Dr. Charlene Brown
CEO of CNA Simulations VR
Dr. Charlene Brown, a Harvard MD and the CEO/Founder of CNA Simulations VR and Caregiver Jobs Now (CJN), built the CJN technology platform to make it easier for nursing assistants, home health aides, and other direct services workers to connect to meaningful jobs. Prior to founding CJN, Dr. Brown served as a public health physician and leader for more than 15 years. As a Medical Officer at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), her work brought her to nearly 20 countries across 4 continents where she helped local teams to tackle the HIV pandemic, providing practical guidance to counterparts in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Dr. Brown also has expertise in domestic public health and infectious diseases.
Prior to USAID, Dr. Brown served as Assistant, then Deputy Commissioner for the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) where she oversaw the Clinical Services and Chronic Disease Services Divisions. She was responsible for the Department's clinical and community-based responses to HIV, TB, and several other infectious diseases and the City’s Lab. Her responsibilities also included the Department’s emergency preparedness and response to the H1N1 outbreak.
Prior to BCHD, Dr. Brown also served as a Medical Officer focused on antiviral drug development and safety at the Food & Drug Administration. As a physician, Dr. Brown has worked in hospital primary care clinics, homeless shelters, tuberculosis clinics, retirement homes, rehabilitation hospitals, and more. Across various professional roles, Dr. Brown has focused her career at the intersection of public health and medicine, with attention to the health and social needs of vulnerable populations.
Dr. Brown’s current work at Caregiver Jobs Now is funded by the Maryland Department of Commerce and Impact Assets. She has won local and national competitions with CJN, including the Aging 2.0 Baltimore and DC pitch competitions, Startup Runway, Montgomery County’s BOOM Pitch Competition, and more. The company has been featured by Home Healthcare News, Aging 2.0, PHI, Washington Life Magazine, and more. Dr. Charlene Brown is Board-certified in Preventive Medicine, trained in internal medicine, licensed to practice in Maryland, and is a Fellow in the American College of Preventive Medicine. She is a graduate of both Princeton University, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health. She currently serves on the Boards of Keswick Community Health and the Maryland National Capital Home Care Association.
