Your trusted partner in optimizing healthcare innovation

See how healthcare’s best and brightest put Inlightened to work across AI, human factors research, clinical perspectives, and beyond.

The Inlightened difference

Healthcare innovation doesn’t fail for lack of ideas; it fails when real clinical expertise is missing. Inlightened’s unparalleled network of vetted healthcare professionals — paired with the technology to recruit them at speed — delivers rapid insights to power smarter decisions.

Mission

Real healthcare expertise on demand, for the people building what’s next.

At Inlightened, we connect innovators with the vetted, diverse healthcare professionals who can make their ideas work in the real world. No guesswork, no gatekeeping. Just direct access to paid research, advisory, and consulting talent that helps companies build solutions grounded in reality.

Values

Quality and inclusion aren’t tradeoffs. They’re the standard.

We’re committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at every level. By giving companies direct access to a curated, vetted network of engaged healthcare professionals, without cutting corners on quality, we build a culture rooted in specialized knowledge, transparency, and meaningful innovation.

Our story

Behind the deal: Female-founded startup gets acquired, plans to keep independence

Inlightened was founded in 2019 by Shelli Pavone and Michelle Higginson in Boston, Massachusetts. In August 2023, we joined LocumTenens.com, part of the Jackson Healthcare® family of companies, and continue to operate as an independent entity. We’ve grown a lot since then, but our focus hasn’t changed. We’re committed to doing healthcare innovation the right way: with diversity, transparency, and quality at the center.

Leadership

Shelli Pavone

PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER

Shelli Pavone has more than 20 years of commercial experience in healthcare, with a track record of building sales strategy and teams from the ground up. Named among Forbes’ Next 1000 in 2021, she has spent her entire career navigating the complexities of healthcare innovation. Previously, she held leadership roles at Lumere and Avant-garde Health. Shelli holds a BS in Psychology from The Ohio State University.

Michelle Higginson

Executive Vice President & Co-Founder

Michelle Higginson is an operator and marketing professional with 15 years of experience across tech and healthcare. She has led growth at companies ranging from LogMeIn to Boston Children’s Hospital and returned to the startup world as Director of Marketing at Avant-garde Health before co-founding Inlightened. Michelle holds a BS in Marketing and an MBA from Bentley University.

Zoë Mercurio

Vice President of Operations

Zoë Mercurio brings two decades of expertise in change management, operations, and relationship-building across consulting, education, and healthcare. Her background spans Cambridge Leadership Associates, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Iora Health. Zoë holds degrees from York University, University College London, and Harvard Extension School.

Rob Ramirez

HEAD OF STRATEGY

Rob Ramirez brings 30 years of experience in pharmaceutical market research, healthcare insights, and commercial strategy. A recipient of the PBIRG President’s Award and a Constellation Research SuperNova Awards finalist, he has held senior leadership roles at Pfizer, Ipsos Healthcare, Schlesinger Group, and Manifest Health. At Inlightened, Rob leads growth strategy with a focus on deepening HCP recruitment, expanding research service lines, and strengthening client experience as the platform scales.

Sarah Longacre

DIRECTOR OF ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS

Sarah Longacre has nearly 20 years of experience in healthcare market research, specializing in project scoping, client relationships, and business development. She has served as VP of Business Development at both M3 Global Research and SAGO. Sarah holds a BA in Communications from Northeastern University.

Lucas Longacre

HEAD OF PRODUCT

Lucas Longacre has nearly two decades of experience in product management and technology innovation, with a focus on healthcare SaaS. He has led product at Mebot AI Corp. and held technical director roles in emerging tech, and is recognized for his work with generative AI, VR, and accessible design. Lucas is a Webby Award winner and holds a BA in Media Studies from SUNY Buffalo.

Emily Richardson

DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SUCCESS

Emily Richardson is a healthcare insight professional with more than 15 years of expertise in quantitative and qualitative market research. She has built research and operations departments from the ground up at Fieldwork, Schlesinger, M3, and Sermo. Emily is known for her ability to develop strong client relationships and amplify diverse voices in healthcare.

Partners

Looking for a clinical opportunity?

LocumTenens.com connects medical professionals across the country with the facilities that need them most. Locum tenens refers to temporary (short- or long-term) assignments, so if you’re looking for clinical work to fill a scheduling gap, explore a new setting or take control of your career, we make it easy. With the industry’s largest job board and a skilled team to handle the details, you can focus on what you do best — caring for patients.