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Innovate and Elevate

Innovate and Elevate

By: Sharon Kedar MBA CFA
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Summary

 Join Sharon Kedar, Co-Founder of Northpond Ventures, as she has candid, in-depth conversations with top doctors, scientists, and trailblazing innovators. Innovate and Elevate is the podcast where the pioneering ideas and leading-edge discoveries that redefine human health are explored. Behind every revolutionary method and device is a human, or humans, daring to make the impossible possible. Sharon, an investor at the forefront of science-driven venture capital, talks with these change agents about how they are rewriting the rules in their fields - from human health and longevity to breakthrough diagnostics and therapeutics. Featured by Harvard’s Wyss Institute, this podcast delivers the sophisticated, knowledgeable, and essential insights you need to understand how innovation impacts our lives. Because Humanity Deserves Better. Sharon Kedar is Co-Founder, Partner of Northpond Ventures. She is also a human health advocate and has been invited to and spoken at notable institutions and events nationwide, including The New York Stock Exchange, The White House, ARPA-H, and Harvard University. “This new podcast is just what I needed- a platform to learn about health and innovation. I just listened to the first episode hosted by Sharon Kedar, a true pioneer for women. The amazing thing is that this podcast delivered with such humanity. I was glad to hear women leaders talking about real world things like women helping women, balancing our lives, advancing our careers, and prioritizing our health. It was fascinating to learn from Dr. Rexrode that women’s healthcare is often just a trial for doctors (lack of women based tests) and how frustrating that is for doctors. I loved hearing from these two top experts and can’t wait to tune into more episodes. And I plan to recommend this show to women and men! Finally, the pregnancy example really hits home and was a perfect motivator.” “It’s hard to find helpful and insightful content that is easy to understand. This podcast does that and should be considered on a par with Dr Andrew Huberman’s podcast.” “The dialogue was engaging and informative without feeling overwhelming. Both Sharon and Dr Rexrode are so knowledgeable in their fields. I can’t wait to see who the other guests will be!”Copyright 2026 Sharon Kedar, MBA, CFA Biological Sciences Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Finance Physical Illness & Disease Science
Episodes
  • Sound, Brain and the Science of Hearing | Neuroscientist Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham

    Sound, Brain and the Science of Hearing | Neuroscientist Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham
    May 14 2026

    What if some forms of hearing loss do not appear on current hearing tests at all? In this episode of Innovate & Elevate, Sharon Kedar sits down with neuroscientist, engineer, musician, and Carnegie Mellon Dean Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham to explore how the brain processes sound and why hearing is far more complex than simply detecting noise. Together, they discuss hidden hearing loss, the “cocktail party effect,” ADHD and sound filtering, cognitive fatigue, aging, sensory processing, and the emerging science behind sound, music, and the brain.

    This Episode Is For You If:

    - You’re interested in ADHD, sensory processing, and cognitive load

    - You want to understand how the brain filters sound

    - You’re curious about the future of hearing diagnostics and neuroscience

    Connect with Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham:

    - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-shinn-cunningham-9705208/


    Connect with Sharon:

    1. Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkedar/
    2. Learn more about Innovate and Elevate: https:// innovateandelevatepodcast.com
    3. Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWi1O9RBaPMYuCkKszPYVA
    4. Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: https://innovateandelevatepodcast.com/email


    The content shared in this episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or investment advice. Please seek guidance from your own qualified professionals before making decisions.


    Timestamps

    (00:00) Introduction to hearing and brain processing

    (03:12) Why identical twins can experience sound differently

    (06:25) Loud concerts, noise exposure, and hidden hearing loss

    (11:08) Why hearing tests may miss subtle hearing damage

    (16:10) Hypersensitivity, sound amplification, and aging

    (21:22) ADHD, focus, and filtering sound

    (27:40) The “cocktail party effect” explained

    (34:18) Why hearing loss can feel mentally exhausting

    (42:55) ADHD as a potential superpower

    (52:11) Sound baths, sleep, and the neuroscience of sound


    About Our Guest: Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham is a neuroscientist, engineer, musician, and Dean of the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research focuses on how the brain processes sound, attention, hearing, and sensory perception in complex environments.

    About Sharon: Sharon Kedar is a co-founder and partner at Northpond Ventures, a multi-billion-dollar science-driven venture capital firm. Sharon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a CFA charter holder. She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Greg, their three kids, and their dog Bo.


    This podcast is produced by Brave Moon Podcasts: https://www.bravemoonpodcasts.com/

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    30 mins
  • 1993: The Year Women Entered Clinical Trials & Why This Matters for Human Health (With Jessica Federer)

    1993: The Year Women Entered Clinical Trials & Why This Matters for Human Health (With Jessica Federer)
    Apr 23 2026

    What happened in 1993 still affects medicine today. That was the year women were required to be included in NIH-funded clinical trials, a shift that helped begin correcting decades of male-centered medical research. In this powerful conversation, Sharon Kedar CFA sits down with Jessica Federer, former Chief Digital Officer at Bayer and Managing Director of The Women’s Health Fund, to explore why this moment matters not only for women’s health, but for human health, innovation, and the future of medicine.

    They discuss how exclusion from research shaped diagnostics, drug dosing, autoimmune disease, heart health, cancer care, and why one of the world’s largest multi-trillion dollar industries still has enormous opportunity ahead.

