Where did Junto (JooN-toe) Health get its name?
I had formed most of my ingenious acquaintances into a club of mutual improvement. We called it Junto.
—Benjamin Franklin
"The name Junto Health is inspired by a small group of entrepreneurs who are responsible for life changing innovations such as the hospital, public library, and volunteer firefighters."
—Doug Hayes, Founder of Junto Health
This small group of emerging tradesmen & budding merchants met weekly in a local tavern to exchange ideas, share networks, and create new opportunities for their mutual benefit. Wanting to seem more educated and sophisticated than they were, this group of blue collar entrepreneurs chose the Spanish word for “together,” calling themselves “the Junto.”
How Benjamin Franklin's Junto transformed public life
Rooted in their Quaker tradition, Junto Members began meetings by choosing from a set of 21 questions and sharing their answers with the group. These questions were not profound by themselves, but their effect on knowledge sharing & idea generation was. This single group was responsible for many of the social & organizational innovations we take for granted today, including the first:
- Insurance company
- Volunteer firefighting company
- Lending library
- Public hospital
How did the Junto inform Junto Health's mission?
At Junto Health, we believe that complicated problems can only be solved by working with diverse partners, sharing knowledge with trusted peers, and as often as possible, building solutions “together.” We have adapted this approach to the world of healthcare tech and enterprise innovation.
