Tia Newcomer, former CEO of CaringBridge
What is your current role?
Until the end of 2025, I served five years as CEO of CaringBridge, a national digital health platform supporting patients and caregivers at scale. During my tenure, I led enterprise transformation across strategy, technology, operating model, governance, and growth while stewarding trust, culture and stakeholder alignment in a highly visible, emotionally complex healthcare environment.
Why did you join the TRUST?
I joined TRUST two years ago at the recommendation of Jeannine Rivet. I have also seen trusted and inspiring colleagues lead the TRUST (Jodi Hubler, Joy King, Monica Engel and Kim Perry to name a few) and in 2025 served as a TRUST Awards judge.
What has been your favorite part of being a member of the TRUST?
The support and collaboration with like-minded women executives
What is the best career advice you’ve received? Or the best mentoring experience you’ve had?
Best career advice: “No bad outcome.” – My CEO to me when we were in the messy middle of a private equity (PE) exit transaction (Mergers and Acquisitions). In an unsettling time he made me realize that:
- I had agency and choice,
- Scenario planning was my friend,
- All paths had a good outcome… I just had to look for it with both a personal and professional lens. I’ve come back to that many times when making decisions as a CEO as well as in transition. It helps slow me down.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that significantly influenced your leadership style or professional path?
My first promotion to a manager of people meant, at the age of 27, I was managing people 20-30 years my senior. I heard through back channels that one of those more senior direct reports didn’t like some of the things I was doing. Instead of ignoring, I used that as an opportunity to sit with her in person and ask questions about what I could do better. That moment of being curious and listening turned not only our relationship around, but taught me the value of not letting things simmer in assumptions, lean into difficult conversations and lead with curiosity. To this day that colleague is a friend and supporter.
What emerging trend in health care are you most excited about and why?
I’m encouraged by the momentum in women’s health, despite the narrative of low / unproven return on invested capital (ROIC). We kicked off 2026 with a report by AOA Dx revealing that women’s health companies have generated over $100 billion in realized exit value over the past 25 years. And while historically underserved, venture capital investment in women’s health has tripled since 2019. Particularly the focus on the lifecycle of hormonal health and the rise of more clinical study inclusion that is already leading to innovations that will contribute to women’s longevity and quality of life.
How do you foster innovation and creativity within your team or organization?
Three words: vision, values, curiosity. I find that creating a vision and then spaces that allow debate, curiosity and ideation fosters innovation. My role as CEO is creating the guardrails through our values. It helps teams get creative while enabling a North Star anchor (values) to guide solutions. My teams know my favorite question to ask is “say more.” It’s adjacent to the “5-whys” approach, helping teams to really pause, hear each other, learn and then collectively build something better than when we started.
How do you maintain or improve your health and well-being?
Most mornings I am up before 6am and in a Peloton class (strength, bike, tread and yoga). And my rule is never check my phone until after my work out is done (it sits charging until after my shower). That simple practice keeps me focused, energized, patient and grounded for both my family and team. My mental and physical health are better for it!
Words of wisdom to live by?
“What you do today is important because you exchange a day of your life for it.” This is printed on a tattered piece of paper that lives in our house, a remnant of my husband’s cancer treatment motivation (two-time cancer survivor). It resets my mood and priorities… Every. Single. Day.