PARTNERS

STRATEGIC ARCHITECT | Turning Ambition Into Action

Carolyn Yarina

As PARTNER AND CO-FOUNDER, Carolyn has supported 16+ successful client fund raises in 2 years and enabled catalytic technical and business milestones. She has taken interim leadership roles to win a $100M+ federal grant, co-found and launch a startup accelerator, and build infrastructure for her clients to scale.

Carolyn is an experienced operator with >10 years experienced as a VC-backed co-founder and CEO. In her most recent startup, she raised $5M+ and led growth of a novel surgical device from idea through the first $1M in revenue. She is now applying this track record of startup leadership and investor management experience as a management consultant to early-stage companies and the organizations that support them.

    • CEO Advisory

    • Fundraising

    • Commercialization Planning

    • Embedded Executive

    • Medical Device Advisory

    • Technology Startups, specialty in HardTech

    • Medical Device

    • Critical Minerals

    • Venture Capital

FINANCIAL NAVIGATOR | Guiding Start-Ups Toward Growth

Frank Blackman, MBA

As PARTNER AND CO-FOUNDER, Frank brings his perspective as a two-time startup founder with deep sector expertise in manufacturing and financial operations. Frank has an established track records in (A)Startups: in just 6 months after launching his most recent startup, he secured contracts with the top two industry leaders. (B)Fortune 500: at Diageo, he oversaw $100M of AUM and was promoted 3 times. (C)Small Business: Frank started his career within small businesses: environmental remediation and small-scale manufacturing/CPG. Frank has an MBA from Johns Hopkins University with a concentration in Entrepreneurship.

    • Small Business Advisory

    • Financial Evaluation

    • Financial Strategy

    • Pre-seed/Seed Business Documents

    • Critical Minerals

    • CPG

    • BevAlc

    • Small Business

OPERATIONS STRATEGIST | Powering Medical Innovations

Kevin Lee

A PARTNER AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT in new product development, design for manufacturing, medical device, and operations planning. Kevin is focused on instilling simple, transparent, and business-strategy-aligned processes, and on continuous improvement in early businesses across design, production, and business operations.

Kevin has a proven track record of bringing physical products from concept to market. He founded a product consulting firm in the aerospace manufacturing industry, where he invented and designed numerous products still in use today. In the medical device field, he was an early hire at two companies and helped launch dozens of successful products. His experience also spans hardware and software, from major platforms to innovative startup inventions.

    • Early Product Development

    • Operations, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain

    • Startup Advisory

    • Medical Device Business Strategy, Product Development, and Regulatory

    • Medical Device

    • Hardware Products

CORE TEAM

SOLUTIONS SPECIALIST | Bridging Plans & Execution

Uziel Mendez

An ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT who bridges in-the-lab, business, and trades experience. Uziel has a background in biotechnology research ranging from ultrasound to tissue engineering. He also has 5 years construction management experience. Uziel’s career has focused on building from tissue scaffolds, to construction scaffolds, to building the foundations for our client’s businesses. Uziel supports on technical medical technology projects. He also supports the business document creation and project deliverance for grants, executive summaries, and business plans. Uziel also performs research project for Verdigris.

    • Startup Support

    • Medical Device

    • Small Business

    • Medical Device

    • Small Business

    • Health Technology

    • Sector-Agnostic Project Support

OPERATIONS | Navigating Complexity, Powering Innovation

Tracy Korondi

Tracy is a Healthcare operator turned strategist with frontline experience leading Respiratory Therapy teams in critical care, including COVID-19 and biocontainment responses at a Level 1 Trauma Center. She holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins, focusing on healthcare innovation and startup strategy. Tracy has worked directly with early-stage founders to identify operational challenges, develop B2B strategies, and create investor-facing materials. Tracy is committed to assisting mission-driven startups navigate complex systems and scale effectively.

Tracy is particularly drawn to environments where ambiguity is high, stakes are real, and agility matters. With hands-on experience in clinical systems and early-stage ventures, Tracy is passionate about guiding startups seeking to solve real-world problems through thoughtful innovation, operational discipline, and market insight.

