Invested in community

A conversation with Trustee Roshen Menon

“I truly believe in community-based healthcare,” says Roshen Menon. Living in Waban, he’s always appreciated having Newton-Wellesley so close by.

As parents of two sets of twins, Roshen and wife Cate feel a natural connection to NWH. Incredibly, all four boys are only 16 months apart. Whenever they’ve turned to the hospital, “the staff are amazing,” he says. “The level of caring, outreach, and follow up are all great.”

To Roshen, “it offers all the warmth and personal touch of a community hospital with the benefits of deep connections to the world’s leading academic medical centers.”

In joining the hospital’s Board of Trustees, he welcomes the opportunity to connect and contribute in a new way.

Parental pride

Reflecting on what inspired his board service, he traces it in part to growing up in a family of doctors. “While parents often brag about their kids, I brag about my kids and my parents,” Roshen says with a laugh.

His mother and father met in medical school in India, and both went on to careers as physicians in the United States.

Roshen brings to his role “a healthy respect for all the work that providers do.” From seeing his mother, a radiologist, spend most nights on call during his childhood, Roshen understands the emotional strain.

His father is a pioneer in urology and robotic surgery. Roshen takes pride in his dad’s inclusion in the Smithsonian’s “Many Voices, One Nation” exhibit, showcasing immigrants’ spirit of innovation.

Success and serendipity

Early on, Roshen considered following in his parents’ footsteps. While a pre-med at Bowdoin, “I decided one summer to try something totally different,” he says. He took a leap, landing an internship in Boston to explore a budding interest in business and never looked back.

That summer influenced his future in multiple ways since he picked Boston to be near Cate. “I always attribute some of my accomplishments to serendipity— and also following Cate around,” he adds with a smile.

After beginning his career as a strategy consultant, Roshen shifted to investing in and partnering with growth-stage businesses. Seventeen years ago, he was recruited to help start and build Guidepost Growth Equity, a Boston-based private equity firm. Today, as a General Partner, he leads their investments in software and healthcare technology.

Eager to contribute

Roshen credits a friend and now fellow trustee, Ben Gomez, with inspiring his engagement with Newton-Wellesley. An initial role on the Board of Advisors grew out of their conversations. As much as Roshen has enjoyed learning about the hospital, he always wants to learn more. NWH’s investment in the community mirrors his own family values. He points to many examples of “working beyond the hospital’s four walls”—from youth mental health to elder services. “I believe in our ability to move the needle in community health,” he says.

Thinking about the future of healthcare, “I see Newton-Wellesley positioned to drive change,” he reflects. Its commitment to quality and innovation continually impresses him.

Asked for his parting thoughts on the opportunity to serve, “I’m excited,” he says. “I lead by learning. I’m eager to contribute but very much here to learn.”