UCSF Stanford PDC Accelerator Pitch Spring 2025 

Congratulations to all pitch participants! Selected teams will receive funding and all finalists will receive mentoring and customized advice from PDC. A subset of teams will receive commercialization guidance and support from PDC partner, Fogarty Innovation.

Special thanks to our Judges ( Andrew Cleeland, Nada Hanafi, Paul Hooper, Emma Moran, John Parker, Amy Schellpfeffer, Tanya Townsend ) for sharing their time and expertise in helping us select the winners. Also, thanks to our sponsors and partners for their support and dedication to the UCSF-Stanford PDC!

As one of five FDA-funded Pediatric Device Consortia across the country, we are honored to be able to support the development of novel devices for our youngest patients.

2025 Pediatric Device Accelerator Pitch Competition

HOSTED BY STANFORD UNIVERSITY

PDC Pitch Judges 2025

Andrew Cleeland

Andrew Cleeland is the CEO of Fogarty Innovation, a non-profit medtech incubator based in Silicon Valley. He is a seasoned executive with 30+ years in the medical device industry in both the private and public sectors. Prior to joining Fogarty, he led Medtronic’s Transcatheter Mitral Valve business following its 2015 acquisition of Twelve Inc., where he was CEO. Prior to Twelve, he was CEO of Ardian Inc. which was acquired by Medtronic in 2011. He currently serves on the boards of five companies: Saluda Medical, Zenflow Inc. (chairman), MMI Inc. (chairman), Francis Medical (chairman) and atHeart Medical. He also holds advisory positions at Longitude Capital, Arboretum Ventures and EQT Private Equity. He has also been invited to serve on the UCSF-Stanford Pediatric Device Consortium; the board of MDIC; and Singapore’s Biomedical Research Council.

Nada O. Hanafi, MSc, MPH.

Founder & Manager - MedTech Strategy Advisors, LLC

Founder & Board Director - MedTech Color

Nada Hanafi is a thought leader within the Life Sciences and MedTech industry with over 22 years of experience across the public and private sectors. She is the Founder of MedTech Strategy Advisors, LLC where she advises life-science companies on regulatory strategy, product development, and clinical research to accomplish regulatory, compliance, and business goals.

Paul A. Hooper

Paul Hooper is a veteran of the high-tech industry having served as the CEO, General Manager and CIO at a number of Silicon Valley companies including Gigamon, Extreme Networks, Netscape and Sun Microsystems. Since retiring from full time operating roles, Paul serves on a number of boards and as an advisor to technology and charitable organizations. Paul and his wife are philanthropic supporters of various medical research programs and initiatives. Originally born in the UK, Paul is now a US citizen, lives in Texas, and is a father of two graduate daughters.

Emma Moran

Emma is the strategic lead at CobiCure, a pediatric healthcare non-profit focused on advancing the development of pediatric medical devices.  CobiCure partners with key medical technology innovators and leaders across the field to advance device solutions for children, particularly those with congenital diseases.  Emma is a biomedical engineer with experience in the medical device industry, including research, strategy development, and corporate development. 

John Parker

John Parker is the Founder and Managing Partner of Springhood Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in life science and healthcare companies transforming the health and care of children. Mr. Parker founded Springhood following his success creating and managing CH Innovations, the impact-first venture capital subsidiary of the Charles H. Hood Foundation, a Boston-based family foundation that supports pediatric research, where he also serves as a trustee.
John is currently a director or observer on the boards of Xploro, Inc, Plakous Therapeutics, Deck Therapeutics, SmolTap, Argus Cognitive, Anida Pharma, Mesentech, Inc., and Prapela, Inc.. He also serves on the advisory boards of multiple nonprofit entities, largely around mission-driven healthcare investing. He is a frequent speaker on pediatric innovation and mission investing.
Previously, John spent 25 years in the alternative investment industry, including senior roles in venture capital, private equity, and hedge funds. Early in his career he worked in international merchant banking. Although currently living in the Boston area, John spent portions of his career in New York, Tokyo, and Sydney and has done business in over 20 countries on 6 continents. John has a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.

Amy Schellpfeffer

Senior Program Officer, Devices & AI

Maternal Newborn Child Nutrition & Health

Gender Equality Division

Gates Foundation

Amy is a Senior Program Officer on the Maternal Newborn Child Nutrition & Health (MNCNH) team at the Gates Foundation, which she joined in September 2022. Within the team she focuses on medical device and artificial intelligence innovations for MNCH.

Amy began her career as an engineer in consumer goods manufacturing with Procter & Gamble. Her interest in innovation for low-resource environments developed while at P&G and prompted her graduate studies in design and social impact. After graduate school, she subsequently went on to spend 9 years developing and commercializing medical device and software technologies with both Boston Scientific and Medtronic.

Amy holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, and both an MSc in engineering and an MBA from Northwestern University.

Tanya Townsend is the Chief Information Digital Officer at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and has held increasingly progressive roles in the healthcare industry for over 25 years. She is a Certified Healthcare CIO, Certified Digital Health Executive, and has served on advisory boards for several technology companies.

 

PITCH FINALISTS

  • AVaTAR (Aortic Valve Trileaflet Autologous Reconstruction): A pediatric surgical device to reconstruct growth-accommodating valves using autologous pericardium, ensuring precision and efficiency; AVaTAR MedTech

  • EZSpeech: An AI-powered speech therapy app that guides children with engaging exercises, assesses progress, and provides real-time feedback; EzSpeech AI

  • MadSci Smart Shunt: A first-in-class electromechanical CSF shunt that monitors intracranial pressure and optimizes treatment for hydrocephalus patients; Madison Scientific Inc. & University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • Nen: Evidence-based health designed for children’s minds to improve their lives; Nen Health

  • P-EVPS (Pediatric Ex Vivo Preservation System): Novel pediatric organ preservation system; Stanford University

  • RAPIDscan: Pediatric self-driving ultrasound system; Bloom Standard Inc.

  • Soluu: A wearable bedwetting mitigation device; Global Continence Inc.

  • Sonura Beanie: A beanie hat that provides auditory protection and parental connection for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome to promote growth and development; Sonura Care Inc. & University of Pennsylvania

  • Trach Sense: A lifesaving monitoring device for pediatric tracheostomy patients; Children's National Hospital

  • UltraTrac: An ultrasound-guided continuous noninvasive hemodynamic monitor with data analytics; AcQumen Medical 

The UCSF-Stanford Pediatric Device Consortium is funded by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's Office of Orphan Products Development under grant no. P50FD007967.