Quantum, Biohealth, and the Future of Innovation with Strangeworks Founder and CEO Whurley
Release Date: 12/07/2025
Opening the Door to CDMRP: Dr. Rebecca Fisher on Mission-Driven Medical Research Funding
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Rebecca “Becky” Fisher, PhD, Deputy Director for Program Management at the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, joins the conversation to help listeners better understand one of the federal biomedical research funding pathways that may be less familiar to many entrepreneurs, researchers, and life science companies. Dr. Fisher explains how CDMRP works, how it differs from and complements other federal funders such as NIH and ARPA-H, and why its mission is focused on advancing high-impact research that can lead to cures, improved...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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,...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
Building Georgetown Tech Ventures and Strengthening the Startup Pipeline from Academic Research
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
How do universities move promising discoveries out of the lab and into the market? In this episode of BioTalk, Tatiana Litvin-Vechnyak, Vice President of Georgetown’s Office of Technology Commercialization, Christon Hill, Program Manager for Georgetown Tech Ventures, and Jennifer Butler, Entrepreneur-in-Residence with BioHealth Innovation, discuss how Georgetown is building a stronger pipeline from academic science to startup formation. The conversation examines how Georgetown’s commercialization efforts are evolving, how GTV supports faculty founders, and why structured programming,...
info_outline
Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward Wisconsin, on Building a Biohealth Ecosystem and What Comes Next
BioTalk with Rich Bendis
What does it take to build a biohealth ecosystem that can compete nationally? In this episode of BioTalk, Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward Wisconsin, discusses how Wisconsin helped shape the early use of the term “biohealth” and how that approach has supported the growth of its life sciences sector. Lisa shares how BioForward connects industry, academia, and government to strengthen the state’s ecosystem, along with key developments that have brought increased attention to the region, including the expansion of Eli Lilly and Company. She also reflects on Wisconsin’s designation as a...
info_outline
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...
info_outlineWilliam Hurley, known widely as Whurley, joins BioTalk for a deep look at how quantum computing is moving from theory into practical use across the biohealth landscape. He opens the conversation with an introduction to Strangeworks and explains why the company is focused on making quantum computing more accessible for real-world problem-solving. The discussion explores how quantum could support breakthroughs in genomics and personalized medicine, improve the way clinical trials are modeled, and strengthen manufacturing and supply chain operations. Whurley also talks through the ingredients required for regional leadership in this space, including infrastructure, strategic partnerships, and a specialized workforce. He shares his view on what will distinguish successful players in quantum from those who overpromise or misread the market, and closes with a forward look at the convergence of quantum, AI, and biotechnology and the impact these capabilities could have on healthcare innovation. The conversation follows his recent keynote appearance at the BioHealth Capital Region Forum this past September.
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.
Whurley is the founder and CEO of Strangeworks, an Eisenhower Fellow, a Senior Member of the IEEE, founder of the Quantum Computing Standards Workgroup at the IEEE, the first Ambassador to CERN and Society, and co-author of “Quantum Computing for Babies” and the forthcoming “Quantum Computing for Dummies.” He previously served as a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs following its acquisition of his startup Honest Dollar. Before that he founded Chaotic Moon Studios, which was acquired by Accenture.