Spotlight of the Week: Dr. Toyin Ajayi

Be seen. Be heard. Be healthy.” — The mantra that drives Dr. Toyin Ajayi’s mission to revolutionize healthcare for underserved communities in the United States.

This week, we shine the spotlight on Dr. Toyin Ajayi, a Nigerian-American physician and dynamic leader at the forefront of health equity. As the co-founder and CEO of Cityblock Health, Dr. Ajayi is transforming how marginalized populations receive healthcare, bringing together medicine, behavioral health, and social services to those often left behind.

Born to Nigerian parents and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Toyin’s roots were deeply shaped by the AIDS epidemic and her father’s work as a physician focused on maternal health. Her early exposure to the intersection of inequality and healthcare planted the seed for a career of radical change.

“I come to this work as a physician, I’m deeply passionate about caring for underserved communities. This is my life’s work and my mission.”

Dr. Ajayi’s academic journey took her from Stanford University (B.A. in Human Biology), to University of Cambridge (Master’s), and to King’s College London School of Medicine for her medical degree. But it was her work in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in a country with only 50 doctors for 7 million people, that clarified her mission: “I wanted to build systems to train dozens of doctors.”

Dr. Ajayi went on to complete her residency in Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center, where her holistic, person-centered approach deepened. As Chief Medical Officer at Commonwealth Care Alliance, she combined leadership with direct care, refusing to lose touch with patient realities.

In 2017, she co-founded Cityblock Health, a groundbreaking initiative spun out of Google’s Sidewalk Labs—focused on delivering primary care, behavioral health, and social support for Medicaid and low-income populations. When she became CEO in 2022, she led the company to a near $6 billion valuation, but never lost sight of the people behind the numbers.

“Do I believe that healthcare is a right, that should be available to all people, irrespective of their ability to pay? Yes. 100%.”

Cityblock is more than a clinic, it’s a community anchor. Under Dr. Ajayi’s leadership, it has expanded across multiple U.S. states, embedding itself in neighborhoods with transportation challenges, housing insecurity, and food deserts. The model is clear: go where the people are, not where the system expects them to be.

“Trust is disproportionately lower among communities of color, low-income folks, and people with mental health needs. We had to start with trust—because that’s the only way you get people to engage.”

Her organization partners with shelters, housing agencies, and food pantries, even packaging and delivering groceries when needed. Tech and data science play a major role too—helping Cityblock identify who needs care most urgently, reducing ER visits, and easing the burden of having to “tell your whole story over and over again.”

Dr. Ajayi is unafraid to speak truth to power. In her words:

“We knew this stuff. Black and brown people dying more from COVID. Poor people without health insurance. Essential workers at risk. So yes, I would have designed it differently—and I’m not content to just bitch and moan about it. We’ve got to do something.”

And she is doing something, boldly, innovatively, and compassionately.

From 2017–2019, Dr. Ajayi also served on the board of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, showing her broader commitment to safety, justice, and healing for vulnerable populations.

Dr. Toyin Ajayi exemplifies what it means to lead with vision and heart. She is building a future where healthcare is human-centered, equitable, and accessible to all. not someday, but now. At a time when systemic inequities feel insurmountable, her work reminds us that healthcare justice is not a dream, it’s a decision.