The Scalpels & Spreadsheets Podcast

Most healthcare AI conversations focus on what was built. This one focused on what it actually takes to get it into the hands of people who need it.Kerry Weinberg (Founder & CEO of PhenoML), Vitalay Fomin (Co-Founder & CEO of Numenos AI), Timothy Martens (Co-Founder of Vaark Ventures; Chief Medical Officer of uCTRL), and Nyamitse-Calvin Mahinda (Founder & CEO of Vital Audio) join Brittany Sigler (Founder of Bright Signal Consulting), for a panel exploring what it takes to move AI from promising demos to tools that create real-world impact. Drawing on experiences across drug discovery, clinical care, healthcare infrastructure, and startup building, the discussion unpacks the technical, regulatory, and human challenges of deploying AI in one of the world's most complex industries.The conversation explores why healthcare demands a different approach to AI than every other industry, when large language models help or hurt clinical decision-making, what actually creates a defensible moat for healthcare startups, and why adoption depends just as much on workflow and trust as it does on technology. The panel also shares candid perspectives on product development, clinician buy-in, patient empowerment, and what the next generation of healthcare AI should look like.Recorded live during Scalpels & Spreadsheets' Healthtech Week during NY Tech Week.

What does it take to move healthcare AI from theory to operation?Martin Seneviratne, Co-CEO of R37 at R1, joins Brittany Sigler, Founder of Bright Signal Consulting, for a fireside conversation exploring what it takes to deploy AI inside one of healthcare's most complex operational environments. After leaving DeepMind to co-found an AI-native healthcare startup, Martin now helps bring cutting-edge machine learning into the workflows that power revenue cycle management for many of the largest health systems in the United States.The conversation explores why deploying AI in healthcare remains far more difficult than building impressive models, how legacy organizations can become an advantage rather than a barrier, why data and distribution matter as much as the technology itself, and what it takes to transform decades-old healthcare workflows. Martin also shares candid perspectives on building AI products that deliver measurable outcomes, balancing research with execution, and why healthcare's biggest opportunity is getting AI into production at scale.Recorded live at Scalpels & Spreadsheets' Healthtech Week during NY Tech Week.

Building one of Canada's leading AI-driven genetic medicines platform companies didn't happen without hard decisions, failed bets, and the willingness to pivot.Tom Masterson, Chief Operating Officer at Deep Genomics, joins Aman Desai to share the company's journey from early machine learning models to becoming a leader in AI-powered drug discovery. He reflects on the pivotal decisions that shaped Deep Genomics, including a move away from drug development programs towards becoming a AI drug development platform company, how it navigated one of the largest biotech financings in Canadian history, and what it takes to continually evolve in one of healthcare's fastest-moving industries.The conversation explores how Deep Genomics approaches AI-driven drug discovery, the importance of high-quality biological data, partnering with pharmaceutical companies, and why combining cutting-edge AI with deep scientific expertise remains a lasting competitive advantage. Tom also shares candid lessons on navigating failure, making difficult strategic pivots, and building a company designed for long-term impact.Recorded live at Toronto Tech Week during Scalpels & Spreadsheets' 'Healthtech Social: Off the Record' event on May 28 2026.

Bettina Xue Griffen, a Commercial Lawyer at Fasken, joins for a fireside chat on the legal and commercial realities of selling into healthcare. Drawing from her experience helping startups and scaleups navigate enterprise contracts, Bettina shares practical strategies for structuring pilot agreements, negotiating with healthcare organizations, pricing pilots, and avoiding the "pilot purgatory" that prevents many promising partnerships from becoming lasting customers.The conversation explores common mistakes founders make during negotiations, how to think about pricing and contract structure, when to walk away from a deal, and why legal strategy should accelerate growth and not slow it down.Recorded live at at the Healthtech Social: Off the Record event during Toronto Tech Week on May 28 2026.

