Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Health Connections, Inc.
UW Majors: Bacteriology; Afro-American Studies
Ericka M. Sinclair ’94, the founder and CEO of Health Connections, Inc., in Milwaukee, has spent more than 25 years building trust where systems have broken it. Her nonprofit clinic delivers primary care, behavioral health services, HIV services, and gender-affirming care, all grounded in cultural humility and community connection. It’s a place where those who are often overlooked by the health system are seen, heard, and served — by design.
But Sinclair’s journey to leadership wasn’t a straight line. A change in college plans and the sudden loss of her grandmother left her reeling. Alone on a campus where few students looked like her and with no built-in support system, she considered walking away. “I almost left UW–Madison,” she says. “It was hard. But I didn’t.”
Instead, with the guidance of a caring staff mentor, she found a way to stay. That moment of intervention — of someone reaching out and believing in her — shaped her lifelong commitment to community. “UW–Madison was really a defining moment for my life,” Sinclair says. “That’s where I found my voice. I found my footing. My leadership showed up.”
Sinclair threw herself into student life, finding belonging in the Wisconsin Black Student Union, the UW Gospel Choir, and student leadership programs.
While earning her degree in bacteriology (now microbiology), she discovered a second passion — one she hadn’t intended to major in. “I didn’t realize I’d also earned a degree in Afro-American studies until I saw it on my diploma on graduation day!” she laughs. “I just loved the professors and the classes and kept on going.”
That joy-led approach became a guiding philosophy. It taught her to “follow what sparks joy,” she says, “even when the path doesn’t come with a roadmap.”
Between graduating from the UW and earning a master’s degree in clinical laboratory science from UW–Milwaukee, Sinclair reached out to Wisconsin Alumni Association members working in public health. One alumnus, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientist, became a mentor and lifeline — helping her find housing, navigate her early career, and ultimately enroll at Emory University, where she earned a master’s degree in international public health.
“That was a real Badger moment,” Sinclair says. “People say we’re everywhere, and it’s true. Those Badger connections matter.”
Ericka’s career took off when she joined the staff of the CDC, where she worked in HIV and global health, with assignments in Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. Each experience deepened her understanding of equity, access, and the role of compassion in care delivery.
Eventually, she returned home to Milwaukee to raise her son and to put her growing expertise to work in her own community, taking on roles at the Milwaukee Health Department, Milwaukee Health Services, and Aurora Sinai Hospital. In 2015, she launched Health Connections, Inc.
Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the clinic is widely recognized for its culturally responsive care and commitment to training the next generation of caregivers. It partners with institutions such as UW–Milwaukee, Medical College of Wisconsin, and Milwaukee Area Technical College, building systems of care that affirm identity, dignity, and belonging.
With compassion as a compass, Sinclair and Health Connections continue to lead others toward a future that’s more just, more connected, and full of promise. “We take on the Wisconsin motto ‘Forward,’ ” she says. “We don’t always know what the future holds, but we do know to move forward anyway.”