    • Medical Devices

    • Marketing Strategy

    • Start Up Support

    • Health Technology

MARKETING EXECUTOR | Brand Storyteller

Carson Potter

A SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER who specializes in building up startup social media launches and managing new brands. In the last year alone at Verdigris, Carson has overseen the launch of new brands for a diverse set of companies: an advanced materials accelerator, an early-stage VC fund, and support for early-stage startups. Carson built social media calendars, new social media accounts and templates, and managed team members to ensure high-quality, consistent content. Carson has a great visual eye, and her strength is distilling and simplifying content and design.

A consistent brand and cohesive communication are required to build a business and convince funders and customers that your business can be trusted.

    • Social Media Management

    • Marketing Strategy

    • Graphic Design

    • Simplified Brand Outlines

    • Sector-Agnostic Social Media

      • Venture Capital

      • Economic Development

      • Startups

FINANCE PROFESSIONAL Improving Efficiency & Accuracy

Sheila Krebs

A FINANCE PROFESSIONAL with 10+ years of experience. Sheila has supported three startup organizations by developing and implementing scalable financial processes and operational procedures. She has successfully created and standardized workflows for invoicing, accounts payable, collections, payment processing, and contractor invoice submissions, improving efficiency, accuracy, and financial visibility across each organization. Plus, partnered closely with leadership teams, vendors, and contractors to maintain organized financial operations, strengthen internal controls, and support company growth. Sheila has a proven ability to identify process improvements, resolve discrepancies, manage accounts receivable and payable functions, and ensure financial records are accurate, compliant, and audit-ready.

    • Financial operations

    • Business process improvement

    • Administrative systems development

    • Startups

    • High-growth companies

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS (S.M.E.s)

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER | Building Businesses and Shaping Minds

Jorge Sanz-Guerrero

A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT in medical device development and commercialization, instructional design, and entrepreneurship education. In addition to Jorge’s 10+ years of medical device expertise, he has founded 3 companies and is a lecturer in entrepreneurship and globalization. Jorge has developed more than 80 different courses, with more than 1,500 students enrolled and a 97% participant satisfaction score.

    • Medical Device Planning

    • Commercialization Plans

    • Course and Curriculum Development

    • Instructional Design

    • Medical Device

    • Economic Development/ Entrepreneurship

    • ED Tech

HEALTH INNOVATOR & INVESTOR | Building Impactful Ventures

Katherine (Katie) Kirsch

A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT in healthcare ventures and venture capital. For Verdigris Group, Katie co-founded and ran first year operations for an advanced materials and manufacturing accelerator. Katie is an operator turned Venture Capitalist that thrives on joining diverse communities to build health and wealth. As a startup founder, she supported a raise of $6 million in venture and non-dilutive investment while developing market strategy for a WHO-approved medical device. Her other work has spanned across public and private sectors to drive innovative partnerships for value-based care and marginalized entrepreneurs, including raising additional funding for startups and academic programs. She thrives in dynamic, diverse work environments ensuring double and triple bottom lines.

    • Accelerator Advising and Execution

    • Fundraising (Investment and Grant)

    • Value-based Care and Healthcare Strategy

    • Medical Device

    • Venture Capital

    • Health Technology

    • Ecosystem Building & Entrepreneur Education

COMPLIANCE & COMMERCIALIZATION PRO | Scaling Medical Breakthroughs

Jack Kent, MBA

A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT in medical device regulatory, quality systems, and commercialization. Jack is an experienced medical device executive with significant prior work leading companies in efforts to deliver novel technology and positively impact patient care. He has focused his career on assisting start-up companies to navigate the complex environment surrounding medical devices.

Jack Kent and Kevin Lee often work as a team and collectively have helped launch 100 medical devices. Jack has successfully navigated FDA reviews, CE Mark reviews, FDA inspections, and ISO 13485 Notified Body audits – among other activities. He has worked with diverse product types, ranging in a specialty (e.g., IR, GI, ORTH), use (therapeutic/diagnostic), and other characteristics (e.g., electrical, single-use vs. reusable, sterile/nonsterile, software).

