Too often we define the Medtech sector by the number of dollars raised, IPOs helped or companies sold. But the focus neglects the very foundation of the sector: the people. Join the Medtech Talk Podcast each month to hear from entrepreneurs, investors and executives who spend their days developing the tools that make sick people well and health care more efficient.
How do you approach growing and investing? Quentin Blackford, president and CEO of iRhythm Technologies, joins Medtech Talk host Justin Klein to discuss how he took his company beyond traditional monitoring and expanded into the primary care setting, even though many traditional medical device companies don’t have much success in primary care. Blackford shares advice on how to develop expertise and comfort in approaching and embracing technology investment (particularly with AI), as well as his thoughts on how the medtech ecosystem is currently approaching the learning curve and tech adoption.
GUEST BIO
Quentin Blackford, President & CEO, iRhythm Technologies
Quentin Blackford is president and chief executive officer of iRhythm Technologies, a digital healthcare company that combines wearable biosensors with cloud-based, AI-powered analytics to deliver clinically actionable insights at scale. Under his leadership, iRhythm has been recognized as one of TIME’s World’s Top HealthTech Companies in 2025 and named to Bloomberg Businessweek’s 50 Companies to Watch in 2026. Quentin has more than 25 years of leadership experience across the medtech sector, including senior executive roles at Dexcom, where he served as chief operating officer, as well as NuVasive and Zimmer. He serves on the boards of Alphatec Holdings and the Medical Device Manufacturers Association. Quentin holds dual bachelor’s degrees in accounting and business administration from Grace College.
HOST BIO
Justin Klein, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Vensana Capital
Justin Klein, MD, JD, is a co-founder and managing partner at Vensana Capital, a leading venture capital and growth equity firm dedicated to medtech innovation. Justin was previously a partner and leader of the medical technology investing practice at NEA, one of the largest and most active venture capital firms in the world. Justin also worked at the Duke University Health System where his experience included roles in strategy, finance and operations as Duke built one of the nation’s first integrated healthcare delivery systems. Justin currently or previously served on the board of directors of Apella, Cartiva (acquired), ChromaCode, Cleerly, Curate Biosciences, CV Ingenuity (acquired), Epix Therapeutics (acquired), FIRE1, Intact Vascular (acquired), Metavention, Personal Genome Diagnostics (acquired), PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals (IPO), Plexium, Relievant Medsystems (acquired), Senseonics (IPO), Topera (acquired), Ulthera (acquired), Vertiflex (acquired), Vesper Medical (acquired), and VytronUS (acquired). Justin currently serves as a member of the board of directors of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association and that of AdvaMed Accel, where he is the chair of its MedTech Investment Working Group. Justin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics, a bachelor’s degree in biological anthropology and anatomy, and a minor in chemistry from Duke University. He also concurrently earned his master’s degree from the Duke University School of Medicine and his juris doctor from Harvard Law School.
TRANSCRIPT
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