Colby Takeda is the co-founder and CEO of Pear Suite, a digital health company working to empower community health workers and better address the social determinants of health. Through Pear Suite’s social care navigation platform, health plans, providers and community-based organizations can boost member engagement, improve health outcomes, and reduce the cost of care in a person-centered, culturally, and linguistically centered way. Colby is a former senior living executive and has dedicated most of his professional career to improving community well-being through population health management programs, policy change, and technology solutions, particularly around the social determinants of health. After completing his undergraduate studies in health sciences, Colby completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Shidler College of Business and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.
They work in neighborhood clinics, community-based organizations, churches, housing facilities, and schools, or engage by phone or video calls. Their approach is based on local context and guided by culturally sensitive, person-centered strategies.