Entrepreneur Rx

Hosted by John Shufeldt, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP

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Aug 2026

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What does it take to build something that matters? Hosted by John Shufeldt, Entrepreneur Rx features conversations with founders, investors, executives, and innovators who are building the future. From entrepreneurship and venture capital to technology, healthcare, defense, and leadership, each episode explores the stories, challenges, and lessons behind creating impactful companies and driving meaningful change. Learn more at www.XcellerantVentures.com

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August 26, 2026Episode 1231 min

Annie Collins: Rethinking the Economics of Cell and Gene Therapy

What happens when life-changing therapies cost millions of dollars, but the healthcare system was never built to manage them? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Annie Collins, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Aradigm, to discuss her journey from healthcare consulting and venture capital to building a company tackling one of the most complicated challenges in modern medicine. Annie shares how her early interest in medicine led her from pre-med studies to Bain & Company and eventually to Andreessen Horowitz, where she invested in early-stage healthcare and life science companies. While at a16z, she became increasingly focused on the disconnect between groundbreaking therapies and the healthcare system’s ability to sustainably pay for and deliver them. Eventually, Annie and her co-founders stopped looking for a company solving the problem and decided to build one themselves. The conversation explores the complex world of cell and gene therapies, where a single treatment can cost hundreds of thousands to more than $4 million. Annie explains how Aradigm works across payers, providers, manufacturers, and patients to create a more predictable and sustainable model while helping patients navigate an incredibly complicated treatment journey. John and Annie also discuss what it was like to leave one of the world’s leading venture capital firms to become a founder, why entrepreneurship turned out to be even harder than she expected, and what she has learned moving from evaluating companies to actually building one. They also talk about persistence in venture capital, female founders and leadership, and why having other founders and mentors to lean on matters when the startup journey gets lonely. About Annie Collins: Annie Collins is a Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Aradigm, where she oversees launches of new programs, the success of existing customers, and operational execution of Aradigm's program. She began her career at Bain & Company as a strategy consultant for large healthcare and life science companies before joining Andreessen Horowitz as an investment partner focused on early-stage healthcare and life science companies. While there, she was introduced to the commercial complexities posed by high-cost drugs like cell and gene therapies and the largely unsolved challenge of managing those therapies on the medical benefit. That experience ultimately led her and Will Shrank to leave a16z and start Aradigm alongside Spencer Carrucciu. About Aradigm: Aradigm is an incentive-aligned, cost-plus platform managing the financial and clinical complexities of cell and gene therapies (CGTs). Our mission is to create sustainable, affordable access to life-saving medicines through a novel financial and delivery model that brings together every stakeholder — payers, providers, manufacturers, and, most importantly, patients. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund, Xcellerant partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. About Deal Titan: This week's episode is brought to you by Deal Titan . Deal Titan is an AI-powered platform that helps investors evaluate early-stage companies faster by turning pitch decks into structured diligence reports covering the market, team, financials, competition, and key risks. Use code EntrepreneurRx for a free solo membership, including 10 full analysis reports.

