Digital Health KC Promotes Elizabeth Shaffer to President

Posted October 23, 2026

BioNexus KC and Digital Health KC announced that it has elevated Elizabeth Shaffer to president, succeeding Dick Flanigan.

Flanigan will transition into a role on the BioNexus KC Board of Directors and will continue his work on the Digital Health KC Advisory Board and as a Senior Advisor for the organization, according to a release. As Senior Advisor for Digital Health KC, he will continue supporting the organization and the companies it supports in the region’s digital health landscape.

Shaffer joined Digital Health KC as Program Director in March 2024. During her time with the nonprofit, she helped expand the organization’s programming, recruit advisory board members, and grow its investor network to 160.

“When you look over the past few years, you see that Dick’s vision and strategy were about activating the ecosystem,” Shaffer said in the release. “What we’re going to see over the next couple of years is a continuation of that vision, but also listening. It’s not about where Digital Health KC wants to take this organization. It’s about what our ecosystem needs to be successful and keep this flywheel spinning.”

Flanigan has led the organization since its launch in 2023. He established Digital Health KC with co-founder Maria Flynn. Digital Health KC publicly launched in May 2023 as an initiative of BioNexus KC. It has since identified more than 130 digital health companies in the Kansas City region.

“When we hired Liz, we hired her with an eye on leadership potential, leadership interest and demonstrated leadership characteristics,” Flanigan said in the release. “A year in, there was no doubt she was incredibly capable. This is right on plan. It’s exactly what we structured the organization to do, and I’m excited for where we can take this going forward.”

Digital Health KC is a non-profit Ecosystem and Entrepreneurial Support Organization (ESO) that has partnerships with over 120 companies across Kansas and Missouri.