Breaking the System: NEMIC Hosts Book Launch & Fundraiser Auction at Providence HQ

On April 29th, 2026, the New England Medical Innovation Center welcomed entrepreneurs, healthcare innovators, investors, executives, and community leaders to NEMIC HQ for an evening that challenged conventional thinking and celebrated the courage required to build something different. The occasion was the official launch of Breaking the System by NEMIC Expert Advisor Lisa Marceau — a book that explores what it means to question outdated structures, redefine leadership, and create impact in spaces that often resist change.

At first glance, a book launch may seem outside the traditional scope of programming and service offerings at the innovation center. But for NEMIC, the event represented something far more important than a literary celebration. It reflected the very heart of our mission. Innovation does not begin with science or design. It begins with people willing to challenge assumptions.

Every founder, researcher, clinician, and entrepreneur within the NEMIC ecosystem is, in some way, “breaking the system.” They are confronting inefficiencies in healthcare delivery, reimagining patient experiences, addressing inequities in access, and building solutions that improve lives. The same mindset that fuels transformational healthcare innovation is the mindset Lisa Marceau writes about so powerfully: the willingness to disrupt established norms in pursuit of something better.

That alignment is precisely why NEMIC partnered with Lisa to host the event. The evening also highlighted the growing importance of cross-sector collaboration within innovation ecosystems. We were especially proud to welcome members of the Women Presidents Organization, whose leadership and commitment to advancing women entrepreneurs continues to shape industries across the country. The presence of WPO leaders and members reinforced a critical truth; that transformative innovation requires diverse perspectives, courageous leadership, and strong communities willing to support one another.

The atmosphere inside NEMIC HQ reflected exactly the type of ecosystem we are working to build across the region and beyond — one where healthcare innovators are not isolated within laboratories or boardrooms, but connected to a broader network of entrepreneurs, storytellers, investors, executives, and changemakers.

The event also marked another important milestone for NEMIC: our first-ever fundraiser which came in form of a live auction. Throughout the evening, attendees participated in a fundraising initiative designed to support an emerging Diverse Founder within the NEMIC network. Proceeds from the auction will directly help advance a healthcare innovation being developed by an underrepresented entrepreneur working to bring meaningful solutions to market.

This initiative reflects NEMIC’s growing commitment to expanding access and opportunity within healthcare innovation. Breakthrough ideas exist everywhere, but access to capital, mentorship, and visibility often does not. By launching this fundraising effort, NEMIC is taking another step toward ensuring that promising innovators from diverse backgrounds receive the support necessary to accelerate their impact.

Importantly, the fundraiser was not positioned as charity. It was positioned as investment—investment in overlooked talent; investment in new perspectives; investment in the future of healthcare innovation itself.

The success of the evening demonstrated something we believe deeply at NEMIC: innovation ecosystems thrive when they create spaces where bold ideas, meaningful conversations, and community support intersect.

We are grateful to NEMIC Expert Advisor Lisa Marceau for trusting NEMIC as the home for this important launch event, to the Women Presidents Organization for their partnership and presence, and to every attendee who contributed to making the evening both inspiring and impactful.

Events like this remind us that the future of healthcare innovation will not be built solely through technology. It will be built through leadership, courage, collaboration, and communities willing to support those daring enough to challenge the status quo.

And that is exactly the kind of system NEMIC intends to help build.

To purchase a copy of Lisa’s book, find it on Amazon here!