What We Do: Educate
We believe innovation is a discipline that can be taught and honed.
We accelerate the process by providing a real-world living laboratory where innovators from around the globe receive the immersive, collaborative training that allows them to thrive.
We offer the following educational programming tailored to our diverse constituents:
For entrepreneurs and their teams
We provide lifelong learning opportunities for participants and alumni of our programs through a comprehensive educational curriculum. While they are in residence with us, teams in our incubator and accelerator programs are assigned dedicated on-staff mentors to help them understand the requirements for developing a company from a concept. Mentors direct new CEOs to internal and external resources aimed at advancing their professional growth and leadership skills. Fogarty staff has the expertise to represent all the C-suite disciplines within a medtech company, so entrepreneurial teams are offered immersive and hands-on education in key business areas.
To complement the instruction from its on-staff professionals, Fogarty Innovation also invites external experts to engage in topics of critical interest. These programs stimulate interaction and dialogue in an intimate setting, creating lifelong connections for our innovators with top names in the industry.
Some examples of themes and key considerations for a successful startup that have been delivered in workshop and short course formats by staff, industry veterans and experts include:
Fundraising
Intellectual property
Team and
organizational development
Leadership
Product development
Quality systems
Health economics
and reimbursement
Clinical evidence development
Regulatory affairs
Commercialization
strategies
Our entrepreneurs are not only given access to educational programs at Fogarty Innovation, they may also attend programs at El Camino Health and Stanford Biodesign, as well as industry symposia and events. More importantly, they also learn from each other in our purposefully designed living laboratory environment, which encourages peer-to-peer discovery and interaction. We introduce them to our alumni and other teachers within the Fogarty network and expose them directly to government regulators through our one-of-a-kind fellowship program with the FDA.
Learn more about our Company-in-Residence, Company Accelerator, and Invention Accelerator programs.
For the medtech community
We periodically extend our educational opportunities more widely to members of the medtech community, including entrepreneurs and alumni of other incubators, investors and additional allies, because we believe that patients and the industry benefit when we inform and improve the entire ecosystem.
Some of our medtech community educational programming partners include:
Ferolyn Fellowship
Founded in tribute to Ferolyn Powell, a dynamic leader in the medtech startup world, the program supports rising leaders with a strong passion and aptitude to transform healthcare. Participants undergo an immersive 10-month program of customized mentoring designed to accelerate their careers and nurture leaders who will drive the next wave of medtech innovation. Fogarty Innovation plays an important role in helping to administer the Ferolyn Fellowship, and Fellows have access to all Fogarty educational programming and regular progress reviews by Fogarty staff.
Ferolyn Fellows are nominated to the program by sponsors who seek to remain true to the spirit of Ferolyn Powell.
Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign Summer Extension Program
Stanford Biodesign fellows who are awarded a Summer Extension grant by Stanford Biodesign are assigned Fogarty staff mentors for the summer months. During this time, they may also use the facility to further advance their concepts and business plans. Successful companies may then be invited to apply as Companies-in-Residence (CIRs).
For students
Since we believe in learning by doing, we help expand young minds by offering summer internships for college and high school students who may be interested in the business or technical aspects of medtech or who simply want to gain a better understanding of the healthcare industry.
Lefteroff Internship for college students
This hands-on program offers college students from around the world an opportunity to get involved in all facets of innovation in healthcare. Lefteroff Interns work directly with Fogarty Innovation startup companies and staff, shadow physicians and watch procedures at El Camino Hospital, participate in educational seminars and meet with seasoned industry leaders. These diverse experiences help students learn what it takes to develop a medical technology and bring it into patient care. Interns also build a professional network and leave with a practical understanding of the many career options within the healthcare industry.
Fogarty’s summer internship program honors the late Tracy Lefteroff’s spirit and passion to support entrepreneurs in medical technology and the life sciences.
Stanford University high school summer program
Since summer 2021, Fogarty Innovation has been involved in Stanford University’s Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes, enriching the curriculum and teaching in the Surgical Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship course for grades 9-11. Focused on medical innovation, the course draws from clinical medicine, engineering design, and business principle, and culminates with a “shark tank” event in which students develop and pitch their own innovation.