August 18, 2026Episode 1129 min

Josh Hanson: Detecting Peripheral Artery Disease Earlier with ImageAiD

What if vascular disease could be detected years earlier, before patients face the most serious consequences? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Josh Hanson, founder and CEO of ImageAiD, a Jetstream Venture Fund portfolio company, to discuss his path from biomedical engineering student to healthcare entrepreneur. Josh shares how growing up in Rochester, Minnesota, surrounded by Mayo Clinic and a culture of healthcare innovation, shaped his desire to build technology that could help save lives. The conversation explores the problem ImageAiD is working to solve: diagnosing peripheral artery disease, or PAD, earlier and at scale. Josh explains how ImageAiD combines handheld Doppler ultrasound, cloud-based software, and AI to help clinicians capture and analyze blood flow waveforms in minutes, reduce diagnostic variability, and identify vascular disease risk earlier. John and Josh also discuss Mayo Clinic mentors, ASU’s Biodesign training, building for all healthcare stakeholders, and turning peer-reviewed research into a platform that can reach patients. Beyond the technology, the episode covers entrepreneurship at a young age, imposter syndrome, humility, mentorship, and the courage to simply start. About Josh Hanson: Josh Hanson is a biomedical engineer, entrepreneur, and founder focused on advancing cardiovascular diagnostics through medical technology and AI. As founder and CEO of ImageAiD, he is leading the development of an AI ultrasound platform designed to improve early detection of peripheral artery disease and broader cardiovascular risk. His work has been shaped by experience at Mayo Clinic’s Gonda Vascular Center, ASU’s biomedical engineering program, and the Mayo Clinic and ASU Alliance for Health Care’s IMPACT Program, where he trained in the Biodesign process. About ImageAiD: ImageAiD is a medical technology company developing a handheld Doppler ultrasound platform that combines portable hardware, cloud-based software, and AI to make vascular disease easier to detect before it causes life-altering complications. The platform is designed to capture and analyze blood flow waveforms in minutes, helping clinicians identify signs of peripheral artery disease and better understand a patient’s risk of serious cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, strokes, and amputations. Initially focused on PAD, ImageAiD aims to make vascular diagnostics faster, more consistent, and more accessible in settings where traditional vascular testing may not be available. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund, Xcellerant partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. About Jetstream Venture Fund: Jetstream Venture Fund is an interval fund managed by Xcellerant Ventures, that seeks to provide investors access to early-stage, high-growth companies with flexible terms, lower minimums ($5,000 minimum), and no carried interest. Jetstream is one of the first funds of its kind, bringing venture-style investing opportunities to a wider professional audience. Disclosure for Jetstream: Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing jetstream@sweaterfunds.com or by visiting www.jvf.vc . Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

August 11, 2026Episode 1022 min

Louise Liu: Accelerating Clinical Trials with Hill Research

What if AI could help bring the right drug to the right patient faster? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Dr. Louise Liu, CEO of Hill Research, to discuss her journey from biostatistics and AI to building technology that can help accelerate the clinical trial process. Louise shares how her PhD work, postdoctoral research at Yale, and experience building her first AI startup shaped the foundation for Hill Research. The conversation explores the long, expensive, and highly regulated path of drug development, where clinical trials can take years and cost billions of dollars. Louise explains how Hill Research is using AI to automate data processing and biostatistical workflows that have traditionally required large teams and months of manual work. With its TriClick™ platform, Hill Research helps pharmaceutical and biotech companies move faster while supporting human validation, quality control, and regulatory readiness. John and Louise also discuss Hill Research’s traction with major pharmaceutical companies, the company’s goal to expand from big pharma into mid-sized and smaller biotech companies, and the broader opportunity to reduce clinical trial timelines. As a Jetstream Venture Fund portfolio company, Hill Research represents the kind of AI-driven healthcare innovation Xcellerant looks to support. Beyond the technology, the episode covers entrepreneurship, resilience, immigration, being a woman founder in a heavily regulated industry, and the importance of focusing on the work rather than the noise. Louise shares advice for founders: do not build imagined barriers in front of yourself, stay focused on creating something valuable, and keep improving based on real customer feedback. About Dr. Louise Liu: Dr. Louise Liu is CEO of Hill Research, creator of TriClick™, an AI platform transforming clinical trials, and author of 30+ AI publications. She serves as Treasurer of UCACF and has been recognized as a Serica Rising Star Entrepreneur, Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, and New Jersey Innovate100 honoree. About Hill Research: Hill Research is a healthcare AI company developing agentic AI solutions to accelerate clinical development. Its flagship platform, TriClick™, automates clinical trial workflows from protocol design and data management to statistical programming, quality control, and regulatory submissions. Trusted by leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, Hill Research helps teams deliver faster, more efficient, and audit-ready clinical research. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund, Xcellerant partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. About Jetstream Venture Fund: Jetstream Venture Fund is an interval fund managed by Xcellerant Ventures, that seeks to provide investors access to early-stage, high-growth companies with flexible terms, lower minimums ($5,000 minimum), and no carried interest. Jetstream is one of the first funds of its kind, bringing venture-style investing opportunities to a wider professional audience. Disclosure for Jetstream: Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing jetstream@sweaterfunds.com or by visiting www.jvf.vc . Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

