The Health Innovators Show

When building a digital health company from the ground up, the road will, at times, arduous and challenging.  Entrepreneurs have to constantly examine their goals, their approaches, and - perhaps most importantly, their failures in order to stay on task and motivated. Not an easy task, but when you’re passionate about your solution, it’s a path you’re willing to take and a process you’re willing to submit to. In this episode, Eran Kabakov speaks candidly about his company’s nearly two-decade evolution, some mistakes he’s made along the way, and how the COVID-19 crisis helped open doors. Eran gives our listeners an honest look at the often unglamorous - but most often rewarding - rollercoaster ride of building a digital health company.    Here are the show highlights: How building something from nothing versus working in an existing, established infrastructure is like night and day (3:46) Product market fit and how it can evolve and change over time(7:34) Recognizing when you’ve reached product-market fit and how that can be different for every entrepreneur (13:44) How a crisis can reveal opportunities, even if doors closed in the past (17:01) Sometimes the market has to catch up to the entrepreneur’s vision (22:57) Why keeping your eye on your end goals can help you stay on track and inspired (28:42) Guest Bio Eran Kabakov is CEO and Founder of Docola, a digital health tool that enables providers to quickly share information with patients, tracks progress, assesses comprehension, and provides utilization reports, all on a HIPAA/GDPR compliant platform. Eran has been a clinician for over 30 years, has earned his BS in Physical Therapy from the University of Buffalo, and is a volunteer at the Aurora Project and the Society for Participatory Medicine. If you’d like to reach out to Eran, or are looking for additional information on Docola, you can find him on  LinkedIn at Eran Kabakov or visit their website at doco.la .

When momentum is interrupted by a global crisis, it can take the wind out of even a big corporation’s sails, never mind a startup’s. Sometimes, the trick to keeping momentum going, or at the very least moving in the right direction, could be as simple as a shift in focus.  Staying open to opportunities that build on a process or product you’ve already developed can be key to unlocking doors that might be closing to other innovators. In this episode, Varun Goyal talks about his company’s pre-pandemic momentum and changes in focus and target markets that helped see Illuminate Health through the pandemic crisis. Varun gives our listeners a glimpse into his startup’s strategies and challenges as they actively avoided pilot purgatory in an unpredictable market.    Here are the show highlights: How a formal pilot and patient information can help you expand your solution (3:12) Why shifting use case focus can help keep momentum going during market disruptions (9:53) One of the most challenging pieces to the commercialization process (13:05) Ways to avoid pilot purgatory (14:52) When a crisis can both slow down momentum - or speed things up (21:27) Add-on solutions - can this be a way in the door when the door is closing? (29:09) What’s important when looking for an advisor (32:13)  Guest Bio Varun Goyal is CEO and Co-Founder of Illuminate Health, a digital care assistant for individuals and families that helps simplify healthcare management. An engineer by background, Varun spent a lot of his career at Oracle in various consulting roles before getting passionate about consumer health. Varun earned his BS in computer engineering from Illinois State University, MS in computer science from University of Chicago, and his MBA in marketing, management and strategy, and healthcare from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. If you’d like to reach out to Varun or are looking for additional information on Illuminate Health, you can find him on  LinkedIn at Varun Goyal, email at vg@illuminate.health, at his company’s website Illuminate.Health.

Launching a successful startup is hard. It’s even harder when there’s a global pandemic affecting every aspect of the market. Market shakeups aren’t new, but when you’re new to the market, your ideas could be the shakeup that’s needed! Fresh eyes, fresh ideas, fresh approaches can be a breath of fresh air in a stalled market. And Evan Ehrenberg and his company threw open the window with their millennial mindsets. In this episode, come hear how Evan and his team at Clara Health used a unique mix of traditional and unorthodox approaches to building a successful startup out of a college project. Evan’s candor, transparency, and vulnerability, quickly pull our listeners in as he recounts the struggles and triumphs, and unique approaches, millennial companies face during COVID-19.   Here are the show highlights: The path from idea, to a minimum viable product, to scalable product (3:58) What success can look for a startup (8:34) What it’s like to be a millennial innovator (11:22) How transparency and vulnerability in conversations can spark ideas (17:36) Combatting discrimination and ageism in the company and when pitching (18:54) Steps to take that can help battle burnout and increase productivity (24:48) Using conversations to help build stronger trust and credibility (31:48) Guest Bio Evan Ehrenberg is Co-founder and CEO of Clara Health, a company that exists to help patients obtain better access to breakthrough clinical trials. Before founding Clara Health, Evan managed AI research at MIT, Pal, and Palantir. He is a USERN (Universal Scientific Education and Research Network) Ambassador and a recipient of the Forbes 30 under 30 award. Having received his Bachelor’s in Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley at the age of 16, Evan went on to become the youngest Ph.D. candidate at MIT. If you’d like to reach out to Evan, or simply want more information about Clara Health, you can follow him on Twitter at @EvanEhrenberg or @ClaraHealth, on LinkedIn at Evan Ehrenberg or reach out on their website at ClaraHealth.com.

