Meet our team

Mike Shepard Shepard Headshot
Mike Shepard
CEO
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Nicole Adams Headshot
Nicole Adams
CSO
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Patrick Propst Headshot
Patrick Propst
Community Engagement
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Bainjain Yang Headshot
Baijian Yang
Director of Data Security
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nan headshot
Nan Kong
Director of AI
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“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” - Bill Gates
Experience
2 decades working in hospitals both at the bedside and in leadership roles

Nicole spent years working nights in emergency rooms where many people who struggled with daily needs like food, shelter, transportation, and basic medical care. They came to the ER for help that we didn’t and couldn’t provide.

Why
“my job is to help people recover enough from their surgery to go home, not to get them a home, job, or car!”

Healthcare has changed over the past 2 decades. We now realize that without food, shelter, transportation, and other support, people cannot recover or improve their health. If we really care about restoring health, we will address the social determinants (or drivers) of health from within our healthcare system.

August 2022
Nicole, Nan, and Baijian submitted their concept for a software solution to the challenge of making social service referrals from primary care, called a Digital Approach to Social Determinants of Health (DASH).
Fall 2022
Nicole conducted interviews with case managers and a community health worker at a FQHC about what challenges they have related to making social service referrals to drive the design of the software system.
January 2023
The first version of Bridges is launched in the clinic.
October 2023
Purdue team won 2nd place in the HRSA competition!
Spring 2024
Enrolled first pilot customers
January 2025
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Leto Inc. is founded as a public benefit corporation.

The founding team has made a conscious decision that we want to be more than profit. We want to support the people that are in trenches helping people live a better life. Many of these organizations are underfunded. We do not want to let funding get in the way.