The Innovation Series

In this episode of The Innovation Series, host Mike Kelly sits down with Dr. Sanjana Vig, anesthesiologist, co-founder, and Chief Marketing Officer of Langar Holdings, to explore the cutting edge of health tech investing. From AI-powered radiology to robotic surgery and digital scribes, Sanjana shares how emerging technologies are reshaping the patient and physician experience.
 
 She explains the philosophy behind Langar’s ETF, which focuses on companies addressing real pain points in healthcare—inefficiencies, costly processes, and gaps that impact everyone from patients to clinicians to insurers. Sanjana also offers a candid look at how her clinical expertise feeds into investment decisions, helping to separate hype from true innovation.
 
 The conversation ranges from the practical use of AI in anesthesia and hospital triage to the promise of femtech in fertility and menopause care. Sanjana and Mike also tackle the thorny role of AI in billing and insurance, raising questions about whether algorithms will streamline care—or simply argue with each other.
 
 If you’re curious about how AI, femtech, and innovation at the investment level are changing the future of healthcare, you won’t want to miss this insightful conversation.

In This Episode

•      Langar’s Mission: Why their ETF zeroes in on health tech that solves critical pain points.

•      Separating Hype from Reality: Screening companies through quantitative models and subject matter experts.

•      The Robot Test: Why not all surgical innovations live up to the promise.

•      FemTech on the Rise: Fertility, menopause, and women’s health as key areas of innovation and investment.

•      Physician Shortages: How tech can help clinicians work smarter and deliver better patient care.

•      Actively Managed Advantage: How Langar adapts the fund in real time to policy and market shifts.

Recommended Resources

Connect with Dr. Sanjana Vig
Sanjana Vig, MD, MBA is a board-certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, and writer who bridges medicine and business. She is the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Langar Holdings, where she vets healthtech companies for inclusion in the firm’s ETF and contributes thought leadership on healthcare innovation.
 
Previously, Dr. Vig founded the Perioperative Management Fellowship Program at UC San Diego, combining clinical expertise with business principles to improve healthcare operations. Her professional background includes healthcare administration, preoperative clinic management, workflow efficiency, and academic program development.

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Langar Holdings

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Connect with Mike Kelly

Mike Kelly is a Managing Partner at DeveloperTown and host of The Innovation Series. He helps corporate leaders and founders craft strategies, assemble teams, and secure funding to launch and scale new products.

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In this AMA episode of "Venture Declassified," hosts Mike Kelly, Jacob Schpok, and Ben Pidgeon break down what it really takes to succeed in early-stage venture capital—especially for students and aspiring founders.
 
 The conversation kicks off with each speaker’s personal journey into VC, highlighting different career paths from software development to entrepreneurship and fund management. They then dive into the fundamentals of evaluating startups at various stages, unpacking what makes a company truly “venture backable.” Key factors such as market size, strong founding teams, product-market fit, and timing are explored with plenty of candid examples.
 
 Listeners get a hands-on explanation of how VC funds measure success through return multiples, manage risk, and deal with the unpredictability of startup outcomes. The hosts pull back the curtain on fund structures, the art of raising capital from both institutional LPs and local angels, and the critical role of continued investment through multiple rounds.
 
 A major highlight is their practical discussion around the use of AI in both investing and startup operations. They share how they leverage tools like ChatGPT and NotebookLM for market research, pitch analysis, and even internal business processes—underscoring that experimenting with AI is essential for anyone entering the modern business world.
 
 Packed with straight talk, actionable advice, and plenty of laughs, this episode offers an invaluable peek into the VC playbook and the evolving role of technology in shaping tomorrow’s investment landscape.

Key Topics

•      Venture Fund Structures and Investment Approach

•      Startup Investment Criteria and Decision Factors

•      Economics of VC firms

•      Raising Venture and Angel Capital

•      The Realities and Mechanics of Venture Investing

•      When (and When NOT) to Raise Venture Capital

•      Application of AI in Venture and Startup Work
 
 

Connect

Mike Kelly

•      LinkedIn

•      Website

•      Developer Town

Ben Pidgeon

•      LinkedIn

•      VisionTech

Jacob Schpok

•      LinkedIn

•      Elevate Ventures

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In this installment of our Innovation Series, we dive deep into the transformative power of technology in the automotive aftermarket world. Join our host, Mike Kelly, as he chats with Anuj Gupta, head of digital business at ZF Aftermarket, with a special cameo from Sam Koch. If you're curious about how AI, blockchain, and IoT are shaking up the way we look at vehicle maintenance and repair, this episode is for you!

