Mentors List

Charla has over 25 years of experience and is a dynamic leader skilled at bridging academia, startups, non-profits, and venture capital. With her background in bioengineering, she has driven advancements in digital health, biosensors, MedTech, and life sciences. As a Founding Partner at Suncoast Ventures, Charla is a trusted mentor and advisor, known for fostering innovation and collaboration. Her extensive background includes startup consulting, business development, strategic partnerships, and medical device innovation, making her an invaluable asset to our mission of supporting groundbreaking innovation.

Hal Walbrink is a recognized leader in the medical device space. In his current role as Founder/CEO of Xinetix Medical Product Development Hal assists early- stage companies in formation, product realization, and commercial launch of healthcare related product offerings. Xinetix has served 100+ companies in its 30- year history, resulting in combined annual product sales of over $1 billion and greater than $4 billion in strategic acquisition and IPO valuation. Hal has served as a medical technology and business expert in 37 legal cases involving patent infringement and product liability. He has testified before State, local, Federal courts, and the International Trade Commission. Hal has served 40+ years in roles ranging from Board Chairman to CXO, advisor, investor, and technical expert to over 100 companies. A formal education in Applied Physics coupled with broad executive experience in private, public, domestic, and international companies affords Hal an extensive experience base to draw upon in leadership and advisory roles. He has deep domain knowledge and leadership experience in product conceptualization, development, and manufacturing. Additionally, he has had executive leadership responsibility for Regulatory Affairs, Intellectual Property, Marketing, Customer Service, and Operations for several medical device companies during his career. Hal is a recognized technical expert in ultrasonics, microfluidics, fluid dynamics, thermal tissue modification, tissue cutting/coagulation/ablation, endoscopy, digital signal processing and operating room communication and control systems. His clinical experience includes Ophthalmology, Electrosurgery, Critical Care Respiratory Ventilation, Minimally Invasive Surgery, and General Surgery. Hal is a named inventor on nine issued US and International patents and numerous patent disclosures and applications in process. Hal has a passion for giving back to the community. He is a mentor to recent college grads and participates in several healthcare industry network groups. He serves as an advisor to the Computer Science and Engineering School Leadership Council at the California State University, Fullerton and Mentor for the Bridge to Connect organization at the University of California, Irvine. Hal and his wife Teresa have served as Church Elders at Jubilee South Coast in Southern California and support and led missions’ trips to Zoe Ministry in Chang Mai, Thailand. Hal and Teresa are parents to five children and live in Laguna Niguel, California.Hal Walbrink – Medical Device Executive, Advisor, Technology Expert

I have created a diverse and successful career growing companies and leveraging business opportunities. With international background, experience and training I have successfully guided a broad range of companies, including B2B, B2C and non-profit organizations. I am passionate about revenue creation, operations and technology. Specialized in management in all its aspects: social, psychological, process, leadership (both inward and outward facing), employees’ purpose /focus and org. functional hierarchy. I validate and measured results, engaging in a lean process while planning and defining the strategy and tactical implementation of any program under my supervision. I am able to produce meaningful and fast results. As an expert in business development where research and network both equally important, my efforts lead to sales, JV, Strategic partnerships, investments and overall good market exposure.

A biomedical engineer and strategist revered for guiding early-stage innovations from concept to commercial launch, Aaron champions innovation and discovery across our company. He’s focused on launching new startups and services, forging strategic partnerships and developing bold go-to-market strategies that reshape markets entirely. Aaron has a proven record of transforming ideas into investment, possibilities into products and business strategies into market share. He previously worked as the founding principal of Jaunt, a consultancy helping MedTech companies navigate the complexity of bringing visionary ideas to life. Throughout his career, Aaron has advised more than 36 companies contributing $1B in enterprise value, $100M in venture funding and $90M in new revenue.

