Angel Invest Boston

Nearly two years after starting the effort to take off and keep off 100 pounds, I took a series of trips. Here’s how I coped with the challenges of being on the road and maintaining my weight. Highlights: ·      Trips to Napa Valley, Hamburg and San Sebastián Took Me Away from my Usual Supports ·      Travelling Heavy to Napa Valley ·      “…there may be people who can travel and not gain weight. But I’m not one of them. Therefore, I have to do unreasonable things to keep off those 100 pounds.” ·      Traveled Ultra-light to Hamburg – Just Carry-on ·      A Thought about the Effects of Alcohol on Sleep ·      Traveled Medium-heavy to San Sebastián – 23 Days Away Is a Long Time

I’m Sal Daher and I’m keeping off 100 pounds of body weight with no drugs and no surgery. I’m doing it by building and reinforcing healthy habits. I eat a lot but do not put on weight. It was not easy to build the healthy habits I practice but it can be done. Highlights: ·      Introduction ·      Food Intake Is the Main Driver of Weight Management, Not Exercise ·      Repeatable Changes You Can Live With ·      What I Eat for Lunch Regularly Now ·      My Fat but Fit Delusion ·      Your Longevity Is Up to You, Nature Does Not Care About It ·      I Could Not Change My Habits Alone, Not Even in Singapore ·      I Needed Help to Build and Maintain My New Habits ·      A Cool Mind Trick ·      There’s a Reason They Are Called “Support Groups” ·      Getting Back to Diet – Here’s What I Eat Throughout the Day ·      Breakfast – This One Is for You Ralph Wagner ·      Hydration Is Really Crucial – Always Trying Cool New Drinks ·      Mid-morning Snack – Efficiency Is the Keyword ·      Lunch – See Above – But There’s More ·      Vegetables and Fruits Are My Best Friends ·      Mid-afternoon Snack – My Vitamix Blender Comes in Handy ·      Supper – It’s a Lot of Food So I Try Not to Eat Too Close to Bed Time ·      Evening Snack – The Treat I Look Forward to All Day Long ·      After My Evening Snack, My Probiotic ·      The Biggest Aha! Moment of My Dieting Career ·      Conclusion

Angel Scale Biotech: Learn More   Layne Sadler founded KeyBio to help pharmaceutical companies better identify genetic traits in patients that may explain differing responses to cancer treatments. KeyBio’s computational approach promises to add a new dimension to precision medicine, which now looks at the genetics of the tumor, by also incorporating the genetics of the patient to improve outcomes in clinical trials.   Sponsored by Purdue University entrepreneurship and Peter Fasse, patent attorney at Fish and Richardson.   Highlights: Sal Daher Introduces Layne Sadler What KeyBio is Solving "... The revenue is solely focused on cancer drug discovery and the reason for that is because that's where all the money is in the pharmaceutical industry..." "... 90% of clinical trials fail and the cost averages around 792 million, spending about a billion dollars to run a trial..." "... I developed this AI platform and I wanted to start collaborating with other principal investigators or heads of labs in the Boston area..." "... The DNA of tumors, over time, it mutates and it becomes very different from the DNA of the host..." Why Layne Chose Entrepreneurship   Topics: biotech, founding story, discovering entrepreneurship

Angel Scale Biotech: Learn More   After a career at DARPA, defending America from cyber threats, Jason Syversen founded Siege Technologies which had a great exit. He now focuses on angel investing and philanthropy. Inspiring chat.   Sponsored by Purdue University entrepreneurship, and Peter Fasse, patent attorney at Fish and Richardson.   Highlights: Sal Daher Introduces Jason Syversen What Problem Siege Technologies is Solving "... How do you measure and predict probability of success and collateral damage for a cyberattack? That is actually the technology we end up being acquired for when we sold..." "... I took over 10X Venture Partners, which is an angel group..." SportsVisio and What it is Solving "... That was a really interesting example of you think that this is all figured out even in pro leagues, and yet it really isn't..." Jason's Background "... if you had a choice between being born in a family with trust funds where your parents really don't care about you or being born in a hardscrabble family where the parents do care about you, choose the latter..." "... Human infants need nurturing and then beyond that, and when we're grown, we need a society around us that supports us ... This lack of connection is the biggest problem in America today..." Advice to the Audience   Topics: discovering entrepreneurship, founding story, product

