2025 Neurotech Leaders Forum

Embassy Suites, San Francisco Airport Oyster Point

November 5-6, 2025

Keynote Speakers
Edward Chang, M.D., Professor of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco Edward Chang is a neurosurgeon-scientist who has made fundamental discoveries on the neural coding of speech in the human brain. Chang has provided the first detailed functional blueprints of cortical areas for speech perception and production. Overcoming the limitations of previous imaging studies, Chang pioneered high-resolution direct cortical recordings in humans and applied advanced computational approaches to understand how speech is computed at the level of basic phonetic elements.  His seminal contributions catalyzed an entire field of human intracranial neuroscience, accelerated novel neurotechnologies, and led to the first successful ‘speech neuroprosthesis’ to restore communication after paralysis.
J. Thomas Mortimer, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University J. Thomas (Tom) Mortimer was born in 1939 and spent his formative years in the Texas Panhandle. A highlight of his preteen years was a 1951 summer job at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, which his friend Joe Macrander had helped him secure. He graduated in 1957 from Amarillo High School’s vocational program as an automobile mechanic and worked in Buick and Chrysler-Plymouth dealerships. In 1959, he enrolled at Texas Technological College, where he was deeply influenced by Professor Russel Seacat, and earned a BSEE in 1964. In 1965, Mortimer completed his M.S. in Engineering in James B. Reswick’s lab at Case Institute of Technology. That same year, he began learning to perform animal surgeries in C. Norman Shealy’s lab at Western Reserve University. After a year of drifting without a clear Ph.D. project, Mortimer was pointedly directed by Reswick to pursue Shealy’s concept for pain suppression, inspired by the 1965 Melzack and Wall paper proposing the gate control theory of pain. By 1967, Mortimer had designed, built, and tested two dorsal column stimulator devices, which Shealy implanted in patients at Gundersen Clinic in La Crosse, WI. During his time in Reswick’s lab, Mortimer was also inspired by Lojze Vodovnik of Ljubljana, whose passion for electrically activating the nervous system made a lasting impression. From 1968 to 1969, Mortimer conducted postdoctoral research at Chalmers Tekniska Högskola in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he came to recognize the promise of a career that combined electrical engineering with animal experimentation. In 1969, Mortimer joined the faculty of the Biomedical Engineering Department at Case Western Reserve University, launching a research program aimed at restoring function to people with spinal cord injuries—like his childhood friend Joe, who had sustained such an injury in 1955. Strongly influenced by Karl Frank and Terry Hambrecht’s Neural Prostheses Program at NINDS, he founded the Applied Neural Control Laboratory at Case, where he mentored 44 MS and Ph.D. students. These students and postdocs remained a profound influence throughout his academic life. Upon retiring in 2002, Mortimer created ANCtoolkit.com, an online repository for the knowledge he had acquired over the course of his career. The repository has been as a text for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses.

Conference Moderators
James Cavuoto, Editor and Publisher, Neurotech Reports James Cavuoto is editor and publisher of Neurotech Business Report and the founder of Neurotech Reports. He is the lead author of "The Market for Neurotechnology," and "The Market for Bioelectronic Medicine," two market research reports published by Neurotech Reports. Cavuoto was the founder of Micro Publishing Press, Inc., a publishing company that helped pioneer the market for electronic publishing, digital imaging, and computer graphics. He holds a degree in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University, where he studied under pioneers in the field of functional electrical stimulation. He has also studied human factors engineering at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Cavuoto spent three years as a member of the technical staff at Hughes Aircraft Company in Los Angeles, where he worked on simulation, training, and publication products produced for the U.S. Department of Defense. Cavuoto was an adjunct professor at Rochester Institute of Technology and the author of eight books on computer graphics, electronic publishing, and digital imaging. He is a member of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. He has authored a chapter in the textbook Neuromodulation (Elsevier, 2009), as well as articles in Neuromodulation, Journal of Neural Engineering, Medical Device Daily, IEEE Spectrum, MX magazine, and the International Journal of Medical Marketing. He is coauthor, with Jennifer French, of Bionic Pioneers: Brave Neurotech Users Blaze the Trail to New Therapies (Neurotech Press, 2014).
