Charisse Y. Sparks, MD, has deep experience in medical device use and development, and is also a passionate advocate for DEI&B (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.) As the third Black female fellowship trained Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon in the country, she has driven meaningful innovation for patients in both clinical practice and industry. As the Chief Medical Officer of AppliedVR Dr. Sparks continues to accelerate innovation, monitor patient safety, and drive solutions to reduce disparities in access to healthcare solutions. As the Chief Medical Officer of AppliedVR Dr. Sparks continues to accelerate innovation, monitor patient safety, and drive solutions to reduce disparities in access to healthcare solutions. AppliedVR is the proven pioneer in immersive therapeutics where her skills and passions are thriving. Dr. Sparks’ career stands on two pillars of success: 1. Clinical & Medical Expertise – Accelerating innovation while championing value, quality, patient safety, clinical research, and regulatory compliance. 2. Cross-Functional Collaborations – Partnering with all stakeholders to develop global strategies that generate evidence and drive product safety and efficacy. Fostering inclusive environments that encourage idea sharing.

Ed Chinchoy joined the National Science Foundation in 2021 as an SBIR/STTR Program Director covering Medical Devices. Ed has more than two decades of industry experience in both startups and global medical device manufacturers. He founded and served as CEO and/or Executive Vice President for two startups from concept to Series B, as well as held various management positions responsible for overall product division strategy, product management, pipeline planning, and commercialization at Abbott (St. Jude Medical) and Medtronic. Ed began his career as a scientist at Medtronic and earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, all from the University of Minnesota.

Kwame Ulmer is the Founder and Executive Director of MedTech Color, a nonprofit with a mission to advance the representation of persons of color in the medical device industry. Mr. Ulmer has grown the organization from inception to become the leading nation-wide DEI organization in MedTech with a focus on ethnicity. He leads delivering programs that diversify clinical trials, create and foster the nation’s largest network in MedTech for people of color and invest in early stage medtech companies led by people of color. Kwame has over twenty years of medical technology experience in the government and private sector, and has served in senior operating roles at medical device companies and helped companies successfully engage the FDA. He has personally evaluated more than 1,000 medical technologies in his career. Kwame spent 12 years at the FDA in progressive leadership roles. He also served as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Implant Direct, a Danaher Corporation operating company. He is also a venture partner at Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health – the leading Southern-California based, early stage venture capital firm (Seed and Series A) focused on the healthcare industry. He leads the medtech practice and participates in all aspects of fund management (e.g. deal sourcing, diligence, negotiation and advising portfolio company management teams). Kwame sits on the board and advises several privately held medtech companies. Kwame serves on the board of the University of Virginia Licensing and Ventures Group and California Life Sciences. He is also a lecturer and researcher in medtech innovation at the University of California, Los Angeles. He earned his B.S. in Physics from Lincoln University, and has two Masters degrees from the University of Virginia, in Materials Engineering and Business Administration.