Tag Archives: Unity Stoakes

Rethinking the Rules: Julie Yoo of a16z on Infinite Healthcare, Compound Businesses, and the New Investor Playbook

April 10, 2026Business, Healthcare, Startupsa16z, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:10 — 24.1MB)

Julie Yoo has seen healthcare from nearly every angle, as a founder who scaled Kyruus to 20 million patients, as a board member, and now as a General Partner at a16z leading investments in some of the most consequential AI health companies being built today.

In this conversation with StartUp Health co-founder Unity Stoakes and an interactive audience of StartUp Health community members, she unpacks the ideas she’s been putting forward publicly and the thinking behind them. Why will healthcare benefit from AI more than any other industry? What does infinite healthcare actually mean, and why did it generate such a polarized reaction? Why is she now actively encouraging the compound business model she once cautioned founders against? And what does she look for in a founder when everyone walking into a Series A looks the same on paper?

A rich, candid conversation for anyone building, funding, or thinking deeply about the future of health.

Do you want to participate in live conversations with industry luminaries? When you join StartUp Health – a private community for founders, investors, buyers, and industry leaders to connect year-round – you are invited to a full calendar of interactive Fireside Chats with the most influential leaders shaping health innovation. Come with questions, learn what is working right now, and connect with industry icons.
» Learn more and join today.

The New Data Layer in MRI: Valerie and Codi Gharagouzloo, PhD, of Imaginostics on Building a One-of-a-Kind Vascular Health Platform

April 7, 2026Alzheimer's MoonshotHealth Moonshot Update, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:14 — 26.1MB)

What does it mean to build something that has never existed before?

In this episode of StartUp Health NOW, Unity Stoakes sits down with CEO & Co-founder Valerie Gharagouzloo and Chief Science Officer & Co-founder Codi Gharagouzloo, PhD, of Imaginostics, the health technology company reimagining what MRI can tell us about the human body. Their platform, built on a technology invented by Codi during his PhD research in 2012, creates a new quantitative data layer inside existing MRI scanners, one that replaces toxic contrast agents, delivers images judged ten times better than the gadolinium standard, and generates vascular biomarkers measurable for the first time at the individual patient level.

StartUp Health community members Valerie and Codi break down the difference between their two platforms, ImagiView™ and ImagiSight™, explain why blood-brain barrier leakage matters for Alzheimer’s and how they are finally able to measure it in individual patients, and share what their commercialization partnership with Siemens means for getting this technology into hospitals.

Twice nominated for the Prix Galien, backed by four federal research agencies, and now running a 96-patient study funded by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, Imaginostics is one of the most rigorously validated zero-to-one technologies in health innovation today.

Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, journal, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot Membership. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and join today.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Kim Fisher on Why Food as Medicine Is at a Tipping Point — And What It Will Take to Get There

March 31, 2026Cardiometabolic Health Moonshot, Food as Medicine Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Type 1 Diabetes MoonshotKim Fisher, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:15 — 27.7MB)

What does it actually take to transform the way the world thinks about food as a driver of health? Kim Fisher has spent years finding out — as an entrepreneur, a startup mentor, a UC Davis program director, and now as Chief Impact Officer of StartUp Health’s Food as Medicine Moonshot.

In this episode, Unity Stoakes and Kim go deep on the science, the market dynamics, and the human stories behind one of health innovation’s most complex and consequential frontiers. They explore the molecular science quietly reshaping how we understand food, why the GLP-1 moment may be the catalyst the industry has been waiting for, and how precision nutrition could soon mean personalized meals calibrated to your individual biology.

Kim also opens up about the personal journey that brought her here — her daughter’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis and the hospital conversation that made her realize just how far the healthcare system still had to go in treating food as medicine. That moment set the course for everything that followed.

Listeners will come away with a clearer map of where the field is headed, what kinds of innovation are most needed, and how a new angel investment network is working to close the funding gap for early-stage food and health companies.