Jeremy Koff, Senior Consulting Editor, Neurotech Reports Mr. Koff is senior consulting editor for Neurotech Reports and president of Colibri Partners Inc., a strategic and marketing consulting firm with a primary focus in the medical device sector. The company offers services related to market and risk analysis, clinical and technology assessments, business plan development, business/financial modeling, and market research. Mr. Koff has nearly 20 years of global experience in the medical device industry with companies including Advanced Bionics Corp., Boston Scientific, MiniMed Inc., Bioness Inc, and many others. His business plans have attracted tens of millions in start-up capital. Mr. Koff holds a Bachelor's degree in biology from Middlebury College, a Masters of Public Affairs from Indiana University, and an MBA from UCLA. He is an active classically-trained musician, supporter of the arts, and is a board member of the Fender Music Foundation.
Jo Jo Platt, Senior Contributing Editor, Neurotech Reports Jo Jo Platt brings more than 10 years experience as a neurotechnology consulant to Neurotech Reports. As the founder and president of Platt & Associates, she has helped leadership identify new opportunities, transform organizations, and build teams from the ground up. Most recently, she was a strategic development consultant for the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, where she helped identify and establish strategic partnerships in the emerging field of bioelectronic medicine and was instrumental in the launch of the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine. Previously, Jo Jo communications director for eDigital, where she managed all internal and external communications and built braand recognition through tradeshows and consumer events. Platt holds a bachelor's degree in communication and media studies from National University. She is currently the finance chair for the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Neural Engineering 2019 meeting.
Victor Pikov, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO, Medipace, Inc. Victor Pikov is a contributing editor of Neurotech Reports and co-founder and CEO of Medipace Inc, a startup developing implantable neuromodulation therapies for auto-immune intestinal diseases. Victor previously worked at Galvani Bioelectronics and GlaxoSmithKline, where he oversaw development and testing of implantable pulse generators and stimulation leads for several clinical applications, including auto-immune and metabolic diseases. At the Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Victor developed neural interfaces for various chronic diseases, such as infertility, bladder paralysis, bladder spasticity/hyperreflexia, hearing and vision loss, tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, and obesity. At the California Institute of Technology, Victor developed optogenetic viral vectors for neuronal stimulation. Victor has several patent applications for implantable neural interfaces, closed-loop neuromodulation therapies, and non-invasive glucose measurement.

Panelists and Presenters
Paul Grand, Founder and CEO, MedTech Innovator Paul is the founder and CEO of MedTech Innovator. He created and managed MedTech Innovator as a program within RCT Ventures from 2013 – 2016. In 2016, with the financial support of RCT and other sponsors, Paul left to run MedTech Innovator as a stand-alone company. He spent 11 years as Director and Managing Director at RCT Ventures, the investment arm of Research Corporation Technologies, Inc. Prior to RCT, Paul was co-founder and CEO of startups in the medtech, pharma, and tech sectors.
Samantha Tabone, General Partner, XEIA Venture Partners Samantha Tabone is a general partner at XEIA Venture Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm investing at the intersection of frontier life sciences, biotech, deep technology, and medtech. With a focus on XEIA’s Human 3 thesis, she backs founders developing transformative solutions in neuroscience as well as enabling platforms that redefine human health and longevity using cutting-edge modalities like mRNA, epigenetic medicine and more. Tabone began her journey working with early-stage companies, where she honed her ability to evaluate translational science, fundraising and business development opportunities. Prior to launching XEIA, she advised and collaborated with biotech founders, gaining deep expertise in identifying high-potential approaches to new drug discovery, such as epigenetic modulation, RNA-based modalities and new target identification for neurodegenerative disease. At XEIA, Tabone combines her scientific rigor with operational know-how, leading investments, shaping portfolio strategy and engaging closely with portfolio company founders to accelerate their success. Her role extends beyond capital allocation. She is a community builder, having launched initiatives such as the San Francisco Biotech Run Club and being a co-host of the “Human 3 Podcast,” a forum designed to connect scientists, entrepreneurs and investors around the future of human health. Tabone is also a mentor for inventors and prospective entrepreneurs at Nucleate, the Creative Destruction Lab, several technology transfer offices at major institutions and the Blueprint Program for Neuroscience Research at the National Institutes of Health. Aside from investing and operating, her passion is founded in transdisciplinary rigor and shaping ecosystems for early-stage entrepreneurs. Tabone’s work reflects her belief that venture capital should be both catalyzing and collaborative—accelerating groundbreaking science while supporting visionary founders.
