A Conversation with Sally Ann Frank
On this episode of Health Unabashed, host Gil Bashe welcomes Sally Ann Frank, Microsoft Global Lead for Health & Life Sciences in its Microsoft for Startups program. She joins Gil to unpack how startups — when equipped with the right tools, mentorship, and mission — are reshaping the future of health care.
With more than 25 years of experience in high-tech leadership, Sally Ann Frank brings a rare combination of business acumen, technical fluency, and startup empathy to her role at Microsoft. She serves as Global Lead for Health & Life Sciences at Microsoft for Startups, guiding the Pegasus program. This highly curated platform supports early-stage health and life science ventures through Azure credits, OpenAI tools, cybersecurity compliance, and market strategy.
Sally Ann is also an author with a mission. Her books provide a wealth of wisdom: The Startup Protocol: A Guide for Digital Health Startups, available via Amazon. While there is no guaranteed formula for success in digital health, having this playbook to navigate the challenges can make the difference between momentum and missteps. The book speaks to her mission: to remove barriers for innovators determined to make health care more equitable, proactive and precise.
Before joining Microsoft, she led her startup ventures, worked in strategic marketing, and earned multiple advanced degrees — including an MBA from George Washington University, an MS in Systems Management from USC, and a BS in Marketing with a minor in Computer Science from Virginia Tech. By training and style, she is a bridge-builder between innovation and impact.
Listen to the Conversation
Startups as Catalysts for Health Transformation
From the outset of the conversation, Sally Ann made one thing clear: startups are essential to the health sector’s evolution. Numerous startups globally benefit from this tailored support, tackling real-world clinical and administrative challenges with these resources and the benefits of mentoring support.
Learning from the Stumbles
Innovation doesn’t always follow a straight path. Sally Ann pointed to well-known ventures like Forward and Babylon as cautionary tales — each packed with vision, but hindered by rapid, unsustainable growth and disconnected systems.
Too often, founders create tools that operate in isolation — dashboards or platforms that never fully integrate into existing clinical workflows. Microsoft’s program encourages startups to think beyond the pitch deck and design for real-world implementation from day one.
Sally Ann was also candid about the responsibilities associated with health innovation. Microsoft equips startups with access to best-in-class security and compliance frameworks, but accountability still lies with the founders.
Security, data stewardship, and patient trust aren’t checkboxes; they are foundational to sustained success.
Looking Ahead: Health Equity, Prevention, and AI
When asked what inspires her about what’s next, Sally Ann shared three priorities shaping her vision:
- Equitable access to care across geographies and communities
- Preventive models that shift from treating illness to promoting wellness
- AI-enabled early detection using subtle, non-invasive biomarkers, such as those that can be seen in the back of the eye, to flag risks for conditions such as diabetes, dementia, and heart disease
About the Show
Join digital health advocate and author Gil Bashe, on Health Unabashed, as he discusses the power of collaboration and innovation in improving care across the health ecosystem. Sharing stories and insights from a global perspective, Gil looks at the companies and people who are making a difference and offers his opinions on how to connect the dots to transform the industry for good.
Tune in weekdays at 10:30 am, 6:30 pm, & 2:30 am ET.
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The Hosts
Gil Bashe
Managing Partner, Chair Global Health, FINN Partners
LinkedIn: Gil Bashe
X: @Gil_Bashe
Gregg Masters
Director, Health Innovation Media
LinkedIn: Gregg Masters, MPH
X: @GreggMastersMPH