If you’re a founder, investor, researcher, or policymaker working anywhere near food, metabolic health, or longevity — this conversation will sharpen your thinking.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

From Record to Reason: Mehmet Kazgan of cliexa on Building the Brain Behind Healthcare AI

March 27, 2026Access to Care, Healthcare, Innovation, StartupsHealth Moonshot Update, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:25 — 28.8MB)

Most healthcare AI conversations start and end with documentation. StartUp Health community member Mehmet Kazgan, CEO & Founder of cliexa, thinks that is the wrong place to focus.

In this episode of StartUp Health NOW, Kazgan joins Unity Stoakes for a deep dive into clinical reasoning, the intelligence layer that connects what a patient says, what a provider decides, and what a payer will cover, all in real time. Kazgan traces the evolution of healthcare technology from EMRs to interoperability to AI scribes, and explains why none of those waves solve the core problem without a reasoning engine underneath. He shares what it took to build and validate that engine over eight years, what deploying it with Mayo Clinic Platform and Eating Recovery Center has revealed, and why the window for health systems to act is right now.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Reducing Licensing Friction to Unlock Clinician Capacity with Dr. Ian Madom, CEO & Co-founder of Mocingbird

March 5, 2026Access to Care, HealthcareHealth Moonshot Update, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:59 — 25.6MB)

Ian Madom, MD, orthopedic spine surgeon and co-founder of Mocingbird, joins us on StartUp Health NOW to discuss how administrative friction quietly limits healthcare access and clinician capacity.

Drawing from his own experience in practice, Dr. Madom explains how state-by-state licensing, certification timelines, and compliance requirements create unnecessary drag for clinicians and administrators alike. He shares how Mocingbird helps organizations manage licensing end to end, why multistate practice is essential in a post-COVID, telehealth-driven world, and how thoughtful use of AI can support, not replace, human judgment. He also reflects on the doctorpreneur journey and the role the StartUp Health community has played in Mocingbird’s evolution.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

EqualityMD’s Pre-Insurance Strategy to Reduce Care Avoidance and Lower Healthcare Costs

February 24, 2026Access to Care, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, StartupsHealth Moonshot, Health Moonshot Update, Health Transformer, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:45 — 27.0MB)

In this Health Moonshot Update, StartUp Health community member Justin Ayars of EqualityMD explains how the company is redefining employer healthcare through a pre-insurance model designed to resolve health needs before insurance is triggered.

EqualityMD delivers culturally competent virtual primary care, mental health support, urgent care, and prescription access without generating insurance claims. New research shows the platform can resolve up to 80 percent of employees’ diverse health needs pre-insurance, saving employers 20 to 30 percent in health claim and administrative costs and reducing employees’ out-of-pocket expenses by 40 to 70 percent.

Ayars shares why traditional telehealth often increases claims volume, how claim prevention changes the cost equation, and why rethinking healthcare upstream may be key to rebuilding trust and affordability in the system.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Sana Health Clears a Major Milestone in the Fight Against Chronic Pain

February 20, 2026Access to Care, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Mental Health & Happiness Moonshot, StartupsHealth Moonshot, Health Moonshot Update, Health Transformer, Mental Health and Happiness, pain, ptsd, Richard Hanbury, Sana Health, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:22 — 26.3MB)

StartUp Health community member Richard Hanbury of Sana Health joined Unity Stoakes for a Health Moonshot Update just prior to achieving a major regulatory milestone: an FDA De Novo grant for neuropathic pain, establishing a new class of audio-visual neuromodulation.

Hanbury reflects on decades of neuromodulation research, shares why credibility in healthcare is built “one rung at a time,” and explains how Sana’s pivotal data demonstrated a significant reduction in pharmacologic dependence. The conversation also covers DoD-backed PTSD research, VA trials, international expansion in Israel, and why the future of pain and mental healthcare must move toward multimodal, scalable models of care.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Vinod Khosla on AI Interns, Trust, and Health Moonshots in the Age of Superintelligence

February 6, 2026Business, Healthcare, Innovation, StartupsAI, Esther Dyson, Health Moonshots, Health Tech, Healthcare, Unity Stoakes, Vinod KhoslaNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:56 — 25.6MB)

Recorded live at Apollo House 2026, this fireside chat captures a candid, in-the-room conversation between StartUp Health’s Unity Stoakes and entrepreneur, investor, and technologist Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures on AI’s accelerating impact on healthcare.

