Health Tech: Peter vonDyck Of PERSOWN On How Their Technology Can Make An Important Impact On Our Overall Wellness

An Interview With David Leichner

Exclusive Selling Partner Agreements: When engaging with exclusive selling partners, it’s imperative to include anti-shelving provisions in agreements. This ensures that partners cannot simply license and shelve (or bury) a new product you worked so hard to make, preventing unforeseen scenarios where innovative technology might be stifled.

In recent years, Big Tech has gotten a bad rep. But of course many tech companies are doing important work making monumental positive changes to society, health, and the environment. To highlight these, we started a new interview series about “Technology Making An Important Positive Social Impact”. We are interviewing leaders of tech companies who are creating or have created a tech product that is helping to make a positive change in people’s lives or the environment. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Peter vonDyck.

Peter vonDyck founded, funded and led as CEO two high tech start-ups. He is a serial technology CEO with deep experience in innovation and in the development and global commercialization of complex life science and digital technologies. He’s had the honor to lead the development and marketing of several new technologies.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?

I hail from a lineage of German immigrants who set foot in the vibrant city of Miami just a couple of years before my entrance into the world in 1969 where I was born many months prematurely. Hence, I always joked and told people I was raised in a fish tank with only a mere heat lamp for comfort. Of course, what this really meant was that I was secured in a warm incubator in the NICU. But that sense of loneliness and abandon does seem like a trend that gave me a real entrepreneurial sense of resolve that ended up being my driving force for healthcare innovation going forward. Growing up as the third of four children, my childhood was steeped in the discipline of hardworking parents who, amidst the challenges, instilled in me a sense of strict resilience and determination.

Later, moving to the bustling landscape of New Jersey, our family operated a full board service horse stable, where my days were consumed by rigorous labor six days a week. Despite being somewhat overlooked due to my birth order, I thrived on the diversity of my experiences. Fluent in both German and English, I discovered a natural athleticism within myself. However, my parents, disdainful of sports, never cared much for my athletic pursuits, assuming victory was inevitable anyway. Their absence during my moments of triumph in Track and Field, Soccer, and Gymnastics remained a constant theme that created a sense of loneliness and independence.

Amidst the hay and horseback rides, our family engaged in near daily spirited discussions about business and global affairs, akin to daytime TV dramas. Little did I know that these heated nightly dinner table-based debates would serve as the backdrop for my early exposure to the realms of business, executive management, strategy, and technology. At age 18, I found myself working in my father’s medical technology company, laboring in the manufacturing and machine shop and at times creating much havoc and accidental destruction there as I learned how to work a lathe machine, build tooling, and dies and read a simple mechanical blueprint, which at first looked like Greek to me. Learning that was one of my first real moments of Eureka where I finally felt I may not be as dumb as some suggested, even my parents.

During nights of community college, where my grades flirted with mediocrity, I immersed myself in advanced medical literature quietly and without anyone knowing. Every third medical word required a dictionary lookup, yet this relentless pursuit of medical knowledge paved the way for a surprising turn of events. At a mere 19 years old, I emerged as a MedTech inventor, introducing groundbreaking medical devices to the global marketplace. The shock and disbelief among my family and colleagues (and myself) was palpable, but also unstoppable now.

This unexpected journey sparked a cascade of innovation in endoscopic and gastrointestinal technologies, resulting in numerous patents and revolutionary healthcare systems that now are used all over the globe. I played a pivotal role in navigating these innovations through the FDA approval process, ushering them into markets worldwide. My humble beginnings molded me into an entrepreneurial spirit, driven by the pursuit of excellence and a thirst for knowledge that transcends conventional expectations.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

One of the most profoundly impactful chapters in my life’s journey unfolded when the very medical devices I had invented and introduced to the market with the intention of saving lives in intensive care units became intimately entwined with the struggle of my beloved sister. In her very early 20s she faced a devastating head injury stemming from her involvement with horses and the equestrian community, setting off a decade-long battle for survival that ultimately concluded with her acquiring a tragic and preventable infection.

This deeply personal experience, still etched in my heart decades later, has irreversibly shifted my moral compass concerning healthcare and the essence of life itself. My sister, merely three years my senior, stood as my closest sibling and protector — a guiding force that believed in me, lifting my spirits and nurturing thoughtfulness wherever possible. In her, I found unwavering support and a visionary companion who recognized the potential within us to effect positive and meaningful change in the world.

A volunteer first responder for many years, my sister embodied compassion and courage, rushing to aid others even in the darkest, coldest hours of the night. She saved lives and touched souls, extending her benevolence to me as well. Her heart and sweet soul became a wellspring of inspiration, prompting me to channel grief into purpose. In her honor, both companies I founded bear the name “Zassi,” a phonetic homage to her given name, Saskia. Her legacy lives on quietly within these brands, signifying a tribute not just to her, but to the millions of beautiful humans who, one day, unexpectedly found themselves in intensive care units, facing profound pain and suffering.

My sister’s name, pronounced Zaskia in German, continues to resonate as a beacon of remembrance, underscoring the essence of resilience, compassion, and the enduring spirit of those who have faced the challenges of intensive care units. Needless to say, when you invent lifesaving technologies for your professional work and business and ultimately with “other” people and patients in mind, and they end up in your sister’s body, you just never see the healthcare business” the same way ever again. Perhaps I can see it now in the most moral, dignified, and thoughtful way, which is perhaps her most powerful gift she bestowed upon me before she left this world. Healthcare technology is so much more than a business sector, health is the most precious gift we have and hope to sustain. She made me even more proud to serve in this arena.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Without a doubt, there are individuals to whom I owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude for propelling me to the juncture I find myself in today. In the realm of entrepreneurship, the term “angel investor” takes on a significance that resonates deeply within me — an appreciation born out of the unwavering support bestowed upon a fledgling entrepreneur, much like me at the time.

The realm of healthcare technology, inherently entrenched in matters of life and death, subject to rigorous FDA scrutiny, typically demands a pedigree that I lacked. Yet, these exceptional individuals, these angels, chose to invest not just their money but their time, credibility, and, most significantly, their belief in me. Their willingness to take a chance on a 24-year-old unproven innovator in a field of seasoned professionals and scientists was nothing short of extraordinary.

For me, these angels were not just putting in money; they were betting on me, my ideas, and my potential. In an industry that usually wants a solid and scientific background, these people took a risk on a young innovator. I can’t thank them enough. Their belief in me changed the game and is something I’ll always remember. They’re the unsung heroes in my journey, and their trust means the world to me. They are truly angels.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

For me, in my late teens, it was the powerful mantra “knowledge is power.” While Sir Francis Bacon is often credited with this wisdom, I had no idea about that back then. Those three words, however, sparked a magical confidence in me the moment I heard them. It became my personal slogan and even served as an early password code to my internet things (a bit cheesy, I admit). But it remains the most profound truth I’ve ever come across. It was what made me ingest so many advanced medical books and magazines in my early career, I just seemed like I was acquiring knowledge that was not only expected and necessary but self-empowering and it ultimately led me to being able to envision a pathway to new innovations that would someday matter and help save millions of lives.

Especially considering my academic struggles and being a college dropout, the journey of self-education and my subsequent role in transforming the complex world of medical technology over the past three decades have validated this sentiment. Regardless of my academic setbacks or confidence issues, the pursuit of knowledge in any field has the potential to be transformative and lead to extraordinary accomplishments beyond one’s imagination. Knowledge really is power.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

The keys to my success boil down to three crucial traits: vision, ingenuity, and the ability to build winning teams. Let me illustrate each with a quick story.