Mudit Jain, Ph.D., Founder and General Partner, Treo Ventures Mudit is founding General Partner of Treo Ventures, and the CEO and co-founder of NuXcel, a medical device accelerator. Mudit also co-founded and serves as Chairman of the Board of ShiraTronics, Inc., a NuXcel spin off company. Mudit brings more than two decades of medical device industry experience across company formation, R&D, business development, and venture capital, with a global perspective on healthcare based on his experiences in the U.S., Ireland, and India. Mudit has served on the boards of several medical device companies, from early to commercial growth stage, resulting in successful IPOs and M&A transactions. Most recently, as a General Partner with Synergy Life Science Partners, Mudit delivered top quartile performance. In addition to his private venture capital experiences at Treo, and Synergy Life Science Partners, Mudit also brings a strategic investment perspective based on his tenure at Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation. Prior to his investing career, Mudit held operational roles in the Cardiac Rhythm Management Division of Guidant Corporation, and played a key role in developing novel device technologies for heart failure, remote monitoring, and cardiac ablation. Mudit also played an important role in product development for start-ups like Epicor, Inc. (acquired: St. Jude Medical), and Cardiac Pathways Corporation (acquired: Boston Scientific). Mudit holds eight issued patents and has authored several peer reviewed publications. Mudit also serves on the Board of Visitors of the Graduate School at Duke University, External Advisory Board of John Hopkins University Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design, and on the Board of One Heart Health, a healthcare focused non-profit focused on providing access to pediatric populations in underprivileged geographies. Mudit graduated with a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from REC, Nagpur, India, where he was a gold medal recipient for academic achievements. He received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University, and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Lu Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner, Fusion Fund Lu Zhang, founder and managing partner of Fusion Fund, is a renowned Silicon Valley-based investor, a serial entrepreneur, and a Stanford Engineering alumna. With a strong technical background, Lu has extensive experience bringing a broad range of technologies to commercialization and deep domain expertise in AI in healthcare, enterprise AI/networks, edge computing, and data privacy. Prior to starting Fusion Fund, Lu was a serial entrepreneur and materials science researcher, which eventually led her to create Fusion Fund in 2015. Since then, Lu has built a distinguished eco system and established her reputation in the VC industry. She was honored as Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum (Davos), Silicon Valley Women of Influence, Best 25 Female early-stage investor by Business Insider, Featured Honoree of VC of Forbes 30 under 30 and Town & Country 50 Modern Swans-Entrepreneurship Influencer. Lu frequently speaks at high-profile tech conferences such as World Economic Forum(Davos), Future Investment Initiative, Web Summit, SuperReturn, etc., and is a guest lecturer at Stanford University. Lu also serves as a board member of many portfolio companies, the Board Director of CommonSpirit Health Foundation, the Board and Chairwomen of the Youth Council of Future Science Award, and Jury Board of the Cartier Women Initiative and Young Leader Award. She holds an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University.
Jordi Parramon, Ph.D., General Partner, Nexus NeuroTech Ventures Jordi Parramon is General Partner and co-founder of Nexus NeuroTech Ventures. Prior to this role, Jordi served as President, Medical Devices at Verily Life Sciences (Alphabet’s healthcare company, formerly Google Life Sciences), where he was responsible for leading Verily’s Medical Devices business, combining hardware, software, and AI/ML to create differentiated and clinically validated solutions for Verily’s clinical research products and healthcare products, as well as external research and commercial partnerships and joint ventures. Before joining Verily, Jordi spent twelve years at Boston Scientific, ultimately serving in the role of Director of R&D, Neuromodulation, bringing to market various generations of implantable products for the Chronic Pain (Spinal Cord Stimulator) as well as the Movement Disorders/Parkinson’s Disease (Deep Brain Stimulator) franchises. Jordi started his career at Advanced Bionics where he was a key contributor on advanced technology for neuromodulation. Jordi holds 200+ worldwide patents with 60+ distinct patent families and earned a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a B.S. in Physics from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Brad Maruca, Managing Director, Medtech Strategy & Analytics, Deloitte Brad Maruca is a Managing Director in Deloitte’s Strategy & Analytics practice focused on medtech, where he advises leaders on evidence generation, reimbursement, and market access, and data‑driven growth. He brings more than 25 years in medical technology—including 19 years in active implantable neuromodulation for chronic pain and movement disorders. Before Deloitte, Brad served as Divisional Vice President of Global Clinical Affairs at Abbott’s neuromodulation business. In that role he helped advance and globalize novel spinal cord stimulation therapies (including BurstDR), partnering with clinicians and health systems to build evidence and clinician education programs. An inventor, Brad is named on multiple U.S. patents related to neurostimulation monitoring and objective pain assessment during trial stimulation. He is a frequent speaker and author on Medtech strategy and reimbursement, with recent appearances at AdvaMed’s The MedTech Conference and contributions to industry publications.