Losing and keeping off 100 pounds is hard. Having done it, Sal wants to convince you that you too can gain control of your weight. No drugs, no surgery, just new habits patiently created and reinforced. Sal’s daughter Grace Daher conducted this frank interview. Highlights: Here’s the Story of How Sal Daher Lost 100 Pounds with No Drugs and No Surgery –  You Can Do It Too Sal Introduces His Daughter Grace Daher Who Is Asking the Questions When Sal Was First Told He Needed to Lose Weight A Big 13-Year-Old on a 1,300 Calorie Diet – Misery! Early On It Was Evident that Sal Was Triggered by Food but His Brother William Was Not Sal Became More Active in College but Bad Diet Caused Weight Gain Lost Weight During Summer Break in Brazil – Less Eating More Moving Sal Was Fit in College, But Still Overweight – Did Not Realize the Burden He Was Carrying Around Sal Got Down to His Ideal Body Weight in His Mid 30s Out of Concern for His Blood Pressure Lost the Weight on the HMR Program – No Hunger – More Is Better How the Weight Came Back On – Grace Remembers Sal’s Struggles HMR Program Turns Down Chance to Coach Oprah Winfrey Individually Because They Did Not Have Data to Support that Approach Attending Weekly Support Group Is Essential for Success Long Term – Alcoholics Anonymous Example Grace Was Shocked to See Sal’s Weight Loss After the Isolation from COVID Sal Was Proud to Be Fat but Fit – His Doctor’s Warnings Were Not for Fit People Like Him Being Overweight Has a Lot to Do with Genetics – We Have to Fight Our Genes A Painful Health Event Motivated Sal to Take the Weight Off for Good How the HMR Program Works The First Three Weeks Were Hard – Plenity Helped Maintaining Your Weight Loss Means Acquiring a Whole New Set of Habits The Multiple and Marvelous Benefits of Exercise There are No Magic Pills – Except Exercise The Importance of Human Connectedness in Weight Control Sal’s Regrets for Not Having Taken Off the Weight Earlier Sal Is a Big Supporter of Statins “How are you managing to keep off those 100 pounds?” Committed to a Baseline of 10,000 Steps Per Day Highly Structured Eating Cool Facts About Coffee “Why Is getting sleep so important?” “…you need the support of a coach to help you work out those particulars…”

With minimal funding, Gloria Kolb and her husband Eric Kolb have created a device to treat urinary incontinence that has received a coveted clearance from the FDA. Elidah, their startup, expects to exceed $3 million in DTC sales this year. I really enjoyed this story of a couple bootstrapping a promising business together. Highlight: ·       Sal Daher, CFA Introduces Gloria Kolb, Co-Founder of Elidah ·       Elidah Is Solving Urinary Incontinence in Women – Device Induces Kegel Exercises ·      Just Got FDA Clearance for Overactive Bladder ·       “She only needs to wear it for 20 minutes a day, and then it turns off automatically.” ·       Differentiation from Other Devices: FDA Cleared for Incontinence ·       Randomized Control Trial Result: 75% of Women Experienced Statistically Significant Improvement ·       “It drives me crazy that women do wait so long and they don't tell anyone and they just deal with it for a long, long time. I think part of it is they don't think that there's any other good options for them.” ·       Seeking FDA Clearance for Over-the-counter Sales, Like Gelesis ·       Medicare Covers the Device ·       About 8,000 Customers Have Purchased ELITONE, Elidah’s Device ·       “You have shocked me. I'm not easily shocked. That airline magazines will not talk about urinary incontinence.” ·       “It's not quite the razor blade model. It is definitely about the treatment kit, which cost the $400.” ·      Have Built Sales of $3 MM with Just $750K in Angel Funding Plus $1.8 MM in Grants ·       “A third of women have the issues, over the age of 30, but then you go to over the age of 50 and it's 1 out of 2.” ·       “It's actually the number one issue of why people entered nursing homes. “ ·       “To women out there, I just encourage them to get treated early.” ·       How You Can Help Podcasts Like Gloria’s Be Found ·       Gloria Kolb Studied Engineering at MIT & Stanford, Worked at Johnson & Johnson then Got Her MBA at Babson ·       Wife-and-Husband Founding Team ·       “...over the counter doesn't mean it's less of a product. It is a medical device, regulated product that went through all the hoops.”

Spinal fractures from osteoporosis cause many to lose their independence. Industry veteran Dom Messerli has a better way of fixing the problem than the risky practice of injecting liquid epoxy into the spine. Using engineered human bone, Lenoss Medical is offering a treatment that is safer, effective and easier to administer than the current standard. Highlights: ·      Sal Daher, CFA Introduces Dom Messerli, Founder of Lenoss Medical ·      “Many times, the patients lose their independence when those fractures happen.” ·      Current Standard of Care is to Inject Liquid Epoxy into the Spine – What Could Go Wrong? ·      Liquid Epoxy Can Leak into Blood Vessels and Create Blockages ·      “When it's in the heart, usually what's prescribed is open heart surgery to take out the piece of cured cement out of the heart.” ·      Lenoss Medical’s Solution: Engineered Human Bone Material to Build Up the Weakened Spine ·      Grafting of Same-Species Bone Material Is Decades Old – What’s new Is Applying the Approach to Spinal Fractures ·      “...conducive for new bone formation.” ·      There’s No Donor Matching or Donor Rejection Issue Since No Living Cells Are Implanted ·      Lenoss Medical Was the Subject of Dom’s MBA Degree Project ·      Lenoss Medical Plans to Go to Market Via Distributors Specializing in Products for Spinal Treatments ·      The Argument for Hospitals Is Reducing Risk and Simplifying the Process ·      FDA Approval Process Was Relatively Low-Burden, Human Cell and Tissue Product Pathway ·      Dom Messerli’s Immigrant Story ·      “Eventually, I was affected with the layoff. I was waiting for that day. The next day is when I started Lenoss Medical.” ·      “...I feel we can have a positive impact with these patients with osteoporosis and the spinal fractures. That drives me.”

