Entrepreneur Rx

What does it take to build something that matters?Hosted by John Shufeldt, Entrepreneur Rx features conversations with founders, investors, executives, and innovators who are building the future. From entrepreneurship and venture capital to technology, healthcare, defense, and leadership, each episode explores the stories, challenges, and lessons behind creating impactful companies and driving meaningful change.Learn more at www.XcellerantVentures.com

Entrepreneur Rx is a business podcast hosted by John Shufeldt, with 98 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

John Shufeldt hosts Entrepreneur Rx, a business show with 98 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #15

  Jeffrey Fidelman: What Founders Get Wrong About Raising Capital

  Sep 15, 202622 minS2

  Why do so many founders struggle to raise capital when the basic fundraising playbook is already known? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Jeffrey Fidelman, Founder and Managing Partner of Fidelman & Company, to break down what actually works when raising capital, where founders go wrong, and why fundraising requires far more consistency and preparation than most entrepreneurs expect. Jeffrey shares how his experience in banking, venture capital, and working directly with early-stage companies exposed a major gap in the market: institutional fundraising is structured and systematic, while startup fundraising is often chaotic. That realization eventually led to Fidelman & Company’s Fundraise as a Service model, which gives founders and fund managers dedicated investor outreach infrastructure, data, and support without requiring them to build an internal investor relations team. Now, the firm is taking that methodology a step further with Fundex, a technology-enabled fundraising platform built from the CRM and investor database Fidelman & Company developed internally. Fundex is designed to make the firm’s investor intelligence and fundraising workflows more scalable and accessible to founders and fund managers managing the process themselves. Jeffrey even shares how he built the first version using AI-powered coding tools before bringing in developers to expand the platform. John and Jeffrey dig into some of the biggest mistakes founders make when pitching investors, from AI-generated decks they have not fully reviewed to unrealistic market assumptions, weak follow-up, and simply failing to ask for the investment. Jeffrey explains why founders should understand every number and claim in their deck, communicate consistently, personalize outreach, and treat fundraising like the full-time job it is. They also discuss how AI is raising the bar for early-stage companies, along with valuation, runway, how much capital founders should truly raise, and why Jeffrey generally prefers raising less capital more frequently over taking an unnecessarily large round. About Jeffrey Fidelman: Jeffrey Fidelman is the Founder and Managing Partner of Fidelman & Company, an investment bank founded in 2015 to support the fundraising and growth needs of early- to mid-stage companies and fund managers. His background spans Morgan Stanley, HSBC, early-stage venture investing, and work as an interim CFO and COO. A cum laude graduate of Harvard University, Jeffrey has helped companies navigate capital raises, acquisitions, business sales, and strategic growth initiatives. About Fidelman & Company: Fidelman & Company is a fully licensed investment bank with a team of approximately 40 people across the U.S. and Canada. Its Fundraise as a Service (FaaS) offering functions as outsourced investor relations, combining investor data, dedicated analysts, strategic support, and direct outreach on behalf of clients. The firm is also developing Fundex , a technology platform designed to bring its fundraising workflows, CRM, and investor intelligence to a broader group of founders and fund managers. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in innovative private companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Xcellerant offers multiple investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund ($5,000 minimum) and SPVs , while partnering with founders through capital, strategic guidance, and its broader network. About Pitch Deck Analysis: For founders getting ready to raise, Pitch Deck Analysis reviews your deck like an investor would, with scoring, feedback, and recommendations on what to improve before you pitch. Use code EntrepreneurRx for a free Founder Pack with five free runs.

