Inside CTMC: Amy Hay on Reshaping Cell and Gene Therapy
Release Date: 06/13/2025
Sara Dauber, Vice President, JPMorgan Startup Banking, on Supporting Life Science Founders from Startup to Scale
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Sara Dauber, Vice President, Startup Banking for J.P. Morgan’s Innovation Economy team, joins the conversation to discuss how early-stage life science and healthcare companies can think more strategically about banking, financing readiness, and long-term growth. Sara shares how her career moved from life science operating companies to NIH and now to J.P. Morgan, where she works with early-stage life science and healthcare ventures across the DMV and surrounding regions. Drawing on her experience inside startups, supporting SBIR-funded...
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BioFactura’s CDMO Evolution: Jeffrey Hausfeld and Darryl Sampey on Capitol Biologics
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Jeffrey N. Hausfeld, M.D., Chairman of the Board and Chief Medical Officer of BioFactura Inc., and Darryl Sampey, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Capitol Biologics, join the conversation to discuss the launch of Capitol Biologics as BioFactura’s CDMO division. Jeff and Darryl explain how BioFactura’s experience building biologics development and clinical manufacturing capabilities created the foundation for a more personalized CDMO model. The discussion explores the gap Capitol Biologics is designed to fill for emerging biotech...
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From Personal Mission to FDA Clearance: Neal Piper on Luminoah’s Next Chapter in Tube Feeding Innovation
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Neal Piper, Founder and CEO of Luminoah, returns to share a major milestone in the company’s journey: FDA clearance for Luminoah Flow. A past winner of the BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap Competition, Neal first joined BioTalk to discuss the deeply personal story behind the company. His family’s experience during his son Noah’s cancer treatment revealed the daily challenges of tube feeding, from limited mobility and caregiver burden to the lack of real-time data once patients leave the hospital. Now, after six years of development,...
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How ARPA-H Is Opening New Doors for Small Businesses: Sam Gussman-Toh on Funding, Commercialization, and Breakthrough Health Innovation
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Sam Gussman-Toh, Portfolio Manager for the Small Business Program at ARPA-H, joins the conversation to discuss how the agency is creating new pathways for small businesses developing ambitious health technologies. Sam explains how the ARPA-H model differs from traditional federal funding programs, with a focus on moonshot health solutions, program manager-led portfolios, milestone-driven contracts, and a strong emphasis on moving technologies toward real-world use. He also discusses how the Small Business Program supports SBIR and STTR performers...
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Building Montgomery County’s Next Chapter: MCEDC’s Jared Smith on Talent, Partnerships, and the Future of Economic Development
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Jared Smith, MBA, CEcD, President and CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, joins the conversation to discuss his new role leading economic development efforts in one of the nation’s most important biohealth markets. Jared shares how his experience in Louisiana and Nevada shaped his approach to economic development, including the importance of diversification, business retention, workforce strategy, and bringing partners together around shared goals. He also explains MCEDC’s role as a public-private partnership and how...
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How Smart Incentives Shape BioHealth Growth: Ellen Harpel on Economic Development, Accountability, and Regional Competition
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Ellen D. Harpel, Ph.D., Founder of Smart Incentives, joins the conversation to explore a topic that has shaped the growth of the BioHealth Capital Region but has rarely been discussed directly on the podcast: economic development incentives. Ellen explains why state and local governments use incentives, how they influence business location and expansion decisions, and why effective programs need clear goals, active management, performance measures, and public accountability. The discussion looks at how incentives support companies across the full...
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Building Georgetown Tech Ventures and Strengthening the Startup Pipeline from Academic Research
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
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Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward Wisconsin, on Building a Biohealth Ecosystem and What Comes Next
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
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Sustaining Leadership Under Pressure with Dr. Sheetal Ajmani of Radiant Living Institute
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
Dr. Sheetal Ajmani joins BioTalk to discuss a topic rarely addressed in the life sciences startup world. The personal and leadership toll that accompanies building and scaling a company. A physician turned executive coach and founder of Radiant Living Institute, Dr. Ajmani works closely with founders and senior leaders navigating intense professional pressure while trying to maintain clarity in decision making. In this conversation, she explains how exhaustion and sustained stress can quietly affect leadership judgment during critical moments such as fundraising, board interactions, regulatory...
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Strengthening Concussion Diagnosis and Prognosis with Emergency Medicine Researchers Dr. Frank Peacock and Dr. Damon R. Kuehl of BrainBox Solutions, Inc.
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
Dr. Frank Peacock and Dr. Damon R. Kuehl join BioTalk for a focused discussion on one of emergency medicine’s most persistent challenges: accurately diagnosing and predicting outcomes in mild traumatic brain injury. As Scientific Advisory Board members for BrainBox Solutions, Inc., they walk through what happens when a patient presents to the emergency department after a fall or sports injury and why current tools, including CT scans, often leave clinicians without clear answers. The conversation explores the gap between a “normal” scan and ongoing symptoms, and what missed or uncertain...
info_outlineIn this episode of BioTalk, Amy C. Hay, Chief Business and Strategy Officer at the Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center (CTMC), joins the conversation to explore the evolving landscape of cell and gene therapy. Amy shares insights from her extensive career in oncology care and innovation, highlighting the role CTMC—a joint venture between National Resilience and MD Anderson Cancer Center—is playing in accelerating the transition from discovery to commercialization. She discusses the current state of the industry, what disruption really means in this context, and how new business models can drive stability and impact for early-stage biotech companies. Amy also offers her perspective on how manufacturing must evolve to meet clinical demand, and how CTMC is positioned to lead in this next era of therapeutic development.
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
Amy C. Hay is the Chief Business and Strategy Officer at the Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center (CTMC), a joint venture between National Resilience and MD Anderson Cancer Center. She brings decades of experience in oncology care, strategic growth, and healthcare innovation to her role, where she leads business strategy, partnerships, and long-term growth initiatives. Prior to CTMC, Amy held leadership roles at Varian (a Siemens Healthineers company), MD Anderson Cancer Center, and several global consulting efforts focused on advancing cancer care. Her career spans work across the U.S. and internationally, with a focus on driving innovation, commercialization, and patient access in complex health systems.