Eric M Stone

Eric M Stone

20-year entrepreneur and social sector change agent with passion for starting and leading growth organizations across healthcare and technology. Advisor, investor and board member to multiple upstarts.

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmstone1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/velanovascular
San Francisco, California, United States
Member since May 07, 2019
  • About
Investor interests
Locations of interest
Credentials None
Education
1999 University of Pennsylvania , BA
2003 Harvard University EdM, Human Development & Leadership
2007 The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania , MBA , Healthcare Management
I am a(n):

Entrepreneur and patient advocate

Companies I work or worked for:
Abbott Labs, Velano Vascular, Molecular Health, Model N, Trilogy
Achievements (products built, personal awards won):

Fast Company Most Innovative Biotech Companies 2019
Gold Edison Award Recipient 2018
MedTech Breakthrough Award 2018
FierceMedTech Fierce 15 2017
ABBY Award 2017

If you're an entrepreneur or corporate innovator, why?

The world needs changing, and change requires passionate, mission-oriented change agents!

My favorite startups:

Calm,

Why did you start your company or why do you want to innovate inside your company?

I'm a chronic patient, afraid of needles (trypanophobic), and I don't want my children to experience the same pain I had to experience as a pediatric hospital patient. I met a brilliant inventor, physician and fellow entrepreneur and it was clear at the first discussion that he had developed an innovation that would change the face of medicine. I had to be a part of it!

What's most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?

Innovating in healthcare is not for the faint of heart - it is an industry that is slow to change, loathe to innovate, and suspect of "outsiders". At the same time, successfully affecting change is unbelievably rewarding, as we get to see daily the impact of our entrepreneurial endeavors on the very patients, their family members and caregivers who we touch with our pioneering technologies.

What's the No. 1 mistake entrepreneurs/innovators make?

Being overly ambitious about time and timelines. It always takes longer (and more money) than you initially expect!

What are the top three lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur?

1) Don't give up in the face of naysayers
2) People are a company's #1 asset (not products)
3) Not all investors, customers, and partners are created equal

Full bio

Eric M. Stone is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Velano Vascular (www.velanovascular.com) A patient advocate since his diagnosis with Crohn’s Disease at the age of fourteen and a serial healthcare entrepreneur, Stone is a National Trustee of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. Prior to Velano, he served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Molecular Health, and earlier in his career launched a series of pioneering interventional cardiology devices for Abbott while based in Brussels, Belgium and California.

Stone was a founding member of Model Nʼs (NYSE: MODN) Life Sciences division, where he led marketing and business development for the global revenue management software firm. Stone began his career in Marketing with Trilogy Software, and has since co-founded social sector programs at Harvard and Wharton. He served for a decade on Harvard Universityʼs Alumni Association (HAA) Board of Directors. Stone is an investor in and has been a board member and Advisor to multiple early stage companies.

He received an MBA in Health Care Management from The Wharton School, a Masterʼs from Harvard University, and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Stone lives with his wife and two children in San Francisco, California.