People and Planet United: Why the Future of Health Demands a Broader View

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People and Planet United: Why the Future of Health Demands a Broader View

April 28, 2026

At the intersection of climate, innovation and care delivery, FINN Partners convenes global leaders to examine what is shaping health and what leadership must do in response

There is a shift underway in how we understand health, and it is becoming difficult to ignore. For decades, health was defined by systems of care and access. Today, it is shaped just as much by the conditions in which people live, the climate around them, the data that informs decisions and the policies that determine who receives care and when. Health reflects the world people live in.

That recognition sits at the heart of the Second Annual People and Planet United Global Health and Purpose Summit, Monday, May 4^th by FINN Partners in collaboration with HITLAB, The Galien Foundation and 1BusinessWorld, as part of New York City Health Innovation Week. The Summit is not designed to present a single answer. It creates a setting where leaders across disciplines can examine how health is evolving in real time and what that evolution requires of those responsible for shaping it.

The premise is both simple and consequential. Human health and planetary health are interconnected. Treating them as separate challenges has led to gaps in understanding and, ultimately, in outcomes. Building on its inaugural year in 2025, the Summit brings together voices from life sciences, technology, policy, education, travel, and patient advocacy, each offering a perspective grounded in reality rather than theory.

What distinguishes this convening is not an attempt to force integration, but a willingness to surface interdependence. A central theme across the sessions is how health innovation, climate, responsible business practices, and artificial intelligence are shaping outcomes simultaneously. These are not presented as a unified solution. Instead, the conversations reflect how decisions in one domain increasingly influence results in another.

Climate is no longer a distant concern. It is influencing disease patterns, altering how and where people live and placing new demands on health systems that were not designed for this level of variability. Clinicians and public health leaders are being asked to make decisions in environments that are less predictable and often more complex than before.

At the same time, artificial intelligence continues to advance, offering the potential to support diagnosis, improve operational efficiency and extend the reach of care. Its promise is significant, but so are the questions it raises. The value of AI is not determined by its capability alone, but by how it is applied, governed and integrated into decision-making.

These issues are not explored in abstraction. They are shaped by leaders whose work sits directly at these intersections. Tom Lawry, author of AI in Health: A Leader's Guide to Winning in the New Age of Intelligent Health Systems, brings a perspective grounded in the application of artificial intelligence in real-world care settings. Sally Ann Frank, Worldwide Lead for Health and Life Sciences at Microsoft for Startups, reflects the growing importance of data ecosystems and digital infrastructure in shaping access and innovation.

David Lazerson, CEO of Briya Health, represents a new generation of companies applying advanced approaches in data security and AI to clinical environments, where trust and usability must coexist. David Farber, partner at King & Spalding, brings a regulatory and policy lens, in which reimbursement, access, and compliance ultimately determine whether innovation reaches patients.

These perspectives do not converge into a single narrative. They reflect the reality that progress in health requires coordination across disciplines that have historically operated in parallel.

The breadth of organizations participating reflects how widely health now reaches beyond traditional boundaries. Leaders from companies including Acentra Health, Autonomize AI, Bayer, Briya, Dionysus Healthcare, Efrata Communications, Faron, Helfie, King & Spalding, Massive Bio, Medical AI, Microsoft, Montefiore Health System, NostaLab, Novartis, Novo Nordisk and the University of Athens will join the conversation. Together, they represent a cross-section of the global health ecosystem, from established life sciences and technology leaders to emerging innovators and policy experts, each bringing practical insight into how care is evolving and what it will take to meet the needs ahead.

The Summit extends beyond climate and AI to address global health equity, rural access to care, women's health, data security and regulatory policy. Each represents a different dimension of the same challenge: building systems that are resilient, inclusive, and responsive to people's needs.

As part of New York City Health Innovation Week, the Summit also serves as a point of connection for broader conversations taking place across the city. These interactions matter because innovation often emerges at the intersection of disciplines, where differing perspectives challenge assumptions and create new pathways forward.

"New York Health Innovation Week was created to bring together the people and ideas shaping the future of health," said Stan Kachnowski, PhD, MPH, founder and chair of HITLAB and curator of the week. "The People and Planet United Summit reflects that purpose, connecting leaders across disciplines to explore how care is evolving and what it will take to meet the needs ahead."

Perhaps the most important takeaway is not a single insight or technology, but a shift in perspective. Health is increasingly understood as a shared responsibility, influenced by decisions made across sectors and industries. That expectation requires alignment between purpose and practice, which is not always easy to achieve.

It also challenges traditional boundaries. It asks leaders in life sciences to consider global access to biomedical innovation, technology companies to address ethical implications, policymakers to balance innovation with access and communicators to ensure that complexity is translated into clarity. As systems grow more complex, communication becomes central to how people understand their choices and navigate care.

The People and Planet United Summit does not offer a single solution. What it offers is a clearer view of the challenge and a recognition that progress depends on how well these perspectives are connected in practice.

Health is not separate from the world people live in. It is shaped by it. Recognizing that connection is no longer optional. Acting on it is the responsibility that follows.

To continue the conversation in person, FINN Partners will host an opening networking reception in New York City on May 4 (5:00-7:00 PM ET), in partnership with HITLAB, as part of New York Health Innovation Week.

The reception will bring together leaders from across health, technology, policy, and purpose-driven organizations for an evening of connection and exchange.

Register for the reception and the Summit here:

https://1businessworld.com/2026-global-health-purpose-people-and-planet-united/

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POSTED BY: Gil Bashe, Christina Raish