Medtech Talk

A discectomy can feel like instant relief until the pain comes back, and the “small” hole in the disc turns into a repeat surgery, degeneration, and lost mobility. Joining the podcast is Greg Lambrecht, founder and executive director of Intrinsic Therapeutics, with host Geoff Pardo to unpack why recurrent lumbar disc herniation is still so common, what surgeons and patients often don’t see downstream, and how his team built Barricaid to address the problem at its source: the annular defect. They also discuss the engineering logic of a bone-anchored barrier and why early “optimal” designs failed inside a body that’s anything but gentle, as well as CMS versus private payer incentives and why trial protocols should be negotiated with reimbursement stakeholders early.  Subscribe and leave a review with your biggest question about getting breakthrough devices adopted.  LINKS:       Medtech Talk Links:  Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare   Intrinsic Therapeutics Links: Barricaid 

Brian Webster, President and CEO of Kestra Medical Technologies (Nasdaq: KMTS), joins Medtech Talk to discuss his 30-year career in cardiac defibrillation and the road to founding Kestra. With host Swaril Mathur, Webster unpacks learnings from leading through decades of repeated acquisitions, divestitures, and restructurings — and keeping the team motivated through it all. Their conversation explores what it takes to commercialize a rental fleet model with outsourced manufacturing, revenue cycle management, and payer contracts, as well as closing with the decision to IPO and staying steady in volatile markets by focusing on execution fundamentals. Subscribe, share this with a MedTech operator who’s scaling something hard, and leave a rating or review with the leadership lesson that hit you most.  Medtech Talk Links:  Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare   MicroTransponderLinks: MicroTransponder  Kestra Medical Technologies: Kestra Medical Technologies   

How do you approach growing and investing? Quentin Blackford, president and CEO of iRhythm Technologies, joins Medtech Talk host Justin Klein to discuss how he took his company beyond traditional monitoring and expanded into the primary care setting, even though many traditional medical device companies don’t have much success in primary care. Blackford shares advice on how to develop expertise and comfort in approaching and embracing technology investment (particularly with AI), as well as his thoughts on how the medtech ecosystem is currently approaching the learning curve and tech adoption. Medtech Talk Links:  Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare    Vensana Capital:  Vensana Capital  iRhythm Links:  iRhythm   

How do you evaluate investments and risks? Kate Garret, managing partner at Sonder, and Deborah Kilpatrick, partner at Sonder, share their insights and experiences as entrepreneurs, CEOs, and investors in this episode of Medtech Talk, hosted by Swaril Mathur. They deep dive into the practical realities of entrepreneurship, including the importance of networking, knowing when to keep pushing or pull out of an investment, making hard decisions, and how to conduct a successful shutdown. Garret and Kilpatrick also discuss their mentorship programs and offer advice for aspiring innovators on how to break into the industry. Medtech Talk Links:  Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare   MicroTransponderLinks:  MicroTransponder 

Meeting the right people can completely change the trajectory of one’s career. In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Stacy Enxing Seng, independent director and venture partner, about her journey from Harvard Business School to SciMed to ev3 and beyond. She delves into the lessons learned, the challenges, and—most importantly—the people that have impacted her illustrious career. She also shares advice on why soft skills are key to acquisitions and integrations, the importance of transparency, and determining the difference between a CEO who isn’t the right fit versus a CEO who has room to grow.  Medtech Talk Links:  Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare  Corza Medical  Lightstone Ventures     

The data gap in women’s health has always been a major issue and challenge. Ridhi Tariyal, CEO and co-founder of NextGen Jane, is on a mission to de-risk the women’s health field and fill in the blanks with critical information and research. Host Swaril Mathur speaks with Tariyal on how NextGen Jane is collecting data through menstrual blood to make diagnoses and treatments easier. Tariyal also shares advice on the pros and cons of going the cash-pay consumer route and pitching the right business proposal to gain investors’ attention, as well as NextGen’s plans and focus points.  Medtech Talk Links:  Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare   MicroTransponderLinks: MicroTransponder  NextGen Jane:  NextGen Jane 