Anuj opens up about the enormous potential of these technologies to tackle stubborn industry issues. He shares insights from ZF's approach, where they either leverage their internal tech abilities or partner up for the best solutions. As Anuj puts it, “Innovation is about bringing new offerings to the market and ensuring they provide commercial returns."

The discussion also explores the importance of internal networking and a journalistic approach to understanding complex market dynamics. Anuj likens this process to investigative journalism—digging deep and connecting the dots. Alongside technological innovations, Anuj touches on the necessity of being customer-centric for successful innovation. He emphasizes understanding human psychology and how this insight drives more effective customer interactions.

Anuj also talks about reducing vehicle downtime with existing technologies, making unpredictable breakdowns, like dead batteries, a thing of the past. He also discusses the hurdles and future potential for electrification and hydrogen fuel technologies. So buckle up and tune in to this enriching conversation about the digital transformation in the automotive aftermarket industry. You won’t want to miss it!

In This Episode
•      Technological Advances: Anuj Gupta discusses key advances in aftermarket tech, especially the digitization of solutions to address industry challenges.

•      ZF’s Strategy: ZF's focus on solving customer issues with commercial value, leveraging internal skills and partnerships.

•      Customer Proximity: Emphasis on staying close to customers to better understand their needs and drive innovation.

•      Digital Solutions & Strategy: Anuj and Sam cover ZF’s digital shift, market strategy, and focus on "mobility uptime."

•      Consultant Qualities: Mike Kelly highlights qualities that set good consultants apart, like a natural excitement for problem-solving.

•      Future Vision: Anuj shares excitement for reducing vehicle downtime with predictive tech.

•      Innovation and Market Fit: Discusses balancing innovation with company goals and moving the needle in large organizations.

 
Recommended Resources

Connect with Anuj Gupta

Our guest is a product and market strategy leader with experience across roles in market analysis, discovery research, and product planning. Currently, he leads the Digital Business Line for ZF Group's Division Aftermarket in North America. Previously, he held leadership positions at Cummins, including Senior Project Manager in Digital Solutions, Marketing and Sales Leader, and Global Product Manager. He holds an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from Indiana University and a technical degree from Purdue University.

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In this episode, we're joined by Ryan Larcom, an entrepreneurial expert with an impressive track record of launching over 40 businesses with High Alpha Studio & High Alpha Innovation and investing in countless more through High Alpha Capital. Ryan opens up about the personal side of entrepreneurship, sharing his commitment to self-care and the disciplined regimens that fuel his productivity.

But this episode isn't just about the grind—it's a holistic look at life. From debunking holiday weight gain myths to exploring the nurturing role of curiosity in personal growth, Ryan keeps us engaged with stories that inspire.

We shift gears to discuss the power of design beyond aesthetics—how it functions as a force for intentional living and a strategic tool in business and societal transformation. Venturing deeper, Ryan provides an insider's take on the unique venture studio model that's setting a new standard for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Dr. Luke Pittman adds a poignant perspective on healthcare's transformation, echoing Ryan's insights on commercializing healthcare intellectual property and the unmet needs in patient care. They explore the future of corporate innovation and the critical role of startups in driving strategic growth.

As we navigate this rich conversation, Ryan reveals his versatile career trajectory, his ambitions, and even his whimsical dreams. So enjoy this conversation filled with wisdom, laughter, self-reflection, and a masterclass in innovation on this episode of The Innovation Series.

In This Episode

• The importance of implementing healthy routines
• Cultivating Curiosities: Ryan’s interests beyond work, like chess and Irish script
• Reflecting on personal contributions to one's field: Ryan's professional pride and significant milestones
• Emphasizing personalized healthcare and human connection
• Venture Studios and Entrepreneurship: Ryan’s role in launching businesses and investing
• The evolution of design from products to broader applications
• Corporate Growth through Innovation: Innovation strategy and identifying opportunities and learning by doing

Connect with Ryan Larcom

Ryan loves turning bold ideas into reality. His superpower is complexity-busting–guiding leaders to make sense of business and industry complexities in order to confidently execute. As a Director, Ryan partners with corporations and universities to co-design and structure investments in new venture-backable startups to unlock innovation.

His career has intertwined strategy, product design, and innovation within Fortune 500 companies, venture capital, and startups. The common thread of Ryan’s career has been a desire to make the world a better place through thoughtfully designed business models, products, and experiences.

Ryan is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with masters and bachelors degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial design. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and two children.