The healthcare space has become more dynamic over the past few months - and is showing no sign of slowing down.  So, how do you navigate the obstacles and challenges of such a dynamic space, and continue to remain relevant and possibly manifest a product for launch? It is possible to not only identify opportunity but also leverage it - if you keep your focus on who you’re engaging with. In today’s episode, Dr. Roxie speaks with Kent Dicks, CEO and Founder of Life365, and gets his input on how to increase the chance for market success in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Kent shares his strategies for opening up partnerships and relationships, and how to stay on task while also being agile and remaining relevant beyond the COVID economy. Here are the show highlights: Explore friction points in healthcare during COVID-19 (2:23) Turning challenges and obstacles into opportunity (5:14) Opening up partnerships, relationships, and paths to success (9:50) Dissecting what opportunity in a crisis looks like (12:28) How commercialization strategies are changing during crises (15:37) Telehealth adoption and the future of telemedicine (21:00) Strategies for staying agile and relevant in a post-pandemic market (26:30) Guest Bio Kent Dicks, the Founder and CEO of Life365, has 35+ years experience providing dynamic and strategic leadership in new and emerging markets.  His dedication to improving telehealth systems and establishing efficacy in patient-centered mobile health solutions secured his place as a trusted thought leader in the Mobile and Digital Health space. Kent received his Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Information Systems from Arizona State University and holds an Associate’s Degree in Business from Phoenix College. If you’d like to follow up with Kent, or simply want more information about Inference Analytics or Plug and Play Health you can get a hold of him via email at kdicks@life365.health, his website at  Life365.health or on LinkedIn at Kent Dicks.

Crises impact health innovators in all forms and fashion - including shifting nuances that have a very definite impact on pre and post-crisis strategies.  Weathering the impact of a crisis sometimes requires creative long-term or short-term solutions to strategic approaches. And, sometimes, entrepreneurs can focus so heavily on one strategic course, they may miss an emergent strategy or opportunity that could help them scale and get to market faster. In today’s episode, Farrukh Khan, CEO and Founder of Inference Analytics, talks about his company’s use case pivot during the pandemic. Using a platform they already had in place, Inference Analytics was able to expand their long-term solution while also offering a near-term solution for patients and healthcare providers. Farrukh shares his strategies, insights, and advice on how to stay agile while pivoting and the importance of not letting core value proposition get too far out of sight. Here are the show highlights: Examples of long-term and near-term crisis impacts and solutions (6:13) How to avoid “shelfware” solutions (8:13) Learning how to recognize when to stay the course and when to pivot down a different path (16:13) What is a “Camel Startup” and how do they function? (18:46) How important is your support system as an entrepreneur? (24:51) Two key reasons to pivot or enter a new market (29:39) Guest Bio Farrukh Khan is the founder and CEO of Inference Analytics, Inc. With over 20 years of experience in product management, strategy, and general management in the analytics space, he has held leadership roles in everything from early-stage startups to large fortune 500 enterprises - including Netezza and IBM.  Farrukh earned his Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University and his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University. If you’d like to follow up with Farrukh, or simply want more information about Inference Analytics, you can reach out to him at  Farrukh@inferenceanalytics.com, on his website at inferenceanalytics.com, or via LinkedIn at Farrukh Khan

