College of Business HealthCare Lunch & Learn

Spring 2026 HealthCare Lunch & Learn

The Dunham College of Business invites you to attend the upcoming HealthCare Lunch & Learn at Houston Christian University.

Register Now

Guest Speakers

Sarah Michel Gerwig, MPH, PMP

Healthcare Entrepreneur| Commercialization Strategist| Global Innovation Leader

Sarah Michel Gerwig is a healthcare entrepreneur and commercialization strategist with over 15 years of experience advancing medical innovation into scalable ventures. She is Founder and CEO of UpGlobal, where she advises life science startups in the U.S. and internationally on growth strategy, partnerships, and pathways to market. Sarah has generated over $6 million in funding and holds a patent for deployable mobile medical clinics and laboratories used in Ebola response efforts.

Previously, Sarah served as Associate Director of Global Medical Innovation and Adjunct Instructor
in the Bioengineering Department at Rice University. There, she worked with students to develop
low-cost medical technologies for low-resource settings. She also built industry partnerships,
created a graduate-level career preparation course, and built a pipeline that achieved 100%
placement of participating students into leading healthcare companies, including Medtronic, Boston
Scientific, Abbott, and BD.

At Baylor College of Medicine, Sarah led funding strategy and commercialization planning for emerging health technologies as Director of Business Development in the Global Health Innovation
Center. She identified, co-wrote, and managed more than $3 million in grant funding from
organizations including USAID and the Paul Allen Foundation, building global partnerships to scale
innovation in resource-limited settings.

She is a native of Austin, Texas, and earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin before earning a Master of Public Health from The University of Texas School of Public Health.

Nayla R. Benyamine, MPH, PMP

Senior Manager, Business Strategy & Development, BCM Innovation Institute- Baylor College of Medicine

Nayla R. Benyamine is a strategic operations and commercialization leader with more than 15 years of experience supporting executive leadership across major academic medical centers and nonprofits. At Baylor College of Medicine, she partners with the Chief Scientific Innovation Officer to lead the strategic and operational integration of the BCM Innovation Institute, the College’s commercialization engine, which has generated more than $95 million in revenue over five fiscal years. She oversees business strategy and operations across licensing, development, and a portfolio of 15+ startups and companies, while serving as a strategic advisor and chief of staff to advance infrastructure, partnerships, and innovation initiatives.

Previously, Nayla worked with the Provost and executive leadership to establish BCM’s inaugural Provost Office, building operational infrastructure across 13 units, managing budgets exceeding $200 million, supporting facilities planning for the 503,000-square-foot Health Sciences Building, and helping achieve zero citations during the institution’s 10-year SACSCOC accreditation reaffirmation. She also served in the Office of the President, supporting implementation of the institutional strategic plan, post-split restructuring, and the launch of key research centers, including the Cardiovascular Research Institute.

Earlier in her career, Nayla led global nonprofit and philanthropic initiatives, known for bringing clarity and momentum to complex, cross-functional efforts. She holds an MPH in Healthcare Management from the University of Texas School of Public Health and is a proud alumna of Houston Christian University, where she earned her double major in Business and in Marketing (BBA).