Website: High Alpha Innovation
Instagram: @highalphainno
LinkedIn: High

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Welcome back to another enlightening episode of The Innovation Series, where host Mike Kelly had the pleasure of hosting David Wong, the Executive Director of Innovation and New Growth at CME Group. This episode offers a comprehensive exploration of the innovation practices that drive successful product development.

David begins the conversation by giving listeners a glimpse into his role at CME Group, where he leads the innovation lab. His responsibilities include steering the company’s focus towards exploring new territories such as bitcoin and blockchain, as well as addressing complex internal challenges. The discussion illustrates how strategic innovation not only pursues new growth but also adds substantial value to an established corporation.

In a strategic departure from traditional brainstorming methods, David introduces the concept of brainwriting. This technique promotes an independent ideation process followed by collective synthesis, facilitating a wider array of thought and minimizing the pressure often associated with group brainstorming sessions. Interested listeners can find a detailed video on this inventive method linked in the show notes.

David also emphasizes the critical trifecta of innovation: desirability, feasibility, and viability. He highlights the importance of prioritizing customer desirability to ensure that innovations address true consumer needs before delving into technical feasibility and financial viability.

Join us again for more insightful conversations here on The Innovation Series, where we explore the edges of innovation and strategy.

In This Episode

• Innovation Lab: Emphasis on the lab’s role in developing new financial products, technology challenges, and fostering organizational collaboration
• Innovation in Practice at CME Group
• Movement from critiquing to generating ideas and shifting from "no but" to "yes and" in discussions.
• Introduction to brainwriting and its advantages over traditional brainstorming.
• Usage of divergent thinking prompts to foster creativity.
• Championing transformative thinking and value optimization
• Innovation Fundamentals: Desirability, Feasibility, and Viability

Connect with David Wong
David Wong is a dynamic leader known for his expertise in innovation, strategy, and navigating uncertainty. Passionate about unlocking potential, he thrives on guiding leaders and teams in his organization towards breakthrough insights and accelerated actions in complex opportunity areas. At CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, David founded the Innovation & Acceleration Lab in 2014 and most recently leads CME Group's co-innovation partnership with Google Cloud.  Leveraging his diverse capabilities, he drives forward-thinking initiatives that create value for customers and propel organizational growth.

LinkedIn - David Wong
Article: Shifting Into Innovation Gear
Northwestern Kellogg Video on Brainwrit

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The Innovation Series  with Host Dr. Luke Pittman
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In this episode, I (Dr. Luke Pittman) interviewed Dr. Justin Schrager, emergency physician, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Vital Software. We dive deep into the crucial role of software in enhancing patient care and communication post-emergency department visits. Dr. Schrager sheds light on the varied challenges providers face and how trust plays a significant role in patient interactions.

Our conversation explores Vital Software’s expansion into inpatient and outpatient care and examines healthcare economics, illustrating how tech can bridge gaps in treatment and diagnosis. We also discuss the pioneering efforts in AI, such as predictive analytics for hospital admissions and language translation tools like Vital IO Translate, showcasing the immense potential of technology in revolutionizing healthcare.

Listeners get a glimpse of the powerful impact of digital tools, including a platform used by over a million patients, highlighting the scale of technology's reach in healthcare. Dr. Schrager provides insights on the delicate balance of integrating innovative technology within existing healthcare frameworks and the intricate pursuit of proving ROI in such crucial investments.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

• Discussing Vital Software and its Impact
• The Challenge of Patient Communication in Healthcare: Importance of post-emergency department instructions
• Software solutions for Optimizing Healthcare Communication
• The Impact of Follow-up Care On Hospital Revenue and the Importance of Trust
• Adopting business-oriented approaches in assessing patient engagement software
• Vital IO Translate for medical documentation and billing The Future of Medicine and Technology: AI and Software Development in Healthcare
• The Potential of AI in Healthcare and its Limitations
• Discussing healthcare economics and compensation differences

Connect with Dr. Justin Schrager
Dr. Justin Schrager is a practicing Emergency Department Physician at Indiana University, renowned for his dedication to enhancing healthcare experiences. Alongside Aaron Patzer, former Founder of Mint.com & VP of Product Innovation at Intuit, Dr. Schrager co-founded Vital, where he serves as Chief Medical Officer.

At Vital, Dr. Schrager leads a team dedicated to revolutionizing emergency care through innovative software solutions. Their cutting-edge hospital emergency software utilizes artificial intelligence to optimize user experiences, streamline operations, and provide real-time updates to patients and families.

