This month’s spotlight is Medhane Amanuel. Medhane currently serves as the Manager of Operations and Strategy at Advocate Aurora Health (AAH). He is also the Co-Founder of Credo Capital, a fintech education company. Read more to learn about Medhane’s exciting path to healthcare and Credo Capital.

Could you briefly explain some of your responsibilities in your current career role?

I currently serve as the Manager of Operations and Strategy within the Advocate Medical Group in the greater Chicago area. I oversee the daily operations and strategic development of the AdvocateCare Center (ACC). The ACC is a state-of-the-art multidisciplinary poly-chronic population health clinic focused on improving the health and wellness outcomes for people managing medical conditions like diabetes, kidney disease, pulmonary disease, heart failure, etc. The ACC aims to improve clinical and financial outcomes for Advocate’s at-risk Medicare lives. I manage a team of 17 clinical and ancillary support staff. I’m ultimately responsible for providing leadership, direction and administration over assigned operations while growing revenue and improving operating margins.

What were the most important or valuable steps you have taken that you believe helped you with your career?

The most valuable step I have taken was pursing and obtaining my Masters in Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan. My time at Michigan allowed me to get exposure to the various facets of the healthcare system. Furthermore, I was able to gain access to one of the strongest alumni networks in the world, the Michigan Mafia as we like to call it is one big family. I was able to take the knowledge that I had acquired at Michigan to attain an Administrative Fellowship at one of the largest health systems in the country.

How did you come to decide that this was the right career path for you?

During my last academic semester in undergrad I sought a full-time internship with the District of Columbia Department of Health, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Administration (HEPRA). The internship ultimately led to a full-time role as Program Specialist which was instrumental as I was exposed to various hospital related projects. Due to the emergence of the infectious and fatal Ebola Virus there was a push for health care facilities to reinforce preparedness. The DC DOH assessed all 8 acute care hospitals to determine each of their baseline readiness capacities for receiving and either transferring or treating an Ebola Patient. I participated in numerous hospital visits and treatment facilities to assess their Ebola Readiness. My experience at HEPRA really solidified my interest in healthcare management.

What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your career?

My current role is very rewarding because it allows me to implement and lead healthcare programs in urban communities that will address the social determinants of health and provide services to people that need them most. The most challenging aspect of my career is navigating the ever-changing world of healthcare. The industry is slow to adapt to change and at times in can be frustrating as you’re trying to make an impact at a larger scale.

Is there a philosophy that drives your career?

 “Being realistic is the most common path to mediocrity” is one of my favorite quotes. I truly believe in order to be successful in any field you have to be willing to take risk and reach for new heights. Playing it safe won’t get you anywhere and I try to live my life with that philosophy not just in my career but in every aspect of my life. Apply for that job you don’t think you “qualify” for or start the business you have always been passionate about.

To date, what is your greatest professional accomplishment?

My greatest professional accomplishment is being able to be in position to lead people. As a Manager of a population health clinic I have been given a great responsibility of leading a team of individuals that are passionate about making a positive change in healthcare, I believe leadership is a privilege that shouldn’t be taken lightly. I’m truly grateful to lead my team and continue to make a progressive impact in my community.

What’s one piece of advice you would give someone looking to transition into your line of work?

I encourage everyone to keep their options open. The beauty of the healthcare field is that there are many different sectors within the industry that you can dive into. Don’t be afraid to take on new roles in areas that you haven’t been exposed to. Set up informational interviews with people to get additional insight into their area of expertise. Having an open mind has helped tremendously as I continue to navigate my career.

You recently launched Credo Capital. Will you tell us more about the business and the inspiration behind it?

Credo Capital is a fintech education company founded alongside myself, Aaron Hopkins, Rashad Madison & Vaughn Williams who all believe that knowledge shared is better than knowledge hidden. We wanted to create a platform where people can learn about the stock market and investing in an easy, user friendly and digestible way. We first met in the summer of 2014 at the University of Michigan. Throughout the summer, we discussed stock market investing at that point just as a way for side income. Those conversations over the years progressed into ways that we could help achieve generational wealth for our community. A lot of this was done by each of us educating ourselves on the market by reading various books such as “How to make money in stocks”, “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, etc. We also listened to audiobooks as well as podcasts and began trading and familiarizing ourselves with different trading techniques over time. Stock investing like other areas and fields requires continuous education and lifelong learning to build a successful skillset. Everyone wants to get rich overnight but you have to be willing to learn what factors go into investing in order to realize its full potential. As time progressed especially during the start of the covid-19 pandemic, conversations around investing and generating multiple streams of income became a daily occurrence. By exchanging stock tips, strategies and support we began to see significant profit returns in the market. This led us to the idea of Credo Capital as we also saw a need from a social equity standpoint.

Here at Credo Capital, we are not financial planners, we are not in advisory services and we don’t want to tell anyone what to invest in. Instead we want to provide people of color the tools and means to understand investing so that they can make informed decisions to protect and grow their wealth over the years. As part of our services, Credo offers pre-recorded courses, one-on-one consultations, and a credo trading community to exchange ideas with like-minded individuals.

Outside of all of your hard work and professional efforts, what do you do for fun? Hobbies?

I love exploring new restaurants and speakeasy bars, biking along the Lake Shore in Chicago, and adding to my growing vinyl collection.