StrideTech Medical has enjoyed support from countless advisors and mentors. We are exceptionally grateful to all who have been a part of our journey to help walker users be more mobile, more confident and safer. We know the impact safe walker usage has on the user, and their family and loved ones.  

A few mentors and advisors have been with StrideTech on a regular basis, making key introductions with leaders in the industry and helping our team shape and grow our company. Our advisors have filled gaps in the team’s experience in the medical device and senior care industries. Each of these individuals have been instrumental to guiding StrideTech to where we are today, thank you! 

Dr. Jacob Segil, PhD:  

Co-Founder of Point Designs LLC; Healthcare Research Scientist for the Veteran Affairs;  Managing Director, Center for Translational Research at the University of Colorado. Dr. Segil is a medical device entrepreneur, researcher, and educator in the Engineering Plus and Mechanical Engineering departments at CU Boulder. He is an Engineering Education Specialist for SparkFun Electronics, and consults on a variety of engineering based start-ups. Dr. Segil brings a rich background in technical design and prosthetics.

Dr. Segil received his doctorate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His research focused on neural interfaces and control in prosthetic limbs. Previously he worked as a Research Engineer at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in the Center for Bionic Medicine, worked as a mechanical designer for the DARPA Revolutionizing Prosthetics Project 2009, and was the chief mechanical engineer on the University of New Brunswick Multi-function Prosthetic Hand Project.

Co-founders Tim and Humsini took Dr. Segil’s business focused engineering class “Invention and Innovation” their junior year at the University of Colorado, Boulder. In this class Tim pitched an idea for a walker attachment, and Humsini joined with the aim of bringing her neuromechanics research to back the idea. Dr. Segil was instrumental in teaching and guiding the team through their go-to market strategy, how to pitch effectively, and rapid prototyping principles: all concepts they continue to use throughout StrideTech’s development. 

After the team’s graduation in 2019, Dr. Segil became an official advisor to StrideTech. His deep expertise in product design, grant writing, medical device regulations, and navigating the emotional turmoil of start-up life has been instrumental in StrideTech’s progress. 

Thank you, Dr. Segil, for your scientific and medical advice, your many grant writing tips, and supporting our development through the years!

Dr. Nathan Estrada, DPT: 

Dr. Estrada has been an advisor and mentor to StrideTech since the very beginning. Nearly five years ago Tim had the initial motivation to enhance the design of walkers to improve safety. This motivation is what fueled the development of StrideTech Go. Dr. Estrada’s  experience as a geriatric healthcare professional has been critical to StrideTech’s success.  Dr. Estrada has been StrideTech’s partner  in the development of our novel offering and has continued to be a major support and guide to the team. 

“We have bought into the lie that aging is less and that decline is somehow a normal expectation of aging. I believe that empowerment will always have better results than fear and that healthcare should be fun. We can do better to meet the needs of older adults by combining human connection with technology to impact results at a population level.” - Dr. Nathan Estrada

Dr. Estrada, at our initial meeting, was a Geriatric Physical Therapist at Bayada Home Health and was Bayada’s Senior Living Program Manager. His experience working with patients who use walkers, teaching them correct walker use, and directly dealing with the results of improper walker use and injuries associated with falls, helped inform StrideTech on product direction. 

While still advising the team, Dr. Estrada started working with Nymbl Science, first as their Director of Marketing and Business Development to now their VP of Clinical. Utilizing his experience in these roles, Dr. Estrada has been able to strategically guide StrideTech’s business development efforts, including making key introductions to early adopters in the senior care industry., Our data collection and testing efforts are consistently informed by Dr. Estrada’s input and first-hand experience at Nymbl. 

Thank you Dr. Nathan Estrada for being a key part in StrideTech’s development and supporting us through the years!

 

Dr. Param Singh, PhD.: 

Co-Founder of Abiomed. Dr. Singh is an early investor in StrideTech, and brings the success of taking a medical device company from start-up to IPO.

Dr. Param Singh received his doctorate in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is one of two named inventors of the AbioCor, the first total artificial heart (Patent 4,888,011) and co-founder of the heart pump company ABIOMED. His doctoral work focused on lasers, he and his colleagues eventually received government funding to conduct research on total artificial heart replacements. He and his team innovated the pump system that would allow for blood to smoothly flow through the cardiovascular system without damaging veins and arteries.

Dr. Singh is currently retired, though remains active in the community. He is member of CU’s Mechanical Engineering Strategic Advisory Board (MESAB), a volunteer firefighter, and founder of an organization dedicated to women’s education in Pakistan. He regularly mentors engineering student teams in the senior capstone “Engineering for Social Innovation (ESI)” class. This class is where StrideTech’s co-founders first met Dr.Singh.

