In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with Jahnavi Lokre, Chief Operating Officer at Diality, a Series B medical device company focused on transforming kidney care.

Jahnavi shares her 25+ year journey from growing up in India in a science-driven household to building a career across software engineering, regulated industries, and executive leadership in MedTech. With experience spanning transportation systems, contract manufacturing, and product ownership at both large organizations and startups, she offers a rare, cross-industry perspective on what it truly takes to build and scale high-performing teams.

Listeners will gain practical insight into:

• How transferable skills from highly regulated industries can unlock MedTech leadership opportunities
• Why stepping up before you feel “ready” is often the catalyst for executive growth
• The mindset shifts required to move from engineering into senior leadership
• Hiring lessons learned the hard way, including when to act quickly on a mis-hire
• How strong leaders balance trust, accountability, and execution
• Why bold thinking, persistence, and values-driven leadership matter in fast-moving startups

Jahnavi also discusses Diality’s mission to improve outcomes and reduce costs in dialysis care, the realities of innovating in an under-evolved market, and what excites her most about the future of kidney disease treatment.

This episode is packed with candid leadership lessons, career-defining insights, and actionable advice for engineers, operators, and aspiring executives looking to grow their impact in MedTech and beyond.

In this episode, Mitch sits down with Travis Christman, a respected operations, regulatory, and quality leader in the orthopedic manufacturing world. Travis has spent his career across Zimmer, Medartis, Nextremity, and now Priority Medical, an end-to-end engineering services organization operating from the orthopedic capital of the world — Warsaw, Indiana.

Travis shares details on a major industry event launching December 18th: The “Made Here” Manufacturing Showcase — a first-of-its-kind, hands-on demonstration of the full orthopedic supply chain ecosystem that exists in northern Indiana.

You'll hear:

• Why Warsaw remains the global epicenter of orthopedic innovation
• What OEMs don’t see — but need to know — about today’s supply chain pressures
• How contract manufacturers can accelerate lead times, nearshoring, and production readiness
• Where the biggest growth trends are emerging (AI, robotics, navigation, additive, pre-op planning, and more)
• How Priority Medical is serving as a connector across surgeons, OEMs, contract manufacturers, and local talent

This is a must-listen if you’re involved in: orthopedic product development, contract manufacturing, supply chain, engineering services, regulatory/quality, or OEM commercialization planning.

Guest Bio — Who is Travis Christman?

• Operations & Quality Leader at Priority Medical
• Former leader at Zimmer, Medartis, and Nextremity Solutions
• U.S. Army National Guard Captain (10+ years of service)
• Board member at KEDCO (Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation)
• Deep expertise in engineering services, supply chain partnerships, regulatory/quality systems, and commercialization for orthopedic products

What We Cover

• The vision behind the Made Here Manufacturing Showcase
• Why OEMs are struggling with today’s longer lead times
• How Warsaw’s supply chain ecosystem drives speed, cost, and quality
• Nearshoring trends and why U.S. manufacturing is surging
• The rise of robotics, navigation, pre-op planning, and AI in orthopedics
• What contract manufacturers must do to stay competitive
• The new economy emerging around CDMOs and orthopedic innovation hubs
• How Priority Medical is helping OEMs innovate faster and more efficiently

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with Jim Belmonte, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at Cirtec Medical, who brings more than 25 years of experience in recruiting and TA leadership. Jim shares his journey from agency recruiter to leading internal talent acquisition teams at organizations like Cardiovascular Systems (later acquired by Abbott) and now in the fast-paced world of contract manufacturing.

Together, Mitch and Jim explore:

✅ How chance encounters and curiosity can launch lifelong careers in recruiting

✅ The evolution of talent acquisition from faxed resumes to AI-driven tools—and why the fundamentals haven’t changed

✅ The impact (and pitfalls) of candidates relying too heavily on AI for resumes, cover letters, and even interviews

✅ Why authentic human connection and probing conversations still set great recruiters apart ✅ The importance of intake meetings, setting expectations with hiring managers, and creating safe space for recruiters to push back

✅ What junior recruiters should develop if they aspire to lead TA teams

✅ How talent acquisition shapes company culture more than most realize

Jim also gives an inside look at why he’s energized by the contract manufacturing space and the exciting opportunities at Cirtec Medical, where innovation and growth are constant.

Whether you’re a recruiter, TA leader, hiring manager, or candidate navigating today’s job market, this conversation offers sharp insights into the realities, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of talent acquisition.

Jim Belmonte on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbelmonte/

Cirtec Medical on the web:

https://www.cirtecmed.com/

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, I sat down with Caleb Polley, founder & CEO of Cubby Beds, to talk about how he's bringing empathy and engineering together to create safer, smarter sleep solutions for kids with special needs.