Timing can be crucial to any startup - enter the market at the wrong time and it’s an uphill battle, enter it at the right time and things can really take off. But even the best timing can’t protect a fledgling business from incorrect product assumptions that can cost valuable resources. Two key factors that improve a startup’s survival rate are great industry advisors and a passion for getting to know the end-user. In today’s episode, Katherine Jin, CTO, and Co-Founder of Kinnos, speaks openly about her startup’s challenges. She shares her take on how good timing helps, but the support of key industry opinion leaders and a willingness to co-create with end-users, are equally critical to success. Tune in and get Katherine’s insights on what it means to be a young entrepreneur managing a startup during a pandemic - and see how they’re making it work.   Here are the show highlights: The ups and downs of taking a college idea into the world of startups (7:38) Key opinion leaders: The difference between getting a ‘no’ or a ‘yes’ when pitching for funding (10:49) Why proof and efficacy are not interchangeable (13:12) Getting to know your end users can pay off in big ways (15:57) Co-creation can put assumptions to rest and give rise to better solutions (18:18)  Awards and accolades are great for startups, but, the real prize is the connections that you make (24:57) Good timing can drive big success, but patience and the ability to pivot in times of crisis is critical for startups (28:40) The pluses and minuses of supply chain issues (33:38)   Guest Bio Katherine Jin is CTO and Co-founder of Kinnos, a New York-based company that is pioneering color technology to revolutionize how the world uses disinfectants.  Their first product, won several awards, is used by the New York Fire Department and has been field-tested by NGOs and healthcare workers in Liberia, Guinea, Haiti, DR Congo, and Uganda. Katherine earned her BA in Computer Science and Biology from Columbia University in New York City, has several academic publications to her name. She is also a recipient of the Forbes 30 under 30 in Healthcare award If you’d like more information about Kinnos or the Highlight solution, you can touch base with Katherine at Katherin@kinnos.us, visit their website at Kinnos.us, or find them on LinkedIn at Kinnos.

Healthcare continues to operate on the same backend delivery models that take everyone into consideration except the direct beneficiaries of care: the patient. It takes ingenuity, a strong understanding of commercialization, and a clearly defined value proposition to successfully disrupt such an established market. But if you’re not careful, you might find your disruptive innovation hijacked, pushing you out of that innovation space and turning your product into just another option out of many. A self-described serial entrepreneur, CEO, and Co-Founder of Solve.Care, Pradeep Goel knows a thing or two about commercialization and staying on task. Tune in to hear his tricks and insights on how to take your innovation through the commercialization process and successfully to market without losing sight of your vision or losing grasp of your value proposition.   Here are the show highlights: 3 key friction points to consider during healthcare co-creation (4:23) Cornerstones of building or commercializing a successful innovation (13:06) Are you on the path to the early market or mainstream market? (19:29) Is what you’re doing fundamentally aligned with your value proposition? (26:37) Why staying true to your value proposition is critical (26:37) 3 questions to ask yourself about your customers’ alignment with your vision (28:08) How to differentiate what process stage your solution is in (30:06) Do you want to be first to market or first to profit? (33:01)   Guest Bio With over 25 years of executive experience touching every level of the healthcare industry from insurance to public programs, Pradeep Goel is the Co-Founder and CEO of Solve.Care -  a platform based health care solution that combines decentralization with synchronization in order to connect stakeholders with each other. Determined to redefine care, cost, and convenience for everyone, Solve.Care is poised to disrupt the healthcare industry with their revolutionary concepts on healthcare delivery, care coordination, and benefits administration.   Pradeep earned his BE in Systems Engineering from Panjab University and has parlayed his education into a laser-defined focus on improving the administration, coordination, quality, and efficiency of healthcare. If you’d like to reach out to Pradeep for more information, you can email him at info@solve.care or visit their website at Solve.Care or on LinkedIn at  Solve.Care

Compared to more established organizations, healthcare start-ups experienced some of the bigger challenges during recent market crises. With less clout, doors close faster, and the word ‘no’ can be discouraging - but not every ‘no’ is the wrong type of ‘no’. Not every ‘no’ is the same. Learning how to power through the let-down of rejection and find your way to the prized bit of guidance hidden beneath, can be key to surviving and thriving in a volatile market. Today, CEO and Co-Founder of Pangea Medical, Ariel Efergan, talks candidly about his start-up’s experiences during the recent international pandemic and their take on the importance of the customer discovery process. Here are the show highlights: These are some of the biggest challenges a startup can face during a crisis (2:18) This is one of the most important aspects of the validation (proof of concept) process (4:49) Having belief in your solution is essential, but so is the ability to take feedback (6:32) Ways the buying environment has changed during the pandemic (8:57) Nothing prepares an entrepreneur for evaluating a pivot process more than an international crisis (11:03) A pivot away from your current strategy might uncover your ‘Eureka!’ moment (15:15) Hearing ‘No’ sucks - but that doesn’t mean it’s not the ‘right’ no! (16:06) 3 important lessons learned from guiding a start-up through a pandemic (21:48) Guest Bio Ariel Efergan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Pangea Medical, a healthcare start-up that aims data-driven actions to work with payers and providers in order to better understand patients and deliver more accurate and cost-effective care. Ariel received his education from The University of Maryland - Robert H. Smith School of Business and had devoted his career to understanding the intricacies of how business, financing, and positive customer experiences work together to form a successful venture. If you’d like to reach out to Ariel with questions, or for additional information about his company, he can be reached via email at info@pangeamedicalcare.com, on their website at PangeaMedicalCare.com, or you can follow them on LinkedIn at Pangea Medical.

