Alumni | Ashish and Amy Contractor Help Establish a New Era for Healthcare at Stern

On February 12, 2026, members of the NYU Stern community gathered to celebrate the launch of the NYU Stern Healthcare Initiative and the Contractor Program in Healthcare. The event brought to life a vision shared by Ashish (BS ’97) and Amy (BS ’00) Contractor, whose generous gift helped establish both the Contractor Program and the Contractor Fellows in Healthcare to shape how the next generation of leaders navigates the complex intersection of healthcare, technology, and finance.

From left to right: Michael Dickstein, Ashish Contractor, Amy Contractor

Vice Dean for Graduate Programs Nate Pettit kicked off the event, which featured a panel discussion that mirrored the cross-disciplinary dialogue the Initiative aims to foster. Moderated by Professor Michael Dickstein, the Initiative's founding director, the panel included:

• Ashish Contractor (BS ’97), Managing Director at Moelis & Company, who provided the lens of investment banking and capital markets with a focus on pharmaceutical and biotech corporate finance
• Charlotte Kremer (EMBA ’03), Principal at Gramercy Life Sciences, who brought deep expertise in pharmaceutical strategy, medical leadership, and global healthcare innovation
• Jesse Horowitz, Chief Product Officer at Oscar Health, who shared insights on how technology and AI are transforming the consumer experience and reducing complexity in health insurance

Speakers from left to right: Michael Dickstein, Jesse Horowitz, Nate Pettit, Charlotte Kremer, Ashish Contractor

During the event, Ashish reflected on why specialized training in this field has become more vital than ever. “Healthcare is one of the most complex and consequential sectors of our economy,” Ashish noted in his remarks to the audience of alumni, faculty, and students. “It requires leaders who can navigate science, technology, policy, capital markets, and human impact simultaneously.”

Ashish Contractor delivers opening remarks to attendees

Empowering the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders

For Ashish, who holds nearly 30 years of experience as an advisor to pharmaceutical and biotech companies, his time at Stern was a formative experience that fueled his ongoing commitment to the School. After he earned his BS in Finance and International Business with honors, Ashish returned to Stern as guest lecturer in an undergraduate health economics course where he developed a partnership with Professor Michael Dickstein, recognized as a “Best 40 Under 40 MBA Professor” by Poets&Quants.

What began as a classroom collaboration soon “evolved into a shared vision for strengthening Stern’s position in the healthcare ecosystem,” Professor Dickstein noted in his opening remarks. This shared commitment to the importance of sustained investment in students led to the conceptualization of a healthcare program at Stern: exposure to industry leaders, emerging trends, and the practical realities that shape healthcare and healthcare-adjacent fields.

Professor Michael Dickstein (center) at the Healthcare Initiative Launch event

The generosity of Ashish and Amy Contractor established two cornerstone initiatives: the Contractor Program in Healthcare and the Contractor Fellows in Healthcare. The Contractor Program in Healthcare provides all Stern students with exposure to industry leaders through fireside chats, tailored networking forums, and specialized seminars that explore emerging market trends to ensure students understand the practical realities of the field. The Contractor Fellows in Healthcare will launch in Fall 2026 to connect a cohort of MBA students to healthcare mentors and experiential learning projects.

See more photos from the event

 

Photos: ©Creighton: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau