Lightning Rx: Marketing Innovation in Health

Colette Nataf
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MARKETING

Lightning Rx spotlights innovators shaping the future of health, biotech, and digital health. Hosted by Colette Nataf, each episode explores how breakthrough healthcare solutions reach the market, with real-world strategies, lessons, and insights.

  1. 11/25/2025

    From Tiny Ideas to Global App Growth: Claire McGregor on Building Fortify and Elevating User Feedback

    What if the secret to building a top-performing app wasn’t a growth hack, but a smarter way to listen to your users? In this episode, we sit down with Claire McGregor, Co-founder & Co-CEO of Fortify, Appbot and tiny ideas, to explore how she’s helping thousands of product teams transform raw customer feedback into strategic insights that drive real app success. Claire shares the journey behind building Fortify into a globally trusted platform for sentiment analysis and review intelligence. She walks us through how leading companies—from scrappy startups to enterprise giants—use feedback data to prioritize features, reduce churn, and build experiences users love. The conversation dives into the realities of scaling a SaaS business, the mindset required for durable founder partnerships, and why obsessing over customer sentiment is one of the biggest competitive advantages in today’s app ecosystem. What You’ll Learn:How Fortify turns scattered customer reviews into actionable product insightsThe most overlooked opportunities hidden inside app store feedbackWhy user sentiment is a more reliable north star than downloadsCommon mistakes app teams make when interpreting customer dataHow Claire balances intuition and analytics when making product decisionsThe dynamics of co-founding a global SaaS company and how to keep it healthyWhat Claire looks for as an investor, and the red flags she avoidsHow “tiny ideas” can become scalable, sustainable businesses Golden Nugget:“Your customers are already telling you how to win—most teams just aren’t listening closely enough.” Connect with Claire McGregor:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/clairecmcgregor Connect with the Show: LinkedInWebsiteSpotifyAmazon MusiciHeart Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

    24 min

  2. 10/28/2025

    Long-Acting Injectables, Hub-and-Spoke Strategy, and Fighting Opioid Use Disorder: Jeff Missling on Leading Frenelle Pharma

    What if the next breakthrough in drug delivery wasn’t a new molecule, but a revolutionary way to make medicines work longer and safer? In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf, founder of Lightning GTM, sits down with Jeff Missling, CEO of Frenelle Pharma, to discuss how their innovative Pharos platform is transforming long-acting injectable drugs across human and animal health. Jeff shares how Frenelle Pharma is tackling unmet medical needs by engineering precision biodegradable microspheres that enable safer, more effective treatments. He walks us through their unique hub-and-spoke business model, deploying their platform technology across multiple therapeutic areas, from low back pain to opioid use disorder, and even companion animal health. The conversation explores the challenges and opportunities of developing long-acting injectable therapies, strategic partnerships in biotech, and the mission-driven approach to expanding access to addiction treatment. What You’ll Learn: How Frenelle Pharma’s Pharos technology enables precise, long-acting drug deliveryThe advantages of a hub-and-spoke business model in biotech innovationThe unique regulatory pathway and market opportunity in companion animal healthAddressing safety and adoption barriers for injectable opioid use disorder treatmentsBuilding strategic partnerships and investor relations in a competitive landscapeThe importance of leadership, communication, and patience in drug developmentHow technology can improve patient compliance, outcomes, and quality of life 💡 Golden Nugget: “Better is always possible; it’s about finding the opportunities where improved delivery can change the patient experience.” Connect with Jeff Missling: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeff-missling-a410814 Connect with the Show: LinkedInWebsiteSpotifyAmazon MusiciHeart Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

    16 min

  3. 10/27/2025

    Rebuilding Healthcare Infrastructure: How Paulina Wierzbicka Is Tackling Fraud, Burnout & Fragmentation with SNAH

    What if the root of our healthcare crisis isn't a care problem, but an infrastructure problem? In this episode of Lightning RX, host Kalena Taft, founder of Lightning GTM, sits down with Paulina Wierzbicka, President of SNAH Healthcare Software Management and member of the Forbes Business Council, to explore how technology and transparency are reshaping non-emergency medical care across the U.S. From real-time GPS tracking to fully integrated care delivery, Paulina and her team at SNAH are building a platform that puts patients and caregivers first, while eliminating the fraud, waste, and fragmentation plaguing traditional systems. 🔍 What You’ll Learn:Why fragmentation, not a lack of innovation, is hurting patients the mostHow SNAH connects transportation, caregiving, telehealth, and pharmacy deliveryThe real cost of upcoding and how transparency curbs healthcare fraudWhy caregiver compensation is central to system reliabilityHow state contracts can unlock meaningful scale in healthcare marketplacesThe importance of infrastructure over flashy tech “solutions” 💡 Quote of the Episode: "What you can’t measure, you can’t trust. Build something so undeniable, the system has no choice but to evolve around it." — Paulina Wierzbicka, President at SNAH Connect with Paulina Wierzbicka:🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paulinawierzbicka 🌐 Website: snah.org:snah.org Connect with the Show: LinkedInWebsiteSpotifyAmazon MusiciHeart Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

