“I wish I’d known that I didn’t need to fit someone else’s definition of a leader to be successful. Today, I try to help others, especially women, to trust their instincts, step outside of their comfort zones and believe in themselves sooner than I did.”
Jennifer Sheasgreen’s career in healthcare specialty finance grew from an early appreciation for healthcare accounting into leadership roles across underwriting, portfolio management and operations. Merging her passions for relationship building, collaborative problem-solving and helping organizations access capital, she co-founded SixCap Healthcare Finance in March 2026. The platform empowers her team to solve unique challenges for providers through flexible working capital solutions, marking a rewarding culmination of her dedication to the sector
A major crossroads came during the 2008 financial crisis, when her division shut down, forcing Sheasgreen to choose between a traditional role and the risk of building something new. Backed by an investment banking firm, she launched a mid-recession roadshow to find a partner. Despite immense hurdles — including being told she needed a male figurehead — she pushed forward, grounded by Eleanor Roosevelt’s wisdom: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
One of the most rewarding initiatives of Sheasgreen’s career has been launching a finance company from the ground up. Partnering with former colleagues, she and her team developed the business plan, structured the platform and raised capital to move the organization from concept to launch. Building a business and culture from a blank sheet of paper that reflect her core values has been especially fulfilling.
Sheasgreen leads by investing in people, inspiring change and encouraging calculated risk-taking and accountability. This approach enables her to lead authentically, build trust and empower others to do their best work. Ultimately, Sheasgreen advises early-career women to find the inner strength to believe in themselves and step into the unknown. Throughout her career, she has learned that she is capable of far more than she initially believed.