Driven by Dr. Schrager's leadership, Vital has positively impacted over one million patients and families nationwide. His unwavering commitment to healthcare innovation continues to set new standards of excellence in emergency care.

Linkedin – Justin Schrager


Connect with Dr. Luke Pittman
Dr. Pittman is the VP of Healthcare Solutions at DeveloperTown and a host of The Innovation Series po

Connect with DeveloperTown
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When people are filing an insurance claim, it’s typically not a good day for them. So it’s important to make the customer’s experience as pain free as possible. With the emerging blockchain and AI technology, there are both opportunities and challenges to work toward smoother processes. 

To explore this some, I (Mike Kelley) interviewed Brian Poppe, SVP of Income and Wealth Planning at Mutual of Omaha. Among other thoughts, Brian shared some of the areas in which new technology is being refined to make the customer experience faster and less intimidating, while still maintaining privacy and security.

“That’s a gravity issue… a thing that I cannot change. It’s outside of my control, just like gravity exists… So the best we can do is start to manage within knowing that exists.”-- Brian Poppe

Connect with Brian Poppe
SVP of Income and Wealth Planning at Mutual of Omaha

An entrepreneurial, innovative executive with extensive experience in financial services, Brian Poppe is highly skilled in overseeing all facets of daily operations, directing cross-functional teams to ensure adherence to overarching strategies, policies, procedures, and objectives. He maintains full P&L responsibility, leveraging financial acumen to drive growth and profitability. 

As a SVP of Income and Wealth Planning at Mutual of Omaha, Brian is tasked with leading strategy while making sure financial commitments are hit. Income and Wealth Planning is Mutual of Omaha’s most diverse business unit, offering a variety of insurance products to individuals and families between 30-60.

Mutual of Omaha
Linkedin - Brian Poppe  [email protected] 

 
Connect with Michael Kelly
Michael Kelly is a managing partner at DeveloperTown and a host of The Innovation Series podcast. He helps corporate leaders and founders put together strategies, teams, and funding to help launch, validate, and grow products and businesses. He is also an advisor and/or board member for several community and business organizations. 

Linkedin - Michael Kelly
[email protected] 

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DeveloperTown is a multi-faceted software consultancy for today’s IT and Business Leaders. They create world-class digital experiences to help businesses succeed in a competitive digital world.
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As technology has progressed care in the medical field, there has been a simultaneous advancement in the understanding and application of whole health care. Seeing conditions as more than only a set of physical symptoms has led to a more holistic approach to the health and well being of patients. Through this evolution, the medical community has engaged individuals more fully, as well as begun to take the health and well being of caregivers, and even communities, into account as well.

To discuss all this, I (Dr. Luke Pittman) interviewed Dustin Ziegler, the Program Director of Elevance Health. Dustin related his perspective on the evolution of holistic health care, its importance and impact, social determinants of health, and improvements in aging care. As he shared, Dustin also discussed services people often don’t realize exist, influence of incentives in healthcare, caring for caregivers (care coach model), and much more.

What You’ll Learn

• Importance and impact of holistic health care
• Social determinants of health
• Improvements in aging care
• Services people often don’t realize exist
• Bringing together previously separate services
• Influence of incentives in healthcare
• Caring for caregivers (care coach model)
• Emerging tech, such as remote patient monitoring
• Increase in support for dementia progression 

Recommended Resources

Connect with Dustin Ziegler
Dustin Ziegler is the Program Director of Elevance Health, a company that supports health at every life stage, offering health plans and clinical, behavioral, pharmacy, and complex-care solutions that promote whole health.

Fueled by their bold purpose to improve the health of humanity, Elevance Health is a leading health company dedicated to improving lives and communities, and making healthcare simpler. Their nearly 100,000 associates serve more than 118 million people, addressing a full range of needs with an integrated whole health approach, powered by industry-leading capabilities and a digital platform. They believe that improving health for everyone is possible, and it begins by redefining health, reimagining the health system, and strengthening communities.
Website: elevancehealth.com
Email: [email protected]
Linkedin - Dustin Ziegler
Linkedin - Elevance Health
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Connect with Dr. Luke Pittman
Dr. Pittman is the VP of Healthcare Solutions at DeveloperTown and a host of The Innovation Series podcast. He is a practicing physician, as well as an entrepreneur, investor and advisor.
Linkedin - Luke Pittma
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DeveloperTown is a multi-faceted software consultancy for today’s IT and Business Leaders. They create world-class digital experiences to help businesses succeed in a competitive digital world.
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The Innovation Series
theinnovationseries.com 

AI / ML (artificial intelligence and machine learning) is having a big impact in our lives, our work, and our businesses. So what should we be looking out for? And how should we be preparing? 

