2026 Webinar Series
Join our guest experts for discussion and strategic insights in the medical devices, digital and diagnostic space
About
Webinars are one hour in length and are live-streamed on our YouTube Channel. They will also be recorded and available for later viewing.
The goal of the MedTech Innovator webinars is to provide the medtech ecosystem and our portfolio companies with feedback from experts and professionals in areas that are specific to the strategic needs outlined in our discussions and surveys. Strategic areas to be covered include: intellectual property, product development, commercialization, reimbursement, healthcare economics, regulatory strategy, clinical trial design and execution, and fundraising.
Our webinars are administered virtually and consist of one or more panelists addressing key questions supplied in advance by the MedTech Innovator Accelerator & Showcase companies, as well as a general discussion on the topic within the context of the evolving healthcare ecosystem.
Upcoming Webinars
Lights, Camera, Traction! Turning Your Innovation into a 1-Minute Video
June 10, 2026 | 9 AM PT
By invitation only
A great 1-minute video can do more than showcase your technology– it can capture attention, tell a compelling story, and open doors to investors, partners, customers, and future champions of your innovation. But how do you distill a complex medtech or biotools solution into just 60 seconds? Join MedTech Innovator and BioTools Innovator for an interactive discussion with past Best Video Award winners and expert communications strategist Valeria McFarren as they share practical tips for creating videos that are clear, engaging, and impactful. Learn how to identify the key message, structure a compelling narrative, showcase your product effectively, and avoid common mistakes that can cause viewers to tune out.
Brian Feng is the CEO and Co-Founder of Osem Fluidics, a biotechnology startup focused on simplifying nanoparticle and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) assembly through innovative centrifugal microfluidics technology. With a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Southern California, Brian combines deep technical expertise with entrepreneurial leadership to develop accessible tools that accelerate research in nanomedicine and genetic medicine. Under his leadership, Osem Fluidics has earned recognition from leading innovation programs and startup competitions, advancing solutions that make high-quality nanoparticle formulation faster, simpler, and more scalable for life science researchers.
Neal Piper is the Founder and CEO of Luminoah, a MedTech company making enteral nutrition delivery simpler, smarter, and easier for everyone.
Before founding Luminoah, Neal spent his career advancing healthcare in the U.S., Asia, and Africa. He began his career in Pfizer’s Neuroscience Division and later served as President of the Global Health Fellows Alumni Business Network. Neal also worked in Pfizer’s Emerging Markets Division and led the expansion of healthcare programs across 18 countries at Population Services International.
Neal has founded multiple ventures, including a home healthcare company and a nonprofit organization. Driven by a mission to improve healthcare through technology, he is committed to creating meaningful change that improves lives.
Valeria McFarren is the founder and president of Chaski Global, a strategic communications and creative agency built on a simple premise: the right story, told well, changes everything.
Over more than two decades, Valeria has worked at the crossroads of global health, medical technology, nonprofit communications, and social impact — advising organizations that are doing important work and need the world to know it. Her clients include med tech innovators like Luminoah, Luna Labs, and Trivoca Health; community health anchors like CvilleBioHub; and a wide portfolio of nonprofits, foundations, and mission-driven enterprises across four continents.
She is a strategist, a storyteller, and a builder. At Chaski, she leads brand strategy, narrative development, campaign design, and communications consulting for organizations at critical inflection points. This includes launches, rebrands, funding rounds, and growth phases where the stakes are high and the message has to land.
Beyond client work, Valeria is a connector and community builder. She co-founded The She Lab, a women’s leadership and empowerment network, and serves on the boards of Data Friendly Space, Yellow Door Foundation, and the Tanga Tanga Foundation in Bolivia. She brings that same cross-sector fluency to her speaking by addressing audiences on strategic communications, brand-building for impact, and the power of narrative in driving growth.
Her work has taken her across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, supporting everything from nationwide energy projects to childhood cancer awareness campaigns to medical technology launches. That breadth is the source of her edge. She sees patterns across sectors that specialists miss, and brings that perspective to every engagement.
Webinar Recordings
Acquired Taste: What Strategics Really Want in MedTech
September 4, 2025 | 9 AM PT
Pull up a seat at the table during this webinar to get a taste of what really drives acquisition decisions from some of the biggest names in the MedTech industry. From early partnership structures to deal-breaking red flags, you’ll hear insider perspectives straight from J&J, Edwards Lifesciences, Zimmer Biomet, as well as two-time MTI alum, Jennifer Fried, who has led a successful exit herself. Expect a full menu of insights: from the softer seasoning of trust and reputation to the crunchy realities of valuations, deal terms, and red flags that can spoil the feast. Our panelists will also dive into the art of timing, such as when to knock on doors, how to create healthy competition among strategics, and ways to “future-proof” your company. Whether you’re building toward your first strategic conversation or positioning for acquisition, this session will serve up a plate of practical insights with a side of hard-won lessons to make your company the most appetizing target on the menu.