AI has become the biggest conversation in healthcare, but what does it mean if you already have a product in the market? Do you pivot to compete with AI native companies or stay steady? On the other side, will the speed and adaptability of AI-first startups remain an advantage as the technology matures?Bruno Ferrari (Head of Innovation at Light-it), Otto Sipe (Co-Founder & CEO of Photon Health), and Vikas Sharma (Director of Deployment at Anterior) join for a panel exploring how healthcare organizations are moving beyond AI hype and into real-world deployment. Drawing from their experiences building products for providers, payers, and patients, they discuss what it takes to integrate AI into existing workflows while balancing cost, trust, regulation, and measurable outcomes.The conversation explores why many companies approach AI implementation the wrong way, how startups should think about infrastructure versus features, the evolving role of engineers in an AI-first world, and where the biggest opportunities still exist across healthcare. The panel also shares candid perspectives on fundraising, token economics, workflow redesign, and why solving real customer problems is what ultimately creates lasting value.Recorded live during NY Tech Week at Scalpels & Spreadsheets’ 2026 Healthtech Week in New York City.

CEO of HealthAI, Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite joins the S&S Podcast at Web Summit for a Special Edition to discuss the transformative role of AI in healthcare. Medical Doctor and former lawmaker, Dr. Ricardo Leite is the Founder and President of UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health and Chair of NOVA Center for Global Health. In this podcast with Vijesh Vijayan, Ricardo discusses drug discovery, governance, building trust and how policy should be directed towards the potential of AI to revolutionize health systems and address global health inequities.

Nadav Shimoni, a physician turned investor is the Managing Partner at A-Squared Ventures, an early-stage digital health fund spanning Tel Aviv & NYC. He joins Moran Snir, a serial genomics entrepreneur and currently the co-founder & CEO of Nest Genomics, on stage for a fireside where both share their perspectives of a journey between a founder and investor of a growing healthcare company. Nadav and Moran explore how healthcare startups are actually built and funded in practice, from early-stage conviction and investor–founder alignment, to how AI is reshaping team structure, product development, and operational bottlenecks. The discussion goes into real-world fundraising dynamics, and what signals investors use to decide when to lean in or step back.Recorded live at the Healthtech Social: Spring Cleaning event on April 13 in New York City.

Miriam Paramore, Founder & CEO of RxUtility sits down with us to chat about why drug prices should be more affordable and why she is building in this space.In this conversation, Miriam covers the evolution of healthcare technology and its impact on prescription affordability, including what drives out-of-pocket drug costs. Miriam also discusses the launch of Mimi, the RxUtility AI companion, the role of partnerships and interoperability in scaling access, emerging healthcare investment trends, and how consumer expectations are reshaping affordability.

Kathleen Eva, Investor at StandUp Ventures, is joined by Stephanie Mouchbahani-Constance, Principal at KLI Capital, for a live conversation on what founders need to know about fundraising in 2026.Together, they unpack shifting investor expectations, AI-driven startup economics, changing growth benchmarks, defensibility, and the mistakes founders still make when raising capital. This episode offers a candid look inside the current venture market and how founders can better position themselves. They also discuss Canadian versus U.S. fundraising dynamics, healthtech go-to-market strategy, and what actually makes investors lean in or pass early.Tune in for practical advice on telling a stronger story, running a sharper process, and standing out in an increasingly competitive market.Recorded live at the Healthtech Social: Catalyst event on April 1 in Montreal.

Anmol Nagpal is the founder and CEO of Nospharma, a pre-clinical therapeutics company developing innovative treatments for rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorders. Prior to this, Anmol was a founder in residence at District 3 where he coached several early-stage founders and worked with them on their venture’s strategy plans. In this episode, Anmol shares how he spun out research from McGill university into a biotech company tackling rare genetic disorders including Fragile X syndrome. It’s a candid conversation covering licensing, fundraising, partnerships to accelerate growth and early stage hurdles. Tune in to hear what it takes to bring a therapy from research to patients. Recorded live at the 'Healthtech Social: Catalyst’ event on April 1 in Montreal.

