In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Randy Pritchard and Erica Rogers, leaders of Axena Health. Axena is transforming pelvic floor therapy with Leva, a device bringing clinically-proven, supervised pelvic floor muscle training into women’s homes. 

Randy, CEO of Axena, brings nearly 25 years of healthcare experience to the company, most recently as CEO of Pillar Biosciences and previously holding leadership positions at Roche Diagnostics, where he spent 18 years developing commercial expertise. Erica, who sits on Axena's Board of Directors, spent a decade as President and CEO of Silk Road Medical, leading the company from early clinical trials through IPO and eventual acquisition by Boston Scientific. A returning guest to the podcast after nearly half a decade, Erica previously held roles at Medicine360, co-founded two other medical device companies, and spent over 12 years at Boston Scientific prior to her role at Silk Road.

In this interview, they share essential medtech commercialization insights: identify your specific patient segment, build continuous clinical evidence, and communicate consistently with investors. Their experience offers invaluable lessons for medical device entrepreneurs navigating today's complex healthcare landscape.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Randy Pritchard and Erica Rogers.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Ryan Rhodes, CEO of EDAP TMS. EDAP is changing prostate cancer treatment through Focal One, a robotic high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) system that doesn’t require the use of surgery or radiation. 

Ryan has over 30 years of experience in market development, with two decades focused on medical robotics. Before EDAP, Ryan was CEO of Restoration Robotics, where he guided the company to a successful merger with Venus Concept. He spent 13+ years at Intuitive Surgical, establishing the global Urology franchise, which became the company’s entry point for broader adoption of the da Vinci system. He also spent 11 years at Ethicon (J&J) in sales, marketing, and market development.

In this interview, Ryan challenges founders to ask: Are you creating a scalable medtech solution or a product with limited growth potential? He unpacks why standardization and scalability are critical for adoption, how clinical data fuels credibility and reimbursement, and why early adopters take the biggest risks — but also reap the biggest rewards.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Ryan Rhodes.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Kirk Huntsman, CEO of Vivos, a company commercializing a non-invasive, FDA-cleared oral appliance designed to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Kirk is a seasoned healthcare entrepreneur with a track record for scaling and exiting successful businesses. He founded Dental One, growing it into one of the largest dental service organizations (DSO) in the U.S., with over 165 practices across 15 states. After selling the company to MSD Capital, he led ReachOut Healthcare America, a Morgan Stanley Private Equity portfolio company. He later built and exited Xenith Practices, another DSO, and founded Ortho Ventures, focusing on pediatric oral appliances. Now as CEO of Vivos, Kirk and his team are developing and commercializing proprietary treatments for sleep-related breathing disorders, offering patients an FDA-cleared alternative to CPAP therapy.

In this interview, Kirk talks about his go-to-market strategy, the importance of credibility markers, the complexity of industry partnerships, and the challenges he faced pursuing an IPO.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Kirk Huntsman.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Caitlin Morse, CEO and co-founder of BrainSpace, who has a decade of experience spanning medtech consulting, product development, and strategic advising. 

BrainSpace is developing an innovative precision drainage system with continuous ICP monitoring designed to automate cerebrospinal fluid management for patients recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and neurosurgery. 

In this interview, Caitlin shares her advice on assessing the viability of a medtech idea, tells the story of how her prototype won over stakeholders, and discusses navigating the development phase while balancing clinical and regulatory demands.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Caitlin Morse.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had an insightful discussion with Drs. Asha Parekh and Adam Power, co-founders of Front Line Medical Technologies. The company's COBRA-OS (Control of Bleeding, Resuscitation, Arterial Occlusion System) is a compact, minimally invasive device, designed for temporary aortic occlusion in trauma situations. 

Asha has a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Western University, and combines technical expertise with entrepreneurial leadership. Adam is an academic and practicing vascular surgeon at Western University, with extensive training from institutions including Dalhousie, McMaster, and Mayo Clinic.

In this interview, they discuss how their clinical-engineer partnership accelerated development, their approach to clinical studies for regulatory clearance across multiple geographies, and their strategic decision to avoid VC funding during early development—and how that decision paid off.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Asha Parekh and Adam Power.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Kelly Huang, President and CEO of Elucid. Elucid has developed a platform that uses AI to analyze cardiac CT scans to provide a detailed, non-invasive assessment of a patient’s arterial plaque.
 
