The Health Innovators Show

Launching a successful healthcare startup can be difficult on its best day, but when you have all the right tools and resources, that process can be made so much easier. When it comes to marketing, many startups are missing a huge opportunity and, instead, try to leapfrog their way to success. In fact, the all-too-familiar assumption that marketing can wait, is the root cause of many industry failures. Matt McBride is here to talk about why that ‘popular’ assumption isn’t the best practice if you want to build a successful healthcare solution. If you’re looking to make a difference in healthcare communication and patient engagement, you need to understand the power of a robust and strategic marketing foundation, and Matt is here to explain precisely what that might look like. Here are the show highlights: Everyone is, or will be, a patient (2:46) Know your market size and your problem (3:08) Pivoting toward future opportunities (6:34) The Google secret to to finding product market fit (14:00) How assumptions can sabotage your startup (22:52) Digital experience and the communication model (29:02) Guest Bio Matt McBride is President & CEO of Mend - an integrated patient engagement and telehealth platform. He took his career in project management and ed tech a step further by applying his expertise to the healthcare industry in order to provide a better patient experience. Matt earned his BBA in MIS and Business Management and his MBA from the University of Michigan - Dearborn. If you want more information about Mend or Matt McBride’s work, visit Mend.com website or, you can find him on LinkedIn @Matt McBride

Question: What do you do when you have a solution that helps unlock the largest possible target market in the country? If you answered, dig my heels in and keep going, you’d be right. But when that target market has been historically undervalued and overlooked, you might have your work cut out for you. Hard work didn’t scare Danika Kelly. She saw value in women’s health where others saw nothing but complications. And then she rolled up her sleeves and got down to business. If you’ve been curious about fem tech, or just looking to push social innovation, drive business development, or simply be successful while doing some good in the world, we have you covered in this week’s episode! Here are the show highlights: Inclusion criteria and its effect on health tech (2:47) Fem tech as a stepping stone in female health (4:07) Social innovation and driving business development (7:13) Being successful and doing “good” (8:26) Target markets are fundamental to success (11:20) The dichotomy and ethics of women’s issues (15:22) Guest Bio Danika Kelly is CEO and co-founder of My Normative. She is also a health and wellness professional and trained socio-cultural scholar in issues surrounding female health and representation. For the past 14 years she’s worked globally focusing on health advancement and knowledge translation in developing economies. Her strong history of leadership excellence in the social innovation space has earned her awards and recognition from Telus and The Future of Good, FemTech Analytics, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs and more. If you want more information about Danika Kelly and her work, visit the MyNormative.ca website or, you can find her on LinkedIn @Danika Kelly

You’ve heard me talk about commercialization a million times - all those tried and true methods to commercialization and funding aren’t new and, we know they work. But one thing you can always count on happening, whenever you get comfortable with a process, is a new idea coming along to shake things up a bit. What if I told you there’s a way to fund an early stage innovation in 4 pitches or less? I bet that got your attention. And there’s even more out of the box thinking to examine and consider. Touching on everything from commercial models, validation, patents and investments, Daniel O’connor brings his process on commercialization and pitching to the table for discussion. So, if you’re ready to take a deep dive into an exciting new concept on commercial models and successfully launching your product, pull up a seat and grab some coffee! Here are the show highlights: The real value is in the model (1:46) Understanding the Commercial Model (9:21) How to validate a Commercial Model (11:25) Patents and intellectual property (14:18) Investments with four pitches or less (19:18) Understanding leverages (27:26) Guest Bio Daniel O’Connor is the Consultant and Principal for Kickstart Plus. A Management Consultant and Business Coach with 38 years of experience in innovation, he has been Company Director of a number of companies, private and public, listed and unlisted, in Australia and overseas. Daniel specializes in intellectual property portfolio management and commercialization, including an online global coaching and mentoring program. The Australian member of the UN Task Force on Innovation and Competitiveness, Daniel works with business and government leaders around the World on transferring suitable innovation to developing countries. Learn more about @Kickstart Plus on their LinkedIn page or if you’d like to reach Daniel directly, you can also find him on LinkedIn @Daniel O'Connor.