A miserable New England day had avid cyclist Eric Janszen dreaming of better indoor riding. Together with co-founder Eric Malafeew, he launched VirZOOM which now has 40,000 users on its virtual reality platform with great engagement. Fascinating conversation about virtual games becoming sport. Highlights: ·      VirZOOM Gets Grant from Major VR Player for a Joint Development Project ·      Sal Daher Introduces Eric Janszen, Co-Founder of VirZOOM ·      Ongoing Crowdfunding Raise on StartEngine ·      VirZOOM Meets the Challenge of Helping People Enjoy Exercise ·      Technical Co-Founder Eric Malafeew Worked on Big Hits at Harmonix Music ·      VirZOOM Tech Lets Users to Do Cool Things Without Getting Motion Sickness ·      Broke Out of the Limitations Imposed by Being a Bike-Based Platform ·      “It sounds like you could actually play Quidditch on this.” ·      How the Pivot Came About ·      “Where we're heading is 100% without a bike.” ·      Making It a Sport Rather than a Game Has Huge Economic Consequences ·      Sal Speculates on the Possibility of VR Sport Slowing Cognitive Decline ·      “What gets us up in the morning is all of the reviews that we get from our customers...” ·      Average VirZOOM Customer Exceeds CDC Recommended Weekly Exercise ·      The Cost of Getting on VirZOOM Is Modest: $300 for the Quest Headset & $12 per Month

Caleb Wursten is an entrepreneurial prodigy who paid for college at Babson with a bike rental business. He’s now building a platform to provide digital nomads with fractional ownership of properties in desirable locations. International business executive Jon Aboitiz joined as co-host. Highlights: ·       Sal Daher Introduces Co-Host Jon Aboitiz and Caleb Wursten, Founder of Worldhaus.co ·       “The pandemic unlocked this digital nomad lifestyle for millions of people.” ·       Getting Expensive to Be a Digital Nomad as Airbnb Prices Go Up ·       Fractional Ownership vs. Timeshares ·       Owning 1/13 of Properties in Desirable Locations via an LLC ·       “You're addressing a key factor, it seems, which is the cost of living and how to make it even more affordable...” ·       “The first property is a $220,000 condo in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.” ·       Can Choose Between Occupancy or Renting for Income ·       Comparison to Fractional Ownership of Yachts ·       Developers Are Responding to Demand from Digital Nomads with Attractive Designs ·       How Cobu Intersects with Worldhaus ·       “...we wanted it to be simple and scalable, so we can also expand to Portugal and Colombia, Thailand easily...” ·       Examples of Exciting New Communities: Culdesac and Las Catalinas ·       Property Developers Can Be Remarkably Inventive ·       “They don't need to put up with the $3,000 rent for an isolating experience in a hundred-year-old house.” ·       “It's not so much that Gen Z doesn't want home ownership, it's that no one can afford home ownership...” ·       “I was super lucky in that both my parents are small business entrepreneurs...” ·       Caleb Wursten’s Bike Rental Business Paid for Babson ·       “Then in that time I got a couple rental properties, which is also a common theme with digital nomads...” ·       Real Estate Developers Are Already Designing Projects for Digital Nomads ·       “For, let's say $4,000, you can now own a season, an entire season in Bulgaria.” ·       Jon Aboitiz’s Parting Thoughts Topics: discovering entrepreneurship, founding story, platform Title: Worldhaus.co

Angel investor John Williams comes from a background of leadership in sales and marketing in Big Pharma. He puts his experiences to work in helping his portfolio companies which include Lenoss Medical, Elidah and Eflex Energy. John’s affable personality made this really a fun chat.   Highlights:   ·      Sal Daher Introduces Angel Investor John Williams ·      Elidah – Solving Postpartum Incontinence ·      Gloria Kolb of Elidah Embodies Howard Stevenson’s Definition of the Startup Founder ·      Lenoss Medical: Better Treatment for Fractures of the Spine Due to Aging ·      “...a guy who's 63 years old made the cut at the Masters this weekend. They [seniors] have higher expectations...” ·      No More Heart Attacks in 40 Year Olds Thanks to Statin Drugs Controlling Blood Lipids ·      “It's also fun to watch pitches. Because you're like, "Wow."” ·      Robotic Gloves Keep popping Up in Sal’s Angel Investing Career ·      Eflex Energy: Load Management for Your Home Backup Power ·      “I would have been able to manage my energy and my battery for five days with my phone if I had one of these connected digital circuit breakers in my home.” ·      How John Williams Started His Angel Investing ·      Became an Angel Investor but Never Watched Shark Tank ·      Interesting Startups That Have Pitched at Walnut Ventures Recently ·      John Williams’ Parting Thoughts Topics: angel investing strategies, management, portfolio