From consulting to working at large companies to taking a risk with start-ups to becoming Silk Road Medical’s CEO, Chas McKhann has experienced almost everything in his long and illustrious career. In a discussion with Medtech Talk host Geoff Pardo, McKhann shares all the lessons learned from his jump to small private companies, handling a cultural rebirth as a newcomer CEO under the public eye, and taking on his role at Silk Road. He also talks about the “what if’s” of his journey and tips on surviving in the industry, as well as witnessing the market shift from only caring about revenue to wanting to see the path to capital break even.  LINKS: Medtech Talk Links:  Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare   Silk Road Medical:  Silk Road Medical   

Niche markets and small populations don’t get the attention they need for medtech and healthcare.  Medtech Talk host Swaril Mathur speaks with Eric Chehab, founder and former CEO of Novonate and director of business development of Laborie OB/GYN/NICU, and James Wall, pediatric surgeon and founder of Impact1 at Stanford University, about how they’re bringing medtech innovation to small towns and other low-population areas. They delve into their experiences of founding their own niche market companies and the lessons learned, including how they navigated commercialization and acquisition processes, convinced the right investors, determined capital efficiency, and more. They also share their thoughts on investors who think niche solutions for niche markets are uninteresting.  Medtech Talk Links:   Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare  MicroTransponderLinks: MicroTransponder Stanford University Links: Stanford Healthcare Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Stanford University  Laborie Links: Laborie 

Live from Medtech MVP, Michael Mahoney, chairman and CEO of Boston Scientific Corp, sits down with Medtech Talk podcast host Justin Klein. They discuss Mahoney’s communications strategies to align expectations and convey intentions to shareholders, how to delegate and streamline decision making, and advice on doing better as a partner. Mahoney also shares which second order considerations (such as manufacturing) are important to keep in mind, as well as whether he’s a “war time” or “peace time” CEO and what challenges the industry needs to address today to create a better tomorrow.     Medtech Talk Links:  Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare   Boston Scientific Corp:  Boston Scientific Corp 

In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo and Eric Wichems, former CEO of Vertos Medical (recently acquired by Stryker), discuss the responsibilities of a CEO, why high accountability and transparency are important aspects of company culture, and how to hire the right person for the position—and how to determine if they can thrive in your company’s culture. Wichems shares his background in engineering and how he found his way to Vertos, as well as his thoughts on the Stryker acquisition and the reasons behind it.  Medtech Talk Links:  Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare    Vertos Medical: Vertos Medical  Stryker: Stryker Interventional Spine 

In this month’s Medtech Talk, co-host Swaril Mathur, vice president of business development at Axonics, debuts in her first episode with John Woock, former EVP and chief marketing and strategy officer at Axonics. They discuss the early days of their company, including what motivated Woock to join a company that was considered risky at the time, what he learned from supporting and working directly with the field team, and how Axonics handled the early stages of commercial launch during the pandemic. Woock also reflects on how much the company has changed over the years in its culture and leadership, including the decisions that felt good and the ones that were harder to grapple with.  Medtech Talk Links:  Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare    Axonics Links:  Axonics 

This month at Medtech Talk, co-host Justin Klein, co-founder and managing partner at Vensana Capital, debuts in his first episode with a discussion with Douglas Kelly, former deputy center director for science and chief scientist at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the FDA. Kelly talks about his time at the FDA and the fundamental changes he implemented to make a helpful impact on patients, including when the pandemic was at its peak. Kelly also shares his thoughts on the value of fostering innovation and the importance of breakthrough designation, as well as how to approach the process of advocacy and get in better alignment with shared priorities with the FDA, CMS, and other stakeholders

In the first Medtech Talk episode of 2025, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Dr. Billy Cohn, MD, PhD (H), Chief Medical Officer of BiVACOR, about entrepreneurship, limitless innovation, and thinking outside the box. Dr. Cohn discusses his experiences being a driving force behind the Center of Device Innovation at the Texas Medical Center, what influenced him to pursue medical devices, and finding resources in everyday objects. He also provides advice for budding entrepreneurs and engineers and why he believes Home Depot is the headquarters of medical device prototyping. 

