Open Door Salon

"When you start to peel back the onion of what Iran provides to us, healthcare is at the very top."Clinton West is the Former CIA Director, Office of Supply Chain Risk Management — 20+ years at the agency including deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Europe. Mike Walker is CEO of Agentic Data Systems, Former Microsoft VP, Former Gartner VP — and he was nearly kidnapped in Cairo.A former CIA director and a former Microsoft VP on what the Iran war reveals about healthcare's hidden vulnerabilities.In Today's Episode:"I was nearly kidnapped in Cairo" — the dangers of global supply chain workOnly 3% of pharma knows their supply chain end to end70% of API comes from India and China — the hidden dependency"Supply chain doesn't collapse — it erodes slowly"What the Iran war reveals about healthcare vulnerabilitiesCIA tabletop exercises — "Let's play a game"The AI race — only two superpowers: US and China"What's an AirTag?" — meeting people where they areFrom Somalia at 19 to CIA Director — the personal journeyTimestamps:(00:00) Cold Open — "I Was Nearly Kidnapped in Cairo"(04:00) What the Iran War Reveals About Healthcare Supply Chains(08:00) 70% of API Comes from India and China(12:00) "Supply Chain Doesn't Collapse — It Erodes Slowly"(16:00) Lessons from Afghanistan and Ukraine(20:00) Only 3% of Pharma Knows Their Supply Chain(24:00) How to Build a Supply Chain Risk Strategic Plan(28:00) CIA Tabletop Exercises — "Let's Play a Game"(32:00) "Family Counseling" — Emotional Intelligence in Risk(36:00) The AI Race — US vs China(40:00) What a Truly Resilient Supply Chain Looks Like(44:00) "What's an AirTag?" — Meeting People Where They Are(48:00) From Somalia at 19 to CIA DirectorSHOW NOTESClinton West — Former CIA Director, Office of Supply Chain Risk ManagementPresident, Supply Chain Security Practice at Aardwolf Global Solutions. 20+ years CIA.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clinton-west-jr/Mike Walker — CEO, Agentic Data Systems | Former Microsoft VP | Former Gartner VPLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejwalker/

"Some of the best companies were founded during some of the worst times. It's almost Darwinian."That's Mike Goguen — founder of Two Bear Capital, 20 years as a general partner at Sequoia Capital. With him is Rob Williamson — serial entrepreneur and 35+ years in drug development.A 30-year venture capitalisst and a serial drug developer on surviving biotech's worst times, the AI bubble, and why founders should "beware the kindness of strangers."In Today's Episode:"The best companies start in the worst times" — Darwinian survival"Where's the beef?" — spotting real AI vs window dressingBiotech can't compete for AI talent — half a million out of schoolAre we in an AI bubble? Lessons from multiple crashesQuantum AI — the revolution after the revolution"Thank you for giving me another Christmas" — why it's worth it"I've called it my vow of poverty" — why biotech over techTimestamps:(00:00) Cold Open — "I'm Not Sure I Want to Say What I'm Really Thinking"(04:17) The Current Investment Landscape — Capital Efficiency Matters(08:00) Minimizing Dependence(12:00) First-Time Founders vs Experienced Operators(16:00) Product-Market Fit in Biotech — What Pharma Wants(20:00) M&A Is Slower Than Expected — Why Deals Are Stalling(24:00) The AI Revolution in Drug Discovery — What's Real(28:00) AlphaFold, Digital Twins, and the In Silico Loop(32:00) "Where's the Beef?" — Real AI vs Window Dressing(36:00) Biotech Can't Compete for AI Talent(40:00) Are We in an AI Bubble?(44:00) Quantum AI — The Next Revolution(48:00) "Thank You for Giving Me Another Christmas"(52:00) The Hardest Decision — Going All-InSHOW NOTESMike Goguen — Founder & Managing Partner, Two Bear Capital20 years as General Partner at Sequoia Capital (1996-2016). Two Bear Capital invests at the intersection of tech and life sciences.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-goguen-23314/Rob Williamson — Founder & CEO, Traverse Therapeutics35+ years in drug development. Multiple drugs to market. Former BCG partner. AI-enabled drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robwilliamson/Description

"Our transplant doctor at Hershey wrote us off and never spoke to us again. We signed her out against medical advice. And it saved her life."Tom Whitehead is the co-founder of the Emily Whitehead Foundation and father of Emily Whitehead — the first pediatric patient in the world to receive CAR-T cell therapy. In 2012, when Emily was 6 years old and facing end-stage leukemia after two relapses, they defied medical advice, enrolled in an experimental trial at CHOP, and Emily became cancer-free 23 days later. She's now 21 and 14 years cancer-free.Victoria (Tori) Lee was the 10th pediatric patient to receive CAR-T at CHOP. Diagnosed at 5, she went through four years of chemo and radiation before receiving CAR-T in 2013. Now 13+ years cancer-free, she's a health policy student presenting at ACRP on the bioethics of CAR-T access.In Today's Episode:"We signed her out against medical advice — it saved her life"Only 20% of eligible patients get CAR-T — 80% don't"You're not sick enough yet" — when can patients get CAR-T?45,000 lives saved — from one patient to tens of thousandsUnder $50K, under a week — manufacturing is advancingTrials leaving the US — patients going to Italy, BeijingFighting insurance denials with AI"Emily is as famous as Taylor Swift to my daughter""It's hard to talk about the worst days of your life"Advice for parents and patients seeking cell therapySHOW NOTESTom Whitehead — Co-Founder, Emily Whitehead FoundationFather of Emily Whitehead, the first pediatric CAR-T patient. Author of "Praying for Emily."Emily Whitehead Foundation (Co-Founder)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-whitehead-08ba32102Victoria (Tori) Lee — CAR-T Survivor | Health Policy StudentThe 10th pediatric CAR-T patient at CHOP. 13+ years cancer-free.Emily Whitehead Foundation (Patient Advocate)Story: https://www.emilywhiteheadfoundation.org/patient-stories/tori-lee/Resources:Emily Whitehead Foundation: https://www.emilywhiteheadfoundation.org/CHOP Cancer Immunotherapy: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/cancer-immunotherapy-program"Praying for Emily" (Book): Free to patients and caregivers✨ Support the Mission: The Emily Whitehead Foundation helps families find life-saving trials and advocates for wider access to cell and gene therapies.👉 Learn more or donate: https://www.emilywhiteheadfoundation.org/donate