Start us up

Julie Jacono ’94, MBA ’98, led project teams and new business ventures at the MetroHealth System, Cuyahoga County’s largest public hospital. Now she will bring her innovation know-how to Cleveland’s busiest business incubator.

In January, Jacono became executive director of JumpStart Inc., a nonprofit that tries to identify promising young companies and support them with money, mentoring and connections. She’s only the second leader in JumpStart’s 20-year history as she succeeds founding CEO Ray Leech.

Her appointment attracted attention in Cleveland’s business community, where JumpStart is seen as an important economic catalyst. “Jeanne Coughlin, JumpStart’s board chair, called Jacono an inspirational leader with a proven ability to innovate and transform organizations,” The Plain Dealer reported.

The new job represents a pivot for the Case-trained biomedical engineer. Jacono joined MetroHealth in 2012 and rose in the hospital administration to become executive vice president and chief strategy and innovation officer. She was a top lieutenant to former CEO Akram Boutros, MD, who called her his “genie in a bottle” for her ability to solve problems with new ideas.

JumpStart formed in 2003 to promote entrepreneurship in Northeast Ohio. It’s enjoyed some triumphs, including CoverMyMeds, a healthcare startup that grew into a billion-dollar company in Columbus. But its jobcreating successes have been few, especially in recent years, and the board is looking to Jacono to bring new energy and ideas.

“Her deep experience in health care, a critical industry in Northeast Ohio, will introduce a fresh viewpoint to JumpStart,” Coughlin said in a statement.

“As a lifelong Clevelander, I know that Northeast Ohio has amazing institutions and a long history of innovation,” Jacono said in a statement. “I look forward to combining the power of JumpStart with all our assets to drive an economic future that lifts all through radical collaboration.”