Shafiq Vallani (Head of Canada at Redesign Health) is a seasoned venture capital investor, now supporting the next generation of healthcare ventures in Canada. He has built a reputation for identifying high-potential startups and driving them towards operational excellence and market leadership with his work at Redesign Health, a venture studio.In this episode, Shafiq shares a candid look at what it takes to build in Canadian healthcare. He discusses the differences between venture studios and traditional VC, the challenges of accessing healthcare data, navigating long procurement cycles, and working within fragmented provincial systems. He also offers practical advice for founders on breaking into hospitals, finding internal champions, and avoiding common early-stage missteps. Shafiq highlights why Canada is a strong testing ground for healthcare innovation while exploring what it takes to scale successfully.Recorded live at the 'Healthtech Social: Breaking In' event on March 10 in Toronto

Tim Clarke (CEO of tc Health Consulting) is a former Chief Innovation Officer at Aon Hewitt for Health & Benefits. He now draws from 20 years of experience to support local and international healthcare ventures looking to grow revenue streams in private healthcare. In this episode, Tim shares key lessons for early-stage healthtech founders on identifying the right customers, engaging payers, prescribers, and users effectively, and making strategic go/no-go decisions when scaling innovations.Recorded live at the 'Healthtech Social: Breaking In' event on March 10 in Toronto

Kristen Valdes, Founder & CEO of b.well Connected Health shares her extensive journey in healthcare, highlighting her experiences from being a healthcare executive to founding b.well and more. She shares pivotal moments in healthcare innovation, particularly the impact of interoperability rules and the role of AI in transforming healthcare delivery. Hosted by Vijesh Vijayan.

As part of the Montreal Healthtech Social held on November 27, we were joined by Naomi Goldapple, the Senior Vice President of Data and Intelligence at AlayaCare, where she leads AI and data strategy to transform home healthcare. With a non-linear career spanning IBM, multiple startups, and even a community cafe, she’s known for making bold moves that drive real impact in health tech. She talks about the challenges of navigating home healthcare, from workforce shortages to regulations, and how data and AI can improve care, optimize workflows, and make the industry more sustainable. Check out AlayaCare: www.alayacare.com

As part of the NYC Healthtech Social held on October 27, Vinodh Balaraman, a serial entrepreneur and Founder of Kolate AI, joined us for a fireside chat on how AI can improve clinical development and drug decision-making. Kolate AI is a precision medicine platform that predicts patient-level clinical events and therapy responses.The conversation explores why nearly 90% of clinical development fails, how limited visibility into patient responses and enrollment contributes to those outcomes, and how Kolate AI supports pharma and biotech through patient-level prediction, synthetic control arms, and clinical trial screening. Vinodh also shares how these approaches can improve both trials and real-world drug use, and where regulators are beginning to engage with AI-driven methods.Check out Kolate AI: www.kolate.ai

As part of the NYC Healthtech Social held in October 2025, Jomi Cubol, Head of Design at Photon Health, joined us for a thoughtful conversation on why good design isn’t optional — even in healthcare.Jomi breaks down how he thinks about design by drawing parallels with the hospitality industry, exploring how empathy, anticipation, and user delight can transform healthcare experiences. He dives into how to think about design, how much design is needed, and why adding a human touch to every step of the process matters more than ever.Check out Photon Health: www.photon.health

As part of the Ctrl+Cure event held in Toronto August 2025, Mahshid Yassaei Joined us for a powerful fireside chat to share how Tali Ai is using AI to enhance a physician's workflow. Mahshid talks about what she things the future of AI scribes looks like, how to navigate among noise and larger incumbents in a competive market and how finding your specific customers can help you grow.Check out Tali AI: www.tali.ai/

