Bearcats in business: Ryan Rosensweig, Microsoft

Bearcats in business: Ryan Rosensweig, Microsoft

How a Cincinnati grad became a Microsoft health and life science AI innovator

By Stephen KenneyEmail StephenEmail Stephen

6 minute readSeptember 4, 2024Share on facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print StoryLike

Ryan Rosensweig, a third-generation Bearcat alumnus who grew up in Clifton, has always held close ties to the University of Cincinnati.

That's on top of Rosensweig earning his bachelor's in business administration from UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business and his master's in design from the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP).

In his role at Microsoft, Rosensweig explores the outer boundaries of what's possible with technology in the health and life sciences industry. He brings together researchers, engineers and designers with health care organization leaders to co-innovate on some of the industry's toughest challenges. Recently, Rosensweig collaborated on the launch of the Trustworthy and Responsible AI Network (TRAIN), a provider-led group making safe and fair artificial intelligence (AI) accessible to every health care organization.

"I use many of the strategic models and mindsets I learned at the University of Cincinnati to study how things are changing and frame opportunities for innovation," Rosensweig said.

Cultivating innovation leadership

At UC, Rosensweig expanded his aspirations early through involvement in student groups and exposure to co-ops and unique college collaboratives. While on campus, he fully embraced the opportunities to learn and lead with others by being a resident adviser in Calhoun Hall, founding a chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and serving as UC's student body president.

In the classroom, Rosensweig took advantage of all the University Honors Program provided. Its unique and challenging curriculum took him around the world, exploring innovation and impact from multiple perspectives. These opportunities to work closely with faculty and students from different disciplines complemented Rosensweig's co-op rotations where he learned from Cintas executives and founders in the Hamilton County Business Incubator.

UC challenged me to develop both a depth of expertise and an ability to work with others.

Ryan RosensweigDirector and principal program manager of Health Alliance Innovation, Microsoft

"Innovation is grounded in an ability to experiment and collaborate with others," Rosensweig said. "UC challenged me to develop both a depth of expertise and an ability to work with others. Switching from school to co-op and back gave me opportunities to try new things and immediately apply what I learned."

Innovation happens here

Rosensweig credits UC's support for faculty and facilities with promoting cutting-edge innovation and opportunities for collaboration.

"When you learn from the best and have access to the tools you need to collaborate and create, you start to realize that you aren't just spending your time filling credits," Rosensweig said. "It's your opportunity to invest in yourself, in your future."

Rosensweig found lifelong mentorship and inspiration from UC faculty and administrators who created the moments that shaped his education. Instruction in emerging concepts like design-led innovation (Craig Vogel, Dale Murray and Ann Welsh), sociocultural trend forecasting (Valerie Jacobs) and systematic inventive thinking (Drew Boyd) jump-started Rosensweig's maturity as an innovation practitioner.

Accelerated impact

The cultivation of big ideas at UC's 1819 Innovation Hub continues today. Rosensweig primarily benefited from the university's 2007 launch of the Live Well Collaborative.

"Live Well was my second home," he said. "The experiences I had there, learning from leaders at Procter & Gamble, LG, Hillrom, Cincinnati Children's and the Center for Aging With Dignity equipped me with the invaluable tools needed to have an impact on any industry."

What's next?

Across states and spanning years, Rosensweig still harkens back to his experience and knowledge gained at UC. He's hosted students and alumni in Seattle, Washington, where he resides, and enjoys catching up on universitywide initiatives and pathways students are forming.

Rosensweig encourages his three kids, those he mentors and even himself to "be a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all." He is motivated by the potential to harness technology for social good and excited to see UC's talent pipeline drive innovation with AI in various industries.

Rosensweig is still delighted by an observation he shared in his 2009 commencement speech: "You can't spell collaborate without B-E-A-R-C-A-T." Collaboration is certainly a key to his success, catalyzed at UC.

UC's impactful investments toward innovation are already driving change in Greater Cincinnati and beyond. In 2023 alone, UC contributed $10.6 billion to the region's economy and $22.7 billion to Ohio as a whole. Individual impacts, such as Rosensweig's work on health care AI at Microsoft, stretch that number even further.

Featured image at top: Meeting at the launch of the Trustworthy and Responsible AI Network. Photo/Ryan Rosensweig

Innovation Lives Here

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