Kelly's journey spans nearly 30 years of leadership in healthcare, with expertise in driving innovation and growth across medical devices, diagnostics, health IT, and consumer health. Before Elucid, he served as COO at Cardea Bio, leading its successful acquisition by Paragraf, and as CEO of Obalon Therapeutics, where he introduced noninvasive medical devices to expand treatment options for physicians. Kelly's career also includes senior roles at L-Nutra, Nestlé/Galderma, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Johnson & Johnson.

In this interview, Kelly shares advice on how to successfully bring novel devices to market, secure reimbursement, and drive adoption by focusing on the essentials—collaboration, trust, robust data, and transparency.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Kelly Huang.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had an insightful chat with Nitin Salunke, President and CEO of Supira Medical, a Shifamed portfolio company. Supira is developing a catheter-based heart pump that provides hemodynamic support for patients undergoing high-risk heart procedures.

Before Supira, Nitin was Vice President of R&D at Medtronic Neurovascular, overseeing global product development. He has also held leadership roles at Altura Medical, Cordis Corp (then a Johnson & Johnson company), and W.L. Gore & Associates. Nitin holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and is an inventor and co-author on many patents and publications.

In this interview, Nitin shares the philosophy that guided his journey as CEO of Supira, his strategy to evaluate and address major risk factors in medtech, how to generate value for all stakeholders—patients, physicians, and investors, and his formula for creating a next-gen medical device.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Nitin Salunke.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Mike Dineen, co-founder and CEO of Tioga Cardiovascular, a Shifamed portfolio company. Tioga is developing a minimally invasive transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) device to address mitral regurgitation (MR) - a condition where blood flows backward into the heart, often causing heart failure.

Mike has 30 years of experience in leading and scaling innovative medical device startups, and is co-inventor on more than 65 patents. His track record encompasses leadership roles at Kalila Medical (acquired by Abbott and later divested to Terumo), Maya Medical (acquired by Covidien), and Aspire Medical (acquired by Philips/Respironics).

In this interview, Mike discusses why engaging with physicians early is essential and what he prioritizes in those conversations, the importance of pushing for early pre-clinical testing and how to best approach it, and his strategy for raising capital by targeting early-stage investors with a clear, exit-focused plan.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Mike Dineen.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Jennifer Fried, co-founder and CEO of Flow Medical. Her startup is developing an advanced catheter designed to treat pulmonary embolisms.

Jennifer started her career as a healthcare venture capitalist and consultant at Bain & Company. Before co-founding Flow Medical, Jennifer was the CEO and co-founder of ExplORer Surgical, a surgical software platform spun out of research at The University of Chicago. Under her leadership, ExplORer grew from an idea to a global product, earning accolades, like being named one of the Top 50 Healthcare Technology CEOs, and partnerships with major medical device companies. Jennifer successfully exited the business in 2021, when it was acquired by GHX.

In this interview, Jennifer shares insights on navigating M&As, raising capital, and tips for validating ideas. She explains why engaging early with potential acquirers is key, how challenging your assumptions can save years of effort, and the importance of tailoring your pitch and building lasting investor relationships.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Jennifer Fried.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Brent Ness, President and CEO of Aclarion, a startup developing a decision-support tool designed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of chronic low back pain. 

Brent has over 28 years of experience in medtech. Before Aclarion, he led Cleerly as President & CCO, driving the adoption of their AI cardiology solution through strategic partnerships. As COO of Mighty Oak Medical, he guided their FIREFLY spine navigation platform from FDA clearance to international launch. At HeartFlow, Brent spearheaded the global expansion of their image-based SaaS solution, and at Medtronic, he led the acquisition and rollout of the O-Arm technology. His career also includes leadership roles at GE Healthcare, Philips North America, and ProNerve.

In this interview, Brent shares his approach to reimbursement, why continuing to prove your technology is crucial (even after regulatory approval), and how to effectively engage with KOLs for optimal support.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Brent Ness.