TILT Story merges with healthcare CRM firm LionShare

What's the deal? Detroit-based TILT StoryDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has merged with LionShareDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Kansas City healthcare CRM and marketing automation firm, the companies announced on September 21, 2026. LionShare will keep its name and team, with president Sara Dykes continuing to lead operations. Terms were not disclosed.

What each side brings: LionShare, founded in 1995, runs a proprietary CRM platform serving hospitals and health systems nationwide, combining data analytics, business intelligence, and automated marketing. TILT Story adds healthcare-focused brand strategy, creative, and content.

Why now? TILT Story says it built its strategy around client demand, and combining traditional agency work with data-driven CRM and analytics emerged as a critical need. The two firms share a client base.

What's the endgame? The companies plan to jointly invest in new capabilities, including expanding LionShare's CRM platform. Founder Laura Lee Jones will become founder and executive advisor and join the board.

"One of the things we look for as we build this platform is real ROI: proof that the work we do actually moves the business," said Joanne Thornton, chief executive officer of TILT Story. She called LionShare "a strong fit for us both in capability and in culture."

The signal: The merger reflects a wider push in healthcare marketing to tie creative work to measurable returns, pairing agency services with data and automation to prove results for hospitals and health systems.

Image credit: LionShare