August 4, 2026Episode 926 min

Nina Sharp: Creating Neuro-Optimized Light with Allevalux

What if the light around us could be redesigned to support the nervous system instead of working against it? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Nina Sharp, PhD, founder of Allevalux, to discuss her journey as a lighting scientist, professor, migraine patient, and entrepreneur. Nina shares how her background in architecture, engineering, human-building interaction, and light-health research led her to study the impact of lighting on sleep, mood, cognitive performance, and neurological comfort. The conversation explores the problem Allevalux is working to solve: photophobia, or painful light sensitivity, which affects many people with migraine, dry eye, concussion, and neurodivergent conditions. Nina explains why common workarounds, such as sunglasses or colored lamps, do not fully solve the issue, and why she believes the better answer is to fix the light itself. John and Nina also discuss Allevalux’s clinically validated, patent-pending lighting technology, which transforms everyday white light into a neuro-optimized environment designed to reduce visual discomfort, ease migraine symptoms, and support clearer, calmer experiences within minutes. Allevalux is designed to integrate into healthcare, workplace, and educational settings, creating environments that work in harmony with the nervous system. Beyond the technology, the episode covers what it takes to create a new category, educate the market, build trust through clinical data, and move from scientific research to real-world commercialization. Nina also shares advice for founders, especially female founders, on understanding customers, staying flexible, learning from failure, and building technology that can make people healthier, happier, and better supported in everyday life. About Nina Sharp, PhD: Leading Allevalux with visionary passion, Dr. Nina Sharp is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of lighting innovation. As a scientist and entrepreneur, she merges cutting-edge research with real-world applications, turning complex scientific discoveries into transformative solutions. With a deep commitment to human-centric design, she is redefining the role of lighting in health and well-being. At Allevalux, Nina drives innovation, strategy, and impact, ensuring that technology not only advances but also improves lives. Her leadership is fueled by a relentless pursuit of breakthrough solutions, making Allevalux a pioneer in the future of intelligent lighting. About Allevalux: Allevalux is pioneering a new category of neuro-optimized environments, transforming everyday light into an active layer of neurological comfort. Its clinically validated, patent-pending lighting technology is engineered to reduce photophobia, ease migraine symptoms, and support clearer, calmer human experiences within minutes. Designed to integrate seamlessly into healthcare, workplace, and educational settings, Allevalux brings together neuroscience and precision engineering to create environments that work in harmony with the nervous system, not against it. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund, Xcellerant partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets.

July 28, 2026Episode 824 min

Robin Smith: Building Wonderlab Bio and the Future of Regenerative Medicine

What does it take to build companies across chemistry, software, diagnostics, and cell therapy, then bring those lessons into regenerative medicine? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Robin Smith, CEO of Wonderlab Bio, a Jetstream Venture Fund portfolio company, to discuss his journey as a multi-exit entrepreneur, scientist, and biotech leader. Robin shares how he began as a chemist, how one unexpected customer order became his first bootstrap chemical business, and how that early work led to innovations in electronic lab notebooks, big data, and applied science. The conversation explores Robin’s path through Synthematix, ArtusLabs, and PerkinElmer, where he helped scale an informatics business and learned how to operate at a much larger level. Robin also reflects on the people, teams, and relationships that shaped his career, and why grit, optimism, and curiosity have been essential throughout his entrepreneurial journey. Robin and John also discuss the origins of Wonderlab Bio and its work in regenerative medicine, cell therapy, and CRISPR-enabled cell engineering. Wonderlab Bio is developing tools that help biotech and pharmaceutical companies use engineered human cell types, including cardiac cells, neurons, and liver cells, for drug screening, efficacy testing, and future personalized medicine applications. Beyond the science, the episode covers building through uncertainty, recovering valuable assets, playing the long game, hiring mistakes, founder resilience, and the difference between startup lifestyle and the hard work of building something that matters. Robin also shares advice for younger entrepreneurs: slow down enough to think, seek outside perspectives, build strong teams, and balance action with patience. About Robin Smith: Robin is a multi-exit entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience building life science and technology companies. His career spans chemistry, biotechnology, software, diagnostics, informatics, fundraising, M&A, corporate development, and company formation. Robin founded Synthematix, which helped pioneer the electronic laboratory notebook market, and ArtusLabs, which was acquired by PerkinElmer and became part of the foundation for its informatics division. He has led global R&D teams and holds more than 20 foundational patents across life science and technology. About Wonderlab Bio: Wonderlab Bio is a regenerative medicine company focused on allogeneic induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs, and differentiated cell therapies. The company is the custodian of a large allogeneic iPSC cell bank derived from more than 85,000 collected blood samples, with cells consented for commercial use. Wonderlab’s platform supports scalable, off-the-shelf cell therapy applications across cardiac repair, neurological disease, osteoarthritis, longevity, disease modeling, tissue engineering, drug screening, and gene therapy delivery. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, the firm partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. About Jetstream Venture Fund: Jetstream is an interval fund managed by Xcellerant Ventures, that seeks to provide investors access to early-stage, high-growth companies with flexible terms, lower minimums ($5,000 minimum), and no carried interest. Disclosure for Jetstream: Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing jetstream@sweaterfunds.com or by visiting www.jvf.vc . Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