1. Vision: Having a clear vision has always been pivotal for me. When I could vividly picture an idea or invention as a global, 30-degree reality, nothing could deter me. Take, for instance, the challenge of feeding intensive care unit patients safely into the gut as I previously discussed. The conventional approach of intravenous nutrition, while seemingly logical and safe, had drawbacks. It ignored the gut’s immunological capabilities and posed risks. My vision was to find a way to feed ICU patients into the gut safely while preserving its flora and immunological capabilities while minimizing the risk of aspiration. This vision and clinical and technical approach became clear as day to me and fueled many of my early inventions an my conviction to lecture around the globe about it and get it adopted as a new standard of care.
2. Ingenuity: This brings us to ingenuity. To tackle the ICU feeding challenge, I blended my own creativity with insights from renowned physicians worldwide. This collaborative and combined ingenuity led to the development of a novel suite of products that revolutionized how ICU patients are fed, favoring intestinal tracks over intravenous nutrition.
3. Building Winning Teams: Lastly, building winning teams is about more than just assembling talent. It’s about being able to paint a 30-degree mosaic of your idea and plan and being able to clearly articulate that vision to others so well that it inspires and attracts the very best folks in the world. In the ICU feeding project, I gathered a team of the most capable technical, clinical, and business minds globally. Their collective expertise, which far exceeded my own, fueled by a shared vision, brought my innovations to life. The ability to inspire, attract, and empower such teams has remained one of my key cornerstones in life.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about the technology or medical devices that you are helping to create that can make a positive impact on our wellness. To begin, which particular problems are you aiming to solve?

One could argue that healthcare is the most important business in the world. Interactions between you and your family with health providers creates detailed health records that become claims for payment.

Yet governments and private insurance try to manage health decision authorizations (affecting you and your family) based on balancing medical necessity and controlling claims costs. Despite their massive resources allocated to healthcare data and claims, patient-centric data remains fragmented across a vast ecosystem of “proprietary” data siloes. As patients move across the continuum of care, often that data stays within each billing entity and there lacks a shared platform at-scale. Similarly, people move to different places, different plans, and seek care for various issues from many different health entities throughout their lives. The Unmet Need is to link the essential data for analytics across silos and leverage the opportunity derived from larger cohorts at-scale to deliver better analysis for improved care and better outcomes. Disparate data siloes is a real problem and stifles more holistic thinking and better care.

How do you think your technology can address this?

Our Solution we’ve been building an easy to integrate software interface designed to link disparate health data coupled with other relevant sources, anonymize, and normalize the data, then to embed world class Analytics and AI at global scale for intelligent health insights to support improved patient care. Our software will interface and link historical and live patient-centric data to feed our partners Analytics and deliver enhanced insights, predictive trends, and alerts to aid in the best 24/7 awareness for you and your family.

Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?

My passion for this cause is twofold. The first aspect lies in my inherent disdain for siloed data, siloed thinking, and my preference for a comprehensive, 360-degree approach to ideas, planning, and goals. This perspective aligns with my journey of self-education and a commitment to breaking down barriers that hinder revolutionary thinking.

The second element that drew me to this cause is the company’s initial focus on addressing one of the deadliest and costliest issues in healthcare -Sepsis. Sepsis is a preventable yet often lethal infection, originating either in the hospital or across different healthcare realms, making it challenging to understand. Having tragically lost my sister Saskia to a bloodstream infection, the noble mission of detecting and preventing Sepsis resonates deeply with my moral compass. The personal impact of such infections emphasizes the critical need for advancements in this area, making it more than just a cause; it’s a mission aligned with my values and driven by a commitment to me continuing to help in saving lives.

How do you think this might change the world?

The world could experience significant positive changes by addressing the current lack of data sharing between health systems and health plans. Presently, Inpatient Data and Outpatient Data remain isolated in disparate silos. Health plans primarily rely on delayed claims data, often lagging 6 months to 2 years, to identify opportunities for reducing healthcare costs. Clinical data is seldom shared, resulting in missed chances to enhance care and adequately reward providers for recognizing and improving opportunities in management, outcomes, and the total cost of care.

