The Team

Michael Thomas

Chief Executive Officer

Mike Thomas has extensive experience as a Chief Executive Officer in building, funding, and growing innovative startups. He has created paradigm-shifting commercial successes among early- and growth-stage medical technologies, digital health, healthcare services, and medical device ventures, including turn-around situations.

Mike was a VC at the Inova Health System Strategic Investments (ISI) in northern VA, where he was one of three partners managing a $150MM strategic fund. With a 1.6x multiple on invested capital to date, Mike’s IRR stands at 33.9%. Prior to Inova, he was a serial healthcare technology CEO for over 20 years. Mike raised $125 million in capital and drove shareholder returns that ranged from 4x to 80x, including one IPO and one acquisition.

Mike was most recently the founder and CEO of Appian Medical, a digital health firm that served the sleep apnea market. Previously, Mike was CEO of iSonea Ltd (ASX:ISN), a publicly traded global, mobile health app developer and medical device manufacturer in the respiratory disease market, where he increased the company’s market capitalization from $4MM to $250MM.

Earlier in his career, Mike was President and CEO of Sleep Solutions (NovaSom Inc.), a VC-backed medical device manufacturer, EVP of Sales and Marketing for National Sleep Technologies (NST, acquired by GE Medical), and Vice President of Sales at Patient InfoSystems (NASDAQ: PATI). Mike began his career in sales and marketing at Merck and GlaxoWellcome.

He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Tanzen Medical, Inc and is Chairman of the Board for international medical device innovator Bone Index Limited (Finland), a med device startup focused on diagnosis of osteoporosis. He is also a former board member of AdvaMed, the global medical device association. Mike graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Microbiology.

Matthew MacEwan, PHD

Chief Science Officer

Matthew MacEwan, Ph.D., is a St. Louis-based entrepreneur with expertise in the development and commercialization of medical devices and regenerative medical products. Over the past ten years, Matthew founded multiple companies around university-licensed technologies, including Acera Surgical, Inc. a bioscience company holding the first FDA-approved nanofabricated biomaterials for medical and surgical use. Named one of the St. Louis Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40 in St. Louis”, Matthew has won multiple awards for his entrepreneurial work in the life science community, including the 2011 Olin Cup award and the 2011 I2P Global Competition.

Prior to taking part in the St. Louis entrepreneurial ecosystem, Matthew served as an M.D./Ph.D. candidate at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and received his doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in the laboratory of Dr. Dan Moran. Prior to that Matthew graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University.

Al Emondi, PHD

Chief Technology Officer

Al Emondi has demonstrated repeated success in developing new technology applications and creating the necessary infrastructure to bring ideas to reality. He has extensive experience in identifying opportunities, forging strategic vision, and translating technology from discovery to capability standup.

As a former Program manager for DARPA, he created cutting-edge technology programs, growing portfolio investments by > $133M within 3 years. He managed risk, technology and software development, obtained FDA approvals for 5 IDE applications, and established new portfolio investments in neural interfaces and spinal cord injury solutions, targeting an emerging neurotech market estimated at $1.5B.  In his role at DARPA, Al previously worked with Mike Thomas.

As CTO of the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, he defined and led research initiatives, including the creation of the organization’s first collaborative Science & Technology (S&T) Multidisciplinary Research Center. His leadership of the Discovery & Invention Portfolio resulted in 230 new S&T initiatives, 24 patents disclosed, filed, or issued, and cumulative growth of $550M in projects to address critical stakeholder needs.

Al is a graduate of Syracuse University, with a MSc in Electrical Engineering and a PhD in Neuroscience.

Kenneth Bertram, MD, PHD, FACP

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Kenneth A. Bertram serves as the Chief Medical Officer for ECHELON Med Tech and is also the Medical Director for the Center for Defense Medicine, in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Bertram is also the Clinical Product Development Officer for the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, where he leads a team conducting early clinical trials using human stem cells to treat harmful host immune response in multiple diseases.

Dr. Bertram retired (June 2018) as the Principal Assistant for Acquisition for the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC), Ft. Detrick, Maryland, and as a member of the Senior Executive Service. He was responsible for the advanced development and acquisition of medical products (drugs, vaccines, blood, and devices) for the US Army. In addition, he served as The Surgeon General’s Sponsor’s Representative to the US Food and Drug Administration and as the US Army’s Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) for medical products and was responsible for the life-cycle management of fielded medical products (research, development, acquisition, and sustainment). Dr. Bertram was awarded the highest recognition for Army civilians, the Department of the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service by the Secretary of the Army for his contributions to the Warfighter.

Dr. Bertram previously served in the US Army, retiring as a Colonel, Medical Corps, after 24 years of Active Duty. Colonel Bertram’s assignments included: Commander, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; Chief of Staff, USAMRMC; Director, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (USAMRMC); and Chief, Hematology/Medical Oncology Service at Madigan Army Medical Center (Fort Lewis, WA). His military honors include two Legion of Merit awards, the Army’s The Surgeon General’s “A” Proficiency Designator in Hematology/Oncology, and the Order of Military Medical Merit.

Dr. Bertram completed both his Hematology/Medical Oncology Fellowship and Internal Medicine Residency at Madigan Army Medical Center. Dr. Bertram received his M.D. and Ph.D. (Microbiology) degrees from the University of Minnesota and his B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has held faculty appointments at the University of Washington and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (F.A.C.P.).

Dr. Bertram currently also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for BioBridge Global, on the Board of Directors for the Geneva Foundation, and as a Senior Science Advisor to the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC). He is also a consultant to multiple medical research and development companies and government relations firms focused on trauma, resuscitation, neuro/psych, infectious disease, and regenerative medicine.

Maria Fattore

Director of Operations

Maria Fattore is an entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in medtech, biotech, fintech, and consumer product companies. Her background includes successful achievements in the roles of VP of Product Management, Director of Operations, Director of Strategic Partnerships, and Director of Customer Service & Tech Support for various start-ups.

As VP Product Management, she managed the complete life cycle of medical devices, including design, manufacturing, quality control and regulatory affairs, to support commercialization and sales. She has built customer service and tech support teams from the ground up. She has managed inside and outside sales teams and successfully managed numerous strategic partnerships. For another company, her efforts led to substantial revenue growth, resulting in the company’s acquisition within the target period.

As a strategy and operations consultant to numerous start-ups, she has introduced her clients to non-dilutive and dilutive funding resources, has sourced contract manufacturers, managed day-to-day operations and filled various skill gaps in the organizations. She has successfully launched her own consumer products company and is part-owner of a fintech start-up.  Maria has worked with both Mike Thomas and Michael Cheney in several previous ventures.

Maria graduated from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, PA with a degree in Finance/Economics and a Minor in International Business.