With over two decades of experience in the healthcare industry, my expertise encompasses various facets of commercial strategy, business development for early stage healthcare start up’s, account management, and forging strategic partnerships. Experience with healthcare startups includes bringing clinical and digital solutions and devices to market in areas such as AI software for radiology, a novel medical device for managing heart failure patients, a diagnostic lab test measuring acute and chronic inflammation for Sepsis, COVID, and CVD-Stroke, a digital solution for patients recovering from stroke, a digital platform to support families with children with early developmental delays, and on demand platform for Community Health Workers to increase outreach and engagement. Professional journey has been marked by a deep-rooted experience ranging from Fortune 100 organizations to VC backed startups, where she has consistently built frameworks for successful commercial strategies. Built and lead teams, built distribution networks in the Provider, Payer (Commercial & MA) and Employer markets, as well as global channel distribution partners. Experience extends across a spectrum of industries, market segments, and products from radiology, cardiology, neurology, medical devices, and Life Sciences, to clinical, behavioral, community, and digital health solutions and services. Played pivotal roles in commercial leadership with executive positions that encompassed identifying product-market fit, building and executing go-to-market plans, building clinical advisory boards, revenue growth and commercial execution, managing a P&L and fund-raising. Diverse experience includes working with renowned organizations such as Optum, a UnitedHealth Group company, Boston Scientific, GE Healthcare, Bracco Diagnostics, Bayer Healthcare and LG. Her true passion lies in growing companies via market adoption and commercial success. This includes growing fully commercialized businesses, guiding companies through the challenging phases of bringing novel innovations and solutions to the market and helping early-stage companies navigate the intricate journey from startup inception to accelerated growth. Educational background includes both a B.S in Business Administration and an MBA both from Caldwell University and graduation from the prestigious Jack F. Welch Global Leadership Development program in Crotonville, New York. A commitment to commercial excellence and a profound understanding of the healthcare landscape create a driving force in the industry, dedicated to facilitating transformative advancements and success for organizations.

Exited CEO with bench to bedside expertise bringing next-generation products to the home and hospital. I help uncover and mitigate clinical and commercial risks so founders can secure scale-up capital. My Snapdragon Group is a catalyst for translational medicine. And I angel invest through Play Money! My career spans from global medical device franchise leaders to pre-incorporation startups starting their journey from concept to clearance. Voice-of-customer design input, clinical and human factors studies, regulatory clearance, reimbursement and health economics are critical go-to-market work I've done for multiple devices. I am a #GiveFirst advocate based in Orange County, following the Startup Community Way and acting as a trail guide for the next generation of MedTech founders. I angel Invest through Play Money, where I write small checks that fuel big change. The great potential of community rounds is that by investing in one another, we build a more resilient future. Please reach out through a trusted member of our mutual networks to connect. No, in this age of AI-enabled phishing, I don't respond to cold e-mail, texts or InMail solicitations from strangers.

I've lived through five technology shifts : the early internet, mobile, cloud, social, and now AI. Each one taught me the same lesson: technology moves faster than the business underneath it. The founders who survive that gap are the ones who got their operations right before the chaos caught up with them. That's the problem I built ScaleSpark to solve. I work with early-stage founding teams to transform how their companies operate - building the invisible infrastructure that makes growth repeatable. Finance that tells the truth. Revenue systems that reflect reality. Workflows that don't collapse when one person takes a day off. In an AI era, the teams that win aren't the ones with the most automation, they're the ones who knew what they were building before they automated it. Over a career spanning founding, operating, and investing, I've lived every stage of the startup journey - from launching 30+ products globally to navigating funding, go-to-market, and the operational work that makes scale actually stick. If your company is growing faster than your systems - let's talk.