Mir Imran, Chairman and CEO, InCube Labs Mir Imran founded InCube Labs to focus on his passion: creating medical solutions that change the standard of care in critical healthcare markets. After attending medical school, Mir began his career as a healthcare entrepreneur in the late 1970's and has founded numerous game-changing companies since those early days. Over the decades, he has become one of the leading inventors and entrepreneurs in the field. Mir now holds more than 200 issued patents and is perhaps most well known for his pioneering contributions to the first FDA-approved Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator. As an entrepreneur, Mir has founded more than 20 life sciences companies; 15 of his companies have seen "liquidity events" (IPO/Acquisition). Mir's expertise spans a wide range of clinical areas from interventional cardiology to chronic pain, obesity and CNS disorders. Mir actively collaborates with the nation's top universities on research and development including Stanford, Rutgers, Johns Hopkins, UTSW, etc. Mir also founded InCube Ventures, a life sciences venture fund, where he has led investments in a range of promising ventures. Mir sits on Boards of several life sciences companies. He holds an M.S. in bioengineering and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Rutgers. He also attended CMDNJ/Rutgers Medical School.
Murthy Simhambhatla, Ph.D., President and CEO, SetPoint Medical Murthy Simhambhatla is the president and CEO of SetPoint Medical. He was formerly the president and CEO of Evolus, a medical aesthetics company with a lead biologic drug, DWP-450, which he led towards an IPO in 2018. Prior to Evolus, Dr. Simhambhatla was a senior vice president at Abbott Laboratories and president of Abbott Medical Optics, a $1B-plus global ophthalmic business focused on cataract and refractive surgery.
Christian Howell, CEO, Cognito Therapeutics Christian Howell is an accomplished healthcare leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning startup and corporate environments, managing P&L from early stage through market maturity. He is currently CEO at Cognito Therapeutics, a pioneering medical device company developing noninvasive neuromodulation therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases and improve cognitive performance. Christian’s career began as an officer in the U.S. Navy, where he formed a guiding principle that still drives his work today: focus on endeavors that deliver measurable social impact. This led him to the medical device industry more than two decades ago, where he has held leadership roles across business development, commercial strategy, product management, market development, and corporate strategy. At Cognito, he leads all aspects of the business--including P&L management, strategic partnerships, and revenue generation--while fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Under his leadership, Cognito is advancing Spectris, a physician-prescribed, at-home neuroprotective therapy for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s. A serial intrapreneur, Christian has consistently introduced innovative, market-defining strategies. At Medtronic, he launched a multi-sided platform approach to value-based healthcare and oversaw P&L for the company’s Integrated Health Solutions program. At Aetion, he expanded the company’s reach into medical devices, diagnostics, government, and value-based care, forged a five-year strategic partnership with NESTcc, and played a key role in a successful Series C fundraise. Renowned for building trusted relationships with providers, regulators, payers, and industry leaders, Christian is a sought-after speaker at leading forums including Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and the G20. His leadership blends strategic vision with operational discipline, always with the goal of delivering transformative solutions that improve patient lives while driving sustainable commercial performance.
Ryan Field, Ph.D., CEO, Kernel Ryan Field is the CEO of Kernel, a neurotechnology company dedicated to building actionable insights from high-quality brain data. He previously led the Kernel Flow team and served as CTO, overseeing the concept, design, and development of the category-defining Kernel Flow brain imaging system. Ryan is an inventor with more than 20 granted US patents and a published researcher with over a decade of experience building complex sensing systems. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University in Electrical Engineering and previously led teams at Intel and Quanergy.