  • Medical Device

    • Quality Systems

    • Regulatory

    • Commercialization

    • Medical Device

INNOVATION TRAILBLAZER | Advancing Engineering Excellence

Dr. Joe Licavoli-Wall

A SENIOR CONSULTANT AND ADVANCED MATERIALS S.M.E who delivers results based on his background as an innovative researcher, entrepreneur, and educator. Joe has deep technical expertise: from being a Manufacturing Professor to developing over 21 novel material applications for both fortune 500 companies and early startups. More than that, Joe is an ecosystem builder that is continuously building communities, programs, and driving change.

Joe has founded a metallurgical consulting firm, a STEM education Foundation and run community events (ranging from entrepreneurship to comedy). Whether you are developing a novel technology, running an industrial-scale manufacturing/materials operation, or building new programs to support your ecosystem - you are in good hands with Joe.

    • Technical Storytelling

    • Grant Writing

    • Advanced Materials Development

    • Computational Analysis

    • Student & Startup Education

    • Advanced Materials

    • Metallurgy

    • Technical Education

    • Economic Development

RESEARCH AND STORYTELLING | Translating Complex Topics into Clear Communication

Matt Mossman

Matt helps organizations communicate their messages and values and to understand opportunities and risks in the global economy, with a focus on resources, infrastructure, and supply chains in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. He'll turn complex information into clear articles and communications strategies, and help build strong relationships. Matt has worked with organizations from five-person startups to Fortune 500 companies and international organizations. He has advised organizations including Ernst & Young, the United Nations International Renewable Energy Agency, the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative, and the National Democratic Institute.

    • Research

    • Economics

    • Articles

    • Communication Strategies

    • Journalism

    • Hardware Companies

    • Economics

    • Startup

TRANSLATIONAL MEDTECH & BIOMATERIALS EXPERT | Turning Breakthrough Science into Medical Devices

Jeremy Goldman

A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT in translational medtech and biomaterials. Jeremy helps medical device companies translate breakthrough science into commercially viable products. He is a biomedical engineer, inventor, translational scientist, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan Technological University with more than 25 years of experience in cardiovascular biomaterials, bioresorbable implants, vascular biology, and regenerative medicine.

His research helped pioneer biodegradable zinc as a new class of bioresorbable cardiovascular biomaterials, advancing the field of next-generation implantable medical devices. He has led NIH-funded research spanning fundamental discovery through preclinical validation, providing deep expertise in the scientific, technical, and translational challenges of medical device development.

    • Medical Device Product Development & Translation

    • Biomaterials & Implantable Medical Devices

    • Technical Due Diligence & Preclinical Strategy  

    • Medical Devices

    • Biotechnology

    • Cardiovascular Health

STARTUP LEADER | Building and Advising High-Growth Companies

Alexa Jones

Alexa is a SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT and seasoned startup leader with 12+ years of experience as a CEO and C-suite executive, specializing in CEO advisory, company building, business development, and fundraising. As the founder and CEO of a medical device startup, she raised $4M+ to develop a novel infant jaundice device integrating electrical hardware and software with human-centered design. Alexa successfully exited her first company to its #1 strategic acquisition target prior to commercialization. Under her leadership, the company achieved FDA 510(k) clearance at roughly 50% of the average cost for a Class II submission, demonstrating her ability to drive capital-efficient innovation from concept through exit.  

    • Medical Device Concept to Reality

    • Managing the life cycle of FDA submission

    • Raising funds for hardware products & medical device

    • CEO Advising

    • Medical Device

    • Health Technology

GROWTH STRATEGIST | From Vision to Traction

Hari Subhash

Hari is a SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT and a strategy consultant who helps early-stage companies find product-market fit through marketing, product design, and growth strategy.
Hari has 15+ years of experience across finance, international development, and tech. As an EdTech founder, he bootstrapped and launched a spaced repetition learning platform from concept to market. At Kinetica, he led a brand and marketing pivot that maintained revenue on 1/10th the previous budget—delivering a new website, funnel, and high-end brand aesthetic under major constraints. At the Natural Resource Governance Institute, he served as product owner for a global data platform, launching an alpha within three months. Hari holds an MPA from Columbia, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Science, and a B.Tech in Engineering. 

