Open Door Salon

Open Door Salon
  • 0.0 (0)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The healthcare system is broken. Open Door Salon is a place where patients can find an easier way to navigate treatment—and where those working within the system can come together to solve the problems they hear about every day. Change starts with conversation.

  1. 1D AGO

    "The Best Companies Start in the Worst Times" | Mike Goguen & Rob Williamson

    "Some of the best companies were founded during some of the worst times. It's almost Darwinian." That's Mike Goguen — founder of Two Bear Capital, 20 years as a general partner at Sequoia Capital. With him is Rob Williamson — serial entrepreneur and 35+ years in drug development. A 30-year venture capitalisst and a serial drug developer on surviving biotech's worst times, the AI bubble, and why founders should "beware the kindness of strangers." In Today's Episode: "The best companies start in the worst times" — Darwinian survival"Where's the beef?" — spotting real AI vs window dressingBiotech can't compete for AI talent — half a million out of schoolAre we in an AI bubble? Lessons from multiple crashesQuantum AI — the revolution after the revolution"Thank you for giving me another Christmas" — why it's worth it"I've called it my vow of poverty" — why biotech over techTimestamps: (00:00) Cold Open — "I'm Not Sure I Want to Say What I'm Really Thinking"(04:17) The Current Investment Landscape — Capital Efficiency Matters(08:00) Minimizing Dependence(12:00) First-Time Founders vs Experienced Operators(16:00) Product-Market Fit in Biotech — What Pharma Wants(20:00) M&A Is Slower Than Expected — Why Deals Are Stalling(24:00) The AI Revolution in Drug Discovery — What's Real(28:00) AlphaFold, Digital Twins, and the In Silico Loop(32:00) "Where's the Beef?" — Real AI vs Window Dressing(36:00) Biotech Can't Compete for AI Talent(40:00) Are We in an AI Bubble?(44:00) Quantum AI — The Next Revolution(48:00) "Thank You for Giving Me Another Christmas"(52:00) The Hardest Decision — Going All-In SHOW NOTES Mike Goguen — Founder & Managing Partner, Two Bear Capital20 years as General Partner at Sequoia Capital (1996-2016). Two Bear Capital invests at the intersection of tech and life sciences.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-goguen-23314/ Rob Williamson — Founder & CEO, Traverse Therapeutics35+ years in drug development. Multiple drugs to market. Former BCG partner. AI-enabled drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robwilliamson/ Description

    1h 10m

  2. APR 29

    "We Signed Her Out Against Medical Advice" — It Saved Her Life | Tom Whitehead & Tori Lee

    "Our transplant doctor at Hershey wrote us off and never spoke to us again. We signed her out against medical advice. And it saved her life." Tom Whitehead is the co-founder of the Emily Whitehead Foundation and father of Emily Whitehead — the first pediatric patient in the world to receive CAR-T cell therapy. In 2012, when Emily was 6 years old and facing end-stage leukemia after two relapses, they defied medical advice, enrolled in an experimental trial at CHOP, and Emily became cancer-free 23 days later. She's now 21 and 14 years cancer-free. Victoria (Tori) Lee was the 10th pediatric patient to receive CAR-T at CHOP. Diagnosed at 5, she went through four years of chemo and radiation before receiving CAR-T in 2013. Now 13+ years cancer-free, she's a health policy student presenting at ACRP on the bioethics of CAR-T access. In Today's Episode: "We signed her out against medical advice — it saved her life"Only 20% of eligible patients get CAR-T — 80% don't"You're not sick enough yet" — when can patients get CAR-T?45,000 lives saved — from one patient to tens of thousandsUnder $50K, under a week — manufacturing is advancingTrials leaving the US — patients going to Italy, BeijingFighting insurance denials with AI"Emily is as famous as Taylor Swift to my daughter""It's hard to talk about the worst days of your life"Advice for parents and patients seeking cell therapy SHOW NOTES Tom Whitehead — Co-Founder, Emily Whitehead FoundationFather of Emily Whitehead, the first pediatric CAR-T patient. Author of "Praying for Emily." Emily Whitehead Foundation (Co-Founder)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-whitehead-08ba32102Victoria (Tori) Lee — CAR-T Survivor | Health Policy StudentThe 10th pediatric CAR-T patient at CHOP. 13+ years cancer-free. Emily Whitehead Foundation (Patient Advocate)Story: https://www.emilywhiteheadfoundation.org/patient-stories/tori-lee/Resources:Emily Whitehead Foundation: https://www.emilywhiteheadfoundation.org/CHOP Cancer Immunotherapy: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/cancer-immunotherapy-program"Praying for Emily" (Book): Free to patients and caregivers ✨ Support the Mission: The Emily Whitehead Foundation helps families find life-saving trials and advocates for wider access to cell and gene therapies.👉 Learn more or donate: https://www.emilywhiteheadfoundation.org/donate

