Page 14 - The American Lawyer Trailblazers - South 2022

Texas

Jonathan K. Henderson

Polsinelli

What was the genesis of the path that has made you a trailblazer?
In an ongoing effort to stay in front of market trends, we stay focused on ways that health care is changing. We
recently wrote about the explosion we were seeing in telehealth and telemedicine as Covid-19 caused health-
care providers and payers to adapt their models. This caused investors to take notice as opportunities arose from
health care providers having the capacity to reduce the cost of delivering health care while maintaining clinical
efficacy with the absence of having to rely on a brick-and-mortar presence and in person patient visits.

What sort of change has resulted from the concept?
By addressing access and cost issues, telehealth and telemedicine increase the rate of return on investment which
is appealing to investors. We saw venture capital funding for telehealth and telemedicine reach new heights in
2020, in addition to an increased level of investment by many other technology companies, health care providers,
and private equity firms. As these telehealth and telemedicine investments are added to portfolios, they facilitate
a business ecosystem in which they have the potential to cross-pollinate with other investments within the port-
folio to create even greater value.

What bearing will this have on the future?
The long-term impact of these deals is expected to improve the quality of health care services by providing com-
prehensive services to patients. The obvious appeal of telehealth and telemedicine is its accessibility, which will
increase as more health care providers adopt this model. From an investment perspective, telehealth and telemed-
icine have fashioned an innovative delivery model for health care services, so delivery of health care through these
methods can be scaled quickly with fewer barriers than brick-and-mortar care settings. Additionally, we expect the
increase in telehealth and telemedicine to be a piece of the solution in creating a more collaborative care system.

Rick Jordan

Polsinelli

What was the genesis of the idea/path that has made you a trailblazer?
DFW CPG was born out of my personal passion for healthy lifestyle pursuits – same for Richard Riccardi, who co-
founded the community with me. In my case, I longed for a deeper connection in the consumer/food/beverage
industry. Over the years, I found that representing investors and companies in that space brought more meaning to
my law practice and the daily “grind” of BigLaw. The first DFW CPG networking event in September 2019 was abso-
lutely electric – we knew immediately that there was demand for a “community.” Since then, we’ve focused on build-
ing a thriving CPG ecosystem that supports local emerging brands and otherwise brings the community together.
What sort of change has resulted from the concept?
If you’re new to CPG in DFW, or an existing industry player looking to get better networked, etc., DFW CPG is your
first stop. DFW CPG is the only community in DFW for CPG leaders and enthusiasts. We’ve got a deep rolodex of
the local (and national) folks involved in the industry and provide connections and opportunities to promote
emerging brands and others. We’ve also made DE&I a core aspect of our mission and are making great strides at
connecting with minority/female-owned businesses and helping in whatever way we can.
What bearing will this have on the future?
DFW CPG was designed to have a long-standing impact on the community. With that in mind, we’ve built an ex-
ecutive team of talented CPG professionals – one of whom will take the “reins” in 2023 as our next “Chairperson.”
We also have others who will step into enhanced roles within the organization. We’re proud of creating leadership
opportunities for those in DFW who want to enhance their careers by leading a non-profit focused exclusively
on CPG. With all of the talented professionals we’ve brought into the community, who are focused on achieving
and living our mission, we will undoubtedly continue to be the “go-to” CPG community locally for those in need.

72 October/November 2022 | SOUTH TRAILBLAZERS

TAL_South Trailblazer.indd 72 9/8/2022 11:40:09 AM