LCS has announced the winner of “InnoTank,” the company’s inaugural event designed to showcase innovative or technology-forward ideas from LCS corporate and community employees. The pitch-style competition was held live in front of over 450 attendees during the LCS Senior Living Management Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 25, 2024.  

Five finalist individuals and teams pitched their ideas to a panel of judges for the chance to win the $10,000 grand prize. The team entry from Cypress Village was selected as the 2024 InnoTank winner for their scalable business plan to transform care for their residents. The Cypress Village team included: Laurel Mundell, Director of Administrative Services, Sarra Ninya, Associate Executive Director, Michelle Fredenburg, Director of Quality & Reimbursement, and Stephanie Markoski, Administrator. The judges also named the pitch from Beth Elwood, CPS Account Manager, as the runner-up for her Senior Living Loyalty idea.

“The finalists for this inaugural event were truly exceptional," said Frank Vedder, LCS Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer. "Every individual and group delivered remarkable pitches that showcased their innovative ideas and displayed their heart for making a difference.”   

Vedder and Joel Nelson, LCS Chief Executive Officer, served as judges along with the following industry-leading technology experts:

• Katie Schmitz, Head of Principal Investing and Fund Management at Ziegler and the Managing Principal of the Ziegler Link-age Funds, a venture capital fund family with an investment policy designed to support innovation, collaboration and growth among entrepreneurs and senior living and healthcare providers.   
• Tej Dhawan, co-founder and Managing Director of Plains Angels, a central Iowa network of angel investors who seek and invest in companies across a broad array of industries. He manages associated Mango Seed Investments, Plains Angels Investment Fund and participates in the Midwest Angel Syndicate of regional angel groups, as well as the Iowa Angel Investor Summit produced by the Greater Des Moines partnership.  
• Ginna Baik, executive board member at America’s Society on Aging, member of the Board of Directors at Leading Age California, a Trustee of the John A. Hartford Foundation, and the Chairman of the board at OATS (Older Adults Tech Services), an affiliate of AARP. Ginna has had over a decade in senior care and technology experience with a mission to provide scalable technology and services to underserved populations. 

Vedder added “although the competition is over, I am excited to follow each of these 'LCS innovators' as they keep working to improve our company and our industry.”