Academic and clinical training builds deep expertise, but starting a medtech company demands an additional set of skills. This panel brings together innovators who made that leap, sharing what their training prepared them for, where it got in the way, and what they had to learn the hard way. Attendees will hear candid accounts of the transition from lab or clinic to startup, including regulatory, funding, and team-building lessons that only come from having done it.
Session Chair & Moderator:
- Frank Jaskulke, Avio Medtech Consulting
Panelist:
- Darryl Barnes, Sonex Health
- Scott Burwell, Neurotype Inc.
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Presentation Details
Darryl Barnes, MD
CXO/CTO, Sonex Health
Bio: I am a seasoned healthcare professional with over 25 years of experience in orthopedics, sports medicine, medical device innovation, and raising capital for startups from angel funds and family offices. As the CXO/CTO and founder of Sonex Health, I am currently leading our company through our AI transformation journey, and lead a team of engineers, designers, and clinicians who create smart medical devices that improve the lives of people with common orthopedic conditions. As a Partner and Founder of the Chrysalis Incubator I foster ideas through a disciplined development process into successful products or services that help people with unmet needs.
My mission is to produce technology that advances and improves healthcare, following the principle of "refined simplicity". Some of our breakthrough products include the UltraGuideCTR, UltraGuideTFR, and UltraGuideCo-Pilot, minimally invasive devices for carpal tunnel release and trigger finger release, and a cutting edge LMS. I also share my insights and skills through speaking, authoring, and patenting in the field of sports medicine and ultrasound guided surgery. I hold an MD degree from the University of Utah School of Medicine, residency training from Mayo Clinic, a fellowship in sports medicine from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, and business, technology, and AI certificates from Cornell University, The Wharton School, and MIT.
Scott Burwell, PhD
Founder & CEO, Neurotype Inc.
Bio: Scott Burwell, PhD, is the Founder and CEO of Neurotype Inc., a medical technology company developing neurophysiological tools to improve the assessment and treatment of substance use disorders. A neuroscientist by training, Scott founded Neurotype in 2019 to translate research in brain-based biomarkers and behavioral interventions into clinically useful medical technologies. His work has spanned academic research, NIH-funded (SBIR/STTR) product development, clinical studies, FDA regulatory strategy, and the practical challenges of building and leading an early-stage medtech company.
Frank Jaskulke, (Session Chair & Moderator)
Vice President, Sales & Business Development, Avio Medtech Consulting
Bio: I hang out with smart people who save lives, and if I do my job well, they save more lives. If your work saves or improves lives, we should talk. Avio is a get-to-market services firm for small medtechs. You get to market faster, with less risk and less burn. Started by an entrepreneur with the same problems you face, Avio partners with teams on strategy, reg, quality, and R&D project management. And if you need help in other areas - we’ll help you find it. Investors, partners, talent. We're all in on startups.