The Team
An interdisciplinary team. One shared mission.
Combined expertise in infectious diseases, clinical psychology, public health, instructional design, and mobile health technology — united by the mission to keep patients connected to care.
10
Team members
2
Co-founders
2013
Research begins
The founders
Built by clinicians. Proven in research.
Rebecca Dillingham and Karen Ingersoll developed the PositiveLinks platform at the University of Virginia beginning in 2013. As co-founders of WHT and the inventors of the underlying technology, they bring unmatched clinical and research depth to everything we build.
Rebecca Dillingham, M.D., M.P.H.
Co-Founder & Co-Inventor, PositiveLinks
Rebecca is an infectious disease physician and researcher at the University of Virginia. She developed the PositiveLinks platform alongside Karen Ingersoll beginning in 2013, and co-founded WHT with UVA LVG support to bring it to healthcare organizations nationwide. Her clinical and research work focuses on improving outcomes for people living with HIV and other chronic conditions.
Karen Ingersoll, Ph.D.
Co-Founder & Co-Inventor, PositiveLinks
Karen is a Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at UVA and a faculty member in the Center for Behavioral Health and Technology. She co-developed the PositiveLinks platform and co-founded WHT, bringing expertise in Motivational Interviewing, behavioral health, and scalable mHealth interventions for HIV and substance use disorder. Her research focuses on psychological interventions for people with intersecting chronic conditions and addictive behaviors.
The full team
The people behind the platform.
Helen Boyd
Chief Finanical Officer
Helen joined WHT as Finance Manager shortly after the company was incorporated in 2018. As CFO, she ensures WHT has the resources and controls in place to operate efficiently, working closely with both vendors and partners to continually strengthen the company's operational foundation.
Nick Adams
Chief Commercial Officer
Nick brings more than 25 years of experience in biotech, pharma, and digital health, including nearly 14 years at leading HIV biopharma companies — Roche, Agouron/Pfizer, and Gilead Sciences. In 2012 he founded a digital health company focused on clinical workflows and patient safety. He joined WHT to lead the commercial launch of PL Cares® and PL HOPE.
Ava Lena Waldman, M.H.S., CHES, CCRP
Senior Project Manager
Ava Lena is a public health professional with a focus on digital health interventions, clinical research coordination, and project management. She delivers technical assistance to organizations implementing mHealth platforms that improve engagement with care for people with chronic conditions. Prior to joining WHT, she managed HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and treatment programs at organizations on both coasts of the US.
Ben Elliott, BSW
PL Liaison / Peer Coach Coordinator
Ben holds a Bachelor of Social Work from James Madison University and brings more than five years of experience with PL in a clinical setting. At WHT, he collaborates with partner organizations to provide support, education, and workflow guidance, drawing on direct experience working with adults with disabilities, illnesses, and LGBT populations.
Helen Reed, MPH
PL Quality Improvement & Implementation Coordinator
Helen holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Virginia and has focused her career on improving outcomes for people living with HIV. At WHT, she leads onboarding and implementation for new PL Cares partners, manages the Community of Practice, and oversees the Partners Portal where partner organizations share strategies and best practices.
Jason Schwendinger
Senior Project Manager & Platform Developer
Jason leads the team developing WHT's native iOS and Android apps and supporting web portals. He manages the continuous design and implementation of platform updates and enhancements, incorporating feedback from members, providers, and partners, and oversees language and condition-specific platform adaptations.
Alex Zolin
Systems Administrator
Alex is a Systems Engineer with more than 10 years of experience in IT engineering, DevOps, and cloud architecture. At WHT, he ensures the platform's IT systems run reliably and securely, and works alongside the COO to develop and maintain the policies and procedures that underpin WHT's SOC 2 compliance.
Michelle Hilgart, M.Ed., Ph.D.
Instructional Designer
Michelle specializes in applying instructional design models and user-centered experience methodologies to create digital interventions that support health behavior change. At WHT, her work focuses on mHealth interventions for people living with HIV and other chronic conditions, and she leads the training and certification program for clinicians who support users of the PL platform.
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