Tara Kochis joined Slone Partners in 2004, bringing to the company over a decade of healthcare experience. Her successful sales career with industry leaders such as VERSYSS, American Medical Laboratories, and Quest Diagnostics covered a wide variety of healthcare segments, including information technology, medical records, and the diagnostic and laboratory testing industry.

Prior to healthcare, Tara recruited executive and management talent in the banking and finance sector. Tara’s executive abilities and business acumen have been instrumental in building Slone Partners into the successful and growing company it is today. Tara drives business development strategies, creating strong partnerships with new clients and strengthening relationships with existing clients. She is a tremendous resource for clients and prospects alike.

Through her partnership with Springboard Enterprises, she is an advisor to Blumio, a startup company focused on building sensors and systems to improve health and wellness, as well as a frequent panelist and speaker at industry conferences and a participant in select industry committees; activities that provide continuing opportunities to expand Slone Partners’ knowledge and expertise in the industries we serve.

Tara graduated cum laude from Boston College, receiving a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Human Resources Management.

Candace Nortey is a strategic planner, consultant, innovator, and executive trainer who serves as Slone Partners’ Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). In her role, Candace guides and expands the company’s programming designed to enhance opportunities for minority candidates, and manages Slone Partners’ DEI line of products and services, customized to meet the needs of client partners seeking DEI consult, guidance, and strategic planning. She also provides operational support for the company’s ENVISION mentorship program, connecting students from underrepresented communities with accomplished professions in the life science industry. 

A firm believer that diverse teams make organizations stronger, more resilient, and more profitable, Candace is a creative thinker who subscribes to the theory that organizations that strive to develop and elevate women and people of color into leadership positions are those that will achieve the greatest success. With diversity, equity, and inclusion now emerging as a top priority for many life science companies, Candace’s role with Slone Partners has evolved to encompass strategic planning, implementation, resource provision, and follow up support to ensure that companies and their leadership teams are not only increasing their diversity hiring, but are successfully ensuring equity throughout the organization, and are creating and sustaining a positive, inclusive workplace culture. 

Candace brings to Slone Partners more than 15 years of experience in both teaching and administrative positions in the Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Lawrence Township in Indianapolis, Indiana, most recently as Director of Elementary Education. She was named the 2019 National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s Breakout Woman of the Year in Education; the 2019 Lawrence Township Administrator of the Year; the 2019 Indiana Black Expo Excellence in Education Award winner; and the 2012 Milken Award winner for the state of Indiana.

Nortey earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and an M.S. in Educational Leadership at Indiana University, Bloomington, and an Educational Specialist Certificate (Ed.S.) at Indiana State University.