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Susan Choe, venture capital expert, founder, and managing partner at Katalyst Ventures (katalyst-ventures.com), discusses the importance of funding start-ups that can make an impact on our world in a positive way.
Choe is a seasoned expert with 20+ years of solid experience in applied AI/data-driven business models in interactive content, online finance, and marketing industry segments across Asia and North America. Her approach to venture capital is about supporting and financially funding innovators who are making a difference in the world through technology, in multiple areas. In addition to running Katalyst Ventures, Choe is also the co-founder and managing partner of Visionnaire Ventures, the firm of which she led the first capital raise and subsequent deals with Taizo Son and renowned CFO of Movida, Fuyuki Yamaguchi. Choe has played an instrumental role in the success of a number of companies, founding Outspark, a leading online games publisher, heading up joint ventures with multiple corporations, and maintaining operating roles at many top online tech companies, including Yahoo's international operations. Choe is keenly interested in helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses through successful investment, service, and business model strategies.
Choe states that Katalyst Ventures is an early-stage AI fund, focusing mostly on firms that are data-driven. She discusses the reasons why Katalyst Ventures explores this particular area of the market, and at what stage they get involved. She explains that many of the companies and entrepreneurs that they invest in have at minimum one commercial partner already on board, and have tested out their products at least at a very preliminary stage. She talks about access to relevant data and the companies and entrepreneurs use of algorithms and natural language processing in their ventures. She cites specific examples of some of the ventures that Katalyst finds most interesting, and she details the intricacies of how they use data and AI. Choe's firm seeks out solid companies with a fantastic plan for moving their company or idea forward. They work closely with the entrepreneurs to help them solve challenges, and offer strategic advice along the way, as Choe believes that entrepreneurs and business owners can actually change the world.
Choe outlines the various ways that Katalyst Ventures assists entrepreneurs and breakout companies. And as a financial advisory service company, they provide assistance in many areas, from the obvious—venture capital, but also with accounting, operations and systems services, helping visionary entrepreneurs get a solid footing in the market. Katalyst Ventures' Accounting Services branch offers outstanding operational and financial leadership and company-building expertise, as Choe understands that early-stage companies may not yet have the current volume for a fulltime financial analyst or expert on board. Regarding their Operations branch, Katalyst Ventures can provide top-level assistance to help oversee operations in the early stage, to keep the momentum moving, but in a sound manner. And their Systems Support branch has the operational knowledge and years of expertise to assist entrepreneurs with all of their IT needs. From project evaluation to leading the project, finding appropriate vendors, etc., Choe's firm can offer valuable assistance that can make the difference in the critical early stage of a company or start-up's development.
The venture capitalist gives a historical overview of data and how we have come to use it in concert with modern technology such as AI and machine learning. Medical and operational tasks can be enhanced through the use of predictive technologies. Choe describes how the new technologies can be used to predict possible signs of illness as well as help to inform and educate physicians in the medical field. As she states, regarding data in the medical field, doctors can share data if regulations allow, which creates a larger network that is more aware and efficient.
Choe talks about her passion for assisting companies that have the greater good in mind. She cites examples of companies and startups that are doing great work, especially in the medical field, helping those in need. She discusses the results that her fund has achieved with various companies they have helped to capitalize. Choe states, of the seven Katalyst Ventures' company investments, five are in the high growth mode. And as the fund pushes forward with new investments, Choe continues to look for entrepreneurs who bring together the right mix of potential profitability and usefulness to society.
Dr. W. Chris Winter, MD, renowned sleep specialist, author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It, and founder of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine (cvilleneuroandsleep.com), delivers a delightfully interesting overview of humans and our sleep patterns, including some practical advice on how to fix our sleep problems.
Dr. Winter knows sleep, so much so that celebrated journalist and media personality Arianna Huffington dubbed him "The Sleep Whisperer." With over twenty-five years in the field, Dr. Winter has been fully devoted to assisting people, helping them attain better sleep via his clinic, as well as private and/or group consultations. Dr. Winter is an in-demand sleep expert who has been contracted by professional athletes and noted personalities all over to assist with sleep, which is vital for our good health. His book, The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It received rave reviews around the globe, considered by many to be an extremely helpful guide to understanding sleep and figuring out how to correct sleep issues. The book received the sought-after accolade badges of '#1 New Release' and '#1 Best Seller' for sleep books on Amazon.
