# Colby Takeda

> Colby Takeda is the co-founder and CEO of Pear Suite, a digital health company that gives community health workers the software, billing tools, and data infrastructure to be recognized as a foundational part of the healthcare system. A fourth-generation Japanese American from O'ahu, registered community health worker, and former senior living executive, he built Pear Suite during the pandemic on Google Sheets and Typeform before turning it into a care navigation platform that supports thousands of frontline workers. In October 2025 the company raised a $7.6 million Series A led by Rock Health Capital to expand its reach into Medicaid and Medicare markets.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Pear Suite
- **Organizations:** Pear Suite, National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW), Chaminade University School of Nursing and Health Professions, Sharecare / Blue Zones Project
- **From:** O'ahu, Hawaii, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High school, 'Iolani School, Undergraduate, Health Sciences, Willamette University, MBA, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Shidler College of Business, MPH, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health
- **Known for:** Raised $7.6M Series A for Pear Suite in October 2025 (lead investors Rock Health Capital and Nexxus Holdings), Built Pear Suite to support 2,500+ community health workers and 300+ provider organizations, Pear Suite reports 50,000+ community members served and 25+ health plan partnerships

## Career timeline

- **early career** — Cold-emailed Cindy Adams for a nonprofit internship; by age 22 was leading local operations across events, volunteers, and communications
- **pre-2018** — Senior living executive in Hawaii, helping open facilities caring for hundreds of older adults
- **2018-2021** — Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives at Sharecare; led policy and partnerships for the Blue Zones Project
- **2020** — Co-founded a COVID-19 pen-pal program with Dr. Christy Nishita connecting isolated seniors with students, later used to boost vaccination rates
- **2021** — Co-founded Pear Suite with Nick Lockett to support community health workers during the pandemic
- **2024** — Active speaker and podcast guest; teaches community health at Chaminade University; board member of NACHW
- **2025** — Pear Suite raised $7.6M Series A led by Rock Health Capital and Nexxus Holdings (announced October 2025)

## Achievements

- Raised $7.6M Series A for Pear Suite in October 2025 (lead investors Rock Health Capital and Nexxus Holdings)
- Built Pear Suite to support 2,500+ community health workers and 300+ provider organizations
- Pear Suite reports 50,000+ community members served and 25+ health plan partnerships
- Registered Community Health Worker and board member of the National Association of Community Health Workers
- Teaches community health courses at Chaminade University's School of Nursing and Health Professions
- HLTH Foundation Techquity Award recognition for Pear Suite

## Latest updates

- **2025-10** — Pear Suite announced a $7.6M Series A led by Rock Health Capital and Nexxus Holdings to accelerate AI-powered platform development and expand into Medicaid and Medicare markets.
- **2026-04** — Featured discussing Pear Suite as an HLTH Foundation Techquity Award winner driving value-based care in local communities.

## Links

- Website: https://pearsuite.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/colbytakeda
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/pearsuiteinc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pearsuiteinc/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/colby-takeda
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-14