Khosla explains why he believes AI is a platform shift larger than the internet or mobile, and how that shift could unlock access to high-quality care for billions. The conversation explores his “AI intern” model for healthcare, why copilots often underperform in complex clinical work, and why trust, supervision, and fit-for-purpose guardrails are essential. A live exchange with Esther Dyson adds perspective on empathy, communication, and the enduring human dimensions of care.

As a live recording, the audio reflects the energy of the room rather than a studio setting.

Do you want to participate in live conversations with industry luminaries? When you join the StartUp Health Network – a new private community for investors, buyers, and industry leaders to connect year-round with top health entrepreneurs – you are invited to a full calendar of interactive Fireside Chats with the most influential leaders shaping health innovation. Come with questions, learn what is working right now, and connect with industry icons.
» Learn more and join today.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

The Caregiving Front Door: How CAREgivers Insight Is Rewiring Home-Clinic Connections

January 29, 2026Business, Caregiving Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, InnovationCaregiver, CAREgivers Insight, Caregiving Moonshot, Christopher Jue, Health Moonshot, Health Moonshot Update, Health Transformer, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:31 — 20.6MB)

In this Health Moonshot Update, StartUp Health community member Christopher Jue of CAREgivers Insight joins Unity Stoakes to share how empowering caregivers can prevent crises and save the system money. Christopher draws on his own family experience and fresh pilot data to explain why caregivers should be treated as essential members of the care team.

In this episode, they talk about:

What four preventable hospitalizations taught him about the cost of underused caregiver insight
How Caregiver Views turns everyday observations into clear, shareable trend lines
Why pilots with Cancer Services of Midland achieved an 85% recommendation rate
The strategic shift from a B2C mindset to payer and Medicare Advantage partners
An AI roadmap that starts with summaries and moves toward real coaching for untrained caregivers
How the Caregiving Health Moonshot is becoming a doorway into every Health Moonshot at StartUp Health

This is a must listen for anyone building in value-based care, supporting an aging population, or caring for a loved one at home.

Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, magazine, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot PRO Membership. To schedule a call and see if you qualify to join and increase brand awareness through our multi-media storytelling efforts, submit our three-minute application. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and apply today.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Making Behavioral Health Work in Primary Care: A Conversation with Indira Paharia, PsyD, of VIBEcare

January 23, 2026Access to Care, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Mental Health & Happiness MoonshotHealth Moonshots, Health Transformer, Indira Paharia, mental health, Mental Health and Happiness, Unity Stoakes, VIBEcareNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:49 — 29.1MB)

Behavioral health conditions are rising, providers are burned out, and primary care is carrying the load. In this episode, Unity Stoakes sit down with StartUp Health community member Indira Paharia, PsyD, CEO & Co-founder of VIBEcare, to explore how virtual, integrated behavioral health can transform care delivery at scale.

Drawing on her experience as a clinical psychologist, payer executive, and health tech founder, Indira explains why primary care is the most powerful entry point for behavioral health and how VIBEcare is building practical solutions that actually fit into real-world workflows.

In this episode, we cover:

Why behavioral health so often shows up first in primary care
The collaborative care model and why reimbursement changed everything
How virtual care removes barriers like stigma, transportation, and childcare
Addressing the national behavioral health provider shortage with scalable staffing models
What it takes to build solutions designed by clinicians, for clinicians
Why Indira is optimistic about the future of behavioral health access

This conversation is a must-listen for founders, providers, payers, and health system leaders working to make behavioral health more accessible, effective, and human.

Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, magazine, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot PRO Membership. To schedule a call and see if you qualify to join and increase brand awareness through our multi-media storytelling efforts, submit our three-minute application. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and apply today.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.