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;
Ignacio Lugones, MD, PhD, Chief - Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery Unit, Buenos Aires Children's General Hospital "Dr. Pedro de Elizalde", Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, AVaTAR MedTech
Ignacio Lugones, MD, is a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon specializing in innovative surgical techniques for congenital heart disease. As Co-Founder and CMO of AVaTAR MedTech, he leads the development of novel medical devices aimed at transforming outcomes in pediatric heart valve surgery.
EZSpeech: An AI-powered speech therapy app that guides children with engaging exercises, assesses progress, and provides real-time feedback; EzSpeech AI
Full name and title: Firouza Eshonova, MBA, Founder and CEO, Mila4AI Inc.
Headshot of the presenter - attached
Short Bio of the presenter: 20 years of assets and investment management as CFO and CIO. 6 years of building and launching innovative products, including computer vision, AI and Big Data analysis platform. Personal Profile by Founder Institute of Silicon Valley: Top 3% among 4,300 participants: Adaptability – 85%, Innovations – 80%, Competitiveness -75%
Nen: Evidence-based health designed for children’s minds to improve their lives; Nen Health
Francesca Domenech Wuttke, Ph. D., Founder and CEO
Francesca Wuttke is the CEO and Founder of nen- bringing evidence-based DTx pain
solutions to kids with cancer. Dr. Wuttke brings broad drug development and digital health
expertise in both the US and Europe, with nearly 30 years of clinical, commercial, strategic
and transactional experience. Formerly the Chief Digital Officer of Almirall. Previously she
led European investments for the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund. Dr. Wuttke holds a
Ph.D. Weill Cornell and a BA from Cornell University.
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
Tyler Wanke, MD/MBA/MEM/MSDI, is an entrepreneur, investor, and professor specializing in medical technology innovation. As CEO of Madison Scientific, he develops neurotech implants. He co-founded Innoblative Designs and invests in life sciences. An adjunct professor at Northwestern University, he mentors students in medical innovation. Kellogg Innovation Award recipient.
Company: Madison Scientific (MadSci) is pioneering a novel neurosurgical device (SmartShunt™) for the treatment & monitoring of Hydrocephalus, a life-threatening increase in fluid & pressure in the brain, and the most common indication for pediatric neurosurgery. Unlike traditional shunts reliant on rudimentary mechanical valves, the SmartShunt is an advanced electromechanical system. It aims to optimize shunt drainage to reduce life-threatening shunt failure and symptoms, and it enables advanced monitoring to reduce the need for significant, expensive, and often emergent in-hospital diagnostic procedures.
Website:https://madisonscientific.com/
P-EVPS
Michael Ma, MD
Chief, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Director, Cardiovascular Engineering Laboratory
Associate Professor, Stanford University
Bio
Michael Ma, MD is Associate Professor at Stanford University, Chief for the Division of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, and Director of the Cardiovascular Engineering Laboratory. Whether in the OR, leading teams, or driving breakthroughs in research/innovation, I strive to create impactful solutions for children with congenital heart disease.
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
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