In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Michael Jaff, DO, chief medical officer and vice president of Clinical Affairs, Technology, and Innovation at Boston Scientific. Dr. Jaff has a long list of achievements and a robust background as a professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, president of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, medical director at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and more. Dr. Jaff shares his thoughts on good leadership, medical device innovation (and how they can help hospitals succeed), and how hospitals and manufacturers can navigate post-COVID-19 financial strains. He also discusses his journey from clinician to hospital CEO to the manufacturing industry, as well as Boston Scientific’s outlook on the future.   Medtech Talk Links:   Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare   Boston Scientific: Boston Scientific 

In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo and Per Langoe, CEO of GT Medical, discuss Langoe’s extensive career, from his start in sales to eventually making his way to medtech. Langoe gives tips on how to keep investors on board during times of crisis (such as the Covid-19 pandemic) and how he hires the right people for the job, as well as the differences between small companies and big companies and owning your company versus selling it to a larger company. He also shares what attracted him to GT Medical, what the company’s future looks like, and more. Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for hosting this episode. Medtech Talk Links:   Cambridge Healthtech Institute    Medtech Talk  Gilde Healthcare   GT Medical: GT Medical  GammaTile: GammaTile 

In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Punit Soni, CEO of Suki, about using AI to build better technology in healthcare, the origins of Suki, and how Soni shifted from Google to healthcare. Soni also delves into the difficulties and challenges of healthcare, including handling the regulatory aspects and encouraging doctors to adapt to new tech. He also discusses managing failure—as an individual and a company leader—and where we are in the evolution of what Suki is doing.   Special thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for sponsoring this episode.   

In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Dr. Liz Kwo, chief commercial officer at Everly Health, about how she got started in the medtech field, her experience at InfiniteMD, and the lessons learned along the way. They also discuss Dr. Kwo’s new book Digital MD: Revolutionizing the Future of Healthcare, which provides an in-depth look at ROI development, how organizations think, sell, and build partnerships, and more. Dr. Kwo also shares her thoughts on the difference between efficacy and effectiveness, customer profiles, the changing role of the consumer (especially when considering data and AI), and what she anticipates in the next 20 years. 

In this special episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo interviews Raymond W. Cohen, CEO of Axonics and winner of the Medtech MVP 2024 Award. The MVP Award recognizes an individual for extraordinary contributions to a medtech company that has successfully advanced an important new product and delivered strong financial returns. This year's award honors Cohen for his visionary leadership and innovative solutions that have propelled Axonics to the forefront of the industry. The pair explore Axonic’s groundbreaking technology, the importance of neuromodulation, and Cohen’s storied career, including focusing on key decisions that led him to become an entrepreneur and ultimately the leader of one of the most successful venture-backed medtech companies of our time. 

In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Darshana Zaveri, founder & managing partner of Catalyst Health Ventures, about her entry and journey to medtech and venture capital. Zaveri discusses how she approached her first deal, why treating others with kindness and dignity is the key to good networking, and the qualities she looks for in entrepreneurs, particularly in the early stages of a company’s evolution. She also relays her time as CEO of Lantos Technologies, the hard but valuable lessons she learned, and how she applies those experiences to investing. 

In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo and Conor Hanley, PhD, CEO of FIRE1, discuss various topics ranging from leadership to entrepreneurship to raising funds. Hanely also talks about lessons learned about raising capital at BiancaMed, how he keeps investors on the same page, how he utilizes his board and partnerships, and how he assimilates other people’s perspectives while taking on a position. He also delves into his viewpoint on patient compliance, what attracted him to healthcare in the first place, and how Ireland transformed from an economic low point to the Celtic Tiger.   Medtech Talk boiler: The Medtech Talk Podcast explores the lives and stories of the people behind some of the greatest advancements in healthcare. Gilde Healthcare General Partner and podcast host, Geoff Pardo invites listeners to see themselves in the journeys of the greatest entrepreneurs, investors, and executives changing the landscape of medtech to save patients and innovate healthcare for future generations.