When most folks think of psychology, they’re miles away from thinking about digital health commercialization - and that’s a shame. A key ingredient in successful commercialization, of any kind, is understanding human behavior. Because if you understand past behaviors, you can better predict future behavior. And when your digital health solution is sitting at the convergence of behavioral economics, science, psychology, and medicine, there’s no one better equipped to point you in the right direction than this week’s guest, Dr. Talya Miron-Shatz. Dr. Miron-Shatz is an expert when it comes to understanding why people react, act, and behave as they do toward digital health, and she’s brought receipts. If you’ve ever wondered how, or why, the power of the situation might influence your target market’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviors toward your product, you need to listen in! Here are the show highlights: 3 key elements to the commercialization process (3:28) Put a little sci-fi into your medication adherence (5:01) Can psychological marketing segmentation fuel commercialization? (7:13) One-size-fits-all messaging (and why it doesn’t work) (13:26) Why psychology is crucial for successful digital health tech (17:51) How to operationalize a personalized experience (32:03) Guest Bio Dr.Talya Miron-Shatz is a leader at the intersection of behavioral economics, psychology, and medicine and the CEO of CureMyWay, an international consulting firm in the health sector. A post-doctoral fellow of Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman at Princeton University, Dr. Miron-Shatz has taught consumer behavior at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She brings her vast knowledge to her industry work, as a consultant and speaker. With over 60 publications in top academic journals, her recent book, Your Life Depends on It: What You Can Do to Make Better Choices About Your Health, is a deep dive into how patients and healthcare professionals think, with crucial lessons for the healthcare industry. If you want more information about Dr. Miron-Shatz and her work, visit their website at TalyaMironShatz.com or, you can find her on LinkedIn @Talya Miron-Shatz, PhD

Healthcare has always been slow to change, and adoption of digital health solutions has been no different. When it comes to advances in technology and digital solutions, we sometimes tend to put the cart before the horse - that is, we go in with a solution, without first asking the questions. A digital health solution can phel drive adoption, support, guide or even act as a network. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Dr. Lloyd Hymphreys is an expert on digital health, and he’s here to explain why digital health is not a one-size-fits-all solution and how, when we make assumptions, we end up trying to solve problems that don’t exist. And that can be a big problem when commercializing. Assumptions are like windows - if we don’t scrub them off every once in a while, the sun will never come in - and Dr. Humphreys is here to put his expertise to work and help clean those windows. Here are the show highlights: Things to do (or not do) when commercializing (1:31) Key differences in Quality Initiatives (6:09) Are you trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist? (10:10) When looking at the opportunities with digital health, don’t forget the risks (13:15) Digital health is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution (18:56) Digital health should not be treated as a separate healthcare pathway (24:50) Guest Bio Dr. Lloyd Humphreys is the Managing Director at ORCHA, a company that assesses and distributes quality assured digital health solutions. A proven, highly regarded business and sector leader in digital health, Dr. Humphreys has a passion for helping others scale their digital health solutions. In addition to being a trained clinical psychologist, Dr. Humphreys also completed an Executive MBA at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin. If you want more information about ORCHA, visit their website at ORCHAHealth.com, or if you wish to reach out to Dr. Humphreys, you can find him on LinkedIn @Dr Lloyd Humphreys

Whether you’re looking to break into AI, streamline your commercialization journey, or bring the next big disruptive innovation to market - you need to know how to scale. Steve Ardire knows a thing or two about scaling a business and the key decisions that go hand in hand with doing so, faster and better. Let’s face it, startups face a lot of challenges. We tend to fall into “friendly” traps and sometimes hyper-focus on landing those big-name deals. Steve is here to give our listeners some tips on how to avoid those pitfalls, while serving up some tried and true strategies to help you stay focused on your end goals. So, if you built a startup, your next move is to scale it - smarter, faster, and better. You’re going to want to watch this episode! Here are the show highlights: The biggest challenge to startups (6:05) The fundamental flaws of “friendlies” (9:25) Key decisions that help in the commercialization journey (24:36) How to shape serendipity by connecting and illuminating the dots (25:29) The next disruptive innovation (31:04) What to look for when choosing AI technologies (33:20) Guest Bio Steve Ardire is an AI Startup Advisor and “Force Multiplier” who shapes serendipity by connecting and illuminating dots that matter. Steve has built his AI career by leveraging deep relationship capital with recognized personal brands. A life-long ​”intentional learner,” Steve treats every experience as an opportunity to learn with curiosity and a growth mindset. If you’d like to reach out to Steve, you can find him on LinkedIn at Steve Ardire or on Twitter at @forcemultstevea.

Most successful entrepreneurs will tell you that they had a plan from the start - it was all figured out and they just followed their path to success! Did they really? When you’re at the pinnacle it’s often easy to forget the trials and challenges it took to get to that lofty spot - and rightly so because it’s a lot of grueling work. You earned a break. But that’s just exactly the thing: it’s work. Very few people begin commercialization of a solution with a plan they follow to the letter. Things happen - changes come along - adaptation is necessary. Then there’s folks like Shawn Zimmerman who showed up to the party without much of a plan at all. He just had a good idea that he knew one organization needed. It took some hustling on his end to craft a solution that he, at first, thought was niche - only to find out that every hospital organization needed what he was building. And he was off to the races. Whether you’re having a difficult time trusting your instincts or just second guessing yourself out of a successful commercialization run, you need to give yourself a break and listen to Shawn’s story - then get back to the hard work of reaching your pinnacle! Here are the show highlights: If you can build it and deploy it: COMMERCIALIZE IT (6:41) How to transition from a side hustle to a viable business (8:01) So, you’re building a business….what happens next? (13:38) Sometimes successful plans aren’t planned at all - they just happen (17:56) Success doesn’t always look like a billion dollar IPO (22:59) Why it’s smart to never undervalue your solution (31:37) Guest Bio Shawn Zimmerman is the Vice President of Product Development at AccuReg, a healthcare industry software designer. Over the last two decades, Shawn has held many positions in the healthcare industry, allowing him to gain unique and real insights into the daily challenges of health institutions. His hands-on approach has earned him a wide range of skills in the healthcare industry, where he leverages his experience in order to provide innovative software solutions. If you’d like to talk to Shawn about AccuReg’s work, or simply wish to reach out to him, you can find him on LinkedIn @Shawn Zimmerman

