How did VentureWell contribute to your leadership development and your professional trajectory?
VentureWell helped me strengthen my strategic leadership skills and see my work not only from a scientific perspective, but also from the perspective of its real impact on patients and communities. The experience gave me more confidence to lead multidisciplinary teams and communicate a clear vision to investors and partners.
What’s a key learning or takeaway from the VentureWell program you participated in, and how did it impact your journey?
The most valuable lesson was understanding the importance of actively listening to end users and strategic partners from the early stages. This approach, focused on real needs, allowed me to guide product development and business decisions with greater clarity, accelerating our ability to validate the product clinically and attract partners.
What’s the biggest change or milestone your institution or venture has experienced since participating in VentureWell programming?
Since our participation, Samay has gone from an initial prototype to third-generation hardware and clinical validations with more than 450 patients, secured strategic agreements with a pharmaceutical company and an insurance company, and secured more than $6.7 million in dilutive, non-dilutive, and strategic capital.
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at the start of your journey?
I would say that resilience is just as important as innovation: Every obstacle—regulatory, financial, or technical—is a learning opportunity, and trusting your team and asking for support early on makes all the difference.
Read more about Maria’s innovation journey.