Katie Whitcraft is the Co-Founder of ScaleSpark, a venture designed to empower businesses of all sizes to scale smarter, faster, and with greater precision by harnessing the power of operations. With a mission to demystify business operations, ScaleSpark provides tailored strategies, tools, and automation to integrate smarter workflows to meet growth and scalability goals. In addition to her role at ScaleSpark, Katie serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Foundry 415 Innovation Group, San Francisco’s premier innovation hub guiding global businesses through customized innovation services. At Foundry 415, she helps lead corporate innovation programs, international accelerator/incubator initiatives, and executive education offerings, helping clients and partners fuel growth through innovation. With over 15 years of experience in operations, Katie brings deep expertise in human resources strategy, financial analysis and forecasting, and leveraging technology for business efficiency. Her career has spanned both nonprofit and for-profit sectors, always with a focus on sustainable growth and operational excellence. Before joining Foundry 415, Katie served as General Manager of Circus Center, where she successfully scaled the organization's budget from under $500K to $1.8M. She also played a pivotal role as Director of Operations at Runway Innovation Hub, reducing operational costs by over $2M during her tenure. Katie is an advisor to organizations across the U.S. on operational strategy and compliance, including Bay Area Creative (BAC), a BIPOC-led, spoken word performance nonprofit serving underserved youth in the Bay Area. She is also the founder of Troubleshoot Productions, an independent film production company she runs with her partner, Colin Johnson. Based in San Francisco, Katie recently completed the New York City Marathon and enjoys running, painting, and adventuring with her high-energy dog.

Suzy Engwall is a dynamic force in the world of healthcare innovation, known for connecting bold ideas with the right capital, partners, and go-to-market strategies. As the CEO of HealthTech Strategies, she is a trusted advisor to MedTech and Digital Health startups, health execs and investors alike. Suzy brings a rare blend of commercialization expertise, ecosystem insight, and storytelling mastery to every venture she touches. With a proven track record spanning ideation, go-to-market strategy, venture scouting, and ecosystem development, she helps MedTech companies navigate complex landscapes - from GPO contracts and IDN adoption to investor engagement. Suzy also partners with hospitals and health systems to design and launch innovation programs that unlock internal value, accelerate partnerships, and drive meaningful outcomes. Equal parts strategist and hype woman, Suzy curates powerful collaborations, builds innovation pipelines, and leads with purpose. Whether she’s hosting hackathons, talking about the future of health and AI, teaching human centered design or going after her passion - shaping pediatric breakthroughs with adult-market potential, Suzy is the catalyst behind the scenes making healthcare innovation happen.

I'm an engineering leader with over a decade of experience developing and commercializing Class II and III medical devices, with a focus on test strategy, product development, and regulatory success. My work has spanned the full product lifecycle—from R&D and system integration to FDA and CE mark approvals—across startups that have achieved meaningful exits, including Beta Bionics (IPO, $235M in 2025), and both JenaValve and Endotronix (acquired by Edwards Lifesciences for a combined $1.2B in 2024). Through my consultancy, NM Engineering, I collaborate directly with MedTech startups and established teams to design scalable test platforms, mentor technical staff, and streamline product performance evaluations. Whether building from scratch or refining legacy systems, I focus on aligning technical execution with strategic milestones like fundraising, regulatory submissions, and manufacturing scale-up. In leadership roles, I've managed cross-functional teams, led integration efforts for next-gen diabetes management platforms, and spearheaded performance testing strategies recognized by the FDA and IEEE. I'm also deeply involved in community building through DeviceAlliance, where I serve on the board and lead strategic partnerships to connect innovation pipelines across industry, academia, and nonprofits. At my core, I’m driven by solving complex technical problems, creating collaborative engineering environments, and bringing life-improving technologies to market faster and smarter.

Jeff June Investor | Operator | MedTech Ecosystem Builder To call my career “non-traditional” would be putting it mildly. I’ve spent the past 30+ years operating at the convergence of healthcare, innovation, and capital—founding, funding, and scaling ventures that bring breakthrough science from idea to market to exit. Highlights include: • Founding and exiting healthcare startups • Leading national and international accelerator and innovation programs • Serving as a university chair in entrepreneurship and translational science • Total of $2B+ in venture capital, M&A, and non-dilutive funding transactions • Co-developing the first RNA-based blood test for stroke in partnership with leading hospitals, clinicians, and payers At the center of it all is a deep commitment to accelerating health innovation—faster, smarter, and more equitably. Today, I help startups and innovation programs succeed by: • Advising boards, investors, and translational science teams • Bridging clinical relevance and commercial strategy • Guiding founders through key inflection points—especially around deal-making, term sheets, and investor readiness As part of the REALIZE Accelerator, I’m excited to share practical insights on navigating term sheets, avoiding common pitfalls, and building lasting investor relationships. Let’s build what’s next in health—together.