Similarly, health systems have been cautious about sharing data, with minimal information originating from outpatient settings (such as primary care providers, remote patient monitoring, and skilled nursing facilities) reaching the hospital upon admission. Conversely, critical data from hospitalizations is rarely shared and integrated with outpatient providers unless they are part of an integrated system. This hesitancy to share data leads to missed opportunities in addressing patient needs across the care continuum, hindering improvements in management, outcomes, and the total cost of care. Addressing these data-sharing gaps could revolutionize healthcare by fostering more comprehensive and integrated approaches to patient care especially when factoring in the growing power of AI to discover new trends that mankind has never seen before using global data sets that are just too vast and continually updated for humans to scour and process in real time.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

Certainly, while the integration of AI, including Generative AI, into healthcare data presents immense possibilities, there are potential drawbacks that warrant thoughtful consideration. One primary concern revolves around data privacy and security. The utilization of AI involves the processing of vast amounts of sensitive healthcare information, requiring us all to stay vigilant about how this data is stored, accessed, and protected from unauthorized use.

Another consideration is the potential for biases within AI algorithms. If the training data used to develop these algorithms is not diverse, trusted and representative, there is a risk of perpetuating existing biases in healthcare, potentially leading to disparate outcomes for different demographic groups. We prioritize the use of trustworthy data sets to ensure the integrity of the data output. This approach aims to minimize biases and enhance the reliability of AI-driven insights.

Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five things you need to know to successfully create technology that can make a positive social impact”?

Certainly, here are five key insights crucial for successfully creating technology with a positive social impact.

User Empathy and Immersion: Immerse yourself in the lives of those the technology aims to assist. Understand the intricacies of their experiences and the challenges they face. During the development of continence care devices for ostomy and incontinence, we went beyond conventional research. Spending extensive time living with actual patients and users as well as their care providers allowed us to deeply comprehend their dissatisfaction with many existing solutions. This empathy-led approach sparked breakthrough ideas and new product design innovation. Embrace a culture of continuous improvement by actively seeking and incorporating real user feedback. Regularly gathering input from those you wish to empower allows us to refine features, enhance usability, and address evolving user needs. This iterative approach resulted in a more user-friendly and effective design over time.

Proper Partner Alignment: One of the most critical elements in successfully creating technology with a positive social impact is strategic partner alignment. Choosing the right company or vendor to bring your product or technology to market can make or break its success. While it might seem intuitive to align with established market leaders in a certain domain or with large corporations with substantial budgets, a global footprint, and extensive sales forces, isn’t always the best decision. In many cases, industry giants may be too entrenched in the status quo, comfortable with their existing profit models, and hesitant to embrace revolutionary change. They might not be motivated to evolve the market or risk cannibalizing their current business for a potentially superior solution. Additionally, these large firms may lack the specialized selling and marketing skills required to drive transformative change in established markets. This dynamic is something I wished I knew long ago. Beware of some incumbent market leaders because in some cases successfully introducing innovative technology demands a unique acumen and an educational sales approach to inspire a shift in practice and patient care. Instead, the key lies in finding partner firms that are hungry, adaptable, and not tethered to the status quo. Seeking collaborators with a vested interest in pioneering the sale and adoption of your new and enhanced technology ensures a shared commitment to improving people’s lives. Optimal partners are those with a genuine passion for positive societal impact, unencumbered by existing norms, and eager to champion innovative solutions that can genuinely make a difference. By aligning with partners who share the vision and enthusiasm for positive change with you, the journey to market becomes not just a collaboration but a collective pursuit of a transformative impact on society.

