Presented By: Center for Entrepreneurship
EHour: Jason Bornhorst
Featuring Jason Bornhorst, Founder of Subtle Optics & First Dollar

Ready to rethink what’s possible in tech and digital health? Meet Jason Bornhorst, a Michigan alum and unstoppable entrepreneur whose journey will change how you see failure, success, and everything in between.
Jason is a founder and builder at heart, having started, scaled, and exited multiple companies. As CEO and co-founder of First Dollar (acquired by Inspira Financial), he helped redefine how we access and use health spending benefits. Before that, Jason led Patient IO (acquired by athenahealth), where he built digital care tools that connect patients with care teams and impact healthcare.
His startup resume doesn’t stop there. Jason’s experience at Mobiata shook up the travel app scene, leading to a Webby Award and an acquisition by Expedia. He’s even openly shelved ideas that didn’t work out, proving that experimentation, iteration, and learning are core to the entrepreneurial mindset.
Jason will share unfiltered stories from the trenches: what it takes to build products people love, navigate the realities of startup life, and turn “failure” into fuel for your next move.
All majors, all experience levels, and all dreamers and doers are welcome!
Friday, October 17 | 11:30 AM | Stamps Auditorium, North Campus
Bring your questions and get inspired by real talk from a Wolverine who’s hustled, iterated, and won big by always betting on curiosity, teamwork, and bold action.
Jason is a founder and builder at heart, having started, scaled, and exited multiple companies. As CEO and co-founder of First Dollar (acquired by Inspira Financial), he helped redefine how we access and use health spending benefits. Before that, Jason led Patient IO (acquired by athenahealth), where he built digital care tools that connect patients with care teams and impact healthcare.
His startup resume doesn’t stop there. Jason’s experience at Mobiata shook up the travel app scene, leading to a Webby Award and an acquisition by Expedia. He’s even openly shelved ideas that didn’t work out, proving that experimentation, iteration, and learning are core to the entrepreneurial mindset.
Jason will share unfiltered stories from the trenches: what it takes to build products people love, navigate the realities of startup life, and turn “failure” into fuel for your next move.
All majors, all experience levels, and all dreamers and doers are welcome!
Friday, October 17 | 11:30 AM | Stamps Auditorium, North Campus
Bring your questions and get inspired by real talk from a Wolverine who’s hustled, iterated, and won big by always betting on curiosity, teamwork, and bold action.