Dan is a highly accomplished entrepreneur and executive in the medtech and healthtech sectors, having successfully launched and scaled seven companies and introduced over 30 innovative products that have driven substantial revenue growth. His track record includes transforming pioneering ideas into award-winning, commercially successful products that make a significant impact on patient care. With a strong technical background, Dan holds multiple patents and is known for his practical, results-oriented approach. He has cultivated meaningful relationships with medical device contract manufacturers, OEMs and health systems across various specialties, including orthopedics, spine, neurology, endoscopy, wound, pediatrics and more. His work not only enhances financial outcomes but also positively affects patient lives. Dan's passion lies in assisting founders, inventors, and growth-stage companies to scale their businesses. He offers full-time or fractional leadership services including business and capital formation, strategic planning, product development, operations management, sales and marketing. Additionally, Dan provides board-level expertise and due diligence services to angel investors, venture capital firms, and private equity groups. Currently residing in Indianapolis, Dan is a past Advisory Board Member and Adjunct Professor at Ball State University's Miller College of Business Entrepreneurship Program. Dan is an Editorial Board Member for Medical Product Outsourcing (MPO). His educational background includes an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University and BS and AS from Ball State University. Dan's extensive experience and network in the medtech industry, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit and academic involvement, positions him as a valuable asset for companies looking to innovate and grow.

JJ Richa is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, executive and investor. JJ has successfully founded several companies, where he served as President and CEO, including a software company for the hospitality industry, an online eCommerce portal for high-end made-to-order gifts, and a custom software development company concentrating on the financial sector. JJ is a private equity investor, a longtime member of Tech Coast Angels where he served as its vice president and a member of its executive committee. JJ has served on numerous board of directors, started a private equity firm and served in senior executive restructuring and turnaround roles including interim CEO and fractional COO for businesses at various stages. JJ has BS and MS degrees from Cal State Long Beach.

Elyse Heob is an expert in transforming groundbreaking health ideas into thriving businesses that enhance patient care. As the founder and CEO of Elyse Heob Consulting, she supports startup founders in scaling their health innovations to impact millions of patients. Most recently, she co-founded ClearMask, the first FDA-cleared and CE-marked transparent surgical mask, growing it from $0 to $45 million with zero outside investment as COO. Prior to this, she was Managing Director of My Healthy Toolkit, a cost-effective corporate wellness program acquired in 2016. Elyse launched her career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and holds both an MPH and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. Her accomplishments have garnered attention from prestigious outlets such as Forbes 30 Under 30, JAMA Surgery, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, Bloomberg, and more. Learn more at ElyseHeob.com

Volker Huther is a seasoned, multilingual finance executive and strategic advisor with deep startup and board-level experience across healthcare, tech, and manufacturing sectors. He is both a fractional CFO and a key player in the Southern California investment community, offering mentorship, leadership, and technical insight to founders and entrepreneurs. His extracurricular pursuits further highlight his creativity, technical skills, and dedication to community.

Julie Wilkinson is an experienced C-level executive, entrepreneur, and R&D Leader in medical devices, digital health, diagnostics, and IVD’s with 35 years in product development, research, management, operations, commercialization, and business ownership. Throughout that time, she’s been part of launching dozens of FDA authorized diagnostic laboratory systems and reagents, point-of-care (POC) instruments and tests, and over-the-counter (OTC) test kits with companies such as Beckman Coulter, Abbott, Agilent, and Personal Genome Diagnostics. Being an entrepreneur, Julie is aware of the challenges faced by startups and small businesses and defines and implements effective strategies to overcome and succeed. She received her MS in Molecular Biology from The Ohio State University and is well-known for solving problems with executable solutions, and for leading companies and innovative technologies through the rigor of product development into successful commercialization.