Dr. Winter discusses his early interest in sleep research that developed back during his undergraduate days. From university sleep studies to studies centering on circadian rhythms and light, to how sleep affects astronauts traveling to Mars, etc., there are so many possible areas of study, diverse and interesting, and Dr. Winter states he has a great interest in all of them.
Dr. Winter acknowledges that insomnia is not really an inability to sleep, but in fact is a state of hyperarousal or hyper fear. Patients with insomnia, as Dr. Winter explains, have a sense of this hyperarousal or fear as they move closer to the time for sleep. They may doubt their ability to sleep or feel aggravated, and worry about the possibility that they will simply just lie there and not experience sleep. However, biologically speaking, insomnia is theoretically impossible, for the body will force sleep onto individuals, at least 5 or 6 hours per 24-hour cycle. Dr. Winter speaks about reframing the problem from a different perspective in order to solve it, and he details the various types of so-called insomnia that people report. Regarding insomnia, Dr. Winter explains that there has been an exponential explosion of writing on the subject of neuroscience and the importance of sleep. He discusses the current high-energy world we live in and how it impacts our sleep, and our ability to get the kind of sleep we need.
Dr. Winter discusses the media's understanding of sleep issues and how there is a lot of confusion out there regarding the subject. And he states that many of us don't truly understand how we sleep or have a sense of the kind of sleep we are getting. The sleep doctor states that consistency is what our brains enjoy most, so the idea that everyone needs to sleep from 11pm to 7am is fallacy. Regardless of our sleep schedule, as long as it is consistent and regular, the brain can process that in a healthy way. It is the constant changing of sleep schedule, such as staying up late some nights, but going to bed early others, and doing that on and on, that can create a problem.
The sleep expert talks about the importance of understanding how we feel each day, to get a sense of how sleep is impacting our overall feeling. He discusses fatigue and why it is different from sleepiness. Thus the concept of 'more sleep' is not the answer; fatigue is the issue often. He cites specific examples from the many people he has helped, and discusses how some are simply given drugs by their physicians to help them sleep, but that the problem is not being addressed at its core. And he debunks many of the trendy sleep theories that do not follow scientific findings.
Dr. Winter outlines ways that people can take 20 or 30 minute rest opportunities during their days. Putting away the devices, turning out the lights, and finding a horizontal position are the basic steps toward inserting a rest break into our day. And as Dr. Winter states, whether you sleep or just lie there during these breaks, it doesn't necessarily matter, for it is still a period of relaxation in which you are giving your body an opportunity to sleep if it wants to.
The sleep doctor relates some of the book reviews he has received, and how even the occasional bad review is something he appreciates, for his expectation is that those reviewers might mention his book to their doctor and that will start a dialogue that just might get them on a track to finding better sleep in their lives.
Dr. Winter is board-certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine. Additionally, he is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (under the American Board of Medical Specialties) specifically as a sleep medicine subspecialist. And he is a prominent member of multiple sleep and sleep research societies, and respected groups. Dr. Winter is an Echols Scholar graduate of the prestigious, University of Virginia and received his medical degree from Emory University. Upon graduation, Dr. Winter completed his neurology residency at the University of Virginia. As Chief Resident, he won a national American Academy of Neurology Teaching Award. Finally, Dr. Winter completed his Sleep Medicine fellowship at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Rob Frizzell, co-founder, and CEO of OmniPreSense (omnipresense.com) delivers a detailed analysis of the sensor and monitoring market, and how new technology and improved short-range radar systems will bring efficiency and increased safety.
Frizzell is a seasoned technical marketing director with a reputation for bringing varied products to market. His wealth of business experience in multiple areas has allowed him to successfully navigate many competitive markets. Frizzell is an expert in project management, product launch, and translating products into customer design-ins, as well as revenue growth pricing strategy. He has worked with many successful companies and their powerhouse products including HP (tablets, notebooks), Asus (tablets, notebooks), Lenovo (tablets, notebooks), Sony (PS3, DTV), Samsung (DTV, smart phone), LG (DTV, smart phones, tablets) and Panasonic (DTV, BD player) as well as many others. Additionally, Frizzell is a technical expert with semiconductors covering touch MCU, RF, high-speed communications, power and flash memory. He has a strong passion for bringing products to market and helping businesses succeed.
