Two founders turning frustration into Australia’s new voice for healthcare leaders

Following the launch of Veri Health, an independent Australian media and business-intelligence platform for healthcare professionals, the response from across the industry has been immediate.

More than 90 per cent of healthcare leaders surveyed by Veri Health agreed that a platform like this was needed. The sentiment reflects what co-founders Ellie Bakker and Belinda Boyce had been hearing for years: that Australia’s largest and fastest-growing industry lacked a trusted space for leadership, business and innovation.

We sat down with Ellie and Belinda to discuss what sparked the idea, why healthcare deserves better, and what’s next for the business of care.

Q: What frustration first sparked the idea for Veri Health?

Ellie: Working with healthcare founders and leaders every day, I kept hearing the same story. People were trying to build great businesses in one of Australia’s toughest industries, often completely on their own.

They were exhausted, juggling care, compliance, staff and sustainability with little real support. There’s still no central place to understand what new reforms, funding changes or policies actually mean for your business.

Interviewer: Did you ever think someone else would build it first?

Ellie: Honestly, yes. You’d expect something like this to already exist, given how critical the sector is. But it didn’t. Everyone was looking around for that central voice or platform, and it just wasn’t there.

Belinda: I’d seen the same thing play out in other sectors like construction, real estate, tourism, marketing and media. The difference is that all of them have dedicated platforms for business news, leadership and celebrating success, because running a business can often feel like a thankless job.

Healthcare didn’t have a platform that united business owners, founders and professionals, real people navigating an incredibly complex system. That’s what sparked the idea for Veri Health, a platform for the whole industry that brings together news, insights, resources and community to celebrate, connect and inform the people shaping Australian healthcare.

Q: What gap are you hoping Veri Health fills in the healthcare landscape?

Ellie: We’re focusing on the business of healthcare, the part that too often sits in the shadows. Our aim is to give healthcare professionals the same quality of leadership insight and business journalism that other industries take for granted.

Belinda: It’s also about connection. We’re building a trusted space for leaders to learn from each other, whether that’s through stories, data or in-person events. It’s about raising the conversation beyond just surviving, to thinking strategically about the future of care.

Interviewer: So it’s not just information, it’s connection?

Ellie: Exactly. Connection, collaboration and confidence. That’s what healthcare needs right now.

Q: Your tagline, “Healthcare deserves better”, has resonated widely. What does it mean to each of you?

Ellie: For me, it’s about respect for the people who make the healthcare system work. They give everything to improving others’ wellbeing, but they often do it without enough business support, recognition or clarity. Healthcare deserves better is our way of saying the people behind the system deserve better too.

Belinda: I think it’s also a challenge – to the industry, to policymakers and even to ourselves. We want better, not just for our patients, but for ourselves, our families and our teams. Healthcare deserves better storytelling, better leadership and better business outcomes. It’s not about criticism; it’s about aspiration.

Q: How did your backgrounds shape what Veri Health has become?

Ellie: I’ve spent my career helping healthcare businesses and organisations grow, from clinics to multinational brands. I’ve seen what happens when great clinicians try to lead without the right business tools or insights. That perspective really shaped the direction of Veri Health.

Belinda: My background is in media, events and partnerships, and I’ve spent years working with platforms and programs that build capability and celebrate hard-earned success. I wanted Veri Health to have that same energy, to feel like a home for progress, where people in healthcare can learn, share and be recognised.

Interviewer: You both sound pretty driven by purpose, was there ever a moment of doubt?

Belinda: Of course. Any time you build something new, you question if the timing is right, will anybody engage, do they actually want this? But every conversation we had with healthcare leaders reaffirmed it, this is needed.

Q: Building an independent media platform is no small feat. What’s been the hardest part?

Ellie: Balancing vision with practicality. We want to do it all – research, data, insights, community, events – but we’re being deliberate about doing it right. The response so far tells us the need is there, so we’re focused on scaling sustainably and bringing in the right partners to help make that possible.

Belinda: Honestly, building trust from the start. We knew we had to be transparent and compliant, especially in healthcare. Independence is everything to us, it’s how we protect credibility and ensure we serve the industry, not just advertisers.

That said, we’re proud to work with members, partners and advertisers. They’re the backbone funding the free value we’re able to deliver for the industry. It’s about creating an ecosystem built on transparency, accountability and genuine passion to strengthen healthcare as a whole.

Q: What can industry expect next from Veri Health?

Belinda: We’re unlocking our Research Hub before the end of the year, which will include stacks of free resources such as checklists, on-demand webinars, whitepapers and more, to help healthcare leaders grow stronger businesses. 

We’ve also got an exciting 2026 events calendar in the works, including networking sessions, member-only gatherings, and events with keynote speakers and expert panels. It’s all about building the Veri Health ecosystem, bringing together members, visionaries and partners who can really supercharge what we’re doing.

Ellie: Early next year, we’re opening applications for our Advisory Board. We really want industry voices at the table. We’re also partnering with educational bodies and research partners to help surface the real issues impacting healthcare businesses. That’s something I’m deeply passionate about.

We’ve also got our sights on launching a mentoring program to connect healthcare leaders at every stage of business growth

Q: And finally – what do you hope the industry says about Veri Health in five years?

Ellie: That it changed how we think about business in healthcare and helped people feel less alone.

If someone reads an article, joins a webinar or meets a peer through us and walks away not just inspired, but equipped with practical knowledge to grow confidently, lead their team well and stay compliant, then to me that’s real impact.

It’s about helping healthcare professionals feel capable, supported and more balanced in how they live and lead. That’s what we’re striving for.

Belinda: That it made a difference. That it gave people clarity, confidence and community when they needed it most. 

To see incredible innovations improving care, and thriving businesses that grew out of the Veri Health ecosystem – that would be the ultimate for me. Knowing that something we built helped the industry move forward, even in small ways, would be incredibly rewarding.