Nicole is the Program Director for MedTech Innovator. Nicole grew up in Michigan before attending Boston University to study Biomedical Engineering as Trustee Scholar. In 2020, Nicole completed her PhD at Harvard University, working on interdisciplinary medtech projects between the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Mass Eye and Ear hospital. After graduating, Nicole launched a startup company, Beacon Bio, based on her PhD work as a Gliklich Healthcare Innovation Scholar. Following Beacon Bio’s acquisition by Desktop Metal, Nicole served as the Vice President of Biofabrication in their Desktop Health division. Nicole’s accolades include the Collegiate Inventors Competition Graduate Winner (2018), the Baxter Young Investigator Award (2020), the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize (2021), and the MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 (2023).
Based in Irvine, California, Biren Mehta is the Vice President, Venture Investments – MedTech, where he initiates and manages equity investments to drive business innovation and deliver new and sustainable business for the MedTech sector. He is responsible for JJDC MedTech in the Western half of the North America. Previously, Biren was Vice President of Business Development for the Cardiovascular & Specialty Solutions (CSS) Group and J&J Vision, representing a ~$10 billion portfolio of six diverse, high-growth businesses within MedTech. During his 14 years in Business Development, he was closely involved in over $20 billion of transactions. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Biren was a medical device analyst at Roth Capital Partners, where he focused on the MedTech sector. He began his career with software engineer stints at Computer Motion and Intralase Corp. Biren completed his bachelor’s degree in Cybernetics at UCLA. He earned master’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Southern California. He also earned his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Jennifer Fried is the CEO and Co-Founder of Flow Medical, where she is leading the development of a next-generation thrombolysis catheter to treat pulmonary embolism. She previously co-founded and served as CEO of Explorer Surgical, a digital playbook for operating rooms and procedure suites that originated from a University of Chicago Department of Surgery research lab in 2015. Under her leadership, Explorer Surgical raised $10 million in funding, commercialized its software to a global customer base of medtech companies and hospitals, and was acquired by GHX in 2021.
Matthew Schopp is a collaborative leader recognized for his results-driven, hands-on approach to business partnership and problem solving. A strategic thinker with a passion for leveraging analytical skills to challenge and improve the status quo, he has a proven track record of delivering results with integrity and attention to detail. His professional experience spans business development and M&A, corporate finance, valuation and modeling, market strategy, tax strategy and planning, and equity research, with a focus on driving strategic top-line growth and profitability.
Virginia is an accomplished innovation executive with experience spanning Fortune 500 companies to start-ups. She is focused on accelerating disruptive, early stage innovation in healthcare. She works collaboratively, fostering partnerships to access external innovation, as well as to drive internal innovation by setting and aligning strategy, inspiring team and addressing internal barriers to innovation. She believes in the importance of customer- and patient-centric innovation, and to that end, looks for opportunities to be immersed with clinicians in hospital and other healthcare settings. She has achieved outstanding results, across a spectrum of R&D leadership roles, resulting in launch of clinically impactful medical device products in the orthopaedic, cardiology, ENT and neurology spaces. She is an accomplished scientist, having authored numerous peer reviewed publications and been a frequent presenter at global healthcare conferences. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, the prestigious honorary society for Medtech Engineers. Virginia also has significant management experience, having managed a variety of technical teams and projects with significant annual budgetary responsibility. She is sought after for her professional guidance and serves on several Advisory Boards.
* Please note that the webinar schedule is subject to change.
| Date | Topic |
|---|---|
| JUN 10 | Lights, Camera, Traction! Turning Your Innovation into a 1-Minute Video |
| JUN 18 | Peer Power: Solving Startup Challenges in Leadership Pods |
| JUN 25 | Thinking Like a Payer: A MedTech Startup Playbook to Reimbursement Strategy |
| JULY 23 | Show Me the Value: The Economics Behind Adoption |
| JULY 30 | Capital Ready: Raising Money in a Selective Market |
| AUG 6 | Structuring the Perfect MedTech Round: SAFEs, Notes, Equity, Strategics & Venture Debt |
| AUG 13 | Better Together: Strategic Partnerships That Accelerate Growth |
| AUG 20 | FDA Regulatory Strategy Masterclass: 510(k), De Novo, PMA & Breakthrough Devices |
| AUG 27 | One Product, Many Regulators: FDA, MDR, CE Mark & Beyond |
| SEP 3 | Evidence That Pays Off: Designing Clinical Studies That Create Value Beyond Approval |
| SEP 10 | The Voice of the Customer: Turning Insights into MedTech Adoption |
| SEP 17 | The Road to Revenue: Your U.S. MedTech Commercialization Playbook |
| SEP 24 | From Funding Opportunity to Funded Project: A Founder’s Guide to Winning Grants |
| OCT 1 | Hiring for the Next Milestone: Building the Right Team at the Right Time |
| OCT 8 | MedTech Founder Therapy: The Conversations Nobody Else Is Having |