The entrepreneurial journey is rarely straightforward—it’s unpredictable, challenging, collaborative, risky, transformative, and often deeply personal. VentureWell Voices takes you inside the journeys of science- and tech-driven entrepreneurs, sharing stories and insights straight from the founders themselves.
Hosted by Christina Tamer, VentureWell’s vice president of Ventures, each episode delivers candid stories, lessons learned, practical advice, and inspiration for anyone passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
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The Latest Episodes
Episode 4: Making the Impossible Plausible: How Reamonn Soto Built Sensatek
Featuring: Reamonn Soto, Co-Founder and CEO of Sensatek Propulsion Technology, Inc.
From a childhood fascination with jet engines to leading a company that builds contact-free monitoring technologies for machines operating in extreme conditions, Reamonn Soto’s founder journey defies the usual playbook.
A dad, Marine veteran, and self-described unlikely college graduate, Reamonn co-founded Sensatek to create sensors that can survive and thrive in environments where almost nothing else can. Along the way, he’s worked with some of the biggest names in energy and aerospace, including NASA, GE, the U.S. Air Force, Duke Energy, and Siemens.
In this episode, Reamonn shares why going the extra mile to identify market opportunities matters, how to walk the fine line between relentless and reckless, and what it takes to stay attuned to customer needs in fast-changing industries. (Read transcript.)
Episode 3: Engineering a Better Harvest: Adam Stager’s Pivot from Defense Tech to Clean Agriculture
Featuring: Adam Stager, co-founder and CEO of TRIC Robotics
What if building a startup isn’t just about having a good idea, but about finding your place in the market? Adam Stager began his entrepreneurial journey designing robotic technology for the defense industry. But through customer discovery, he realized the same technology could have a powerful, lasting application in agriculture.
Today, TRIC Robotics is helping farmers reduce pesticide use and boost yields with robotic automation and UV-light treatments. The company has grown from golf cart–sized prototypes to tractor-scale robots and recently closed a $5.5 million seed round to accelerate its work in agtech.
In this episode, Adam reflects on how early customer discovery through National Science Foundation I-Corps™ pushed him to rethink his original market, the partnerships that opened doors to early sales, and what it truly takes to scale a hardtech startup while staying grounded in real-world needs. (Read transcript.)
Episode 2: The Science of Sight: Katie Solley and the Quest to Reverse Blindness
Featuring: Katie Solley, co-founder and CEO of Eyedea Medical
While 95% of corneal illnesses are either preventable or treatable, millions of people around the world are still waiting for a corneal transplant. After identifying a major gap in the corneal donation process, Katie Solley and her team at Eyedea Medical set out to make corneal surgery more accessible and efficient worldwide.
In this episode, Katie shares her journey from concept to commercialization, offering valuable lessons for early-stage founders pursuing high-impact innovation. You’ll hear how the Eyedea team collaborated with eye bank technicians to refine their device, scaled their business using only non-dilutive funding, and leveraged customer discovery to unlock their market—plus insights on stress-testing products and staying resilient through the startup grind. (Read transcript.)
Episode 1: From Parking Lot Prototype to Clean-Tech Production: Micah Ulrich’s Startup Journey
Featuring: Micah Ulrich, founder and CEO of Flux Hybrids
From a $30,000 parking-lot prototype to a 5,000-square-foot manufacturing facility generating over a million dollars in annual revenue, Micah Ulrich knows a thing or two about launching a venture. FluxHybrids develops plug-in hybrid conversion kits that allow gas or diesel vehicles to run on electricity when available, reducing fuel use and emissions.
In this episode, Micah shares his entrepreneurial journey and offers insights for startup founders looking to make a breakthrough. You’ll hear how Flux Hybrids identified its ideal market and value proposition, overcame early-stage setbacks, navigated impostor syndrome, and more. (Read transcript.)