Dr. Shrestha is executive vice president, chief innovation and commercialization officer at Advocate Health, where he leads innovation strategy, commercialization and ecosystem partnerships designed to be replicable across health systems. He has been instrumental in developing the system’s innovation districts, including The Pearl in Charlotte, a public-private partnership anchored by Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health and home to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Charlotte campus, which welcomed its first class in July 2025. The district is projected to generate more than 5,500 on-site jobs and more than 11,500 total regional jobs over 15 years, positioning it as both a healthcare innovation engine and an economic catalyst. Dr. Shrestha also supported strategic collaborations that established IRCAD North America at The Pearl. He also expanded technology integration and experiential education partnerships with organizations such as Medtronic and Boston Scientific. He oversees the Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem, N.C. and is leading development of IQ Phase II to expand space and programming for startups, research and education. Dr. Shrestha has been named to the Charlotte Business Journal’s “Power 100 Innovators” and has helped Advocate Health earn placement on Fortune’s “Most Innovative Companies” for three consecutive years.
