This week’s spotlight is on Annika Lucas, PT, DPT, OLY, CDP, a non-clinical physical therapist who is now Senior Vice President of Growth, Strategy & Operations for Prava Therapy!
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What is your full name, title, and company name for your current, primary role?
Annika Lucas, PT, DPT, OLY, CDP — Senior Vice President of Growth, Strategy & Operations for Prava Therapy
What additional roles do you currently have?
Advisor and mentor to various startups; Olympic commentator.
Where are you located?
Denver, CO.
Where did you go to PT school?
Please refrain from contacting our spotlight participants on social media. There are thousands of readers just like you out there. 🙂 Please ask your questions in the comments on this blog post.
If you’re a Non-Clinical 101 student, you can network with many of our spotlight participants in the alumni groups!
What did you do when you first finished school, and for how long?
I became Clinic Director at a senior living community three months after graduating and progressed to Area Director of Operations nine months after graduating. A few years later, I started my own consultancy and became SVP at Prava.
In what setting(s) did you work, and what types of patients did you treat?
I worked in home health and outpatient—mainly geriatrics!
What did you enjoy about your early roles? What didn’t you enjoy?
I loved working with the elderly and preventing falls. As a highly growth-minded person, I wanted to be able to effect change at a larger scale.
What else have you done since then, prior to your current role?
I’m an Olympic skier, fluent in Norwegian, and a big fan of all things endurance sports. I am also an advisor and consultant.
When and why did you decide to do something non-clinical?
As I learned how to run multiple clinics during my time as Area Director of Operations, I began to develop my skills in process improvement and greater system change. I knew I needed a role where I could own the responsibility of lines of business to start growing my skill set further. This sparked my consultancy and eventually turned into a full time position.
I was intentional about learning all I could about best clinical practices, billing, coding and backend operations, so I could effectively identify areas that needed to be improved.
What are you doing these days?
I am the Senior Vice President (SVP) at Prava, driving our growth, strategy and operational landscape as a seed startup. I also advise and consult various startups on best operational practices, growth strategies and leadership acumen.
Are you still treating patients, or are you solely non-clinical?
I am currently non-clinical.
How long have you been in your current role?
I started consulting in January 2025 and now am full time as of August 2025.
How did you find your job? Did you apply or find it through a connection?
I found my current role through networking!
How have people reacted to you leaving patient care?
People have been encouraging and excited to learn and collaborate!
What’s a typical day or week in the life like for you? What types of tasks and responsibilities fill your time?
My role includes:
- Lots of travel
- National strategy
- Implementing clinical best practices
- Solving operational issues
- Implementing new systems
What are some of the rewards of your SVP role?
The rewards of my role include immense growth, responsibility and the ability to create a delightful product and experience for clinicians.
How did your clinical background prepare you for this role? Which skills transferred?
All of my clinical acumen has translated over. Communication skills, rapport building—an endless list, really!
Roughly speaking, how are the hours and pay compared to patient care?
I work longer hours and receive great pay.
What type of person do you think would do well in your SVP role?
Someone with high capacity to juggle multiple priorities at once. Someone who is able to scale down in thought into the weeds of an issue then immediately zoom out to the broader impact now and in the future. Someone able to lead with clarity, intention and strength.
Do you work remotely or onsite?
Both! Lots of travel.
Does your organization hire PT, OT, or SLP professionals into non-clinical roles? If so, what type of roles?
Yes! Business development and clinical consulting, to name a few.
Want to network with Annika? RSVP to her upcoming Go Non-Clinical live event! Open to Non-Clinical 101 students only.
Did you read any books, take any courses, or do anything special overall to get you where you are today?
My current podcast recommendation is Acquired!
What is a typical career path for someone in your SVP role?
My path happened to be expedited, but many of the skills were built as a clinic director then as an area director!
What is next for you? What are your high-level career aspirations?
Eventually starting, owning and running my own company. That said, I’m really enjoying my role!!
What career advice would you give yourself that you wish you had during school?
Put time, effort and wisdom into creating your LinkedIn profile and spend time connecting on the platform! Put yourself out there via networking groups and in-person meetups!
