Innovations for Aging, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trellis, is pleased to welcome three new members to its board of directors: Monica Engel, Nate Hunkins and Ram Rajagopalan. Each brings a unique mix of leadership experience, strategic insight and a shared commitment to advancing innovation that improves the lives of older adults. Their collective expertise will strengthen the board’s work as Innovations for Aging continues to grow its impact, foster collaboration and support solutions that promote dignity, independence and well-being across the aging continuum.
Monica Engel
Monica Engel is the Founder and CEO of ME Strategic Consulting, LLC, a firm dedicated to providing advisory services, consulting, and professional coaching. Monica previously held significant leadership positions at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, where she most recently served as President of Government Markets and CEO of Blue Plus. Her comprehensive experience spans both government and commercial markets, and she is recognized for her deep expertise, knowledge and skills within the healthcare payor sector.
Monica’s commitment to supporting others and her professional accomplishments have been celebrated with numerous awards. Among her most notable achievements, she was inducted into the Minnesota Insurance Hall of Fame in Fall 2025, a distinction that highlights her impact and contributions to the healthcare industry.
In her current role, Monica provides guidance to a range of healthcare startups, helping organizations achieve growth, operational excellence and transformative changes that foster innovation within the healthcare sector. Monica actively advises and mentors leaders through the Fellows Program with Women Business Leaders, serves on the Advisory Board for Mankato State University’s Women in Leadership with AI Driven Engagement Program and the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST.
Nate Hunkins
As the Senior Vice President of Value-Based Care and Executive Director of Bluestone’s Medicare Shared Savings ACO, Nate Hunkins specializes in aligning clinical outcomes with financial performance. Since 2016, his work has focused on designing total cost of care strategies, risk adjustment coding and the economic frameworks necessary to drive high-impact healthcare interventions.
Prior to Bluestone, Nate led business and systems development at MN Community Measurement, where he pioneered quality measures for the MN Healthcare Homes Program. Nate’s career is defined by the intersection of data-driven strategy and compassionate care for complex populations.
Nate brings experience in both for-profit scaling and nonprofit mission-driven work as well as a deep commitment to health equity and multi-stakeholder collaboration to the Innovations for Aging board. Outside of work, he is an avid traveler with his wife and two daughters and enjoys the challenge of learning new sports and exploring outdoor activities.
Ram Rajagopalan
Ram Rajagopalan is a seasoned business and technology leader with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations improve how they operate, serve customers and adapt to change. His professional background spans manufacturing, healthcare, life sciences, banking, and technology.
Ram currently serves as Vice President of Global AI Business Consulting at Sonata Software, where he leads work in digital transformation and customer experience. Throughout his career, he has been dedicated to driving thoughtful innovation, strengthening processes and building collaborative teams.
Ram is deeply committed to community service. He joins the Innovations for Aging board while concurrently serving as a member of the Trellis board of directors. In his time as a Trellis board member, Ram has served on the Title III Planning Committee, helping to evaluate funding applications and ensure equitable use of federal dollars. He was also instrumental in launching Trellis’ Development Committee and helped the organization raise a record $80,000 in one year. Fluent in both Tamil and English, Ram values diverse perspectives and meaningful community impact.