    44 min

  3. APR 22

    I Had Bladder Cancer and Couldn't Find a Clinical Trial — I Run Patient Recruitment | Jim Kremidas & Elisa Cascade

    Jim Kremidas spent 24 years at Eli Lilly and started the industry's first Patient Recruitment Department. Then he got bladder cancer — and couldn't find a clinical trial using the tools he helped build. Elisa Cascade has 30+ years in clinical research technology. Former CPO at Science 37 and Advarra. Past Chair of ACRP. Built a 2.7 million patient community for direct-to-patient recruitment. In Today's Episode: "Impossible to find a study" — even for industry insidersIt took 6 people to connect Jim to a clinical trialClinicalTrials.gov is wrong 80% of the timeChatGPT is now recommending clinical trialsThe hidden barrier: patient compensation varies wildly"I fell into clinical research" — time to reframeWhy sites don't call patients back for 5 daysThe "Generations" study: how messaging changes everythingSHOW NOTES Jim Kremidas — Executive Director, AMRC35+ years in healthcare. 24 years at Eli Lilly. Former Executive Director of ACRP. Bladder cancer survivor. AMRC (Executive Director)ACRP (Former Executive Director)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkremidas/Elisa Cascade — Chief Growth Officer, TrialScreen30+ years in clinical research. Former CPO at Science 37 and Advarra. Past Chair, ACRP. Wharton MBA. TrialScreen (Chief Growth Officer, Head of Americas)ACRP (Past Chair, Fellow)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-cascade/Resources:AMRC: https://amrc.org/TrialScreen: https://www.trialscreen.org/CISCRP: https://www.ciscrp.org/

    43 min

  4. APR 15

    "Pharma Is Not Coming" — Patient Groups Are Now Drug Developers | Sunitha Malepati & Craig Lipset

    Sunitha Malepati is the Founder and CEO of the Buffalo Initiative. When her daughter was diagnosed with a rare neurogenetic condition, the doctor told them: "Go home and love your kid. There's nothing we can do." She refused to accept that answer. Craig Lipset is a clinical innovation leader, former Head of Clinical Innovation at Pfizer, and co-chairs the Decentralized Trials & Research Alliance. In Today's Episode: "Go home and love your kid" — what one doctor said after diagnosisWhy pharma can't — and won't — solve ultra-rare diseases7,000+ rare conditions with no treatments"Lemonade stands and bake sales" funding clinical trialsThe Buffalo Initiative: bundling and blending patient capitalCalifornia leading state-level rare disease investment"This IS an investable proposition"Advice for biotechs, patients, and pharmaSHOW NOTES Sunitha Malepati — Founder & CEO, Buffalo InitiativeAttorney turned rare disease advocate. Two-time Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grantee. Speaker at the White House Cell and Gene Therapy Forum. Buffalo Initiative (Founder & CEO)CACNA1A Foundation (Vice President)COMBINEDBrain (Governing Board)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunitha-malepati-5959952/Craig Lipset — Clinical Leader, Buffalo Initiative | Co-Chair, DTRA20+ years transforming drug development. Former Head of Clinical Innovation at Pfizer. Buffalo Initiative (Clinical Leader)Decentralized Trials & Research Alliance (Co-Chair)Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (VP, Board)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lipset/Resources:Buffalo Initiative: https://www.buffaloinitiative.org/DTRA: https://www.dtra.org/CACNA1A Foundation: https://www.cacna1a.org/