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  Episode #14

  Casey Qadir: Building a Safer Standard for Surgery

  Sep 8, 202625 minS2

  What happens when a college student looks at a decades-old surgical tool and asks a simple question: why hasn’t anyone made this safer? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt reconnects with Casey Qadir, Co-founder and CEO of Hubly Surgical, several years after her first appearance to talk about how far the company has come, from an undergraduate idea to FDA-cleared technology being used in hospitals across the country. Casey started Hubly while studying neuroscience at Northwestern University after learning that emergency cranial access still relied on hand-crank drills without automatic stopping technology. Working with neurosurgeon Dr. Amit Ayer and CTO Tyler Panian, she co-developed the Hubly Auto-Stop Drill, designed to automatically stop after penetrating bone and help protect the brain beneath it. John and Casey revisit one of their earliest meetings, when John put his hand beneath a demonstration skull and drilled through it to see whether Hubly’s technology would stop. It did, helping turn a pitch meeting into an investment. Since then, Hubly has moved from early development to commercialization while expanding beyond cranial access. Casey shares how feedback from neurosurgeon customers led the company into spine surgery, resulting in FDA clearance for laminectomy and laminotomy procedures, and why clinician feedback continues to shape what comes next. The conversation also gets into the realities of building a medical device company: raising the first million dollars during COVID, finding physician champions, selling into hospitals, challenging the status quo, and staying confident when investors insist that if an idea were really that obvious, someone else would have done it already. Casey also shares what she has learned about balancing conviction with humility. About Casey Qadir: Casey Qadir is the Co-founder, CEO, and co-inventor behind Hubly Surgical. She started Hubly while studying neuroscience at Northwestern University and has since led the company from a classroom concept through two FDA clearances, nationwide commercialization, and use in thousands of patients across the United States. Casey holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in computational mathematics from Johns Hopkins University. She was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare list for 2026 and serves as an entrepreneur-in-residence and advisory board member at Northwestern’s Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. About Hubly Surgical: Hubly Surgical is a medical device company committed to making surgery safe. Its flagship product, the single-use, cordless Hubly Auto-Stop Drill, combines automatic breakthrough detection, mechanical plunge prevention, and real-time force indication to give clinicians greater control during high-stakes procedures. Initially developed for cranial access in the Neuro ICU, the platform now has FDA-cleared applications in both cranial access and spinal decompression procedures, including laminectomy and laminotomy. Since its commercial launch in 2024, Hubly Drills have been used to save thousands of patient lives nationwide. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Xcellerant partners with founders to provide capital, strategic guidance, and support as they build and scale their companies. Learn about their newest fund, Jetstream Venture Fund , and its $5,000 minimum. About Deal Titan: Deal Titan is an AI-powered platform that helps investors evaluate early-stage companies faster by turning pitch decks into structured diligence reports covering the market, team, financials, competition, and key risks. Use code EntrepreneurRx for a free solo membership, including 10 full analysis reports.

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  Episode #13

  Daniel Oliver: The Science of Reversing Age-Related Disease

  Sep 1, 202627 minS2

  What if we could reverse the damage caused by age-related disease instead of simply managing its symptoms? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Daniel Oliver, CEO and Co-founder of Rejuvenate Bio, a Jetstream Venture Fund portfolio company, to explore the science behind age-related disease, the potential of gene therapy, and what it takes to turn groundbreaking research into treatments for both animal and human health. This success has lead to one of the leading crowdfunding equity campaigns . Rejuvenate Bio grew out of George Church’s lab at Harvard Medical School, where research into the biology of aging opened the door to a bigger question: instead of treating age-related diseases one at a time, could we target the underlying changes that drive them? Daniel explains the company’s work across heart failure, kidney failure, metabolic dysfunction, and epigenetic reprogramming. Daniel and John also dig into Rejuvenate Bio’s strategy of developing therapies for both companion animals and humans. Its most advanced program is targeting mitral valve disease in dogs, while its human program moves toward clinical development. Daniel explains why dogs can be a powerful model for age-related disease and how animal health may provide a faster path for translating aging science into real-world therapies. Beyond the science, Daniel shares his unconventional journey from mechanical engineering and aerospace to Harvard Business School, entrepreneurship, and biotech. He and John discuss why breakthrough ideas often emerge at the intersection of different disciplines, and they get candid about the pressure of startup life and why the “never sleep, always hustle” mentality can make founders worse leaders. About Daniel Oliver: Daniel Oliver is Co-founder and CEO of Rejuvenate Bio, a spinout of George Church’s Lab at Harvard Medical School focused on targeting the drivers of age-related disease through novel gene therapies. Prior to Rejuvenate Bio, Daniel was awarded a Blavatnik Fellowship, during which he co-founded Voxel8. Voxel8 was named one of the top innovations at CES and one of the 50 most innovative companies by MIT Technology Review. Daniel received his MBA from Harvard Business School and holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Business from the California Institute of Technology. About Rejuvenate Bio: Rejuvenate Bio is a George Church spinout with backing from Merck and leading VCs developing one-time gene therapies that target the root causes of age-related disease, beginning in companion animals and expanding to humans. The company was the first to demonstrate lifespan extension using epigenetic reprogramming and is advancing a breakthrough cardiovascular platform built around a single-dose therapy that restores youthful levels of a critical age-declining soluble protein. Preclinical data show reversal of heart damage and durable metabolic reset, positioning the program as a potential long-term alternative to chronic therapies such as GLP-1s. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant is a venture capital firm investing in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. About Jetstream Venture Fund: Jetstream is an interval fund that provides investors access to venture opportunities across multiple stages, with a $5,000 minimum and no carried interest. Disclosure for Jetstream: Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing jetstream@sweaterfunds.com or by visiting www.jvf.vc . Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. About Pitch Deck Analysis: Pitch Deck Analysis reviews your deck like an investor would, with scoring, feedback, and recommendations on what to improve before you pitch. Use code EntrepreneurRx for a free Founder Pack with five free runs.

