Laura Gomez Cadena, VC associate at Healthworx Ventures, is one of our top 50 Rising Stars in corporate venturing for 2026.
Laura Gomez Cadena plays an active role in building a culture of excellence at Healthworx Ventures, the CVC of US health insurer CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), investing in healthtech companies, training new hires and leading the unit’s internship programme.
Gomez joined Healthworx Ventures in 2022 after graduate school and a stint working at the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank. The experience gave her exposure to the corporate world and an understanding of how to navigate large, complex organisations. She combines this experience with a lifelong interest in healthcare innovation.
She also started and co-hosts a podcast, Health TechTalks, which brings together founders, operators and investors in healthcare. Through conversations with leaders across the healthcare innovation space she met Emily Durfee, who would later become her manager at Healthworx.
“I hear hundreds of pitches throughout the year. I get to select a few, go through the investment process and, for those that work with our members, see the impact they have. Just seeing the full cycle of that is extremely fulfilling.”
The small team of four makes about three investments a year in late seed to series C startups. The unit has a portfolio of 13 startups and also invests as an LP in other VC funds. Of its $100m in allocated capital, 70% goes to direct investments.
The CVC team invests in healthcare delivery startups such as Scene Health, a medicine adherence programme, and SafeRide Health, a non-emergency medical transportation company. Gomez is also looking into new care models that improve quality, access and patient outcomes across paediatrics, severe mental illness and oncology populations.
Gomez wears several hats in corporate venture, which span sourcing deals, due diligence, investment and portfolio company support.
“I hear hundreds of pitches throughout the year. I get to select a few, go through the investment process and, for those that work with our members, see the impact they have on our population. Just seeing the full cycle of that is extremely fulfilling,” says Gomez.
The Rising Stars are early-career corporate venture professionals who are making an outstanding contribution to their teams and the industry.
See the full list of Rising Stars 2026 here.