July 21, 2026Episode 737 min

Stacey Stevens: Building Precision Medicine for Breast Cancer Treatment

What if AI could help clinicians move beyond detection and make breast cancer treatment more precise and personalized? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Stacey Stevens, CEO of SimBioSys, to discuss her career in medical technology, healthcare AI, women’s health, and precision oncology. Stacey shares how her experience at Philips Healthcare, iCAD, and her own women’s health advisory company shaped her path to leading SimBioSys. The conversation explores Stacey’s early work helping bring some of the first AI tools in breast imaging to market, the long road to healthcare adoption, and why clinical evidence, trust, reimbursement, and enterprise-grade security all matter when selling AI into healthcare. Stacey also explains how SimBioSys is taking AI beyond breast cancer detection and applying it to treatment planning. The company’s platform uses breast MRI data to create interactive 3D visual models of the breast and tumor, helping surgical oncologists better understand tumor location, volume, and whether a patient may be eligible for breast-conserving surgery. John and Stacey also discuss SimBioSys’ next frontier: using image-based AI to help assess a patient’s risk of breast cancer recurrence and support more personalized treatment decisions. Beyond the technology, the episode covers startup leadership, fundraising, the realities of building in regulated healthcare, and why trust, transparency, and patient impact must come first. About Stacey Stevens: Stacey Stevens is the CEO of SimBioSys and a healthcare technology executive with deep experience in medical imaging, AI, women’s health, commercialization, fundraising, and strategic growth. Before joining SimBioSys, she held leadership roles at Philips Healthcare and iCAD, where she helped introduce early AI technologies in breast imaging. She also founded Ellevate, a women’s health strategic advisory company focused on accelerating the adoption of meaningful scientific breakthroughs in women’s health. About SimBioSys: SimBioSys is developing a precision medicine platform initially focused on breast cancer, with technology designed to support clinicians and patients across the cancer care journey. Its platform uses AI and spatial biophysics to turn breast MRI data into interactive 3D visual models that can support surgical planning, treatment decisions, and more personalized cancer care. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund ($5,000 minimum interval fund), the firm partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. Its portfolio includes companies developing solutions that have the potential to transform industries and improve lives.

July 14, 2026Episode 636 min

Mitch Foster: Turning the Smartphone into a Medical Device

What does it take to build healthcare technology that can make vital signs easier to capture, track, and use? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Mitch Foster, founder and CEO of Mindset Medical, to discuss his career in healthcare, medical devices, robotics, and digital health. Mitch shares how his early work ethic and healthcare experience led him from orthopedic sales and executive leadership to building companies at the intersection of medicine and technology. The conversation explores Mitch’s path through Merck, DeRoyal, Synthes, NuVasive, and Excelsius Surgical, the spine robotics company acquired by Globus Medical. Mitch reflects on lessons learned from mentors, physicians, strategic partners, and the experience of building and exiting a company before applying those lessons to Mindset Medical. The episode also looks at Mindset Medical’s vision to turn the smartphone into a medical device. Mitch explains how the company evolved from digitizing patient intake to developing video-based vital sign technology, including FDA-cleared pulse rate and respiration rate tools, with a path toward non-contact blood pressure measurement. Beyond the technology, John and Mitch discuss telemedicine, rural healthcare, chronic disease management, entrepreneurship, resilience, founder traits, leadership under pressure, and building through pivots and setbacks. Mitch also shares advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: go for it, scenario plan, understand the sacrifice, and remember that time is the most valuable asset we have. About Mitch Foster: Mitch Foster is the founder and CEO of Mindset Medical and an experienced healthcare entrepreneur and medical device executive. His career spans pharmaceutical sales, orthopedics, spine robotics, digital health, and startup leadership. Before founding Mindset Medical, Mitch helped build Excelsius Surgical, a robotic spine surgery company acquired by Globus Medical. About Mindset Medical: Mindset Medical is developing technology designed to turn the smartphone into a medical device. The company’s platform uses video-based technology to capture vital signs and support more accessible, data-driven care. With FDA clearances for pulse rate and respiration rate, Mindset Medical is working toward non-contact, non-calibrated blood pressure measurement and broader applications across telemedicine, rural healthcare, and chronic disease management. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund, the firm partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. About Jetstream Venture Fund: Jetstream Venture Fund is an interval fund managed by Xcellerant Ventures and Sweater Industries LLC, that seeks to provide investors access to early-stage, high-growth companies with flexible terms, lower minimums ($5,000⁠), and no carried interest. Jetstream is one of the first funds of its kind, bringing venture-style investing opportunities to a wider professional audience. Back-end administration is provided by Sweater Ventures a ground-breaking turnkey fund management company. Disclosure for Jetstream: Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing or by visiting the. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