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  Episode #12

  Annie Collins: Rethinking the Economics of Cell and Gene Therapy

  Aug 26, 202632 minS2

  What happens when life-changing therapies cost millions of dollars, but the healthcare system was never built to manage them? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Annie Collins, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Aradigm, to discuss her journey from healthcare consulting and venture capital to building a company tackling one of the most complicated challenges in modern medicine. Annie shares how her early interest in medicine led her from pre-med studies to Bain & Company and eventually to Andreessen Horowitz, where she invested in early-stage healthcare and life science companies. While at a16z, she became increasingly focused on the disconnect between groundbreaking therapies and the healthcare system’s ability to sustainably pay for and deliver them. Eventually, Annie and her co-founders stopped looking for a company solving the problem and decided to build one themselves. The conversation explores the complex world of cell and gene therapies, where a single treatment can cost hundreds of thousands to more than $4 million. Annie explains how Aradigm works across payers, providers, manufacturers, and patients to create a more predictable and sustainable model while helping patients navigate an incredibly complicated treatment journey. John and Annie also discuss what it was like to leave one of the world’s leading venture capital firms to become a founder, why entrepreneurship turned out to be even harder than she expected, and what she has learned moving from evaluating companies to actually building one. They also talk about persistence in venture capital, female founders and leadership, and why having other founders and mentors to lean on matters when the startup journey gets lonely. About Annie Collins: Annie Collins is a Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Aradigm, where she oversees launches of new programs, the success of existing customers, and operational execution of Aradigm's program. She began her career at Bain & Company as a strategy consultant for large healthcare and life science companies before joining Andreessen Horowitz as an investment partner focused on early-stage healthcare and life science companies. While there, she was introduced to the commercial complexities posed by high-cost drugs like cell and gene therapies and the largely unsolved challenge of managing those therapies on the medical benefit. That experience ultimately led her and Will Shrank to leave a16z and start Aradigm alongside Spencer Carrucciu. About Aradigm: Aradigm is an incentive-aligned, cost-plus platform managing the financial and clinical complexities of cell and gene therapies (CGTs). Our mission is to create sustainable, affordable access to life-saving medicines through a novel financial and delivery model that brings together every stakeholder — payers, providers, manufacturers, and, most importantly, patients. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund, Xcellerant partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. About Deal Titan: This week's episode is brought to you by Deal Titan . Deal Titan is an AI-powered platform that helps investors evaluate early-stage companies faster by turning pitch decks into structured diligence reports covering the market, team, financials, competition, and key risks. Use code EntrepreneurRx for a free solo membership, including 10 full analysis reports.

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  Episode #11

  Josh Hanson: Detecting Peripheral Artery Disease Earlier with ImageAiD

  Aug 18, 202630 minS2

  What if vascular disease could be detected years earlier, before patients face the most serious consequences? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Josh Hanson, founder and CEO of ImageAiD, a Jetstream Venture Fund portfolio company, to discuss his path from biomedical engineering student to healthcare entrepreneur. Josh shares how growing up in Rochester, Minnesota, surrounded by Mayo Clinic and a culture of healthcare innovation, shaped his desire to build technology that could help save lives. The conversation explores the problem ImageAiD is working to solve: diagnosing peripheral artery disease, or PAD, earlier and at scale. Josh explains how ImageAiD combines handheld Doppler ultrasound, cloud-based software, and AI to help clinicians capture and analyze blood flow waveforms in minutes, reduce diagnostic variability, and identify vascular disease risk earlier. John and Josh also discuss Mayo Clinic mentors, ASU’s Biodesign training, building for all healthcare stakeholders, and turning peer-reviewed research into a platform that can reach patients. Beyond the technology, the episode covers entrepreneurship at a young age, imposter syndrome, humility, mentorship, and the courage to simply start. About Josh Hanson: Josh Hanson is a biomedical engineer, entrepreneur, and founder focused on advancing cardiovascular diagnostics through medical technology and AI. As founder and CEO of ImageAiD, he is leading the development of an AI ultrasound platform designed to improve early detection of peripheral artery disease and broader cardiovascular risk. His work has been shaped by experience at Mayo Clinic’s Gonda Vascular Center, ASU’s biomedical engineering program, and the Mayo Clinic and ASU Alliance for Health Care’s IMPACT Program, where he trained in the Biodesign process. About ImageAiD: ImageAiD is a medical technology company developing a handheld Doppler ultrasound platform that combines portable hardware, cloud-based software, and AI to make vascular disease easier to detect before it causes life-altering complications. The platform is designed to capture and analyze blood flow waveforms in minutes, helping clinicians identify signs of peripheral artery disease and better understand a patient’s risk of serious cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, strokes, and amputations. Initially focused on PAD, ImageAiD aims to make vascular diagnostics faster, more consistent, and more accessible in settings where traditional vascular testing may not be available. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, including the Jetstream Venture Fund, Xcellerant partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. About Jetstream Venture Fund: Jetstream Venture Fund is an interval fund managed by Xcellerant Ventures, that seeks to provide investors access to early-stage, high-growth companies with flexible terms, lower minimums ($5,000 minimum), and no carried interest. Jetstream is one of the first funds of its kind, bringing venture-style investing opportunities to a wider professional audience. Disclosure for Jetstream: Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing jetstream@sweaterfunds.com or by visiting www.jvf.vc . Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

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