Inc.’s eighth annual Female Founders list highlights the nation’s top business leaders who challenge the status quo to tackle some of the world’s biggest problems with Kozlowski representing innovation in healthcare.
CHICAGO, Ill. March 11, 2025 – Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today announced its eighth annual Female Founders list, honoring a bold group of 500 women whose innovations and ideas are leading their industries forward. Among these resilient entrepreneurs who have collectively attracted approximately $9 billion in 2024 revenue and $10.6 billion in funding is Carrie Kozlowski, OT, MBA, COO and co-founder of Upfront Healthcare. She has been recognized for her leadership in delivering the mission-driven technology that is reshaping the healthcare experience by guiding every patient to the care they need– impacting 8 million patients in 2024 alone.
Since Kozlowski co-founded Upfront nine years ago with Ben Albert – and now as part of Health Catalyst – the company remains steadfast in delivering meaningful healthcare outcomes putting personalization at the forefront of patient engagement. Upfront’s technology platform enables leading health enterprises to measurably improve value-based care performance and other key metrics by facilitating patient equity, closing open gaps in care, and optimizing access. Kozlowski’s team has proved that driving patient trust and loyalty not only enhances patient and provider experiences, but also helps drive financial, operational, and clinical outcomes across healthcare enterprises – engaging 40 million patients over the last several years.
“We started this company believing that everyone deserves to feel known and seen as they navigate their healthcare. Patients are so vulnerable in these care interactions, and we have to honor that – using their unique motivations and experiences to individualize communication,” shared Kozlowski. “As I continue bringing this mission to life, I’m genuinely honored to be in the company of these incredible women, all of whom are shaping the world with purpose and vision.”
“Female founders know what struggle is, but they’re also experts of improvisation, adaptability, and creativity. The women featured on this year’s list exemplify these qualities. Through times of uncertainty, their unwavering dedication and steadfast leadership are not only inspiring but vital to driving progress,” said Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom.
Each year, Inc. editors review thousands of applications highlighting female founders who are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the world’s biggest problems, and cull applicants through three rounds of judging, looking specifically at an entrepreneur’s bona fides in the past year. Criteria include quantifiable metrics such as revenue, sales, revenue growth, funding, and audience size. Inc. also looks for qualitative metrics including social media momentum and stories of impact. Honoree selection is also honed through the evaluation of the program’s advisory board.
In January 2025, Upfront achieved a tremendous milestone in its journey by joining Health Catalyst. Together, they are delivering unique technology capabilities to the market by building off the data infrastructure and expertise of Health Catalyst paired with Upfront’s analytics, care orchestration, and patient personalization expertise. In 2025 and beyond, Upfront by Health Catalyst will continue activating patients to the care they need, removing communication and coordination friction.
Carrie Kozlowski holds an MBA in Management and Entrepreneurship from the University of Illinois Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Hartford. She is an established voice in the healthcare industry with thought leadership published in the American Journal of Managed Care, HIStalk, the Healthcare Administration Leadership and Management Journal, MedCity News, and has spoken at premiere events such as SXSW 2024.
Several honorees, including Carrie, will be featured in Inc. magazine’s Female Founders issue, on newsstands March 18, 2025. To see the complete list of honorees, please visit: https://www.inc.com/female-founders
About Inc.
Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
About Upfront by Health Catalyst
Upfront is a mission-driven healthcare company delivering tangible outcomes to leading healthcare enterprises. Its patient engagement platform makes each patient feel seen, guiding their care experience through personalized outreach. The backbone of the Upfront experience is its data engine, which analyzes clinical, sociodemographic, and patient-reported data. These insights, along with its advanced psychographic segmentation model, allow Upfront to individually activate patients to get the care they need. Upfront is rooted in partnership, leveraging best-in-class healthcare expertise to maximize the impact of technology and deliver a next-generation patient experience.
