Our People

Professor Vishaal Kishore is a strategist, political economist, academic and commentator.  He is a leading thinker at the boundary of the public and private, the human and the technological.

Vishaal is Professor of Innovation and Public Policy at RMIT University, where he founded and leads the Health Transformation Lab and is architect of a number of applied innovation initiatives.  He co-founded The MedTech Actuator – Australia’s National MedTech Catalyst, sits on the Investment Committee of Artesian Venture Partner’s MedTech venture capital fund, and holds a number of board and advisory positions across the Australian and regional innovation and impact ecosystems.

He has previously been Deputy Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services; director for government strategy in EY’s management consulting practice; a mergers and acquisitions lawyer; and an Associate at the Federal Court of Australia. Vishaal has held academic/research fellowships at Harvard and Brown Universities in the United States, and the University of Melbourne and Monash University in Australia.

Vishaal holds a doctorate from Harvard University, where his work focused on the intersection of law, political economy and socio-political theory.

Nithya Solomon is an innovation executive, strategist and versatile business leader renowned for her creativity in shaping unique ventures in philanthropy, social innovation and public health. She has held  senior leadership roles at Nike, EY, VicHealth and Accenture, and has wide expertise in private and public sectors in Australia, USA and Latin America. Nithya is sought after for her ability to convert insights and abstract ideas into action and results. She is also a professional performing artist who produces and performs classical and contemporary works. 

As Executive Lead of Innovation at VicHealth, Nithya curated wide-reaching programs that made global thought leadership, citizens’ juries and digital innovation accessible for corporations and community organisations alike. 

Nithya was Nike Foundation’s Director of Operations, Finance & Strategy through their defining years of shaping a game-changing investment portfolio for adolescent girls’ economic empowerment. She was instrumental in delivering Nike’s unprecedented ‘Designed to Move’ collaboration; a shared commitment between 70+ multi-sector organisations to increase worldwide physical activity. 

Nithya holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management and Bachelor degrees in Engineering (Chemical) & Arts (Performing Arts) from Monash University 

Sai Ram is a data enthusiast with a recent master’s degree in data science from Monash University, Australia. He is skilled in analysing natural language, numerical, image, and video data, leveraging advanced AI/ML techniques to generate business insights product(s). He has always been keen on learning new technologies and updating himself on the go.

Sai has been a part of multiple inter-disciplinary teams throughout his career, in environments that include consulting, HR, gender equity and diversity, and software development. He recently worked on developing a website that incorporated a deep learning NLP model that gauges the stress/mental status of young adults in Australia with poor mental health.

He is now a Specialist at the Health Transformation Lab.

Mondo is a self-driven solution developer with a master’s degree in Mechatronics and Engineering Management from Deakin University. He has shown an aptitude for Embedded software development, IoT Applications, and idea proofing. He is eager to transform ideas into viable products, developing problem-solving techniques and skills by engaging with different stakeholders.

Mondo has worked in one of Geelong’s innovation businesses as a project coordinator where he assisted in innovation initiatives inclusive of projects supporting user experience, research & development, and services.

He is now a Specialist at Health Transformation Lab.

Marcus is the Alliance Manager for the National Industry Innovation Network (NIIN) Healthcare Alliance, at the Health Transformation Lab, RMIT University, responsible for identifying and driving partnership, skills development and showcasing opportunities for the alliance across government,
academia, and industry.
Prior to this, Marcus held various leadership roles in his 25 years career at Cisco, and contributed significantly across sales, customer experience, marketing, business development, and corporate social responsibility. He has extensive working experiences in the enterprise and public sectors
across the Asia Pacific region. In his first five years at Cisco, he rolled out the Cisco Networking Academy Program to more than 1,000 academies in 24 countries that achieved over 30,000 student completions and reach 85,000 annual student enrolment during that period. This program
has since benefited millions across the region. Prior to Cisco, Marcus held technical and education sales roles at Novell ASEAN, technical
network consultant roles with the National Computer Board of Singapore, and teaching faculty positions at the Information Communication Institute of Singapore.
Marcus holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Computer Science and Electronics from the University of Edinburgh. He also has over 20 years of contributions to the Worldskills movement, held countless advisory roles in academic advisory committees with all technical institutions of higher learning in Singapore, as well as the Singapore Ministry of Education.

Callie Clifford is a Project Coordinator, who joined the RMIT-Cisco Health Transformation Lab in 2024. Through her previous roles as a Campaign Manager, in the advertising sector, and Senior Project Coordinator, in FF&E procurement; she has demonstrated her analytic abilities and meticulous attention to detail, consistently driving projects to successful completion.

Callie has worked in collaboration with clients such as TAC, Beyond Blue, and the Australian Federal Government; consistently managing multiple projects across 3,500+ venues, displaying her proficiency in managing conflicting priorities and tight deadlines.

Prior to this, Callie managed many prestigious luxury hotel furniture procurement projects, including the renovations of The Dorchester in London and The Hoxton in Rome; working closely with Interior Designers, Architects, Contractors, and suppliers, to facilitate budget and program adjustments, and ensure compliance with legal requirements.

In her role at the Health Transformation Lab, she has contributed to a pilot training program, to upskill regional health workers in digital skills, funded by Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR); as well as managing the Lab’s social media assets, and directed the creation and delivery of 3 x videos, to be used for project specific promotion and scaling efforts.

Callie holds a Masters of Philosophy, from King’s College London.