Frizzell presents an overview of the work his company, OmniPreSense, is doing with short wave radar sensors. He states that his team saw a niche in the technical market as little attention was being given to radars, short-range radar as a sensor. Frizzell 's Silicon Valley startup develops and sells short-range radar sensors for a myriad of practical applications and implementation with traffic monitoring, drones, robotics, and IoT (smart city, smart home) applications. IoT stands for 'Internet of Things' and it is an ecosystem of connected physical objects that are accessible via the internet. OmniPreSense's innovative solutions allow these systems to view the world in a millimeter wave spectrum. Frizzell states that safety is increased when smarter tech with improved operation lets systems act a bit like a camera, having knowledge about what's out there, in front of it, etc.
The radar technology expert discusses the many markets, from drones to robotics, to traffic monitoring, etc. that can benefit from their short-range radar solutions. He states that in addition to the monitoring and coordination, the technology can provide real, hard data for users to implement into their future planning. And he gives an overview with specific examples of various radar designs that can be specialized and configured to specific tasks. He discusses the difficulties with drones due to regulations that are still being worked out with governing bodies. But he stresses that drones will certainly be flying overhead in large numbers, in the coming years.
Frizzell discusses smart cities and how technology can revolutionize traffic movement and efficiency, as well as improve on safety. He provides specific examples related to traffic dangers that could be circumvented with smart cities technology. He details some useful information about the additional 'awareness' of smart cities technology, such as the ability to extend crosswalk timers to allow for elderly or others who may need extra time to safely cross an intersection. And on the other side of the coin, the awareness could possibly allow traffic to move quicker off the light by curtailing a crosswalk signal if all pedestrians have safely moved out of the crosswalk.
Frizzell's team has more than 50 years of experience bringing products to market. The radar sensor expert details some of the exciting new features they plan to build into their technology in the coming years, and the many possibilities for improving the way we live and experience environments.
Steve Griffiths, Ph.D., MS, chief operating officer, and SVP, Enterprise Analytics at Optum (optum.com), outlines the many changes and improvements that his company, Optum, seeks to bring to the healthcare industry.
Griffiths has a long history of leadership as a health IT executive and his passion is firmly rooted in actionable health care intelligence that brings innovation and change to the increasingly complex health ecosystem. Griffiths uses his experience in the health industry to assist providers as they push to improve practices to value-based care. Griffith believes it is important to treat people, not symptoms, and this care philosophy is the cornerstone of his work. Griffiths has many years experience in the health industry, most recently with Optum, but before his tenure there he was the director of healthcare informatics at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. Griffiths holds a BS in Mathematics and Statistics from St. Olaf College, an MS in Biostatistics from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D. in Health Services Research, Policy, and Administration from the University of Minnesota -Twin Cities.
Griffiths provides an overview of Optum, a health services company within United Health Group. He explains the various divisions of Optum and its main branches: Optum Health, Optum Rx, and Optum Insight. As Griffith explains, Optum provides health services across the entire health care system. Their health branch assists individuals and families, helping them attain the high-quality care they deserve, as well as assisting with the management of their prescriptions and health care finances. And Optum works with industry organizations, health plans, and providers as well, tackling the many and diverse challenges in modern healthcare. Their OptumRx branch acts as a pharmacy care services company that seeks to improve and maximize efficiency in pharmacy benefit management. The Optum system allows doctors to make informed decisions, staying current on all the latest developments. And their Data and Analytics branch utilizes the latest groundbreaking technology in artificial intelligence including natural language processing, machine learning, and neural networks to tailor healthcare solutions for specific needs. Optum essentially helps to transform hard data into insights. Griffiths refers to their data analytics as Optum IQ, as that is the center of the intelligence that drives all of their businesses, through the use of data, analytics, and expertise—all supported by technology.
