you can actually use.
To preserve the highly interactive nature of the CHIL Unconference, attendance is limited. Participation will be determined through a short application and selection process to ensure a balanced and engaged group of founders, clinicians, researchers, operators, and funders.
If you’re interested in attending, please complete the application form.
Applicants will be reviewed by the organizing team, and selected participants will be contacted directly with next steps and registration details. You will be notified by the organizers once decisions are finalized.
A registration fee will be required upon acceptance to confirm participation and support event logistics. Participants who are also attending the main conference will be eligible for discounted registration to the Unconference. Registration pricing and details will be announced soon.
Dr. Han serves as Enterprise CMIO at MultiCare, bridging clinical practice and health IT. MultiCare Health System is a 12-hospital, not-for-profit healthcare system with over 22,000 employees serving communities across Washington state. He received his MD from University of Michigan and holds an Executive MBA from Wharton.
Bradd served as SVP and CIO at MultiCare (2020-2024), leading transformative IT initiatives.. Previously at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he now focuses on AI and technology strategy at Frazier Healthcare Partners. He received his Masters in Engineering from Brown University.
Hong is a Principal at Define Ventures, an early-stage healthcare focused venture fund with $800M under management. Hong’s career spans multi sectors within healthcare, sitting at the intersection of the traditional healthcare system and venture capital and entrepreneurship. She started her career in the life sciences practice at Analysis Group, one of the largest economic consulting firms in the country, then went into a number of strategic investing roles at leading healthcare payer and provider institutions like Kaiser Permanente, Cedar Sinai Health System and the California HealthCare Foundation.
Join us for an intimate discussion event designed to explore the commercial potential of your research—not through pitching, but through genuine collaborative thinking.
This isn’t a pitch competition or investor demo day. Instead, we’ve created a space for authentic exploration and collaborative problem-solving. You’ll share your research with a carefully curated group of industry professionals—investors, operators, and potential customers—who will engage with you as thought partners, not judges.
Together, you’ll explore critical questions:
Group Roundtable Discussions (90 minutes)
The Research-to-Venture Roundtable is a working session within the CHIL Unconference where researchers pressure-test deployable research ideas with real customers, operators, and investors.
If selected, you will be asked to give a short overview and anchor a roundtable discussion focused on the business feasibility of your research.
You will be supported by a team including
All attendees are welcome to join and contribute. We encourage open dialogue and cross-pollination of ideas throughout the event.
The goal would be to support you in understanding if there’s a feasible business model to pursue and meeting some potential mentors, collaborators or supporters along the way. There will be a semi-structured format to help facilitate conversation.
This collaborative format means you’ll benefit from multiple viewpoints simultaneously—challenging assumptions, identifying opportunities, and uncovering blind spots you might not see from within academia.
This event is designed for:
We’re looking for people who are:
Diverse Perspectives: Hear how investors evaluate opportunities, how operators think about execution, and how customers think about value and pain points
Network Expansion: Connect with experienced professionals outside your usual academic circles who may become advisors, collaborators, or champions
Clearer Direction: Leave with a better understanding of potential pathways forward—whether that’s starting a company, licensing technology, or pursuing strategic partnerships
No Pressure Environment: This is a learning experience, not a fundraising pitch. The goal is insight, not investment decisions.
We’ll select up to 10 researchers to participate in roundtable discussions.
To apply, please complete this Google form with:
[Application deadline: TBD]
This event is about creating space for the kind of conversations that don’t typically happen between academia and industry—thoughtful, exploratory, and collaborative. We’re excited to facilitate these connections and see where the discussions lead.
Space is limited to ensure quality conversations. All attendees—both researchers and industry participants—will be selected to create a balanced, engaged community for the day.