July 7, 2026Episode 531 min

Marissa Fayer: Advancing AI, Medical Imaging, and the Future of Women’s Health

What does it take to turn decades of healthcare experience into technology that could help improve cancer detection and patient care? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Marissa Fayer, CEO of DeepLook Medical, to discuss her journey from corporate medtech executive to entrepreneur, investor, nonprofit founder, and women’s health advocate. Marissa shares how her background in engineering, manufacturing, medical devices, and global healthcare shaped her approach to innovation. The conversation explores her corporate healthcare career, her work developing 3D mammography systems, global disparities in women’s health, and the path that led her to DeepLook Medical. The episode also looks, at DeepLook’s AI-powered imaging technology, designed to help radiologists and oncologists better visualize dense tissue, track tumors over time, and support clinical decisions. Marissa explains why dense breast tissue can make cancer harder to see, how visual intelligence can serve as a second pair of eyes for clinicians, and why better imaging tools may help improve follow-up. Beyond the technology, John and Marissa discuss leading a startup, building partnerships, fundraising, working toward standard of care, and balancing innovation with the rigor required in medicine. Marissa shares advice for founders, especially women and engineers, on asking more questions, taking the leap, shedding perfectionism, and creating something meaningful. About Marissa Fayer: Marissa Fayer is a medtech executive and investor with more than 25 years at the intersection of technology and women’s health. She’s CEO of DeepLook Medical, an FDA-cleared AI diagnostics company, and CEO and founder of HERhealthEQ, a nonprofit that’s improved the health outcomes of 135,000+ women in 12 different countries by expanding access to medical devices and equipment. She’s a founding member of Milken Institute’s Women's Health Committee, represents DeepLook Medical as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer fellow, and has published the book "Undervalued to Unavoidable: Women's Health as Infrastructure". About DeepLook Medical: DeepLook Medical focuses on visual enhancement technology to advance medical imaging. DL Precise™ is the first in a series of innovative products using the company’s unique shape-recognition software to delineate the details of tumor morphology – a key to better diagnosis and treatment across the field of oncology. The company is leveraging other complementary AI advances to further the reach and impact of its patented technology. To learn more, please visit: https://www.deeplookmedical.com/ About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the , the firm partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. Its portfolio includes companies developing solutions that have the potential to transform industries and improve lives. About Jetstream Venture Fund: Jetstream Venture Fund is an interval fund managed by Xcellerant Ventures and Sweater Industries LLC, that seeks to provide investors access to early-stage, high-growth companies with flexible terms, lower minimums ( $5,000 minimum investment ), and no carried interest. Jetstream is one of the first funds of its kind, bringing venture-style investing opportunities to a wider professional audience. Back-end administration is provided by Sweater Ventures a ground-breaking turnkey fund management company. Jetstream Disclosure: Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing or by visiting the . Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