Financial Alignment: While technology that can make a positive social impact is inherently valuable, ensuring financial alignment within the ecosystem it revolves in is pivotal for successful market penetration and widespread adoption. It’s a delicate balance often overlooked by entrepreneurs and pioneers, as it may seem at odds with the genuine pursuit of positive social impact. Consider my experience in pioneering new feeding devices for critical care patients. To establish these devices as the dominant means of providing nutrition to high-risk populations, it wasn’t sufficient to showcase their clinical impact alone. Demonstrating how the ecosystem could save costs and, in some cases, generate additional revenue was essential. This financial alignment played a crucial role in driving adoption. Similarly, when introducing innovative designs in the multibillion-dollar continence care marketplace, resistance from the community was encountered due to a lack of reimbursement codes for these superior and award-winning solutions. Thus, understanding and addressing the financial alignment structure of the technology ecosystem during the innovation phase is therefore essential. It involves not only showcasing the positive social/clinical impact but also illustrating how the technology aligns with the financial interests of various entrenched stakeholders. This dual focus ensures that the technology not only makes a positive impact on society but also proves economically viable, fostering broader adoption and creating a sustainable market presence.

Strategic Team Alignment: Crafting and delivering new technologies with profound social and quality-of-life impact is an immensely gratifying endeavor. However, the success of such transformative missions’ hinges not only on visionary leadership but also on assembling an exceptional team. The key is to collaborate with experts who not only bring diverse and complementary skills but who are equally impassioned about the positive societal change technology can instigate. Drawing from my experience leading the team at my first company Zassi Medical Evolutions, where we developed groundbreaking new designs for ostomy and continence care, the pivotal factor was my team’s shared passion for driving positive social and quality-of-life change. Our team comprised world-class experts, including seasoned med-tech engineers, PhDs, medical doctors, and surgeons, as well as leading regulatory and manufacturing specialists. Each team member brought unique insights and capabilities, forming a synergy that propelled our designs to new heights. Surrounding oneself with a team of passionate individuals, often more adept in their domains like they were with my company, is the secret sauce for success.

Global Regulatory Awareness: Vigilantly monitoring potential worldwide regulatory challenges that could impact the design, manufacturing, marketing claims, adoption, and cost structures of technology with positive social impact is not only imperative, but often underestimated. International markets exhibit nuanced perspectives on what is deemed good, safe, effective, or culturally appropriate, resulting in diverse regulatory policies globally and even within the USA. This reality became glaringly evident during my tenure as a CEO in a polymer medical coatings company, especially during the initial phases of the COVID-19 emergency response in 2020. I was invited to meet with the US Secretary of Commerce under then President Trump, Wilbur Louis Ross Jr, to discuss ways to enhance the medical supply chain during the outbreak and beyond. After that meeting, we then successfully partnered with a large healthcare system to rapidly deploy new sanitation products into hospitals and healthcare centers around the USA that were desperate for help. While the initiative proved successful, the quest for safer sanitation products that didn’t use harmful solvents or alcohol and instead used more organic plant-based ingredients encountered a major and unforeseen regulatory roadblock. Embarking on developing sanitizers with plant ingredients revealed that certain natural occurring elements and ingredients, not yet approved or listed on the regulatory ingredient roster, would require years and significant financial resources for mandated clinical studies. This unforeseen regulatory hurdle, especially in the face of an urgent pandemic response, hindered the project that could have led to a safer, more socially impactful, and sustainable product. Therefore, the lesson learned is no matter how critical a socially impactful your product or technology is, having a keen awareness of the global regulatory nuances is vital during the innovation, design, and market preparation phases.

Can you share a few best practices that you recommend to safeguard your technology or medical devices from hackers?

While holding a substantial portfolio of over 12 US utility patents myself, I understand that safeguarding technology today extends beyond traditional IP protection. Innovators consistently face the looming threat of IP theft and the rapid and bold emergence of copycat products, compelling a delicate decision between engaging in protracted litigation or persisting in outpacing imitators.

Comprehensive IP Protection: Emphasizing the use of copyrights, patents, and trademarks is fundamental in creating robust safeguards around innovative ideas. Each plays a unique role, offering layers of protection against infringement. However, understanding the nuanced application of these legal instruments is essential for a comprehensive defense.

