PatientsLikeMe ™

My Bio
Benjamin Heywood has served as the president and director of PatientsLikeMe since its inception in 2004.  His professional experience spans a diverse set of operational areas including successful ventures in the medical device industry, the entertainment industry, and in speculative residential real estate development.  
 
After graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Heywood moved to Silicon Valley to work for Target Therapeutics, the leading designer and manufacturer of microcatheter-based products for the treatment of stroke. After significant involvement in both manufacturing and product design, he eventually moved into Business Development until Boston Scientific acquired the company.  
 
Prior to co-founding PatientsLikeMe, Heywood was a Creative Executive at the film and television production company SideStreet Entertainment.  While working in Hollywood, he produced an award-winning short film, Flush, and worked in both production and script development on numerous films.
 
A highly regarded thought leader in the Health 2.0 industry, Heywood is a frequent speaker at conferences and source for the news media on topics in this space.  He has been quoted in New York Times Magazine, CNNMoney and numerous trade publications.  Heywood earned his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and received his MBA from the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management.