    14 min

  4. 10/24/2025

    From ER Frustration to FDA Clearance: How Dr. Cephus E. Simmons, Sr. Built SealCath to Improve Pediatric Care

    What do you do when the standard medical tools just don’t work? If you're Dr. Cephus E. Simmons, Sr., you invent something better. In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf talks with the Founder & CEO of SealCath, President at Simmons Medical Devices, and Professor Emeritus of Radiology at MUSC, Dr. Cephus Simmons, about his journey from frustrated clinician to successful medical device entrepreneur. After struggling through a difficult pediatric intussusception reduction procedure, Dr. Simmons sketched a better catheter on a piece of paper. That drawing became SealCath, a novel multi-balloon catheter that’s now FDA-approved, in use across six applications, and scaling across hospitals nationwide. What You’ll Learn:The case that inspired Dr. Simmons to invent a better catheterHow he navigated the patent and FDA clearance processLessons from pivoting post-COVID to a latex-free solutionHow SealCath went from idea to 20+ hospitals, with just two peopleWhy LinkedIn is surprisingly powerful in B2B medical device marketingHow email campaigns and short videos drive strong engagement (40% open rate!)What it takes to scale a medtech business through partnerships and distributors 💡 Quote of the Episode: "You don’t need an MBA to build a business—you just need thick skin, real feedback, and the drive to learn every step of the way."— Dr. Cephus E. Simmons, Sr. Connect with Dr. Cephus E. Simmons: LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/dr-cephus-simmonsCompany: sealcath.comCompany: simmonsmedicaldevices.com  Connect with the Show: LinkedInWebsiteSpotifyAmazon MusiciHeart Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

    16 min

  5. 10/23/2025

    Virtual Reality for Real Healing: Peter Oykhman on PsyTechVR, Anxiety Therapy & Clinician Empowerment

    What if the most effective mental health treatment didn't happen in an office—but in the metaverse? In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf, founder of Lightning GTM, sits down with Peter Oykhman, Founder of PsyTechVR and CorePartners, to explore how virtual reality is revolutionizing the way clinicians treat anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and more. PsyTechVR is not just another VR meditation app; it's a clinician-first tool for immersive exposure therapy and guided mental wellness. Peter walks us through how the platform allows psychologists and psychiatrists to control highly customized therapy environments, everything from turbulence on a plane to the sound of a barking dog, empowering patients to safely confront their fears in deeply engaging, AI-generated simulations. They discuss the startup's go-to-market journey, including bootstrapping with minimal marketing spend, overcoming institutional resistance, and why even insurance companies are now recognizing VR as a billable therapy tool. What You’ll Learn:What PsyTechVR is and how it supports CBT, EMDR, and exposure therapyHow clinicians use AI to create personalized VR scenarios for anxiety, phobias, and PTSDWhy virtual reality therapy is more immersivem, and safer than traditional treatmentsHow PsyTechVR keeps users engaged while eliminating distractionsWhat’s holding back VR adoption in mental health (hint: not the tech)Why insurance companies are faster adopters than clinical associationsThe hidden costs of chasing VC funding, and how PsyTechVR focused on profitability insteadHow VR therapy is already backed by decades of peer-reviewed research 💡 Golden Nugget: “VR therapy isn’t science fiction; it’s peer-reviewed, clinically proven, and already has CPT codes. The APA just hasn’t caught up yet.” Connect with Peter Oykhman🔗 LinkedIn🌐 PsyTechVR.com🌐 CorePartners.com🌐 CoreIMS.com Connect with the Show: LinkedInWebsiteSpotifyAmazon MusiciHeart Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

    18 min

  6. 10/22/2025

    Designing the Future of Urgent Care: Brandon J. Robertson on Scaling Patient-Centered Healthcare

