Stephen McHaleFounder

United States - Greater Cleveland

Stephen McHale’s mission is founding and building data and technology companies that transform industries. A hallmark of his career is the acquisition of his first three companies by industry leaders to include IBM. Since 2021, Steve has dedicated his experience and resources to building his fourth company, UnifyWork, a platform company delivering AI technology that transforms work. UnifyWork is the first for-profit spin-off of Unify Labs, a 509(a)3 venture impact non-profit that Steve co-founded in 2017 with the mission of Powering Inclusive Prosperity.

In 2009, Steve co-founded Explorys in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. As Chairman of the Board and CEO, Steve led the Explorys team as they invented and brought to market a big data solution to improve healthcare outcomes. Through his leadership, the company amassed the world’s largest clinical database, spanning hundreds of thousands of healthcare providers and more than 60 million patients in the United States. Explorys was acquired by IBM in 2015. Prior to Explorys, Steve founded and led Everstream, a media analytics company acquired by Concurrent, an Atlanta-based publicly traded company. And, the first company he founded, USConnect, a North America-focused systems integration company was also acquired by a publicly traded company.

Steve is committed to supporting entrepreneurship and invention. He serves as the Managing Partner of 23Bell Ventures, an invention capital firm, himself has 4 issued patents, and is a member of the Texas A&M Innovation Council. He chairs the board of Arrive Health, a leader in prescription decision support, and serves on the board of Axuall, a company specializing in workforce credentialing and workforce intelligence. Steve is as involved with his community as he is with his work serving on the boards of the Centers for Families and Children, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, The Cleveland Food Bank, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Clinic. He is an LP in all of the North Coast Angel & Venture Funds and is a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization. Throughout his life and work, Steve has been widely recognized as a leader in technology innovation and a champion of community thriving.