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4 6 C T I N N O V A T O R S , 2 0 2 5 pitching batting practice and manicuring the field. When the incoming class brought even more baseball talent, he saw the handwriting on the wall and turned his attention to the classroom. ere, his timing was better. e university was launching a leadership program, which Waterbury describes as a beta version of the entrepreneurship offerings now common on campuses across the country. He focused on finance and marketing. Yet, by graduation day, he didn't have a firm idea of a future course. He went home and spent the summer working for a plant nursery owned by his future father-in-law. "It was hard, honest work," he recalls. And it reminded Waterbury it was time to put his business degree to work. For the next nine years, he helped develop Oxford's approach — and success — in the New York metropolitan area. When Oxford became a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group in 2004, Waterbury was responsible for integrating the systems as vice president of network for New York. In 2007, he joined Avon-based Magellan Health — a behavioral and specialty healthcare management company — as senior vice president of medical pharmacy services, and later president of ICORE, its specialty pharmacy unit. In the latter role, he said, revenue grew from $300 million to $500 million, and earnings jumped from $30 million to $50 million. It was a twist of karma that changed his career trajectory. Waterbury prides himself on building relationships but when successfully negotiating a lawsuit settlement for ICORE, he found himself the odd man out. e parties agreed to a merger, as long as the new company didn't include Waterbury. He le with a check and the thought that it was time to become his own boss. Evolving portfolio at was 2015 and within months he'd moved to Collinsville and launched RemedyOne. e pharmacy benefit consulting firm helps employers and health plans lower drug costs and improve results through rebate and formulary management. RemedyOne would eventually become part of Goodroot, which was founded in 2020. Since then, startups have come and gone through the accelerator. For example, in October, Empara — a developer of AI- driven tools that help employers and administrators manage health benefits — was acquired by Pennsylvania-based Opyn Health, a provider of digital tools for healthcare price transparency, virtual care and provider connections. ree of Empara's founders joined Opyn as part of the deal. Goodroot, a privately held firm, does not disclose terms of any of its transactions. A month earlier, Clearfile — which develops soware that streamlines regulatory filings and licensure for health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers and other healthcare organizations — was acquired by Maryland-based Lumelight, a company specializing in compliance and claims technology. Waterbury spoke like a proud parent as Goodroot mentee and Clearfile founder Joe Boyle graduated from the Collinsville accelerator program. "Joe came to Goodroot with a vision to solve a problem most people avoid: regulatory complexity," Waterbury said. "We backed that vision with capital, talent and infrastructure — and in under two years, he built one of the most respected names in regulatory filing. at's what we do at Goodroot: champion healthcare leaders and accelerate ideas that can reshape the system." While glad to take a bow, Waterbury is quick to acknowledge regulatory compliance was an area he initially Continued from previous page Inside his Collinsville office, Michael Waterbury points to more than $1 billion in estimated savings Goodroot's companies have delivered for patients and providers.