Phi Kappa Psi - University of Iowa

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A SMALL GROUP A s college sophomores, John Greenwood '00 and Brand Newland '00 served as president and vice president of Iowa Alpha. The young men weren't actively seeking such roles when they joined, but they saw— and embraced—an opportunity to improve the Chapter. The company they cofounded many years later, Goldfinch Health, was based on another opportunity: improving surgery experiences in the United States while reducing the use of opioids. When Goldfinch expanded into Tennessee, Brand and John hired fellow Brother Mike Doty '10 to support their mission. Despite being a decade apart, their shared Phi Psi experiences and standards ensured he was right for the team. United in Brotherhood ____________ All three Brothers were finalists of the Nile C. Kinnick Scholarship (Mike winning it in 2009), and although Phi Kappa Psi membership wasn't required to earn this, it made a lasting impression on the members they met. "You meet these guys who are dedicated in their academics, give back to the community, and also like to have fun on the weekends. Their sense of community sold me on the brotherhood," Mike said. In a way, each Brother took a leap of faith when they joined Phi Psi. The upperclassmen who recruited them wouldn't necessarily be the people they spent the most time with when they entered a pledge class, but they trusted that their new peers were drawn to the Fraternity for similar reasons. "I tell my kids all the time, 'Show me your friends and I'll show you who you are,'" John explained. "When you surround yourself with disciplined people who have high intellect and aspirations, you can't help but rise to that level—and hopefully bring others with you. There was an expectation that we would get good grades, live the creed, and that we were out to be the best." "Older Brothers immediately expected us to take informal roles; everyone had to contribute," Brand recalled. Eventually, as elections came up, two upperclassmen told Brand they expected him to be president. "That was never on my radar when joining, and I would have picked half a dozen other people before me. But in that moment, somebody thought of me in a way that I hadn't thought of myself, and that had a lot of lasting value." In John and Brand's view, Iowa Alpha was an entrepreneurial group that prepared them well for their current jobs. Growing their small group was hard work, but the brotherhood was motivated. By the time they graduated, the Chapter had won the IFC International Award for Fraternal Excellence. "Goldfinch Health wouldn't exist without Iowa Alpha," Brand said. The Mission ______________________ Brand left his previous healthcare job in late 2017 and moved from Des Moines to Austin seeking a new opportunity. He kept in touch John, and they bounced around ideas for a new startup. They decided to do something that nobody else was doing and they felt the world couldn't live without—and face the opioid crisis head-on in the process. That led them to launch Goldfinch Health in 2018. "We wanted to help people find a much better experience with surgery and recovery, and it happened to be a solution to the most daunting public health crisis of our time," Brand said. Brand worked on the company full time from the beginning, and John contributed on the side before leaving his old job to work at Goldfinch full time. John's background involved research and training physicians on minimally invasive approaches to surgery, and he continuously observed an alarming gap between patients and the access to safer surgery and recovery resources. "I lost an uncle, a Harvard Ph.D., to a hospital- borne infection after a hip replacement, and I realized, if even he couldn't navigate that world, how would the regular person?" John knew he would regret it if he didn't explore solutions during his career, and he knew it would take a team effort like the Phi Psi days. "Plus, my wife would have not let me quit my great job without Brand being involved." Before leaving that job, John helped Mike get an interview at the same company for a sales position. Mike was more than a little surprised when, weeks after he got the job, John let him know he was leaving for Goldfinch. But John encouraged Mike to keep getting experience there, promising to call when he needed him. Brand Newland '00 and John Greenwood '00 (left and right) with their first employee (and leader of Goldfinch's Nurse Navigation Team), Kate Emerson. The hawkeye Iowa alpha Chapter of phI Kappa psI • sprIng 2025 Iowa Alpha Brothers in the Fight Against Opioids (Continued on page 4) Brand Newland '00 (left) and Mike Doty '10 suit up to present to the Tennessee Senate Health and Welfare Committee.

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