Kazu Okuda, M.D., Founder and CEO, Universal Brain Kazu Okuda, is the founder and CEO of Universal Brain and is working on developing a neuroscience-based psychiatric platform to establish the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. In the psychiatry department of a university hospital, he was intensely shocked to find that the prognosis of patients varied greatly depending on the physician's skill. He founded Universal Brain to establish treatment and diagnosis based on the analysis of physiological data. At Universal Brain, he engages in developing an innovative EEG headset and algorithms to deliver better care to patients with psychiatric disorders. After graduating from medical school at the Kyushu Univesity and receiving clinical training at the University of Tokyo Hospital, he joined a medical device AI startup. He worked in the CEO/CFO's office, raising funds ($20M while in office) and driving clinical research with university hospitals. The company's product received marketing approval and reimbursement in Japan. He loves tennis, golf, traveling, cooking, and reading Goethe.
Oliver Armitage, Ph.D., Vice President, Neural Data and Clinical Strategy, Axoft Oliver Armitage is Vice President of Neural Data and Clinical Strategy at Axoft, where he leads the development of brain foundation models and clinical translation for next-generation brain-computer interfaces. At Axoft, he is helping build one of the first brain foundation models designed for production deployment to generalize across diverse neurological conditions, aiming to transform how neural data can be used in diagnosis and therapy. His work focuses on combining high-resolution neural recordings with advanced AI systems to create adaptive tools for treating neurological disorders. Before joining Axoft, Oliver co-founded and served as Chief Scientific Officer at BIOS Health, where he pioneered AI-driven methods for personalized peripheral nerve stimulation. Oliver brings a unique perspective on how new AI technology will lead to scalable clinical deployment expanding the use cases and markets of neurotechnologies.
Robert Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, huMannity Medtec Robert Greenberg joined huMannity (formerly Alfred Mann Foundation) in 1998, was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2004 and became its Chairman and CEO in 2021. He was a co-founder and former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Greenberg is a leader in the field of neural prosthetics—having developed and brought to market the world’s most advanced implantable neural stimulator at the time, the Argus II visual prostheses, to treat retinitis pigmentosa, a form of blindness. At Second Sight, he also oversaw the successful development and human implantation of a wireless cortical visual prosthesis, the Orion, which has the potential to treat nearly all forms of blindness and other brain diseases. Dr. Greenberg was also an Independent Director at Pulse Biosciences (NASDAQ: PLSE), a company developing therapies based on nanosecond pulsed electric field technologies for oncology and dermatology applications. He was previously a medical reviewer at the FDA’s Office of Device Evaluation. Since 2001, he has also been the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Southern California Biomedical Council, a nonprofit trade association supporting the healthcare industry in the Greater Los Angeles region. Dr. Greenberg is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, has over 260 issued US patents and over 100 international patents, and has published over 60 articles. He received M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, and a Fellow of the IEEE.
Jason Pope, M.D., CEO, Evolve Restorative Center Dr. Pope is the president and CEO of Evolve Restorative Center in Northern California, with offices across Sonoma county. He is the president of the California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians and serves the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) as an ex-officio director-at large, advocacy and policy committee co-chair, and is the annual meeting co-chair. He serves as a director at large for the International Neuromodulation Society, is the co-chair for the CME committee, the co-chair for the preconference training workshop in the biennial meeting in Sydney, Australia, and the co-chair for the young neuromodulation committee. He also is the co-founder the special interest group in neuromodulation for the American Society of Regional Anesthesia. Dr. Pope has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, while working with medical device start-up companies and established industry partners to provide strategic planning and execution for patient-centric adoption and supportive patient outcomes.
Andrew Kibler, Ph.D., Director of Research and Clinical Technology, Biotronik Neuro Andrew Kibler is a medical technology and neuromodulation leader passionate about building a better future through clinical partnerships, cross-specialty innovation, rapid evaluation cycles, and the power of data-informed decision making.  He earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 2010 where he studied epileptiform activity propagation and novel recording techniques in Dr. Dominique Durand's Neural Engineering Center. He has since worked in several health sciences fields: cardiac rhythm management, vagus nerve stimulation, and spinal cord stimulation. At Micro Systems Engineering, Inc. he led the Therapeutic Technologies team, and at BIOTRONIK NRO, Inc. he leads Clinical Technology and Advanced Concepts departments, responsible for novel diagnostic, digital health, AI, and therapeutic capabilities.