Fresh out of their entrepreneurship class with Dr. Segil, Tim and Humsini decided to opt for the ESI class as opposed to the traditional industry sponsored senior capstone class. They wanted to continue work on StrideTech, and they knew ESI would be the perfect fit for further development. Due to the medical nature of StrideTech, Dr. Singh became a  mentor to the team in 2019. Since then Dr. Singh has been an invaluable source of inspiration, wisdom, technical and business guidance. Dr. Singh’s investment in Spring 2020 allowed the company to continue through the pandemic and create their pilot ready prototype.

Thank you, Dr. Singh, for your continued support, well timed advice, and being an early believer in our success!

Carrie Coumbs:

Carrie Coumbs became a part of StrideTech’s advisors in 2020 after hearing a business pitch by Tim. She reached out to provide her feedback based on her experience as a senior sales executive for some of the largest Home Health and Home Care organizations in the nation. Her experience collaborating with Accountable Care Organizations, Hospital systems and Senior Housing organizations have been graciously shared with the StrideTech team. Ms. Coumbs' advice about the  importance of data collection and overall improvement in patient care outcomes has been instrumental in StrideTech’s development.

Ms. Coumbs has helped confirm how StrideTech Go will be used in the Home Health setting and provided insight into how to engage with post-acute care providers around the country. A key lesson StrideTech learned from Ms. Coumbs was the importance of reporting data and outcomes when engaging in any new sales discussions or presentation. The money raised from StrideTech’s current fundraising efforts on StartEngine will make it possible to collect the data needed to start pursuing partnerships with large Home Health Partners. Ms. Coumbs will continue to make introductions and help the team navigate the sales process.

Thank you Carrie Coumbs for being a key part in StrideTech’s development and supporting us through the years!

Larry Blankenship:

Larry Blankenship became a lead mentor to StrideTech during their time completing the Boomtown HealthTech Accelerator program in 2020. Here Mr. Blankenship met with the team on a weekly basis to discuss strategy surrounding product development and regulatory pathways. Mr. Blankenship’s experience in the medical device industry spans 30+ years. An electronic engineer with over a dozen patents he has served as CEO, CTO and COO of multiple medical device companies including 5 startups, and for the last 15 years, through his consulting company Blankenship Research, he has continued to provide advisory and consulting services to the medical device industry.

“I have a passion and deep commitment to helping patients and clinicians. I was drawn to StrideTech’s vision and the dedication of the innovative StrideTech team to reduce injuries from falls for the elderly. Their initial product is a pragmatic approach to a cost-effective solution immediately adaptable by all and their product pipeline concepts will continue to support health and avoid injuries in this marketplace for years to come. It’s a privilege to work with StrideTech!” he said.

Blankenship was able to navigate the FDA regulations around StrideTech Go’s potential need for medical device classification. Mr. Blankenship informed the team of the potential opportunity and process towards becoming a Class 1 Medical Device. Utilizing Mr. Blankenship’s guidance, StrideTech determined they would not pursue medical device status for StrideTech Go for the initial product launch in order to expedite time-to-market. The team will continue to hold StrideTech Go to appropriate medical device standards, including maintaining compliance with FDA Quality System Regulation (QSR) standards so, when the time comes, StrideTech will be able to change their product to become a medical device.

Mr. Blankenship will continue to guide the company's regulatory strategy and help in the areas of innovation and product development as we continue to grow. .

Thank you Larry Blankenship for being a key part in StrideTech’s development and supporting us through the years! 

Bradley Davidson, PhD: 

Dr. Davidson received his doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from Virginia Tech – Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences. Dr. Davidson has been an adjunct professor at the Colorado School of Mines and a Research Fellow at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Davidson specializes in research involving the biomechanics of human movement and stability. Dr. Davidson is currently an Associate Professor and the Director of the Human Dynamics Laboratory at the University of Denver.

The team met Dr. Davidson through a connection from their experience with Boomtown HealthTech Accelerator program in 2020. Since then Dr. Davidson has lent his extensive biomechanics expertise in aiding StrideTech in how to rigorously test, calibrate, and characterize the system. Additionally, Dr. Davidson is collaborating with the team to submit SBIR/STTR grants through the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation to further scientifically validate the efficacy of StrideTech GO on clinical mobility outcomes.

StrideTech Medical has keyed in on an important component of healthy aging and longevity… high-quality movement. Their products are designed to halt the declining posture of a walker user through an elegant application of movement biomechanics.” -Bradley Davidson, PhD.

Thank you Dr. Davidson, for your continued advising on understanding the biomechanics behind our product!

StrideTech Medical would not be where we are today without the support and guidance of our advisors. As we look to the future of StrideTech, the experience and wealth of knowledge our advisors bring to  the company will help StrideTech pave the way in the future of mobility. 

Join the team by investing in our vision of preventing falls and improving the lives of older adults, their families, and their healthcare professionals with StrideTech Go, smart walker attachment technology. 

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