Fireside chat from the She Speaks Health event held in Toronto July 2025.Caitlin McCabe brings deep expertise in customer success, with a focus on driving growth and long-term retention. She currently leads customer success at one of Canada’s top digital health companies, overseeing enterprise-level partnerships and helping teams scale sustainably by keeping customers engaged.She’s joined by Neelam Bance, whose career began in pharma and has evolved into a leadership role in precision medicine. At MedGeneius, she’s helping bring pharmacogenetic insights to the forefront of care, supporting hospitals, labs, and providers in reducing adverse drug reactions, improving medication efficacy, and lowering unnecessary healthcare costs.Together, they unpack the often-overlooked side of scaling a business, retention. Drawing from two distinct perspectives, Caitlin and Neelam share practical lessons from the front lines of growth.Check out MedGeneius: www.medgeneius.com

Fireside chat from the She Speaks Helath event held in Toronto July 2025.Francesca Passudetti a senior marketing manager at ALK Canada, where she shapes strategies that bring allergy care innovations to patients and providers. Previously, she was a product manager at Novo Nordisk, leading patient strategy.She’s joined by Tayler Hoffart, who brings deep experience in business operations and growth across early-stage healthtech companies,most recently helping scale Empathia AI, a company using artificial intelligence to automate medical documentation for clinicians.In this episode, Tayler and Francesca explore what makes healthcare marketing resonate, how to build trust with different types of customers and the importance of partnerships and collaborations from both a pharmacuetical and healthtech lens.Check out ALK Canada: www.alk.net/caCheck out Empathia AI: www.empathia.ai

As part of the She Speaks Health event held in Toronto July 2025, Orchid Jahanshahi delivered a powerful keynote on how Canadians can lead the next big wave in pharma.Orchid is the founder of ThinkrBelle, an advisory firm bridging pharma and healthtech to drive smarter, faster innovation. With nearly 30 years in global pharma and a successful pivot into AI startups, she brings a rare blend of deep industry experience and startup execution. Orchid is also a mentor at the Creative Destruction Lab, supporting pharma professionals navigating change.In this episode, Orchid explores what it takes to build your own company, when to take bold risks, and how generalists can turn their skillset into a competitive edge.Check out ThinkrBelle: www.thinkrbelle.com

In this live panel episode, three leading VCs share how they evaluate and fund companies across healthtech, medtech, and biopharma — from pre-seed through Series C.Zeeshan Ali (MaRS IAF), Suman Rao (Lumira Ventures), and Timothy Sung (Esplanade Ventures) dive into storytelling for fundraising, what investors are looking for, how to prepare and make the most of your calls with investors, and how to set yourself up for success as a founder.Whether you’re building or scaling in regulated healthcare sectors, this episode offers clear, practical advice from investors actively deploying capital.Check out MaRS IAF: www.marsiaf.comCheck out Lumira Ventures: www.lumiraventures.comCheck out Esplanade Ventures: www.esplanadeventures.com

Brian Gordon is the Senior Innovation Advisor at Innovation Canada (part of ISED Canada). Innovation canada works with canadian businesses on scaling within and outside of canada through various programs and non-dilutive funding. Brian has extensive experience helping healthtech and medtech companies grow, in corporate and advisory roles, and shares his insights and advice for current entrepreneurs growing their ventures.Tune in to hear how to find and apply for grants with Innovation Canada. Check out Innovate Canada: www.ised-isde.canada.ca/

Marco Benitez is the CEO & Founder of ROOK. ROOK solves the challenge of wearable health data integration by providing its clients with clean and structured data sets through API. The implications are massive for insurance, digital health and pharmaceutical companies as ROOK enables them to focus on generating value for their end-users.Tune in to hear about how ROOK is looking to improve predictive and preventative healthcare, how personalized health data can generate value for businesses and end-users, and how ROOK is gearing for long-term growth.Marco also reflects on experiences from his life that taught him the importance of persistence, discipline and creating a strong network that any entrepreneur can benefit from. Check out ROOK: www.tryrook.ioBe a guest: www.scalpelsandspreadsheets.comFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/scalpels-and-spreadsheets