The technology guru delves into the applied spaces that they see AI advancing, across the spectrum of healthcare industry entities. He discusses the predictive nature of technology that may direct a course of action, such as identifying diabetes patients sooner, predicting possible opioid usage, predicting probabilities for heart failure, and more, essentially assisting doctors, helping to provide a clearer, fuller picture of patients' health profiles. Additionally, Griffith adds, the data can provide for more efficiency in the overall healthcare process as well, which helps everyone to get the care that they need faster.
Griffiths outlines the specifics of using AI to additionally verify patient information and identity, to ensure safety by helping to avoid human error in records and processing, etc. The AI healthcare technology expert talks about the future advances that are coming in the industry as the tech develops further. From advances within cloud services to clinical programs and clinical prediction of disease, prediction of future costs, and more, the many possibilities for improved care are exciting and Griffith expects Optum to be at the center of innovation within the industry.
More than 60 million Americans have been prescribed some type of psychotropic drug; many of these Americans are children who have shown trouble focusing in school, motor or vocal ticks, obsessive-compulsive behavior, or a range of other signs of varying intensity. Doctors generally aim to treat the symptoms, but what about the underlying cause of the symptoms? And if the cause could be identified, would a psychotropic drug still be the preferred form of treatment?
Craig Shimasaki, Ph.D., joins the podcast to discuss surprising new discoveries on this topic. He's currently the CEO of Moleculera, a company that opened its doors in 2013 after five antibody targets were discovered in the central nervous systems of children who developed sudden-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) after a strep infection. When antibodies attack our joints, we call it rheumatoid arthritis, when they attack our pancreas, we call is diabetes type I, but what do we call it when they attack our brain? According to Dr. Shimasaki and the team at Moleculera, we should call it an infection-triggered autoimmune response known as "molecular mimicry," which applies not only to OCD but to a subset of ADHD and autism diagnoses as well.
Moleculera has created a blood test that can identify specific markers which, in conjunction with a patient's clinical signs, indicate whether or not a case of ADHD or autism has an immune-related cause. The patients who fall into this category have improved or seen total resolution of their symptoms after a course of anti-infectives and immune modulatory treatment. Over 1,200 doctors have already ordered the test, 7,600 patients have been tested, and Moleculera continues to accept blood samples from anywhere in the world.
Dr. Shimasaki offers compelling and informative insight on a range of topics, including how the treatment works and what exactly it consists of, whether or not immune dysregulation could also be involved in schizophrenia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic depression, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and all the details of what Moleculera has in the works, such as the use of machine learning to develop a predictive algorithm for treatment efficacy, and a pharmacoeconomic model that would demonstrate the cost savings of this new method of testing for and treating neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Tune in and visit www.moleculeralabs.com to learn more.
Online clothing purchases today are premised on the idea that all you need to know is your size or measurements in order to guarantee a good fit, and while men can often get away with this, the reality is that women's clothing purchases are much more complex. The fact that more than 30-50% of all online apparel purchases are returned is a testament to this, but even those who have the luxury of shopping in person struggle with getting the feedback they can rely upon and feeling confident with their purchases. More than 71% of millennial women send selfies to their friends when trying on clothes, but the chances that they'll get a response from every friend while they're still in the store are low.
Now there's a solution: LookyLoo, an AI-powered social commerce platform that allows users to post photos and receive direct feedback on fashion choices from a cloud of other consumers. Meanwhile, the AI (better known as "Lucy") learns based on how you and others to vote, leading to stronger, personalized, and specific recommendations. What looks good in fashion is contextual to location and age group, and Lucy takes this into account for every user.
"Fashion is art, and for a lot of people it's an opportunity to be something beautiful," says Chia-Lin Simmons, founder of LookyLoo. The app is already enormously popular, and the team at LookyLoo is looking to the future. Where's that, you might ask? Cosmetics.
Tune in for all the details and find LookyLoo on Twitter and Instagram.
At one point or another we've all dealt with it: being unable to fall or stay asleep, or just waking up feeling absolutely exhausted in the morning, wishing we had the energy to do the things we love. For some of us, these problems are chronic and seriously disrupt our quality of life by leading to failing social lives, poor productivity, and even depression.