Carla Pagotto is a results-driven advisor with deep expertise in commercialization, product development, market access, and go-to-market strategy. She partners with early-stage and global healthcare companies to bring disruptive innovations to market and accelerate growth. With a proven track record across the Medical Device, Life Sciences, and Digital Health industries, Carla helps teams navigate every phase of their journey—from market discovery and product strategy to demand generation and market expansion. Her approach combines strategic insight with hands-on execution to deliver measurable business impact. Carla brings extensive global experience in marketing, reimbursement, and commercial excellence. She has successfully led high-performing teams, launched category-defining products, and driven business transformation through innovative, customer-focused strategies. She holds an MBA from Rice University and a BA from the University of Michigan. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, kayaking, and giving back through volunteer work. Carla is currently open to 1:1 discussions and offers a complimentary initial consultation and assessment to explore how she can support your goals.

Ajay is the President & Partner of TMG Asia Pacific (APAC), bringing over two decades of deep industry expertise in MedTech and a proven track record of building high-performing teams across the US, Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Using his experience from roles across APAC, including key markets like China, Japan, Korea, India, and SEA, Ajay has successfully built his sales, marketing, and commercial leadership career with some of the top med device companies in the world. After spending the last 3 years working in VC, startups, and consulting, Ajay continues to expand his extensive people-oriented network that covers the US, the Middle East, and APAC. Ajay earned his bachelor’s in Bioengineering from Arizona State University and an MBA in Global Business from the Thunderbird School of Management. He is Gamma Diagnostics, Inc.’s Board Chairman and board advisor for a few other MedTech companies.

Susan is a pioneering leader with a proven career in global brand strategy, marketing and market development for market leaders such as Edwards Lifesciences, Thomson Reuters, LexisNexis, and Gateway computer. Susan is passionate and committed to achieving health access equity and increasing representation of women throughout healthcare. Susan’s entire career led to the launch of TrueNorth, a brand strategy firm helping growth-minded companies know where to focus their time, money and resources for maximum growth and impact. Susan is a curious lifelong learner and is currently pursuing a master’s in behavioral economics to complement her MBA. Simple joy for Susan is filling her home with the energy of friends and family, including her 5 siblings and 13 nieces and nephews. Susan also satiates her curiosity through travel and art. A highlight of her career was living and working in Switzerland for Edwards Lifesciences.

Based in LA for nearly 25 years, Dave works with organizations and entrepreneurs across the country and around the world, through his consultancy Bespoke Strategy (bespokestrategy.com). He is currently leading an international development strategy for Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health (wavemaker360.com), a leading healthcare venture capital firm, as well as growing ecosystem connectivity as the Chief Business Officer of Big4Bio (big4bio.com). Working across multiple industries, Dave has a passion for the intersection of technology, health, and wellness, with an emphasis on business and organizational strategy. Most recently, he served as the first permanent Chief Executive Officer of BioscienceLA, the non-profit innovation catalyst for life sciences in the greater Los Angeles region.

Energetic and passionate artificial intelligence executive with a unique blend of skills as a developer and development leader. My journey through the tech landscape has equipped me with a rare ability to think and intuit in high-dimensional spaces, allowing me to tackle complex challenges with creative solutions. I bring my love for math to every project, understanding it as the beating heart of AI and data science. This perspective helps me build end-to-end solutions that leverage AI from the ground up, rather than merely fitting models or conducting research. My academic training as a neuroscientist, molecular biologist, and systems scientist informs my scientific approach to problem-solving. This background allows me to bring a unique perspective to AI projects, ensuring I conceptualize solutions that address both technical and real-world challenges. I thrive in environments where innovation is valued, and I continually seek collaborative opportunities that lead to meaningful advancements. In my “day job” at Providence I lead three cross-functional agile teams, hands-on as a Product Manager while having played nearly every role in the agile framework over the years. This experience has allowed me to architect substantial portions of our cloud, data, and AI technology. My well-rounded skill set positions me as an engineering and platform leader who is not afraid to roll up my sleeves and tackle anything from architecture to deployment. I love working with startups looking to transform healthcare with Data & AI. I actively advise with a focus on cloud technology, responsible AI, and aligning product fit to market needs.