    38 min

  5. APR 8

    92% of His Bone Marrow Was Cancer — A Scientist's Leukemia Journey | Jesús Zurdo

    Jesús Zurdo is a scientist — molecular biology, drug discovery, manufacturing, company creation. Three and a half years ago, he was diagnosed with Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 92% of his bone marrow was cancer cells. His donor was a stranger in Florida. In Today's Episode: Diagnosed in one day — the UK systemNobody told me about brain fog — it stays for yearsFinding a donor: "He is my hero""40% of us in this room will not make it"You go in with one disease, come out with two"I don't like when people talk about cures"Lisa — same diagnosis, didn't make it, survivor's guilt"This is my purpose in life — in neon letters"Scientists don't understand healthcare — until they become patients

    54 min

  6. APR 1

    "I'm Lucky I Had the Network" — A Physician Becomes the Patient | Dr. Karla Loken

    Dr. Karla Loken is an OB-GYN who spent 20+ years in clinical practice before moving into industry. Three months ago, she was diagnosed with appendix cancer — 1 in 200,000. One month ago, she had major surgery. Now she's back to share what the system looks like from the other side. In Today's Episode: Why she went public with her cancerThe physician network that got her answers in hoursSurvivor guilt: "I'm lucky I had the network"Every patient is an N of one — there's no cookbookThe waiting is the worst partWhat industry can do: the light side of the dark side"Your brain is still valuable" — advice for physicians facing illnessAdvice for patients: bring someone, write it down, find a navigator

    51 min

  7. MAR 25

    Inside Pharma M&A: How Deals Get Done | Konstantina Katcheves & Daphne Karydas

    Konstantina Katcheves is Chief Business & Strategy Officer at Acadia Pharmaceuticals. Former SVP at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Led BMS through the Karuna Bio and RayzeBio acquisitions in a single month. Now at Acadia building rare disease capabilities. Daphne Karydas is President & CFO of Flare Therapeutics. Former CFO at Syndax, Head of Corporate Strategy at Allergan, and 15+ years on Wall Street. It took her 7 years to leave — she calls it "commitment phobia." In Today's Episode: Why the CBO and CFO must be locked armsThe ecosystem: large companies need small, small need largeHow long does it take? Years of relationship building before a dealYou need an internal champion — often multipleM&A is actually cleaner — partnerships are harder"Every deal is bespoke" — no cookie cutter dealsAdvice: grit, resiliency, and trusted advisors

    54 min

  8. MAR 18

    Why Men and Women Age Differently — And Why Investors Don't Get It | Fischer & Butts

    Jeff Fischer is Co-Founder and President of Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics — developing monoclonal antibodies that target chronic inflammation upstream, before it starts. Steve Butts is Co-Founder and CEO of Arrivo BioVentures. His lead drug for depression works in women but not men. Then investors asked: "Is there really a market for that?" In Today's Episode: Longevity isn't living to 120 — it's expanding healthspanSIRT6: DNA repair, mitochondria, glucose, inflammationChronic inflammation: the upstream trigger most biologics ignoreWhy estrogen levels affect gut permeability and inflammationThe depression drug that only works in females — and why that's a featureGLP-1s are tightening gut junctions — here's what that meansLongevity for the few vs. longevity for the many

    43 min
See All (14)

About

The healthcare system is broken. Open Door Salon is a place where patients can find an easier way to navigate treatment—and where those working within the system can come together to solve the problems they hear about every day. Change starts with conversation.

Information

  • Creator
    Open Door Salon
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Open Door Salon
  • Show Website
    Open Door Salon