Vivek Swaminathan: Strategic mindset, servant leadership style, and results-focused approach

Vivek Swaminathan, CEO, Cardamom

About Cardamom

Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, Cardamom is a minority-owned, technology-forward health IT professional services company serving healthcare providers, payers, and health IT organizations. With a team-based, AI- and automation-first approach focused on committed outcomes, Cardamom helps customers more effectively use data, analytics, AI, and applications to improve care quality, reduce costs, and enhance patient and provider experiences.

Cardamom is also committed to growing local and industry talent by hiring high-potential team members without prior health IT experience and providing comprehensive training and mentorship to deliver industry-leading results. For more about Cardamom, visit https://cardamom.health .

About Vivek Swaminathan

Vivek Swaminathan is the CEO of Cardamom , a Madison-based technology-forward health IT professional services company serving healthcare providers, payers, and health IT organizations nationwide.

Born, raised and now back in Madison,  Vivek is a proud Badger alum and Asian American and brings over 20 years of experience in health IT, with leadership roles at Epic, Paradigm, and Nordic prior to founding Cardamom. Known for his strategic mindset, servant leadership style, and results-focused approach, Vivek has successfully grown software and professional services businesses from startups to late-stage organizations. He is passionate about improving health outcomes while reducing costs and is equally committed to the community and giving people opportunities to thrive.

TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT YOUR WISCONSIN JOURNEY. HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED HERE AND WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO STAY?

I was born and raised in Madison, WI. My parents moved here from India to go to UW-Madison and planted strong roots for us. My brother and I (and many of our cousins) are proud Badgers as well and I’ve lived most of my life here.

I’ve always enjoyed Madison but appreciate this city and our state even more after having lived in Minnesota, Georgia, and Illinois. More than anything else, I came back for the people and continue to stay because of them – Wisconsinites are the best!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A WISCONSIN RESIDENT?

In addition to the wonderful people, life is easier here than so many other places – there is plenty to do without excessive traffic, distances to travel or barriers that add stress and take time. It’s a supportive community and a great place to raise kids and spend time with family and friends.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT CARDAMOM DOES AS AN INNOVATOR IN HEALTH IT?

We approach responsibilities and challenges with a technology-forward mindset, using our knowledge of established methodologies and emerging technologies to come up with creative, modern, and pragmatic best practices. We use industry-leading technologies, including automation and AI, to enhance the work we do both with our customers and internally, making the work we do more efficient, cost-effective, and shortening the time to value.

The community-focused portion of our dual mission means that we care deeply about providing opportunities to those who may not have had an opportunity otherwise, inherently boosting the health IT workforce that is in high demand but has a low supply. With our team-based model, we provide support and mentorship with plenty of opportunities to learn and grow.

WHAT MAKES CARDAMOM DIFFERENT THAN OTHER HEALTH IT ORGANIZATIONS?

Our tagline sums it up well: Technology-forward. People-powered. Results-focused. At our core is an amazing team of people who excel at collaborating to achieve meaningful outcomes. We strive to be role models on how best to use technology (including emerging innovations) to maximize value and impact.

And we don’t stop – continuous improvement is deeply engrained in our culture. Our people are encouraged and supported to keep learning, growing, and innovating so we can creatively remove (and proactively prevent!) barriers while guiding our customers toward long-term success.

TALK ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH WEDC.

The WEDC has been a strong supporter of Cardamom from day one. Between certifications for tax credits, loans and an investment in our Series Seed, the WEDC has supported us financially in addition to the strong partnership we have felt from our counterparts within the organization. I am grateful for the WEDC and I appreciate the tremendous positive impact they are making on our state.

WHAT EXCITES YOU THE MOST ABOUT THE WISCONSIN BUSINESS CLIMATE GOING FORWARD?

It’s a great place to attract and retain talent. The cost of living is reasonable and it’s a supportive community and business environment, making it an attractive place for people to work. Furthermore, since it’s centrally located, it’s easy for us to support our customers and team across the country remotely or to travel coast-to-coast with ease.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SEE IMPROVE IN THE WISCONSIN BUSINESS CLIMATE GOING FORWARD?

While the startup and innovation ecosystems have grown and evolved drastically, there is still less visibility and access to non-traditional capital for high potential and high-growth businesses. The coastal VCs have historically overlooked the Midwest but I’m starting to see that change. I haven’t, however, seen meaningful change in the behavior or approach from local or regional banks.