MTC CRC Emerging Industries Forum: "MedTech and the Future of Medicine and How it Fits into Our Innovation System"

We welcome you to join the Maryland Tech Council's Chesapeake Regional Chapter on the morning of June 29th for the launch of the CRC Emerging Industries Forum series, featuring an expert panel discussion on "MedTech and the Future of Medicine and How it Fits into Our Innovation Ecosystem."  Co-hosted with Anne Arundel Community College, this event, dedicated to promoting the thriving tech ecosystem, will delve into the exciting advancements in medical technology and their impact on the future of healthcare.  The panel discussion will provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the latest trends and advancements in MedTech, as well as its role within the broader innovation ecosystem.  

Moderator:  Jesse Alton

Jesse Alton is a product strategist and open-source maintainer with a focus on the Metaverse and AI. They are the founder of AltonTech, Inc., and co-founder of MagickML, a platform for developing advanced autonomous AI agents. Most notably, they incubate Metaverse projects and foster collaboration through interoperability. Jesse's work extends to serving as co-chair of the Open Metaverse Interoperability group, and as a Solutions Architect at Fearless and an Adjunct Professor at MICA. Jesse is enthusiastic about Maryland entrepreneurship, and is helping shape the trajectory of emerging industries.

Panelists: 

Ediuska Laurens -  Dr. Ediuska Laurens has harnessed the magic of SCIENCE and the boundless wisdom of INDUSTRY to champion patient safety by ensuring that medical innovations bring healing, not harm.  As an entrepreneur, innovator, and holder of two patents, she brings unrivaled expertise in medical device product development, regulation, and quality. Founder of Genius Shield, a regulatory and quality compliance solutions company that de-risks and shields cutting-edge medical technologies, accelerating their safe and effective journey to the global market. Genius Shield proudly holds the Women Owned Small Business certification and stands as an esteemed partner of Jlabs Resource Hub, the prestigious Johnson & Johnson Incubator.

Dr. Laurens brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the realm of medical innovations. Having spent nearly a decade at the Fortune 500 medical firm, Stryker, she led a global R&D team in the development of Craniomaxillofacial implants from concept to global commercialization. Her pursuit of knowledge led her to conduct doctoral research in Biomaterials at the renowned Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and be a prolific author of scientific publications. Her contributions have earned her prestigious accolades, including a Forbes Feature, the Stryker Innovation Patent Award in 2017 and the Cleveland State University Women in STEM Award in 2020. As an invited participant of the 2020 United Nations Women and Girls in Science Assembly, she stands at the forefront of driving positive change in the industry.

Having left her native Venezuela, she holds degrees in Aerospace Engineering B.S., Mechanical Engineering M.S., and a Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering . Her left and right brain are constantly in harmonious battle. When she is not launching genius medical solutions, you may find her practicing yoga, meditation, capoeira , or traveling the world to attend Tennis Grand Slam tournaments.

Fernando Vidal-Vanaclocha - Founder of Persona Biomed and IGEA - Fernando Vidal-Vanaclocha is a renowned figure in the field of biomedicine and technology innovation. As the founder of Persona Biomed and IGEA, he has spearheaded groundbreaking research and development initiatives, focusing on the intersection of medicine and technology. With years of experience and numerous accolades, Fernando brings a unique perspective on the evolving landscape of MedTech.

Michael Binko -  Michael Binko (aka "binko") sees innovation and entrepreneurship as the launchfuel for healthy ecosystems and is passionate about celebrating those with the courage to STRT1UP®. binko is a serial entrepreneur, Innovation Ecosystem Builder, venture funder (angel+seed+VC), data scientist and brand-hound ideator. He has managed Corporate Strategy, Operations, Corporate Ventures/Development, Finance, Analyst/Investor/Media Relations and Sales/Marketing for public companies (PSINet, XYBR, Oracle Federal, Apple Federal, NEXT Software, SCO, Novell, TrueBlue) as well as high growth startups and raised more than $2 billion in equity funding via global capital markets.

binko's sweet-spot venture life cycle stages are late Bootstrap to Rampup/Scaleup when founders and teams are evaluated under the scrutiny lens of "Prove It at Scale." binko has been a Venture Mentor | Sherpa to thousands of entrepreneurs and founding teams -- keeping a warm spot for first-time founders.

binko is a CoFounder and Policy+Advocacy Chair for the Startup Champions Network (SCN), the continuation of Startup America established to support inclusive Innovation+Entrepreneur Ecosystems. Since founding SCN, binko has led initiatives for Deal-flow Mapping, Venture Capital, Portfolio Innovation, Policy+Legislative Advocacy, Ecosystem Metrics, Branding and Sponsor+Teaming with Kauffman Foundation, Revolution Ventures, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, TRowePrice and others.

binko was an early leader of Startup America as coFounder | CEO of Startup Maryland® -- a Top 3 Startup America Ecosystem (metric: startup density/per capita population). Core programs include the STRT1UP Roadshow, Raise Your Game Bootcamp and Angel Academy.

binko CoFounded the Black Butterfly Network, was CoFounder | CMO of LaunchFuel® (venture studio) and founded STRT1UP Ventures® with portfolio companies including: Quidient, American Gene Technologies (AGT), Fluent, AUTIX, Cohado, IES Life Science, kloudtrack®, Quantum Compliance. As an angel investor innovation categories include: Cyber, Quantum, Blockchain, Cloud, AI/ML, Metaverse, Gene+Cell Therapy, and Data/Analytics across sectors.

binko holds 2 honors degrees from James Madison U and the Innovation Management graduate program offered jointly by the University of Maryland Clark School of Engineering and Smith School of Business. He has instructed on venture development at UMD, MIT, GMU, GWU, Johns Hopkins, VT and other universities. He is a Business Evaluator for NIST, NSF i-Corps sherpa-mentor and an Accelerators contributor for The Wall Street Journal

Ivan George - Johns Hopkins Medicine  - Ivan George is a prominent figure in the medical field, associated with Johns Hopkins Medicine. With a deep understanding of healthcare systems and patient care, Ivan has witnessed firsthand the transformative power of medical technology. His contributions to research and patient outcomes make him a vital voice in discussing the integration of MedTech into the larger healthcare landscape.

Donuts, coffee, and juice will be served.  Don't miss this opportunity to connect with key influencers and thought leaders in the MedTech and healthcare sectors.