    • Marketing

    • Branding & Website

    • Product Development

    • Growth Strategy

    • SaaS

    • B2C

    • B2B

    • Databases/Analytics

HEALTHCARE STRATEGIST | From Evidence to Market

Steven S. Brooks,

MD, MBA, FACC

Steven is a SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT and a multi-faceted health care consultant, publisher, cardiologist, and clinical trialist. Formerly an Interventional Cardiologist, Medical Officer in the Office of Device Evaluation at FDA and chief medical officer of multiple medtech companies, Steve’s interests include regulatory and clinical strategy, regulatory submissions, clinical trial design, health economics, scientific and medical due diligence, and medical technology commercialization and market strategy. In consulting roles Steve is active in developing thought leadership, content and consultation on multiple interconnected strategic areas. Client services include due diligence, market entry strategy, market segmentation, combined market, regulatory and reimbursement strategy, clinical trial design, and evidence development. By leveraging a large network of contacts in academia, government, including the FDA and CMS, and industry, nuanced guidance is developed for diverse client needs.

    • Regulatory & Clinical Strategy

    • Regulatory submissions

    • Clinical trial design

    • Health economics

    • Medical Device

    • Software

BIOTECH FOUNDER STRATEGIST | From Science to Scale

Vadim Shepel

Vadim is a SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT and the Founder of Bench2Bio, a consulting firm empowering emerging biotech founders in their pursuit of funding and strategic growth. Through Bench2Bio, he also publishes Bio Founder GPS, a weekly newsletter and community helping technical founders navigate the bench-to-CEO transition with practical frameworks on fundraising, investor sourcing, and business development. Prior to Bench2Bio, Vadim served as Chief Business and Operating Officer at Concarlo Therapeutics, an early-stage oncology biotech, following roles in Business Development, Analytics, and Corporate Strategy at Pfizer and BeiGene spanning infectious diseases, oncology, anti-infectives, and vaccines across the US, EU, China, and emerging markets. He has over a decade of experience supporting startups across digital health, therapeutics, and medical devices.

    • Fundraising Strategy & Investor Readiness

    • Go-to-Market & Commercialization Strategy

    • Business Development & Licensing

    • M&A Diligence & Post-Merger Integration

    • Corporate & Commercial Strategy

    • Biopharma & Therapeutics

    • Oncology & Rare Disease

    • Vaccines & Infectious Disease

    • Digital Health & HealthTech

    • MedTech & Diagnostics

BRAND BUILDER | Telling Your Brand Story

Oliver Gray, MA

Oliver's strengths lie in the diversity of his background from managing teams for global brands, helping rebuild internal communications plans for medium-sized organizations, and blue-skying creative launches for solopreneur projects. He is also a professional writer and editor, with 2 major copyediting credits and 100+ bylines across beverage and lifestyle media. Oliver is a versatile marketing professional with deep experience in PR, Creative Strategy, and Brand Messaging. As well as a seasoned generalist marketer with experience working for large CPG brands and small start-up brands alike. He has led national media campaigns, directed spots for broadcast and social media, and built multi-faceted CRM journeys from the ground up, with a focus on brand consistency across multiple platforms.

    • 10+ Years in Creative Marketing

    • Public Relations and Media Expert

    • Campaigns Resulting in 2M+ Direct Consumer Conversions

    • BevAlc

    • Government Contracting PR

    • Enterprise IT

    • Writing and Publication

GRANT CONSULTANT | Specializing in biotechnology, medical technology, and life sciences.

Nao Gamo, PhD

Helping entrepreneurs, researchers, and clinicians navigate funding at the earliest stages of their companies. Following 15 years as an academic researcher in neuroscience and psychiatry, she is now highly active in the entrepreneurial community in the Mid-Atlantic region, with experience as a MedTech founder, business development consultant, and investment associate guiding startups in a range of fields. With nearly two decades of experience as a grant recipient, consultant, and reviewer, Dr. Gamo assists clients navigate the often complex, detailed, and time-consuming landscape of non-dilutive funding from federal and state governments, research institutions, and foundations.

    • Non-dilutive funding strategy

    • Commercialization plans

    • Technology transfer

    • Biotechnology

    • Medical technology

    • Life sciences