The Common Grounds Podcast

This week’s guest is Dr. Katherine Barton, an emergency medicine physician turned health tech advisor and one of the most active members of the Common Grounds community. Ancil, Geoff, and Katherine all met through the Fuel Accelerator “speed dating” mentor rounds in Northwest Arkansas. They keep running into each other in the same rooms, and that ecosystem has turned into work relationships and real friendships.

Katherine shares her path from Rogers, Arkansas, to med school in Little Rock and an emergency medicine residency in Chicago. She spent about 10 years there, then moved home in 2008 to serve as ER medical director in Bentonville and later as medical director of a hyperbaric and wound care center. She also spent two years with Optum working to reduce ER utilization. Along the way she volunteered as a Fuel Accelerator advisor, loved it, and has since retired clinically to advise full-time. She describes this as a second season of life: “What brings me joy?”

From D1 Athlete to Chief Commercial Officer: Marnie Curbo on Building a Career in MedTech

In this episode, Geoff Beecher and I sit down with Marnie Curbo, Chief Commercial Officer at Lumicell, to talk shop, career, and everything in between.

Marnie brings years of hard-won experience in the medtech world, and we dig into what Lumicell is doing and why it matters. We also get into her background as a D1 athlete and how that competitive drive has shaped her approach to leadership and sales.

Just when we think we're running the interview, Marnie turns the tables and starts asking us the questions. It's a fun, candid conversation — check it out and join us.

In my conversation with Geoff Beecher, we talk about what all  Geoff has been doing, and he wrote a chapter in my Common Grounds 2 book. We talk about that chapter, talk about his career, where he has made seven exits successfully from medtech companies, spending his life in the operating room with surgeons, working with med tech companies, and how he and his current company Echelon Development group have developed an AI product to help founders and investors of med tech companies find the marketability and success using AI. predictability.

**What if the secret to growing an audience isn't more content — it's the *right* content?**

In this episode, I sit down with Instagram creator and content strategist **Heather Parady** for one of the most energizing conversations I've had on this podcast. We dig into what it really takes to generate ideas that land, why some content connects deeply with people while other content falls flat, and how creators can stop spinning their wheels and start showing up with intention.

If you've ever stared at a blank screen wondering what to say — or felt like you're posting into the void — this conversation will change the way you think about your content.

🎧 **Don't miss this one.**

The most important conversation you’ll ever have is the one you’re having with yourself.
Your inner dialogue is shaping your confidence, your decisions, and your outcomes — whether you realize it or not.
In this episode, I sit down with Michele Smith, MHA, PCC to talk about the power of self-talk and why paying closer attention to how you speak to yourself could change everything.
🎧 Your inner voice matters. Hit play.

In this episode of the Common Grounds Podcast, I sit down with Grace Gill and Diana McDaniel, Executive Director of the Fuel Accelerator in Bentonville, Arkansas, to talk about the exciting **Spring 2026 HealthTech Cohort** that's coming up.

We dig into what makes Fuel such a unique launchpad for health tech and med tech startups, what they're looking for in their next cohort, and why Bentonville has quietly become one of the most interesting ecosystems in the country for innovation. We also talk about something near and dear to my heart — the power of connection and community, and why Fuel is one of those rare places where the right introductions can change everything.

Whether you're a startup founder, a healthcare executive, or just someone who believes in the power of relationships, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

With nearly four decades of experience selling into healthcare, I've learned that success in this industry isn't just about products or pitches—it's about understanding the unique landscape, building genuine relationships, and navigating the complexities that make healthcare unlike any other market. In this podcast, I share the insights, strategies, and hard-won lessons from my journey, while exploring the transformative power of community. Join us!