Kseniya Ponomareva is the Business Development Manager at EMedSupport. EMedSupport helps physicians make evidence-based decisions to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases and has offices in Cyprus and the UAE. Kseniya joined EMedSupport about a year ago after having had a career as a Product Manager at Sanofi.Kseniya moved to the UAE two years ago, and she shares her learnings about the scope of healthcare innovation across the Middle East, the pathways to seek regulatory approval for new or existing health innovations & technologies, and the best way for others to explore opportunities in the region as she did.Tune in to learn about how Kseniya has been able to navigate a career in the cardiovascular space to now working towards bringing evidence-based medicine to the Middle East and beyond. Check out EMedSupport: www.emedsup.orgBe a guest: www.scalpelsandspreadsheets.comFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/scalpels-and-spreadsheets

Lauren Barker is the CEO of Uresta. Uresta is a Canadian female health organization that is looking to solve bladder leaks and urinary incontinence with an innovative health product. Lauren joined Uresta after having had a career in Investment Banking and Private Equity intrigued by positive impact Uresta could have on women’s health. Tune in to learn about Lauren’s journey into entrepreneurship and how she’s been able to create a go-to-market and organic growth strategy for a problem space that’s been considered taboo in the past. Lauren also talks about the need for Regulatory Consultants early on in a products development, the challenges of building and growing in the femtech space and how she has been able to lean on the entrepreneurial community in Canada for continuous learning. Check out Uresta: www.uresta.comBe a guest: www.scalpelsandspreadsheets.comFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/scalpels-and-spreadsheets

Nikhit Anilbhai and Sonakshi Senthil are the co-founders of Your Cue. Your Cue is a UK-based startup that came to fruition out of the COVID-19 pandemic after Nikhit experienced challenges with ensuring patient safety without consistent vital signs monitoring during work as a frontline physician when healthcare systems were at a breaking point. With the goal of ensuring every patient is continuously monitored at an affordable price, Sonakshi and Nikhit began ideating on solutions that ranged from software to hardware solutions before settling on a finger-based wearable device. They share their experience of prototyping their product without a technical co-founder and considering how to get their product to market, whether that would be care homes in the UK, private hospitals in India and Africa or public health systems like the NHS. This is Nikhit and Sonakshi’s first entrepreneurial stint, and they share how they have been able to obtain support from mentors, advisors and the UK’s favorable entrepreneurship environment to keep them going. Check out Your Cue: www.yourcue.co.ukBe a guest: www.scalpelsandspreadsheets.comFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/scalpels-and-spreadsheets

Eric Alvarez is the Founder and CEO of Grapefruit Health. Grapefruit Health is looking to relieve pressure caused by staffing shortages on the U.S. healthcare system by contracting clinical students to take over lower acuity work, improving patient outcomes.Eric shares what Grapefruit Health has been able to accomplish over the past year and a half, including iterating on feedback, successfully fundraising, and creating a flexible and versatile solution catered to the needs of providers. Eric also shares how Grapefruit Health has benefitted from his prior experiences working at a now-acquired enterprise healthcare solutions company and as a health system administrator. Check out Grapefruit Health: www.grapefruit.healthBe a guest: www.scalpelsandspreadsheets.comFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/scalpels-and-spreadsheets

Shannon Aylesworth is the Founder and CEO of Ursamin. Ursamin is looking to help patients suffering from chronic illnesses and their caregivers make better health decisions by improving access to easily-interpretable health data.We talk about the growing problem of chronic illnesses impacting the U.S. healthcare system, how we can collect and interpret health data from multiple sources for meaningful health insights, and how an entrepreneur can position themselves to make an impact in healthcare. Check out Ursamin: www.ursamin.comBe a guest: www.scalpelsandspreadsheets.comFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/scalpels-and-spreadsheets

Welcome to Scalpels & Spreadsheets. This episode lays down my goals with this podcast.