I see it a lot: an innovator has a solution to a problem - a solution that could change healthcare for the better… only to find out that problem isn’t even on healthcare’s priority roadmap. You might think that’s the end of it, right? Maybe you need to go back and find a different issue to address? Not so fast. Sometimes the answer to getting your solution into the market is to become the provider for that solution. That’s precisely what Dr. Katherine Saunders did with her company, Intellihealth. When the healthcare companies said, “Not right now,” she said, “Watch me.” From understanding ‘person first’ language to tying healthcare, wellness, and lifestyle together, Dr. Saunders shows us how she successfully took an idea to market - even when her main audience hadn’t yet taken interest. Here are the show highlights: This is what a successful ‘pandemic pivot’ looks like (5:14) What is ‘Person first’ language and how do you use it? (12:10) Different pathways for different people (14:40) How ‘Next level’ decisions could be a new sub specialty (17:24) Women’s health trends and where they’re heading (21:39) How conversations and shared experiences can put you on the right track (25:22)  Guest Bio Dr. Katherine Saunders is the co-founder at Intellihealth and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. Specializing in obesity and weight-related medical complications, her areas of expertise include advanced medical approaches to obesity and strategies to counteract medication-induced weight gain. Dr. Saunders received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College. If you’d like more information on Intellihealth, or wish to reach Dr. Saunders, she can be found on LinkedIn at Katherine Saunders.

You can find a wearable on just about any wrist these days - or finger, or even a shirt. The point is: Wearables are evolving. No longer the simple step trackers of the early 2000s, wearable technology has reached out into the world of heart rate monitors and even O2 sensors. But with that evolution comes a boatload of data. How that data is disseminated and handled could be the key to wearables revolutionizing healthcare across the board. João Bocas knows a lot about wearables - he’s often referred to as the #1 digital health influencer. And in this week’s episode, he joins us as we take a deep dive into the world of wearable technology. From understanding which wearable might work for you, how much is too much data, and how AI is poised to take data analysis to a whole new level, we’ve got your answers! Here are the show highlights: Taking a ‘step’ beyond trackers - how wearables have evolved (5:24) The trajectory of wearables toward better health (6:14) How to make wearables work for you (10:19) Breaking down barriers to wearable tech (19:45) What you need to know about AI and wearable tech (20:45) What entrepreneurs need to do to break down barriers to human health (25:05)  Guest Bio João Bocas is billed as the #1 digital health influencer. A wearables expert and current CEO at Digital Salutem, João has spent his career focused on transforming digital health. João uses his podcast, “Digital Health & Wearables,” to influence social media and attract and energize audiences across the globe. If you’d like to reach out João, he can be found on Twitter at @wearablesexpert or on LinkedIn @Joao Bocas

When it comes to our target audience, we think we know exactly what they want - but do we really? Or are we making assumptions based on past behavior? This may seem like a simple fix but the habit can be hard to break. And when 95% of all innovations fail, that leaves very little room for error. Warren Schirtzinger has been able to break that habit - and he’s dishing out some major strategies on how to increase your chances of having your innovation adopted! Warren talks about assumptions and past behavior, understanding who the adopters (and innovators) are in the adoption cycle, and even the balance of benefit/cost. There’s a lot to unpack in this episode. And we’re planning on more with Warren, so get in on the first show and get ready to shore up your innovation adoption strategies so you can increase your chances of success. Here are the show highlights: Adoption of innovation and risk evaluation (6:31) This is why 95% of all innovations fail (8:40) Electric vehicles vs. COVID vaccinations - don’t make assumptions (17:09) Understanding who the innovators and adopters are (20:09) Identifying the magic in word-of-mouth (28:42) For every benefit an innovation brings, there’s a cost (33:00)   Guest Bio Warren Schirtzinger likes to refer to himself as the “luckiest business person alive” - and he very well may be! Currently the Managing Partner at High Tech Strategies, he has also built a long and successful career as a strategic advisor, VP of Sales and Marketing. Warren has also made significant contributions to emerging high-tech companies: Apple, Adobe, Harman International, Intermec, and many others. Warren has also built a successful customer alignment process and experience that helps entrepreneurs, CEOs and product leaders align their business activities with people who are motivated to buy. If you’d like to learn more about Warren and his system, or reach out to him, visit hightechstrategies.com or find him on LinkedIn at Warren Schirtzinger.