Danny Flood was one of those individuals until he decided it was time to do something. He experimented with a variety of tricks and techniques to see what worked best, and then compiled them all into a book so that others could benefit from what he'd learned. He joins the podcast to discuss some of the main highlights of Hack Sleep: How to Fall Asleep Faster, Increase Your Energy, and Wake Up Refreshed, which include the importance of keeping the circadian rhythm in sync (and some tips on how to do so), the role of adenosine and adenosine triphosphate in sleep, biphasic and polyphasic sleep schedules, foods that naturally boost melatonin, and recommendations for power napping.
If you or someone you know is suffering from a lack of sleep, Danny Flood is likely to have at least a few tips that'll help. Tune in for more and look for his book on Amazon.
Global CO2 concentrations have risen from approximately 270 to 400 ppm over the past 150 years with no signs of slowing, and at the current rate, the planet is expected to warm by roughly five degrees Celsius by the end of the century. This will lead to a number of detrimental effects on the environment and human society, not the least of which is a major impact on our current system of agriculture. At the root of this system is the process of photosynthesis, which is the best understood process in all of plant biology, but has always functioned outside of human influence…at least until now.
Donald Richard Ort is a professor at the University of Illinois whose area of expertise lies in the area of photosynthesis and the ability to reengineer it to be adapted for global climate change and to improve its efficiency in agricultural situations. This will be no easy task, considering the fact that CO2 concentration and temperature play competing for roles in a plant's ability to photosynthesize and survive.
Professor Ort joins the podcast for an informative and compelling discussion on a variety of topics, ranging from mechanistic computer models used to predict how to optimize photosynthesis under certain conditions, artificial photosynthesis via biomimicry, why breeders have selected for upright leaf angles in grasses over the past several decades, the modulation of chlorophyll concentration in leaves, and SoyFACE, a research facility at University of Illinois where CO2 concentration and temperature are being raised in a controlled environment to learn more about and prepare for what's coming in the near future.
Tune in for the full conversation, and stay up to date on the latest research at soyface.illinois.edu.
As the co-founder and president of LunaDNA, Dawn Barry shares a vision of creating the first ever community-owned human health database comprised of donated DNA, medical, and environmental information, resulting in a scope and scale of data that's never before been possible. The aim is to provide donors with control, privacy, and transparency over their data, which means that every donor will know where and to what type of research their information is going, and will always maintain the right to delete their data at any time.
Aside from the intrinsic value of empowering research, giving back, and contributing to new discoveries that could enhance all of our lives, donors will acquire shares in the company and receive compensation in the form of dividends with each donation made. The ultimate goal is to reshape research and accelerate breakthroughs in health and quality of life by aggregating and organizing data from a variety of sources, not the least of which are understudied populations.
The team at LunaDNA is patiently awaiting qualification by the SEC; once received, the platform will be open to the public. They're thinking long-term, with a plan to implement additional portals for sharing electronic health records, and lifestyle and fitness information through APIs such as Fitbit. Interested in learning more?
Hit play and visit lunadna.com to sign up to receive the newsletter.
There's nothing quite like the energy and excitement of seeing your favorite sports team in person while surrounded by hundreds or thousands of other fans rooting right along with you, but for the 100 million Americans who don't live in the same town as their favorite team, this experience is difficult if not impossible to come by. As the president and founder of FanWide, Symon Perriman set out to change this.
FanWide is the world's largest fan club network that's connecting likeminded sports fans—regardless of where they live or travel—in a way that until now has only been possible for those who live in the local market. How are they doing it? By creating a virtual stadium at every sports bar around the country where fans can interact, play games, and cheer on their team in unity. But that's not all: FanWide incentivizes fans for showing up to events by providing rewards such as free beer, contest entries, and the potential to win cryptocurrency tokens that can be spent on game tickets, sports merchandise, and sports apparel.
"I found that sports were one of the few things that really transcend where you're from, what language you speak, your gender, your ethnicity…if you can find fans from the same team, it builds up that immediate bond or connection, and we're providing…an easy way to have that bond and find those people from the same tribe or background through our digital platform, and then bring them together in real-world events," says Perriman.
Tune in for all the details and visit fanwide.com for an event near you.
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