Early Life and Education
Judy Faulkner was born on August 11, 1943, in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Her early interest in healthcare was inspired by her parents; her father was a pharmacist, and her mother was involved in social responsibility. She graduated from Moorestown Friends School in 1961. Faulkner earned a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Dickinson College in 1965 and a Master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1967.
Rise to Success
In 1979, Faulkner founded Human Services Computing, which later became Epic Systems. She started the company with a modest investment of $70,000 from family and friends. Epic Systems developed large-scale software systems for electronic health records. Under Faulkner's leadership, Epic has grown to become the market leader in the healthcare software industry, managing the medical records of over 300 million patients. The company has never taken venture capital or been acquired, remaining privately held.
Key Business Strategies
Epic's success is attributed to Faulkner's innovative approach and steadfast commitment to patient-centered care. The company has focused on building an integrated suite of healthcare applications. Epic's business model involves large upfront implementation fees and annual per-user licensing fees. The company's culture emphasizes in-house development and direct interaction with healthcare professionals to improve software. Epic’s revenue in 2024 was $5.7 billion.
Philanthropy
Judy Faulkner is deeply committed to philanthropy. In 2015, she signed The Giving Pledge, committing to donate 99% of her assets to philanthropy. In 2019, she and her husband, Dr. Gordon Faulkner, founded the Roots & Wings Foundation, which supports nonprofits assisting low-income children and families. Roots & Wings made $84.5 million in grants to more than 300 organizations in 2025.