When you’re a healthcare innovations startup poised to take that next step, nothing can throw you more of a curveball than a global pandemic. Right now, the market has slowed and is proceeding with caution, but ‘slow’ doesn’t mean ‘stop.’ Funding may be hard, but it’s not impossible - and there are actions every company can take that will help keep them relevant and active in the industry. In today’s episode, Surefhir Co-Founder and CEO, Ana Gomez del Campo gets candid with our listeners as she recounts how her company has weathered the impact of the go-stop-crawl process of the last few months. Ana shares her thoughts on being open to collaboration, willing to pivot, why it’s so important to know who you’re targeting when going to market.   Here are the show highlights: When crises slow an innovation’s forward trajectory, these actions can keep you relevant and active in your industry (4:03) A strong argument for collaboration and customer discovery (9:19) Why funding may be difficult, but certainly not impossible, during a pandemic (14:50) A quick dive into the psychology around why Angel Investors invest (17:41) How a partial pivot to innovation can yield surprising results (19:09) Why right now might be the time to open discussion about how your innovation may work for other potential target markets (22:03) How getting “lost in the fog” can sabotage your success (23:45) When listening to stakeholder advice produces that ah-ha moment (26:01) Recognizing the different value propositions between patient, provider, and those who write the checks are critical to innovation success (31:18) Guest Bio Ana Gomez del Campo is CEO and Co-Founder of Surefhir, a healthcare digital solution that aims to boost patient satisfaction and discharge efficiency with tools that keep patients, loved ones, and care teams all on the same page and up-to-date on a patient’s care journey. A recipient of several entrepreneurial and neuroscience grants and prizes, Ana graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with her BS in Biomedical and Medical Engineering. If you want to reach out to Ana, she can be reached via email at ana@surefhir.co, on LinkedIn at Ana Gomez del Campo, or for more information about the Surefhir solution, visit their website at surefhir.co

For healthcare innovators, getting a head start on your competition can seem like a tall order - especially when we’re in an unpredictable market. Things have slowed, doors are closing, and you already poured all your available resources into your product. So, how are you going to keep your solution relevant and on the minds of your customers? Take a deep breath, relax, and get ready for the inside scoop on how to use relationship building and collaboration to build those key business relationships that are critical to your success. In today’s episode, Twiage CEO and co-founder, John Hui, dishes out his first-hand experience with a looming pandemic. He tells us how he pivoted his solution to meet a changing need, allowing his company to stay one step ahead of its competition. John shares his thoughts on being agile and nimble in this rapidly-evolving market. And get his secret recipe that can sustain even the most frantic among us: a combination of flexibility and openness to collaborate with clients. Here are the show highlights: How getting ahead of a problem can keep you ahead of the game (1:02) Start with a problem, apply co-creation, and create powerful solutions (8:12) This is what a successful collaboration/co-creation process might look like (10:23) When sales strategies need to take a backseat to building relationships (13:36) Sales strategies that can get you in front of the customer (17:38) Underinvesting in these tools can do your innovation a disservice (23:45) Ways to stay agile and nimble with relationship building as you move ahead in a post-COVID market (26:56) Guest Bio John Hui is the Co-Founder and CEO of Twiage — award-winning healthcare IT startup that provides a novel mobile communication and workflow technology that enables hospitals and ambulances to accelerate life-saving emergency care. With over 20 years in the healthcare innovation and development industry, John’s career has taken him to both China and the US and has touched on nearly every corner of the digital health and healthcare industry. John received his MBA from Cornell University and has attended Columbia Business School and the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business. John is also an active mentor for graduate and undergraduate students through the Executive on Campus Program at Baruch College, where he is President of the International Business Association. If you want to reach out to John to learn more about Twiage,  or to simply ask questions, he is active on LinkedIn at John Hui or you can visit twiagmed.com