June 30, 2026Episode 429 min

Visar Berisha: Proving What’s Real in the Age of Deepfakes

How do you prove that the person speaking to you is actually human? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Visar Berisha, founder and CEO of OriginStory, to explore one of the most urgent problems emerging in the age of artificial intelligence: how to verify reality when voice, video, and identity can be convincingly replicated. Visar shares how today’s AI tools can clone a person’s voice in seconds, why deepfakes are becoming a serious threat in financial transactions, hiring, healthcare, and everyday communication, and how OriginStory is working to create a new layer of “proof of personhood” for digital interactions. Rather than trying to detect fake content after the fact, OriginStory’s technology verifies human speech at the source by pairing audio with radar-detected biomechanical signals from the body. The conversation also explores Visar’s journey from Kosovo to Arizona, his academic path through ASU and MIT, his earlier work using speech and AI to track neurological disease progression, and the lessons he learned building and exiting his first company. From synthetic identities to AI-driven scams, enterprise security, entrepreneurship, and the future value of human connection, this episode looks at what it may take to build trust in a world where seeing and hearing are no longer enough. About Visar Berisha: Visar Berisha is a Professor at Arizona State University, with a joint appointment in the College of Engineering and the College of Health Solutions; and founder and CEO of OriginStory. Berisha's main research interests reside at the intersection of AI and the human voice. He has developed and commercialized new speech AI models for healthcare and cybersecurity. This work is primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and the National Science Foundation. This work has led to many academic publications, several patents, and two VC-backed companies. Berisha's work has been featured in the New York Times, on ESPN, National Public Radio, the Wall Street Journal, and a number of other international media outlets. He was the 2023-2024 ISCA Distinguished Lecturer. About OriginStory: OriginStory is a proof-of-personhood company building the trust layer for human communication in the age of AI. OriginStory verifies that a real, live human is behind any conversation or recording. Its edge technology captures speech alongside human biosignals in real time, confirming the two align in a way only a genuine person can produce, and delivers continuous proof of personhood through a hardware-software platform. The approach is privacy-first (no biosignal data leaves the user's device) and validated to authenticate human-generated content, restoring trust in high-stakes moments like financial approvals, medical sessions, and executive communications where deepfakes and AI impersonation pose real risk. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund ($5,000 minimum interval fund), the firm partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. Its portfolio includes companies developing solutions that have the potential to transform industries and improve lives. Disclosure for Jetstream: Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing ⁠⁠jetstream@sweaterfunds.com⁠⁠ or by visiting the ⁠⁠Fund's website⁠⁠ . Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

June 23, 2026Episode 325 min

Nishant Doctor: Reimagining Autoimmune Treatment Through Ultrasound Neuromodulation

What if autoimmune disease could be treated without another injection, infusion, or daily pill? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Nishant Doctor, founder and CEO of Surf Therapeutics, to discuss his journey from medtech engineer to healthcare entrepreneur. Nishant shares how nearly two decades in neuromodulation, R&D, clinical development, and commercialization led him to build Surf Therapeutics, a Stanford spin-out developing a breakthrough ultrasound neuromodulation platform for autoimmune disease. The conversation explores the science behind Surf’s at-home, non-invasive ultrasound therapy device for rheumatoid arthritis, the role of the spleen and inflammatory pathways, what it takes to build and test medical technology in a startup environment, and why speed, data, accountability, and solution-oriented thinking matter so much in early-stage innovation. John and Nishant also discuss leadership, technical founders, the future of AI, and what it means to build something that may feel non-consensus today but could change how patients are treated tomorrow. About Nishant Doctor: Nishant Doctor is the founder and CEO of Surf Therapeutics. He has more than 18 years of experience leading R&D and commercial efforts at medtech and neurotechnology companies, including Medtronic, Abbott, and LivaNova. Trained as an engineer, Nishant has helped build multiple implantable Class III medical devices and has also been closely involved in the sales and commercialization of those technologies. His career has focused on neuromodulation, medical device innovation, and translating complex science into technologies that can improve patient care. About Surf Therapeutics: Surf Therapeutics , a Stanford spin-out, is building a breakthrough ultrasound neuromodulation platform to treat autoimmune disorders, like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) —conditions that leave over 2 million Americans without effective or tolerable treatment options, even with blockbuster drugs like Humira and Rinvoq. After years of foundational research at Stanford, they've developed the first of its kind, at-home non-invasive ultrasound therapy device that is used just for a few minutes a day and validated to be clinically safe and effective for treatment of RA. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund , the firm partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. Its portfolio includes companies developing solutions that have the potential to transform industries and improve lives. About Jetstream Venture Fund: Jetstream Venture Fund is an interval fund managed by Xcellerant Ventures and Sweater Industries LLC, that seeks to provide investors access to early-stage, high-growth companies with flexible terms, lower minimums (⁠ $5,000 minimum investment⁠ ), and no carried interest. Jetstream is one of the first funds of its kind, bringing venture-style investing opportunities to a wider professional audience. Back-end administration is provided by Sweater Ventures a ground-breaking turnkey fund management company. Note: The Jetstream Venture Fund has invested in Surf Therapeutics. Disclosure for Jetstream: Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing ⁠⁠jetstream@sweaterfunds.com⁠⁠ or by visiting the ⁠⁠Fund's website⁠⁠ . Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.