    What if the next wave of healthcare innovation wasn’t about treating chronic illness, but reaching healthy people, faster? In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf, founder of Lightning GTM, sits down with Brandon J. Robertson, MBA, founder and president of UCP Merchant Medicine and Intellivisit Solutions, to explore how urgent care is being redefined through hospitality-inspired design, psychographic data, and AI-enhanced clinical technology. Brandon shares the blueprint behind launching over 225 urgent care centers across 44 states, without patients ever knowing his company’s name. From geospatial mapping to EMR-integrated software that slashes documentation time from minutes to seconds, UCP’s model is built to deliver not just care, but delight. They explore what it takes to build high-performing, modern urgent care systems inside traditional health systems, and how creating a premium patient experience can drive organic growth, sky-high Net Promoter Scores, and operational scale. What You’ll Learn:Why urgent care serves healthy people, and what that means for marketingHow psychographics help identify high-value patient segmentsThe role of consumer data in choosing clinic locationsHow UCP clinics achieve 1 minute door-to-care times and 94 NPSHow AI reduces charting time to 30 seconds and improves visit consistencyWhat modern urgent care centers borrow from Target and StarbucksUCP’s stealth growth strategy: let patients know the health system, not the vendorAdvice for consultants building in a competitive, health-regulated space 💡 Golden Nugget: “We don’t want patients to know who we are; we want the experience to speak for itself.” Connect with Brandon J. Robertsonlinkedin.com/in/brandon-j-robertson-mbaurgentcarepartners.com/ (Company)healthsystemadvisors.com (Company)levelbrand.com/sample-work/urgent-care-partners-main/ (Portfolio) Connect with the Show: LinkedInWebsiteSpotifyAmazon MusiciHeart Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

    16 min

  7. 10/21/2025

    AI, Pain, and the Future of Healing: Alexander Ziwahatan on Building OmniDots at Omnithion

    What if your body could sense pain and block it, no pills, no patches, no addiction, just smart biology + AI? In this episode of Lightning RX, host Kalena Taft, founder of Lightning GTM, sits down with Alexander Ziwahatan, President at Omnithion, to explore how his team is developing OmniDots, AI-powered micro-injectables designed to find and silence pain signals from within the body. Alexander shares how his 17 years as a caregiver to his mother, who has endured numerous back surgeries, ignited his drive to build a better solution. Instead of relying on systemic drugs with side effects, he envisions microscopic serums that travel through the bloodstream, detect pain, and block it precisely at its source. He delves into the technology, the vision, and the hurdles ahead: human trials, regulatory pathways, industry skepticism, and the mission to transform how pain is managed, especially as the opioid crisis continues to devastate communities. What You’ll Learn: The origin story behind OmniDots and how personal experience sparked the ideaHow AI and injectable technology might identify and intercept pain signalsThe potential to replace traditional pain meds with smarter, safer alternativesThe challenges of getting a novel medical technology from concept to clinicHow to build partnerships when funding, scale, and credibility are still in progressWhy mission must lead innovation when the stakes are human sufferingThe mindset of a founder working to change the entire paradigm of chronic pain 💡 Golden Nugget: “OmniDots isn’t just a product, it’s hope. It’s the future of treating pain without addiction.” Connect with Alexander Ziwahatan Website: omnithion.orgFacebook: https://web.facebook.com/alexander.ziwahatan/?_rdc=1&_rdr#Bio: https://www.votealex.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziwahatan/ Connect with the Show: LinkedInWebsiteSpotifyAmazon MusiciHeart Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

    16 min

  8. 10/21/2025

    Engineering Nature: Michael Heltzen on AI, Enzymes, and the Future of Sustainable Biomanufacturing

    What if the future of chemistry didn’t rely on cells or even nature itself to create the world’s most valuable molecules? In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Michael Heltzen, CEO of eXoZymes Inc. (Nasdaq: EXOZ), to explore how his company is redefining biomanufacturing through exozymes, a revolutionary technology that uses AI-driven evolution to create natural products at an industrial scale, without harvesting from nature. Michael explains how eXoZymes’ cell-free biomanufacturing platform allows them to “brute-force evolution,” running what would take nature a billion years in just a week. By combining artificial intelligence with enzymatic chemistry, the company can produce rare and valuable natural compounds—like the metabolism-boosting molecule NCT and the fragrance powerhouse Santaline that were previously inaccessible due to scarcity or cost. From AI-guided protein optimization to sustainable alternatives to petrochemicals, Michael’s work represents a new frontier in synthetic biochemistry, one that merges environmental responsibility, efficiency, and scientific creativity. What You’ll Learn: How eXoZymes is reinventing biomanufacturing through cell-free enzyme systemsWhy AI models like AlphaFold are unlocking rapid protein optimizationThe science behind producing rare natural compounds like NCT and SantalineHow enzyme optimization accelerates evolution from millennia to minutesThe potential of biomanufacturing to replace petrochemicals and protect ecosystemsWhy scarcity is no longer the barrier to accessing nature’s rarest moleculesHow eXoZymes balances scientific innovation with commercial scalabilityMichael’s advice for founders on choosing the right advisors and staying focused amid conflicting guidance 💡 Golden Nugget: “AI and enzymes are teaching us that evolution isn’t just a process, it’s a platform we can engineer for sustainable abundance.” Connect with Michael Heltzen LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelheltzen Company: https://exozymes.com/ Connect with the Show: LinkedInWebsiteSpotifyAmazon MusiciHeart Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

    18 min
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Lightning Rx spotlights innovators shaping the future of health, biotech, and digital health. Hosted by Colette Nataf, each episode explores how breakthrough healthcare solutions reach the market, with real-world strategies, lessons, and insights.

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