John Hui Nominated for Crain’s New York Business Notable Leaders in Health Care

John Hui, Co-founder and Chief Development Officer of Rendr, has been nominated for Crain’s New York Business 2026 Notable Leaders in Health Care. In his interview with Crain’s, Hui shared insights from his journey building innovative healthcare solutions and expanding access to care for underserved communities.

John Hui has spent over two decades tackling complex challenges to improve health care. In 2019, he co-founded Rendr with a group of Asian-American physicians to expand value-based care in their communities. As chief development officer, Hui helped grow Rendr into the largest multi-specialty medical group serving New York City’s Chinese community, with more than 260 providers across 20 specialties at more than 100 clinics caring for nearly 200,000 patients.

Hui also co-founded Twiage, an award-winning digital health company that pioneered pre-hospital communication technology, enabling hospitals and emergency medical services to accelerate emergency care. In 2024, he led Twiage’s acquisition by TigerConnect, a private equity-backed healthcare technology company.

Why did you and your co-founders establish Rendr, and why is this mission important to you?

Chinese patients are often deeply connected to their community physicians. Because of language and cultural barriers, many feel uncomfortable navigating hospital systems. While many community doctors provide great care, there has historically been a lack of consistent standards across independent practices, often due to limited operational support and outdated IT infrastructure.

As the health care system shifts toward value-based care — which requires data-driven insights, standardized processes and consistent high-quality performance — we saw an opportunity to bring these practices together under a unified organization that could provide the support and infrastructure physicians need to succeed.

Rendr’s founders are all immigrants, and we’ve personally experienced the challenges of navigating health care in a system where communication can be difficult. Our mission is to deliver world-class, value-based care to the Asian community with kindness and cultural understanding. We’re proud to be making a meaningful impact on the communities we call home.

As a serial entrepreneur, what lessons from your earlier ventures have influenced how you’ve built Rendr?

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the art of change management. Change is never easy, especially in health care. At Rendr, we’re asking physicians to transition from a traditional fee-for-service model to a full-risk, value-based care model, which fundamentally changes how medicine is practiced.

But we’re not simply asking physicians to change — we’re providing resources to help them succeed. For example, some practices previously relied on outdated computer systems. We invested in modern IT infrastructure and brought in trained support staff to help manage documentation and data tracking required in value-based care.

This allows physicians to spend more time with patients and focus on clinical decision-making rather than administrative burdens. Ultimately, innovation isn’t just about explaining the value of change; it’s about rolling up your sleeves and helping people make that change.

What is the key to health care innovation?

Successful health care innovation aligns clinical outcomes with financial incentives. Solutions that clearly improve outcomes, reduce costs or streamline workflows are far more likely to gain adoption.

Equally important is solving real workflow problems, not just introducing new technology. Technology alone rarely succeeds unless it removes friction for the stakeholders involved in care delivery.

Even in the era of artificial intelligence, the human element of care is irreplaceable. AI can improve efficiency and support decision-making, but genuine compassion and human connection between providers and patients will always be essential.

Innovation in health care ultimately comes down to disciplined execution — focusing on fundamentals rather than chasing trends.

How have you overcome challenges to get where you are today?

Every stage of growth brings a new set of challenges. Over time, I’ve come to rely on three principles: hard work, resilience and adaptability.

First, there is no substitute for hard work. No matter how talented or experienced you are, success requires putting in the effort consistently.

Second is resilience — the ability to stay persistent and keep moving forward despite obstacles. Building a company means navigating uncertainty and setbacks, and you have to remain determined even during difficult moments.

Finally, adaptability is critical. You need to stay flexible and open to new approaches rather than becoming locked into a single way of thinking. Solving complex problems often requires adjusting strategies and finding creative paths forward.

For me, success comes from not only working harder, but also working smarter — constantly learning, adapting and striving to stay ahead.

‍Click here to read the original article from Crain's New York Business