Heartland Forward appoints Cara Osborne as new senior fellow

Heartland Forward, based in Bentonville, announced Thursday (June 13) that it has appointed Cara Osborne as its new senior fellow.

Osborne, who holds a master’s in nursing from Vanderbilt University and a master’s and doctorate in public health from Harvard, brings extensive experience in health, wellness, entrepreneurship and public health. Her career includes roles as a nurse midwife, clinician, nursing professor, and perinatal epidemiology researcher, with significant contributions to maternal health.

In addition to her clinical and academic work, Osborne has a strong entrepreneurial background. She previously owned a health services business sold to the Partners Fund at Fortress Investment Group in 2013. For the past three years, she has been a professor of practice in entrepreneurship at the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business, where she helped launch and advise startups.

Osborne is also a technical advisor to Diana Health, founder of Blaize and Brooks Bourbon, managing partner at Native Spirit Holdings, and a maternal health expert for Ingeborg Initiatives.

At Heartland Forward, Osborne will focus on health and wellness strategy, leveraging her public health and entrepreneurial expertise to advance the organization’s mission of promoting economic growth and improving health outcomes in the heartland.

“We are thrilled to welcome Cara to our team,” said Heartland Forward CEO and President Ross DeVol. “Her diverse experience and deep understanding of both health and business will help us develop innovative strategies to address the unique challenges faced by communities in the middle of the country.”