Lindsey Jardine, Vice President, Clinical, Regulatory and Quality Affairs, Adraxe Corp. Lindsey Jardine is Vice President of Clinical, Regulatory, and Quality Affairs at Adraxe Corp., a neuromodulation company developing a minimally invasive closed-loop system for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. She brings more than a decade of experience guiding breakthrough Class III medical devices through complex clinical and regulatory pathways, from early feasibility through pivotal trials and global approvals. Lindsey has successfully led multiple FDA Breakthrough Designation submissions, IDE programs, and CE Marking strategies across epilepsy, cardiology, and neurostimulation technologies, contributing to more than $15 billion in aggregate company exits and IPO valuations. She is known for building high-impact clinical programs that align scientific rigor with regulatory readiness, enabling startups to accelerate development without sacrificing quality or patient safety. Beyond her work at Adraxe, Lindsey advises early-stage neurotechnology ventures, teaches clinical and regulatory strategy at biodesign workshops including Cleveland NeuroDesign, and is an active contributor to the next generation of neurotech innovation.
Uli Gommel, CTO, Neo-Bionica As chief technology officer at Neo-Bionica, Uli leads a team that pioneers the development of life-changing medical device solutions in the neurotech field. By bridging the gap between research and clinical applications, he and his team are able to provide world-class engineering expertise, innovative vision, and leading-edge strategy for the design and development of novel solutions. Uli's passion for engineering has grown over his twenty year career spanning across Europe, Asia and the US with posts at industry leaders including Advanced Bionics, Siemens Healthineers, and now Neo-Bionica. Outside the office, Uli enjoys spending time with his family, exploring the many cultural offerings throughout Los Angeles and California, and celebrating holidays in grand style.
Lisa Brooks, Ph.D., Principal Clinical Research Scientist, Presidio Medical Lisa is a Principal Clinical Research Scientist for Presidio Medical, a biomedical start-up based in San Mateo, CA. She leads the clinical research program exploring the use of Ultra Low Frequency neuromodulation. This technology produces neural inhibition that may be useful in treating chronic pain and other conditions with undesirable neural activity. Lisa has a background in basic science research. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at Stanford University and went on to complete a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at UCLA. Her doctorate work focused on understanding molecular mechanisms of neural communication. She has worked in neuromodulation clinical research for 12 years, including leading Nevro's pivotal study for treating painful diabetic neuropathy with high frequency spinal cord stimulation. She's an author on several peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals, including Neuron and JAMA Neurology.
Garrett Schumacher, Business Unit Director, Product Security, Velentium Medical Garrett Schumacher's nine-year career has focused on the intersection of medtech and cybersecurity, and he has extensive experience training technical and nontechnical graduate students and professionals in cybersecurity, often traveling around the globe to do so. Garrett is an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and has founded and advised startups. He is passionate about serving customers to improve their security postures, ultimately for the benefit of patients everywhere.

Entrepreneur Presenters
Tetiana Aleksandrova, CEO and Co-founder, Subsense Tetiana Aleksandrova is the CEO and Co-founder of Subsense, a company pioneering the next generation of brain-computer interfaces. She recently secured a $20 million funding round, accelerating Subsense’s mission to bridge the gap between the human brain and technology. With more than a decade in neurotechnology, Tetiana has built and scaled companies at the forefront of BCI innovation. Before Subsense, she co-founded Neiry, growing it into a global leader in non-invasive BCIs, securing $8 million in funding, and leading a successful M&A process.
Miri Polachek, Co-founder, Nuri Braintech Miri Polachek is a seasoned healthcare entrepreneur, executive, investor, and ecosystem builder. Currently, she is cofounder and Chief Business Officer at Nuri Braintech, a clinical-stage venture developing the first emotion brain computer interface for superior precision psychiatry to address severe, treatment-resistant conditions, starting with post-traumatic stress disorder. Previously, Miri served as CEO of Joy Ventures, a consumer mental health and wellbeing startup studio and venture fund. Miri co-founded and led Israel Brain Technologies, the national a hub and catalyst for neuro-innovation and commercialization, including the world’s first braintech startup accelerator. Miri has also held financial management positions in leading global healthcare companies including Pfizer and Teva. She received her M.A. in Health Economics from Boston University and her MBA from New York University.
