The SoPE Charlotte North Carolina Chapter is the regional chapter for the non-profit global biomedical and healthcare innovation network SoPE. Membership is open to medical professionals and other stakeholders in healthcare. Members include doctors, nurses, dentists, healthcare entrepreneurs, investors, engineers, IT professionals, and industry representatives. SoPE is here to provide the network to encourage, educate, and connect biomedical and healthcare entrepreneurs so that new ideas get a chance – The Society operates in the very early stages of innovation commercialization; encouraging physicians and other medical professional entrepreneurs with ideas about how to improve healthcare to explore the possibilities and empowering them should they decide to take those initial steps in the “go to market” process. SoPE is unique in its make-up, leadership and mission – The Society is the only known organization founded and led by physicians with the specific purpose of providing support to those physicians and other medical professionals on the front lines of delivering healthcare that need help in bringing their ideas, inventions and innovations for improving healthcare to life.
SoPE Charlotte North Carolina is a hub of information, education, and networking for the region’s life science entrepreneurs. Through our meetings we provide education for entrepreneurs and early-stage investors and provide opportunities for them to connect to share and advance ideas. We value innovation, inclusiveness, and outcomes to further enhance Charlotte’s role as a leading driver of life science venturing.
ERIC KIRSCH, PA-R
Chef de chapitre
Eric is currently the CEO of Mito Station, a healthcare incubator in Charlotte, as well as Beacon Healthcare Benefits, a healthcare services direct contracting marketplace. He is an entrepreneurial physician assistant with experience running a profitable medical practice, multiple sleep labs, and mail-order medical supply. He has spent time working with vendors such as pharmaceutical and medical device companies on marketing and product placement strategies. Eric has a strong knowledge base in the legal, technological, coding/billing, marketing and sales aspects of healthcare. He is a self-taught coder and software developer and has launched several products which have been used in commercial applications. Eric often take start-up advisor roles in exchange for equity, helping with aspects of customer discovery, business development, marketing strategy, and fund-raising.
ARAM ALEXANIAN, MD
Executive Committee
Aram is an experienced medical doctor with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. Skilled in Healthcare Information Technology (HIT), Electronic Medical Record (EMR), Customer Service, Hospitals, and Healthcare. Strong healthcare services professional with a Doctor of Medicine – MD focused in Family Medicine from The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
KENT ELLINGTON, MD
Executive Committee
Kent is an Orthopaedic surgeon and Medical Director of the OrthoCarolina Foot/Ankle Institute, associate professor at Atrium Dept Ortho Surgery and UNCC Department of Biology. Kent has extensive experience in research and development, clinical research, and product design. Kent is an angel investor and CMO for several start-ups and owns multiple patents.
JUSTIN FAVARO, MD
Executive Committee
Dr. Favaro is board certified in both Medical Oncology and Hematology.
Dr. Favaro’s research experience includes basic science work in viral replication and tumor cell growth as well as clinical research focused on the development of new treatment for cancer. He has written a PhD dissertation, coauthored a book on pharmacology, and been an author on multiple publications in peer reviewed medical journals. Dr Favaro is a principal investigator on a several clinical trials currently open in his practice.
Charlotte Magazine has named Dr. Favaro one of the Top Doctors in Hematology/Oncology. His professional interests include clinical care of patients with cancer and blood disorders. He has served on multiple advisory boards and served as a discussant in continuing medical education videos for Research to Practice. He also has worked as an expert witness in defense of physicians in medical malpractice cases.
Dr. Favaro believes that physician-owned practices are best suited to offer patient-oriented, efficient care. Physician autonomy improves the value of the care delivered and leads to greater patient satisfaction.
Outside of the clinical setting, Dr. Favaro has a strong interest in health care policy. He has served on the board of Community Oncology Alliance and has lobbied in Washington, DC on behalf community oncology. Dr. Favaro led in the development of the first local chapter of the Community Oncology Alliance Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN) and he has served as president of the North Carolina Oncology Association. He continues to serve on the boards of the North Carolina Oncology Association and the Independent Physicians of the Carolinas. Dr. Favaro has spoken at support group meetings for patients with colon cancer and multiple myeloma and has participated in local fundraising races for cancer.
CARLOS JORGE, MD
Executive Committee
Carlos is the co-founder and chief medical officer of Companion Health, a technology driven, next generation primary care clinic that capitalizes on global healthcare trends to eliminate preventable disease.
He also serves as a strategic advisor to Guidon Capital Partners, a private investment firm in Charlotte, NC which acquires small privately held businesses (less than $15M annual revenue) with unrealized growth potential and commercializes promising new products and services. It is veteran-owned and actively hires and promotes development of veterans.
JOHN MANNING, MD
Executive Committee
John is a practicing physician, double-boarded in Emergency Medicine and Clinical Informatics. Teaches residents at the bedside. Primary interests revolve around usability and end-user design. John builds wireframes with Figma, develop health apps with Flutter, and create educational videos of both via DaVinci Resolve.
OMAR SISTRUNK
Executive Committee
Omar is President of the Rize Group, a fractional operations company that works with both Physicians and Dentists to improve overall business operations, enhancing the patient experience, all while safeguarding that your practice is operationally sound to meet and exceed both your clinical and non-clinical expectations. Omar’s expertise lends itself in the areas of EHR, coding, scheduling, messaging, training, quality, revenue cycle, billing, staff development, employee retention, human resources, as well as, key non-clinical areas of the practice.
Five Top Reasons You Should Attend North Carolina SoPE Chapter events
- Connect with like-minded innovators
- Learn about successful venturing
- Help other entrepreneurs move their ideas forward
- Identify early-stage investing and advising opportunities
- Create positive change in healthcare
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