We covered:

• The personal journey that sparked the Cubby Beds mission
• How to build products that truly serve underrepresented populations
• Balancing speed, scale, and regulatory rigor as a MedTech startup
• What it means to lead with empathy and how it shapes hiring and culture
• Key lessons for any founder building mission-first, market-ready solutions

If you're a founder, product leader, or operator in MedTech (or beyond) looking for perspective on how to build with both precision and purpose Caleb delivers the blueprint.

Caleb Polley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebpolley/

Cubby Beds on the web: https://cubbybeds.com/

In this episode we sit down with Adam Foresman, co-founder and CEO of Ryden.ai, a groundbreaking startup that’s redefining how MedTech companies approach compliance.

After nearly two decades in quality and regulatory leadership—including roles at Dentsply, Midmark, and Vidya Health—Adam saw firsthand how overwhelming it had become to stay audit-ready across constantly shifting global regulations. So he built the tool he wished he had.

Ryden.ai leverages AI to continuously scan a company’s QMS, identify compliance gaps, and recommend updates based on global regulatory standards (FDA, ISO, EUMDR, Health Canada, and more). And it doesn’t stop there—it’s expanding to assess records, not just procedures, ensuring companies can demonstrate execution, not just intention.

In this conversation, Adam shares:

Why AI won’t replace quality pros—but will make their jobs a lot easier

The biggest concerns companies have about using AI in GxP environments (and how Ryden addresses them)

What the FDA’s own shift to AI tools means for regulatory strategy

How both startups and enterprise MedTech teams are using Ryden to stay ahead

A real-world win preparing a company for Health Canada with zero major findings

Whether you're a startup with limited resources or an enterprise with global sites to manage, Adam makes a compelling case: AI won’t take your job—but it might save your sanity.

Adam Foresman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamforesman/

Ryden.ai on the web: ryden.ai

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, we sit down with Eric Steuben, Senior Vice President of Operations at Calyxo, a fast-growing company disrupting the treatment of kidney stones with its proprietary C-VAC system.

Eric brings over 30 years of experience in MedTech, having held leadership roles at Varian, Align Technology, Procept BioRobotics, and more. He shares his journey from early career rotations in engineering to scaling operations from 13 employees to over 1,500 across five countries.

Together, Mitch and Eric dive into:

• How a strong foundation in people and culture shaped Eric’s leadership approach
• The leap from individual contributor to first-time manager—and how to get it right
• Lessons from scaling Align Technology during its hypergrowth phase
• Why he believes no one should stay in a role longer than 3–4 years
• How to hire for where you’re going, not just what you need today
• The critical role of mentorship and choosing the right people to follow
• What makes Calyxo’s stone removal technology a potential game-changer in urology

Whether you're building a team, scaling a startup, or aiming for executive leadership, Eric’s wisdom and experience offer valuable insights for professionals across the MedTech ecosystem.

Eric Steuben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esteuben/

Calyxo on the web: calyxoinc.com

In this episode, we sit down with Gary Thomas, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Product Development at Onkos Surgical, a company delivering breakthrough innovations for musculoskeletal oncology. With over 30 years of experience in MedTech—much of it in the ortho-spine space—Gary shares his remarkable leadership journey, beginning in aerospace and culminating in the fight against cancer-related infections.

We cover:

• How discipline, fitness, and early morning rituals drive high performance
• His transition from aerospace into MedTech—and why he still recruits from that world
• Lessons from launching high-stakes products under pressure
• The moment his career accelerated and the mindset that got him there
• The key differences between directors and VPs—and why some don’t make the leap
• How he evaluates leadership potential in technical professionals
• Why culture isn’t just a buzzword—and how high-performing teams self-correct
• What makes Onkos Surgical’s NanoSap™ technology a game-changer for infection prevention

Gary’s practical insights on leadership, talent development, and execution make this a can’t-miss episode for anyone aspiring to lead at the highest levels in MedTech.

Gary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-thomas-00a8a533/

Onkos Surgical on the web: https://onkossurgical.com/

In this episode, host Mitch Robbins welcomes Terry Van Epps, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Sirtex Medical, a commercial-stage medtech company focused on minimally invasive cancer therapies. With over 20 years of experience leading talent acquisition efforts at global organizations—including Xerox, Bausch & Lomb, Panasonic, and growth-stage biotech firms—Terry brings a grounded, systems-minded approach to transforming hiring functions from the inside out.

Terry shares how he approached his first months at Sirtex, where he discovered $1.3M in unchecked agency spend despite having an internal TA team—and what he did next to fix it.

They also unpack:

• How Terry rebuilt credibility with hiring managers who had gone rogue
• His clear criteria for choosing (and keeping) agency partners
• How Sirtex slashed agency fees by 90% in 2 years without slowing down hiring
• Why the best TA leaders still “work the desk”—and what that teaches
• A grounded take on AI in recruiting—what’s hype, what’s helpful

Plus, his take on the one thing too many teams still overlook: tune in to find out!.

Whether you lead a TA function or support one, this episode is packed with takeaways on how to be a better partner, a smarter operator, and a more trusted hiring voice.