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...
Apr 21, 2026•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 204
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 ...
Feb 17, 2026•37 min•Season 2Ep. 203
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 ...
Jan 20, 2026•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 202
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 import...
Nov 18, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 201
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 busines...
Oct 21, 2025•47 min•Season 2Ep. 200
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 s...
Aug 26, 2025•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 199
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 patient populations. They delve into their experiences of founding their own niche market companies and the lesso...
Jul 29, 2025•50 min•Season 2Ep. 198
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” ...
Jul 15, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 197
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 ...
May 21, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 196
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 pandem...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 195
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 ...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 194
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 as a driving force behind the Center for 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 b...
Feb 18, 2025•46 min•Season 2Ep. 193
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 ...
Dec 02, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 192
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...
Oct 15, 2024•59 min•Season 2Ep. 191
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. ...
Sep 17, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 190
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 betwe...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 189
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 Axon...
Jun 25, 2024•43 min•Season 2Ep. 188
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 har...
May 28, 2024•54 min•Season 2Ep. 187
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 healthcar...
Apr 30, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 186
In this month’s episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Rodney Perkins, M.D., serial medtech inventor and founder of several companies, including Collagen Corporation and Laserscope. Perkins delves into his extensive history as one of the industry’s most prolific and successful entrepreneurs whose inventions have helped shape many medical specialties. Perkins discusses what drew him to medicine and medtech, how to navigate the challenges of starting new companies, and why being awa...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 184
Starting a company is an intimidating feat. Starting multiple companies is even scarier. In this month’s episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Amr Salahieh, founder and CEO of Shifamed, about his extensive experiences of entrepreneurship in the medtech ecosystem. As the founder of several companies, including Sadra Medical, Maya Medical, and Apama Medical, Salahieh shares his tips and tactics on finding the right markets, taking care of your investors, and overcoming challenges w...
Feb 27, 2024•56 min•Season 2Ep. 184
Though the stigma around mental illnesses has lessened, there is an ongoing mental health crisis affecting the country—and the rest of the world. In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Nolan Williams, M.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, about how electrical signaling abnormalities in the brain could be behind mental illnesses and the different options used to treat these ailments. Dr. Williams also delves into how his back...
Dec 19, 2023•59 min•Season 2Ep. 183
How does one decide to invest in the right company? In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Justin Klein, MD, JD, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Vensana Capital, about how he uses his legal background to determine the best investment strategy, how he found his way into the medtech industry, and which areas of medicine fascinate him the most. He also talks about his experiences and lessons learned during his time as a partner at NEA, as well as his thoughts on what is wo...
Nov 21, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 182
How does one navigate the difficult road of entrepreneurship? How do you find the right industry for you? In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with serial founder and med device CEO Keegan Harper, about overcoming the challenges of being your own boss and finding what you’re good at. Harper discusses what inspired him to become an entrepreneur, how he became interested and involved in medtech, and his experiences managing several start-up companies. He also details how he fou...
Oct 31, 2023•58 min•Season 2Ep. 181
Ceribell’s rapid seizure triage product for critical care received FDA’s Breakthrough Designation with an exclusive New Technology Add-on Payment (NTAP) from CMS. Everything about the ClarityPro product—from the innovative EEG headband to the EEG recorder and physician portal has been engineered to enable quick detection and response to non-convulsive seizure in a critical care or ED setting. In this episode of the Medtech Talk podcast, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Jane Chao, CEO of Ceribell, ab...
Sep 19, 2023•49 min•Season 2Ep. 180
How has the bullishness of 2016-2022 impacted public markets and private companies? In this special episode of Medtech Talk, we share Geoff Pardo’s Medtech MVP 2023 panel, featuring Tak G Cheung, Partner at New Enterprise Associates; J.P. Peltier, Managing Director of Global Head, Healthcare Investment Banking at Piper Sandler; Michael Ryan, VP of Venture Capital & Business Development at Boston Scientific Corp; Gwen Watanabe, Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital; and Rob Winklemann, Managing...
Jul 18, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 179
Doug Godshall, President and CEO of Shockwave Medical, started off selling T-shirts as an engineering student. Today, he leads the most successful high-growth medtech company in the last twenty years. In this episode of Medtech Talk, host Geoff Pardo speaks with Godshall, who discusses his start in medical devices, experiences in a major medtech company, leadership and culture, and what it takes to succeed in the field. Godshall details the strategies behind sales such as understanding your cust...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 178
In his early education Anton Clifford was advised against focusing on both science and economics. But he’s put that education to good use in his entrepreneurial career. With a foundation in engineering, Clifford quickly turned to medical devices. First in his native Ireland and later in the US with Abbott Laboratories, Clifford got firsthand experience with device engineering as well as the challenges of launching new products, divisions, and companies. On the journey to his current endeavor, Cl...
May 24, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 177
With a background as a trauma nurse and experience running clinical research programs, Stacey Pugh brought quite a bit of patient-focused experience with her when she shifted to industry. After several roles in the neurovascular space, now she’s leading the charge at Endogenix, which is using pulsed electric fields to treat Type 2 Diabetes. She and host, Geoff Pardo, talk about a medical officer’s first experience doing sales, the challenges in affecting change management in primary care, fundin...
Apr 26, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 176
Derek Herrera, founder and CEO of Bright Uro, grew up in a military family with a curious mind and a skill for building things. After graduating, he entered the Naval Academy, studied systems engineering and robotics, and became a Special Operations Marine Raider. When an injury left him paralyzed from the waist down, he launched a new career to improve the lives of spinal cord injury patients through medical innovation. Herrera speaks with podcast host Geoff Pardo about his extensive military c...
Mar 21, 2023•58 min•Season 2Ep. 175
