NEWS RELEASE: MedtechWOMEN to convene industry leaders at MedtechVISION 2026 capital, AI and geopolitics reshape medtech
—Nationally recognized health advocate and founder of Clinicians Who Care, Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell to keynote—
—Nominations now open for the Ferolyn Powell Leadership Award, recognizing leaders who advance the next generation of medtech leaders and patient-centered innovation—
Merit Medical Systems President and CEO Martha Aronson [Photo courtesy of Merit Medical Systems]
“Capital discipline, the rapid integration of AI, geopolitical uncertainty and workforce challenges are reshaping how medtech companies operate and compete,” said Yvonne Bokelman, Executive Director of MedtechWOMEN. “This year’s MedtechVISION is an opportunity to engage and learn from those who are having great success navigating all of these changes.”
Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, a board-certified family medicine physician, nationally recognized health advocate, and founder of CliniciansWhoCare.com, will be featured as an inspirational patient keynote. She serves as medical director at Saint Mary’s Health Network in Reno, NV, and reaches over 3 million people monthly through her Beyond Clinical Walls Podcast and social media, turning advocacy strategies into tools anyone can use. A media contributor for NBC, ABC, SheKnows, and Katie Couric Media, she translates complex medical information to help people advocate for themselves. Her TEDx talk “Do No Harm” has sparked widespread conversation about the maternal health crisis after her own near-death experience giving birth. Dr. Bayo knows healthcare from both sides, as a doctor and as a patient, and has made it her mission to share the secrets that get people better care.
CEO of Merit Medical Systems, Inc., Martha Aronson, is one of a small group of women leading a publicly traded medtech company. In an executive interview, she will share her perspective on leading global healthcare organizations through complexity, driving growth at scale, building resilient organizations, and leading through the kind of complexity that’s defining this moment in medtech.
The MedtechVISION 2026 Planning Committee is co-chaired for the second year by two respected industry leaders: Sheila Shah, Managing Director and Partner at L.E.K. Consulting, and Angela Frederickson, Founder and Principal RAQA Consultant at SPARQ Compliance.
In conjunction with the conference, MedtechWOMEN is accepting nominations for the Ferolyn Powell Leadership Award, which honors outstanding leaders who exemplify integrity, innovation, mentorship, and a commitment to patient-centered progress. The award bears the name of Ferolyn Powell, President and CEO of Evalve, who shepherded the MitraClip from concept through global commercialization—and spent that same career opening doors for the leaders who came after her. Nominations are open through June 19, 2026. Past winners include Virginia Giddings (2025 Edwards Lifesciences) and Deborah Kilpatrick (2024 Evidation Health). To nominate someone, please fill out the nomination form on the MedtechWOMEN website.
MedtechVISION 2026 is made possible through the generous support of its sponsors, including Platinum Sponsors Medtronic and Abbott; Gold Sponsors Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences and Terumo Blood & Cell Technologies; Silver Sponsors Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Goodwin, Imperative Care, Mobia Medical, Shockwave Medical, Nagarro Inc., Siemens Healthineers, Philips, Resonetics, and Highridge Medical; Bronze Sponsors AdvaMed, Venable LLP, Fogarty Innovation, Baxter International Inc., FINN Partners, Goddard Technologies, and Precision AQ; and In-Kind Sponsors Wilson Sonsini and Supreme Communications.
Partner organizations include DeviceTalks, MedTech Innovator, Life Science Intelligence (LSI), Diversity by Doing (DxD) HealthTech, and MedTech Color.
For more information or to register for MedtechVISION, visit medtechwomen.org.
About MedtechWOMEN
MedtechWOMEN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 by women executives in the medical technology industry. Its mission is to connect, educate, and inspire current and future leaders in medtech through thought-provoking dialogue, inclusive networking, and a commitment to advancing diversity. MedtechWOMEN envisions a future in which leadership in medtech reflects the diversity of the patients and communities it serves—driving innovation and improving healthcare outcomes for all. Learn more at medtechwomen.org.
The opinions expressed in this news release are the author’s only and do not necessarily reflect those of Medical Design & Outsourcing or its employees.
