Whether you have a new idea for a healthcare product and are just getting off your feet, or are a large organization planning for the next product iteration your customer is central to all you do.  The October Health Innovators program kicks off with three speakers with a long history of successful product development and marketing in the healthcare space and then opens for a panel discussion on different approaches to increasing your marketing chops to deliver a successful product.  The following topics will be touched on:

• Gathering customer intelligence to guide product design and uncover value

• Uncovering what investors or development partner organizations are looking for

• Knowing your competition to better know yourself

Join us for healthy refreshments, including sandwiches, energy bars, and nonalcoholic drinks.

Price: $30 until October 21st at 8:00 pm; $40 after then. Free for full time college students through Stay in MA.

October 22, 2015

Place: Microsoft Corporate Center

Agenda: Networking - 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Program: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Networking: 8:00 pm to 8:45 pm

Jason Kitayama, Principal, Luminis Partners, LLC

Jason is a strategist, marketer and researcher with over 10 years of proven success in marketing strategy, portfolio planning and customer needs assessments. His client work spans from traditional organizations to start-ups, including a breadth of medical device work in cardiology, endoscopy, uro-gynocology and oncology, as well as work in diagnostics, biotech and medical technology.

His deep experience in market research drives a rigorous, yet practical approach to problem solving. This data-oriented approach to decision-making provides a strong foundation to advanced market plan and product development. He is currently developing a new model of customer needs assessment targeted at supporting improved product development and portfolio management.

Jason is a mentor in the Healthbox Accelerator Program, an adjunct faculty member at Bentley University and an active member of the Mentors Guild.  He holds an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a Bachelor’s degree in business from Emmanuel College.

Jeff Caravella.  Finance Director for the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center

At the Innovation Center, Jeff helps to manage strategic investments across the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Consumer businesses made on behalf of the Innovation Center.  He joined Johnson & Johnson in 2006 and has held various finance roles across the Consumer and Med Device businesses supporting operations, commercial activities and Licensing & Acquisitions.  

Prior to joining J&J, he worked in a financial planning & analysis role at Tyco International.  Additionally, he worked as a research associate for Taylor Rafferty Associates in New York City where he supported investor relations activities.  

Jeff completed both his undergraduate and MBA degree at Syracuse University.

Alexis Kuchins VP, Business Development & Corporate Strategy, Fuld + Company

An allied healthcare professional with over 15 years of pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industry experience, Alexis has helped global 1000 companies identify and solve tactical and strategic challenges through scenario planning, war-gaming, and other primary research monitoring techniques.  Previous to her role in Business Development, Alexis was a Research Director for Fuld + Company, managing engagements within the cardiovascular, CNS, oncology and metabolic disease markets with an emphasis on sales force benchmarking, go to market strategies, market access and regulatory approaches. Previously, she served as a Principal of Allenex Group, a strategic consulting firm, in Naples, FL, where she managed and executed new business development for small and mid-sized pharmaceutical and biotech clients. Additionally she was an award winning member of the specialty sales division at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.

Alexis’ clinical work has been published in the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and she has been a contributor to Rehab Management, an interdisciplinary journal of rehabilitation.

Alexis is a member of the Empire Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals, National Association for Female Executives and The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP).  She holds an MBA from Simmons College and a combined Bachelor and Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Russell Sage College.

Moderator: Ilsa Webeck, Principal, Luminis Partners, LLC

Ilsa, a creative thinker and process driven planner, brings nearly 20 years in healthcare business strategy to the table.  Through her experiences working on many product types, business models and planning processes both in start-ups and multi-nationals, she knows how to see the forest AND the trees.  This experience has contributed to the success of emerging ventures and market leaders by uncovering value for new technologies.  

She has lead process and product development through her work in orthopedics, cardiology, neurology, endoscopy, dialysis, hospital supplies, bioprocessing, tissue banking and hormone therapy spaces.  Ilsa has particular experience helping companies build fact-based product and strategic plans that create value and advance organizational thinking.  She enjoys working with clients to look for simple solutions to the not-so-simple problems.

Ilsa holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business and Bachelor’s degree in biology from Dartmouth College.