Ferolyn Fellowship

“You need to create a record of success. Know what you are worth, and don’t doubt it.” – Ferolyn T. Powell, 1962-2015

As a tribute to Ferolyn Powell’s invaluable contributions to the medical device industry and to the lives of all she knew, we are honored to host the Ferolyn Fund, which was established by her friends and family to benefit innovators who exemplify her spirit, with an emphasis on female entrepreneurs with strong leadership skills who embody her core values.

Ferolyn was best known as President and CEO of Evalve, a medical device company that was founded in 1999. At Evalve, she spearheaded the development and commercialization of MitraClip, a breakthrough technology that repairs leaky heart valves of patients with mitral regurgitation, a debilitating heart condition, without open-heart surgery. One of a handful of women CEOs in her field, she was generous with her time, mentoring young entrepreneurs via the Stanford Biodesign Program and here at Fogarty Institute for Innovation, where she was chair of our company-in-residence Prescient Surgical.

We have created an Advisory Board to oversee the direction of the Fund and select the awardees to receive support. Applicants come from our incubators, the Stanford Biodesign Program and the biotech industry at large.

We hope you will donate to the Ferolyn Fund, helping ensure her legacy and spirit live on, and more women have the opportunity and confidence to take on leadership roles and make a lasting impact in the medical technology field.

Please search our Blog for stories about the Ferolyn Fellows who have successfully graduated from the program.