Dr. Hür Köser is a serial entrepreneur, inventor and business executive with a proven record of founding, scaling, and advising startups in biotechnology, life sciences, and diagnostics. He is passionate about the intersection of technology, medicine, automation, AI and manufacturing. By blending business acumen with deep technical expertise, Hür has successfully established product-market fit, formed high-performing teams, and secured funding to drive early-stage concepts to fully commercialized solutions for many companies. Having started his first company, Ancera, directly out of the research invented in his own lab, Dr. Köser is intimately familiar with the challenges and opportunities awaiting university spin-offs and their founders. He has successfully guided numerous such startups by helping the executives and the teams focus primarily on an efficient and rapid product commercialization strategy. During the pandemic, he was invited to serve as a Team Lead in NIH’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative, where he evaluated promising new technologies, mentored and nurtured fledgling start-ups, and oversaw their process of assay commercialization, manufacturing scale-up, and regulatory approval. Over the years, he served as a C-level executive and board member to a number of companies. He is currently the Founder and CEO of his next venture, Scalables, focusing on the grand vision of dramatically accelerating the process of discovery and innovation by creating an AI-enabled, modular and reconfigurable lab automation platform. As an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Dr. Köser seeks to empower founders to turn their innovations into disruptive market contenders. Drawing on his extensive background in forming companies and rapidly commercializing products that customers need and want, Hür will mentor teams on critical pathways — from validating early ideas to forging industry partnerships — and provide practical guidance in operations, R&D, and commercialization. Through candid coaching, hands-on collaboration, and a passion for translating science into impact, Hür is committed to helping new ventures thrive.

Greg is a medical device, diagnostics & health technology executive with subject matter expertise spanning market access, value & evidence, pricing, go-to-market, and market development. He currently serves as an advisor and fractional executive to medical technology accelerators, venture studios, venture capitalists, private equity firms, individual CEOs/founders, and consulting firms. For the past 20+ years Greg has helped large multi-national MedTech corporations transform global (USA, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Australia, Canada, Brazil) healthcare systems by shaping medical technology coding, coverage, payment, funding, reimbursement, tenders, clinical guidelines & standards of care. Therapeutic expertise niches include: diabetes management, neurovascular/neurological, cardiovascular, kidney, metabolic, orthopedics, pain management, and cancer.

Kristen Mittal, co-founder and CEO of Mittal Consulting, is an accomplished regulatory affairs professional with over a decade of experience putting together regulatory submissions at Class I, II and III medical device companies, including several Fortune 500 companies, and is well as versed in the life sciences and research. She is RAC and PMP certified and sits on several drug and device advisory committees. Through this and other avenues, she spends quite a bit of time educating university and incubator programs about the different regulatory strategy options they have available in an effort to have more novel, medtech devices successfully penetrate the US market.

Kim Frazier spent a decade working with technology-based startups in Dayton, Ohio. She helped build a technology commercialization program with the Air Force research laboratory. She also brought an Ohio Third Frontier-funded Entrepreneurial Service Program to Dayton, building a portfolio of almost 100 companies, one-third of which were medtech startups. To improve Capital Access in the regional ecosystem, she founded a Dayton chapter of Indianapolis-based VisionTech Angels and raised and deployed a revenue-based investment fund. She later founded EC Angels and grew the angel investor network from 12 to more than 50 investors. She’s an angel investor herself, with 16 investments in her personal portfolio. An entrepreneur herself, she founded the restaurant group Speakeasy Enterprises which includes three restaurants in the Dayton area. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati and a master's degree from Boston University.

Heather Lawver is a serial entrepreneur and AI innovator who has helped early stage founders raise over $200M in venture capital. After launching her first venture at 13, she went on to out-market Warner Brothers at 16, reshaping digital copyright for the Internet age. Now she's using her entrepreneurial expertise to lead Ceemo.ai, an AI platform to help founders brand, pitch, and market their startups with ease.