Inneo Welcomes Jason Sakamoto, Ph.D., as Vice President of Strategy & Business Development for Inneo Lab

BREA, Calif., July 15, 2026 — Inneo today announced that Jason Sakamoto, Ph.D., has joined the organization as Vice President of Strategy & Business Development for Inneo Lab, effective July 20, 2026. In this role, Sakamoto will lead strategic growth initiatives, expand partnerships with health systems and industry, and advance the commercialization of innovative healthcare solutions.  

Sakamoto brings more than 20 years of experience advancing healthcare innovation, commercialization, venture development, and strategic partnerships. Throughout his career, he has built and led initiatives that connect health systems, innovators, entrepreneurs, academic institutions, and industry partners to accelerate the development and adoption of transformative healthcare solutions. He is recognized as a collaborative leader who brings together diverse stakeholders to advance meaningful healthcare innovation and improve patient outcomes. 

Most recently, Sakamoto served as Associate Director of Medical Device Labs and Head of the Biodesign Program at TMC Innovation within the Texas Medical Center, where he led a fellowship modeled on the Stanford Biodesign process to identify unmet clinical needs and develop commercially viable healthcare solutions. His work focused on transforming clinical challenges into innovations that improve care delivery and patient outcomes. 

Prior to joining Inneo, Sakamoto held leadership positions with Houston Methodist Research Institute, NanoMedical Systems, the Alliance for NanoHealth, and TMC Innovation. Across these organizations, he led innovation programs, supported commercialization efforts, developed strategic partnerships, and helped advance emerging healthcare technologies.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Jason to Inneo. He brings a rare combination of healthcare innovation, commercialization expertise, and strategic partnership experience that aligns perfectly with our vision for Inneo Lab. Jason will be instrumental in expanding our innovation platform and creating new opportunities for health systems, industry partners, and clinicians. I am confident Jason will strengthen our innovation ecosystem and help us deliver even greater value to the health systems and communities we serve.” 

- Mike McKinnon, President & CEO, Inneo 

Sakamoto’s experience closely aligns with Inneo Lab’s mission to identify, develop, commercialize, and scale innovative healthcare products, technologies, and services. In his new role, he will help strengthen Inneo’s innovation pipeline, cultivate strategic partnerships, advance commercialization opportunities, and support growth across the organization’s healthcare ecosystem. 

“I’m honored and excited to join the Inneo team. The opportunity to build our innovation strategy on real, tangible insight from our member health systems, rather than guesswork about what clinicians and hospitals need, is what compelled me most. It means we move faster from idea to impact, and I’m grateful for the chance to help shape that at Inneo. I’m also proud to be part of the Inneo family, a talented, driven, and empathetic group working to transform medicine and make a meaningful contribution to healthcare.” 

- Jason Sakamoto, Ph.D. 

Sakamoto holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to his industry accomplishments, he remains actively involved in developing future healthcare innovators through academic and mentoring roles. 

As Vice President of Strategy & Business Development, Sakamoto will focus on advancing Inneo Lab’s innovation strategy, strengthening relationships with health systems and industry leaders, identifying new commercialization opportunities, and helping position Inneo as a trusted partner and catalyst for healthcare innovation nationwide. His efforts will support the development and scaling of innovative healthcare solutions that create measurable value for health systems, clinicians, and patients. 

About Inneo 

Inneo (formerly The Innovation Institute) is a healthcare innovation ecosystem owned and managed by a nationwide group of nonprofit health systems. Through its three platforms — Inneo Alliance, Inneo Lab, and Inneo Invest — Inneo runs innovation programs across clinical innovation and business services, working with member health systems, strategic partners, and industry innovators to identify emerging opportunities, validate solutions, and deliver measurable value for providers and the communities they serve. Learn more at www.inneo.health. 

Media Contact 

Michael McKinnon  President and CEO, Inneo  Michael.mckinnon@inneo.health  949.307.4262