Willow Laboratories Appoints Jill Biden, Ken Buck, and Said Hilal to Board

Irvine-based health technology firm Willow Laboratories has expanded its board of directors, recruiting former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, ex-congressman Ken Buck, and Applied Medical CEO Said Hilal. The appointments aim to bolster the company’s push into biosensing, therapeutic care, and personalized digital health solutions.

Founder and Executive Chairman Joe Kiani described the move as a strategic effort to leverage diverse leadership experience in public policy, education, and medical manufacturing. The company, which develops noninvasive monitoring devices and digital health platforms, intends to use these additions to navigate the complex regulatory and technological landscape of modern healthcare.

Dr. Jill Biden brings a background in public health advocacy, particularly through her work on the Biden Cancer Moonshot, while Ken Buck offers decades of legal and governance experience from his time as a federal prosecutor and U.S. Representative for Colorado. Said Hilal, who founded Applied Medical in 1987, provides operational expertise in scaling medical technology and manufacturing surgical devices. These leaders join the board as Willow Laboratories seeks to transition its research into broader consumer applications, focusing on early intervention and long-term healthspan improvement.