To explore this topic, I (Alex Billingsley) was joined by fellow DeveloperTown tech experts, Data Practice Leader, Brian Rowe and Senior Software (Data) Engineer, Joe Christman. Together, we discussed how terms have changed, news in large language models, examples of existing AI / ML models,and much more. As we talked, the conversation expounded on how businesses can prepare their data for excellent ML, the dangers of AI, and the need to cultivate critical thinking.   

What You’ll Learn 

• Changing terms for AI and ML, including (LLM) Large Language Models 
• ML in everyday tech: current and future applications 
• How ML works:  Supervised , Unsupervised, Reinforcement 
• Text and audio to generative models, including entire 3D worlds and instant manipulation  
• Necessity and How To of business data prep for ML: Cleanup of data, Removing bias 
• Dangers of AI: Job shifts, Security and Privacy, Legal and Ethical, Unexpected bias, Trust, including Deep Fakes  
• Cultivation of critical thinking 

Connect with Brian Rowe 
With 20+ years’ experience in Business Intelligence, Analytics, Project Management, Serial Entrepreneurship, Product Management, and eCommerce Strategy, Brian Rowe works with new ventures to bring exciting ideas to market.
Brian Rowe  Linkedin

Connect with Joe Christman 
Joe Christman makes databases better. His core skill set involves building robust, scalable data models for analytical solutions including the full ETL lifecycle from initial ingestion through the preferred OLAP structure and into the visual layer. He has hands-on experience in all three major cloud providers, Azure, AWS, and GCP, as well as a variety of SQL dialects and Business Intelligence tools.
Joe Christman  Linkedin

Connect with Alex Billingsley
Alex Billingsley is Vice President of Engineering at DeveloperTown and a host of The Innovation Series podcast. A graduate of DePauw University, Alex has extensive experience in systems development, iOS, web development, product development, and product application.
Alex Billingsley Linkedin
[email protected]   

Connect with DeveloperTown
DeveloperTown is a multi-faceted software consultancy for today’s IT and Business Leaders. They create world-class digital experiences to help businesses succeed in a competitive digital world.
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The Innovation Series  with Host Dr. Luke Pittman
theinnovationseries.com 

Leveraging Data to Meet Social and Physical Health Care Needs with Dr. Joshua Vest, PhD, MPH
As technology increases and social awareness improves, health care is stepping up as well. Providers are looking to leverage data to not simply react to needs but to identify them earlier and proactively address them with the right resources and solutions. This ability involves not only accessing data but properly and carefully analyzing the results to avoid biases. In this episode with Dr. Joshua Vest, PhD, MPH, Professor and Director for the Center for Health Policy at Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health we talked in depth about current and emerging data uses, the combining of physical and social health, and much more. Dr. Vest shared the differences between public health and population health, the present and future of proactive care, usability of models, accessibility barriers, and numerous other related insights.

“It’s putting, I think, a lot more often on physicians to start with this emphasis on social needs and social risks, to expand that consideration… [because] there's lots of barriers.”-- Dr. Joshua Vest, PhD, MPH

What You’ll Learn
●      Journals to pay attention to
●      Differences between public health and population health
●      Trajectory in health care technologies
●      Future of proactive health care
●      Area level measures and data
●      Qualitative measures and employing expertise
●      Usability of models
●      Accessibility barriers

Connect with Dr. Joshua Vest, PhD, MPH
Dr. Vest is a health services researcher with an area of interest in the organizational determinants and effectiveness of health information technology and systems. Most of his work is focused on the adoption, utilization, and policy issues of technologies that facilitate the sharing of patient information between different organizations. He has peer-reviewed publications that examined the role of information technology governance structures on local public health departments' adoption of information technology and systems, the structure of state and local public health information systems, as well as an evaluation of email intervention to improve disease notification efforts.
fsph.iupui.edu/about/directory/vest-joshua.html
[email protected]

Connect with Dr. Luke Pittman
Dr. Pittman is the VP of Healthcare Solutions at DeveloperTown and a host of The Innovation Series podcast. He is a practicing physician, as well as an entrepreneur, investor and advisor.
Linkedin - Luke Pittman
[email protected] 

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DeveloperTown is a multi-faceted software consultancy for today’s IT and Business Leaders. They create world-class digital experiences to help businesses succeed in a competitive digital world.
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