Strategic Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs): Beyond legal frameworks, implementing well-designed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) is crucial. These agreements should incorporate strict non-circumvention clauses as well, fortifying your position and mitigating the risk of unauthorized disclosure or utilization of proprietary information.

Exclusive Selling Partner Agreements: When engaging with exclusive selling partners, it’s imperative to include anti-shelving provisions in agreements. This ensures that partners cannot simply license and shelve (or bury) a new product you worked so hard to make, preventing unforeseen scenarios where innovative technology might be stifled.

Ethical Partnerships: Recognizing the limitations and challenges of litigation, cultivating partnerships with vendors and companies possessing ethical and time-tested corporate morality becomes pivotal. Collaborating with entities that share a commitment to integrity reduces the likelihood of encountering IP-related disputes. If the company has a track record of litigation, beware.

Innovation and Iteration: In the dynamic landscape of technology, continuous innovation and iteration serve as potent shields against copycats. Rapid development and deployment of enhancements not only keeps your technology at the forefront but also make it challenging for competitors, who can only copy, to catch up.

Proactive Monitoring and Response: Establishing a vigilant monitoring system to detect potential IP threats early is crucial. Proactive response mechanisms, such as cease-and-desist letters or alternative dispute resolution, can be effective in nipping infringements in the bud.

So, safeguarding innovative technology requires a multifaceted strategy. While legal protections are essential, strategic partnerships, continuous innovation, proactive monitoring, a commitment to ethical business practices, and protective measures within exclusive selling partner agreements collectively contribute to a robust defense against the challenges faced by pioneers in the industry. This is a key facet and concern I have seen often lead to small companies being taken advantage of by larger incumbents no doubt.

If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?

I would proudly declare that being an entrepreneur and innovator is not just a job — it’s like holding a backstage pass to the coolest gig in the world. Sure, we might not get roaring cheers like athletes or rock stars do, but what we do has the power to change lives and leave a lasting mark on the world. We’re the ones crafting the new tech scene and stage, jolting markets to evolve, and making a real impact on society. It’s not about the spotlight; it’s about the lasting footprints we are uniquely able to leave. It’s fantastic and a most rewarding venture and adventure!

Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Without a doubt, having a private meal with Sir Richard Branson would be my choice. His unique blend of flair, adventure, and solid business acumen has always captivated me. From his compelling product designs to the brilliance of his branding strategies, Branson embodies the kind of innovator I admire.

What sets him apart, beyond his numerous successful ventures, is his infectious happiness and seemingly humble demeanor. It’s not just about the businesses he’s built but the joy and passion he brings to everything he does. A meeting with Branson would be a chance to soak in not just entrepreneurial wisdom but also to understand the mindset that keeps him radiating positivity. I have had many setbacks of course and been misled and taken advantage of by many entities and I know he would have sound advice and outlooks here that would help me stay positive and pioneering! Moreover, I see untapped potential for a significant healthtech venture in his portfolio, and I’d love to explore that possibility with him. I Imagine combining his boundless energy and acumen with my interests in the transformative potential of health technology would be explosive in value. Who knows, maybe this message will catch his eye, and we’ll get the chance to sit down and chat about the exciting intersection of innovation, health, and happiness. Fingers crossed! 🚀

How can our readers further follow your work online?

I’m thrilled about the prospect of connecting with your readers! There’s a treasure trove of experiences in my head and heart that I would love to share, probably 10 books worth. I also have some meaningful and serious life lessons that have led to sheer exhilaration as I learned to transform pain into passion, not to mention the journey and honor of introducing life-saving technologies around the globe with some of the most exceptional people and teammates. For those eager to delve deeper into this narrative, you can find me on LinkedIn: Peter vonDyck. Feel free to drop me a line at p.vondyck@gmail.com — I’m always open to conversations and excited to share more of this compelling journey with you. Looking forward to connecting!

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.

About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.