Guest Overview
Jeanne Pinder was born in Grinnell Iowa. Her journalist parents, her education in Slavic Studies and Russian Affairs, and her career at the New York Times prepared her to launch her disruptive health care start-up Clear Health Costs.
In Part One we cover Jeanne’s upbringing in a loud, challenging home environment with five siblings, and the experience of being part of the families local newspaper the Grinnell Herald, Jeanne discusses the high expectations of her parents, and how this conditioned her to be comfortable with chaos. In an environment of emotional abundance and material scarcity
Jeanne discusses how her world view was expanded by exposure to foreign dignitaries from her father’s work with the state department. Jeanne covers her experience of being part of the counterculture movement during the Vietnam War. Her interest in international affairs led her to Indiana University to Study Slavic Studies and Russian Affairs, which resulted in her studying in Leningrad (St Petersburg) in Russia in the 1970’s and 80’s.
We discuss that experience and the current state of Russian power and politics and their influence on current US politics.
Jeanne explains how working at the Des Moines Register led her to a job as a copy editor at the New York Times during the 1980’s and the joy of working in journalism at a seminal time in world history.
Finally, we discuss the current state of national and local journalism and the power of the community to affect genuine change
In Part two we dive deep into what led Jeanne to create her journalism meets healthcare start-up Clear Health Costs, her perspectives on Covid-19 and a whole lot more.
She explains its genesis from winning a “SharkTank” like pitch to inform people about healthcare costs by combining crowdsourcing and data.
Working in partnership with local and national media Clear Health Costs brings cost transparency to the US healthcare system and addresses the inequity in the healthcare system. We discuss the impact and motivation of the big tech companies in healthcare and the opportunity Jeanne’s team has to disrupt the healthcare sector and solve consumer problems.
Now focusing totally on Covid-19 we discuss Jeanne’s perspectives on the current health crisis.
She discusses the issues with the current Covid-19 testing and treatment strategies and broader public health policy. She also discusses federal issues, the regional coalitions, vaccines and the second wave.
We discuss the mental health impact of the virus and the upsurge on domestic, spousal and child abuse and the positive knock on effect of Telehealth.
Jeanne explains the market impact of the Clear Health Costs and explains how the app works and how it’s empowering people to combat the inequity of the system and save money.
Jeanne also discusses confronting gender and age stereotypes as a female founder. We cover serendipity and the curiosity that drives her journalistic fervor and all her quick fire answers.
I hope you enjoy disruptive countercultural character and drive of Jeanne Pinder
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