Helen Bronte-Stewart, M.D., Founder and President, QDG Health Helen Bronte-Stewart is the Founder and President of QDG Health, and the John E Cahill Family Professor in the department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University. She is a serial center/program developer and team builder, having founded the Stanford Movement Disorders Center, the Stanford Movement Disorders Surgical Program, the Stanford Balance Center, and the Human Motor Control and Neuromodulation Laboratory. She has used her training in mathematics and physics, bioengineering, neurology, movement disorders, and single-unit electrophysiology in primates to develop a rigorous translational program in motor control and neuromodulation research in human subjects. Seeing the unmet need in a wide range of neurological disorders, she developed multiple computerized, quantitative measurements of human motor behavior. After two decades of clinical validation, she has led the translation of one of these technologies, Quantitative DigitoGraphy (QDG), into QDG Health: a point-of-care monitoring system that enables on-demand assessment and management for neurological disorders. Paired with the proprietary digitography device, its AI-enhanced remote monitoring system has been validated as a breakthrough technology by the FDA and can be deployed across the healthcare ecosystem. Having received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, QDG Health is raising a seed round to submit a 510(k) submission and pursue active clinical partnerships.
Stefan Kampusch, Ph.D., CEO, Aurimod GmbH Stefan Kampusch achieved his BSc degree in Electrical Engineering and his MSc degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at TU Wien, Austria, in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Since 2009 his research is focused on closed-loop electrical neuromodulation and auricular vagus nerve stimulation in chronic diseases. In 2015 he co-founded AURIMOD GmbH and currently serves as CEO and Head of R&D. AURIMOD has developed a wearable auricular vagus nerve stimulation system to help patients with chronic low back pain.
Sumeet Mahajan, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO, Brainalyze Professor Sumeet Mahajan is the Co-founder, CEO & CTO of Brainalyze, and a Professor of Molecular Biophotonics & Imaging at the University of Southampton, where he also serves as Deputy Head of the School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering. With a multidisciplinary foundation spanning chemistry, physics, and biomedical engineering—gained at IIT Kanpur, IIT Bombay, and the University of Cambridge—he has spent over two decades pioneering advanced optical detection technologies. Prof. Mahajan is a globally recognized scientist and innovator, with over 150 peer-reviewed publications, six patents, and more than $12 millionin competitive research and industry funding as principal investigator. He leads large-scale collaborations, manages cross-functional teams, and mentors future leaders to translate deep science into real-world impact. At Brainalyze, he is now driving the commercialization of MX-Raman, a breakthrough neurodiagnostics platform developed from 12 years of cutting-edge research in his lab to unlock new frontiers in dementia diagnostics, monitoring, and personalized care.
Boris Goldstein, Ph.D., Founder, BrainBit Boris Goldstein is the founder of BrainBit, a neurotechnology company developing AI-driven neurofeedback systems. His work focuses on harnessing brain plasticity through innovative protocols designed to enhance cognitive function and support mental wellness. By combining patented dry-electrode EEG technology with machine learning, Dr. Goldstein aims to deliver personalized and optimized neurofeedback training. His research spans both human and multi-species models, advancing the understanding of neural mechanisms and informing the next generation of brain-computer interfaces. He holds a Ph.D. and is the author of numerous patents and publications in neuroscience and artificial intelligence.
Fred Walke, CEO, Wave Neuroscience For over 26 years, Fred Walke has led companies that push the boundaries of healthcare innovation. As CEO of Wave Neuroscience, he’s driving a transformation in mental health—introducing objective biomarkers, curative pathways, and scalable access to care that’s redefining what’s possible for patients and providers alike. Fred’s career is a testament to visionary leadership and measurable success. Across multiple ventures—MicroDental Laboratories, LeanMD, Presage Health, Reimagine, Zilliance, and Wave Neuroscience—he has raised hundreds of millions in capital and delivered growth that consistently outpaces industry norms. At MicroDental, Fred spearheaded a 20x industry-average growth streak for six consecutive years, culminating in a successful acquisition by Healthpoint Capital, one of the premier healthcare private equity firms. Fred contributes to the future of medicine through his involvement with the Harvard Leadership Forum and as an instructor and mentor in Clayton Christensen’s Entrepreneurship Program at Harvard—where he inspires the next generation of innovators to blend compassion with disruption. Now leading Wave Neuroscience, Fred sees his mission clearer than ever: to end unnecessary suffering and usher in Mental Healthcare 3.0—an era where science, compassion, and technology converge to help patients thrive and clinicians excel.
Ludovica Labruna, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, Magnetic Tides Ludovica Labruna, PhD, is a neuroscientist and entrepreneur focused on non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS). Following two decades of research at UC Berkeley, Dr. Labruna and her team of multidisciplinary scientists founded Magnetic Tides to develop a novel NIBS system designed for maximum efficacy and patient comfort. This project has been supported by an innovation award (EAGER) from the National Science Foundation, an SBIR grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Weill Neurohub Next Great Ideas program. As CEO of Magnetic Tides, Dr. Labruna is focused on the commercialization of kTMP, a technology with the potential to transform the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Andy Gotshalk, CEO Neurologic Solutions, Inc. Andy Gotshalk is the CEO of Neurologic Solutions, Inc., a startup company dedicated to pioneering advanced analytical solutions that revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of patients afflicted by epilepsy and a spectrum of neurological disorders. Andy is a medical device executive with over 20 years’ experience and most recently was the founder and CEO of Blackrock Neuromed. Blackrock Neuromed was an innovative EEG technology company that developed and commercialized high definition EEG and was acquired by Natus Medical Inc. in 2017. Prior to Blackrock Neuromed, he was the CEO of Blackrock Microsystems where he successfully commercialized research products in the neurophysiology market. Prior to that, Mr. Gotshalk was responsible for sales and operations for the US Surgical Division of Haemonetics Corporation.
Daniel Powell, CEO, Spark Biomedical Inc. Daniel Powell has more than 20 years experience developing and selling technology-based products and has served in leadership roles in upstream and downstream marketing, business development, strategic planning, and program management. Powell launched more than 18 medical device products during his career at St. Jude Medical (now Abbott) and Cyberonics (now LivaNova). He has a wide range of experience in the the neurological disorders space including movement disorders, psychiatric disorders, and epilepsy. Additionally, Powell has in-depth experience in interventional neuromodulation technology, both implanted and external, as well as other active implantable medical technology, bio monitoring, and disease management systems. Powell now leads his own startup, Spark Biomedical, and acts as an advisor for other startups in the industry.
Pawel Soluch, CEO, Spinally Medical Pawel Soluch is CEO and Co-Founder of Spinally, a company pioneering innovative spinal cord stimulation and recording implants. With more than 20 years of experience in clinical, scientific, and entrepreneurial domains, he is an inventor of outcome-driven medical devices for diagnostics, therapy, and research. He holds eight patents, with five products on the market, one in clinical trials, and two in pre-clinical stages. Recognized for his innovations in medtech and commitment to social responsibility, he is skilled in building companies and teams, fundraising, medical device design, and navigating regulatory and clinical trial processes. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with both neurotechnology startups and major industry players, including Medtronic, Siemens, Philips, and GE.
Manfred Franke, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO, NeuronOff, Inc. Dr. Franke is co-founder, CEO and chairman at Neuronoff, Inc. Prior to starting Neuronoff, he spent 12 years in neuromodulation research and industry. His work included the development of electronics and interface technology, waveforms, and novel therapies to reliably stimulate or block nervous system activity. With a focus on converting biological effects and reflexes into medical treatments, most of his 60+ granted patents are in the neuromodulation space, ranging from technologies to applications in chronic pain, cardiac and bladder management, dry eye disease, and more. He was the principal scientist at Oculeve, a startup focused on dry eye disease and rooted in the Stanford Biodesign program. Oculeve utilized Manfred’s waveforms to reliably stimulate nerves around the eye and in the nose to increase the release of natural, healthy tears. Oculeve sold at a 10+x multiple to Allergan. Following the acquisition, Manfred was the scientific lead for clinical trials documenting the reflexive release of high quality tears, substantiating the claim of a “full, true tear” for marketing purposes. He co-led safety work conducted prior and during the FDA pivotal trials that became part of the de Novo submission data set, resulting in what became known as Allergan’s “True Tear” treatment. Prior to his startup work and in parallel to his doctoral work at Case Western Reserve University, Manfred interned at Boston Scientific where he was tasked to develop ways to achieve reduction in heart rate and blood pressure with vagal neurostimulation, all while avoiding side effects such as vocal cord activation. His internship resulted in more than 40 patent applications, many of which are international patents today. Manfred received his Ph.D. from Case Western which included extensive preclinical surgical training in collaboration with the Case School of Medicine & Metro Health Hospital resulting in about three years of preclinical OR time for acute and chronic implants in PNS and CNS neuromodulation. He holds an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Dresden University of Technology, conducted in collaboration with the IMTEK at the University of Freiburg. He is a recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship, the Naumann Fellowship, the Doctoral Excellence Award from the Case School of Medicine, and has served as DAAD Research Ambassador for Germany. Last but not least, he is a veteran of the German Armed Forces.