    This Episode Is For You If:

    - You want to understand why women’s health impacts everyone

    - You’re curious how clinical trials shape modern medicine

    - You care about innovation, investing, longevity, and better healthcare outcomes

    What You’ll Learn:

    - Why women were historically excluded from many clinical trials

    - How 1993 changed medical research standards

    - Why better science creates better care for everyone

    Key Takeaways

    - Clinical research has historically relied heavily on male data, creating downstream gaps in care.

    - Including women in research improves diagnostics, treatment, safety, and outcomes across medicine.

    - Women’s health may be one of the greatest innovation opportunities of our time.

    Connect with Sharon:

    Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkedar/

    Learn more about Innovate and Elevate: https:// innovateandelevatepodcast.com

    Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWi1O9RBaPMYuCkKszPYVA

    Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: https://innovateandelevatepodcast.com/email

    Connect with Jessica Federer:

    - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjfeds

    - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicafederer

    - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessica.federer?_r=1&_t=ZP-95ZSDLDRyyF

    - YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jjfeds?si=bX8_ii-GccsfXHN8

    Organizations, resources and citations referenced:

    Bayer: https://www.bayer.com/en/

    National Institutes of Health (NIH): https://www.nih.gov/

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration: https://www.fda.gov/

    Jennifer Doudna: https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/jennifer-doudna

    The content shared in this episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or investment advice. Please seek guidance from your own qualified professionals before making decisions.

    Timestamps

    (00:00) Welcome Jessica Federer

    (00:50) Why Jessica cares deeply about women’s health

    (02:10) Why 1993 was a turning point in clinical trials

    (04:33) NIH rules requiring women in funded research

    (08:28) Why women spend more years in poorer health

    (12:08) Mammograms, heart disease, and missed opportunities

    (15:36) Why cancer treatment may look barbaric in hindsight

    (18:53) Why top talent is moving into women’s health

    (21:13) Autoimmune disease and the need for better systems

    (25:29) The next frontier: brain health and hormone science

    About Our Guest: Jessica Federer is a trailblazer and market builder. She was the first female chief digital Officer in the global pharmaceutical industry. She now sits on public and private boards, convenes the Health of Women Investor Summit and is the managing director of the Women’s Health Fund. She also serves on the Yale IRB and the Yale Blavatnik Fund advisory.

    About Sharon: Sharon Kedar is a co-founder and partner at Northpond Ventures, a multi-billion-dollar science-driven venture capital firm. Her extensive career includes leadership roles at Sands Capital and McKinsey & Company, and she is a published author on personal finance. As the host of the Innovate and Elevate podcast, she passionately advocates for menopause care and HRT (hormone replacement therapy), challenging the silence around human health XX (also known as women’s health). She aims to help women navigate midlife and achieve longevity by aging with power. Sharon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a CFA charter holder. She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Greg, their three kids, and their dog Bo.

    This podcast is produced by Brave Moon Podcasts: https://www.bravemoonpodcasts.com/
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    27 mins
  • Shapeshifting Human Health: One Medical’s 30 Year Journey with Former CEO Amir Dan Rubin

    Shapeshifting Human Health: One Medical’s 30 Year Journey with Former CEO Amir Dan Rubin
    Mar 26 2026
    What does it really take to build a healthcare company that lasts?In this episode of Innovate and Elevate, Sharon Kedar sits down with Amir Dan Rubin, former CEO of One Medical and Stanford Medicine, to unpack a 30-year journey of building in healthcare. From early ideas around telehealth in the 1990s to leading One Medical through its $3.9 billion acquisition by Amazon, Amir shares what most people misunderstand about innovation in human health.This conversation challenges the narrative of overnight success. Instead, it reveals that the most meaningful breakthroughs require duration, conviction, and the willingness to build long before the outcome is clear. Amir also shares how applying systems thinking from outside of healthcare shaped his leadership across multiple organizations and offers a blueprint for building companies that scale and endure.What You’ll Learn from this Episode:Building in healthcare is a long game measured in decades, not quartersThe real risk is not failure, but never finding out what could have beenSystems thinking from outside industries can unlock innovation in healthcareAs this episode highlights, success in healthcare often depends on:Time horizons measured in decadesCross-industry thinking and innovationOperational excellence and consistencyThe ability to persist through uncertaintyConnect with Sharon:Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkedar/Learn more about Innovate and Elevate: https:// innovateandelevatepodcast.comSubscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWi1O9RBaPMYuCkKszPYVAJoin the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: https://innovateandelevatepodcast.com/emailConnect with Amir Dan Rubin:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirdanrubinHealthier Capital: https://www.healthiercapital.com/Organizations, resources and citations referenced:One Medical: https://www.onemedical.com/Amazon Deal with One Medical: https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/amazon-buy-one-medical-35-billion-deal-2022-07-21/The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-big-leap-gay-hendricksThe Toyota Way by Jeffrey K. Liker: https://www.mheducation.com/highered/mhp/product/toyota-way-second-edition-14-management-principles-world-s-greatest-manufacturer.htmlStanford Medicine: https://med.stanford.edu/UCLA Health: https://www.uclahealth.org/The content shared in this episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or investment advice. Please seek guidance from your own qualified professionals before making decisions.Chapters:(00:00) What this episode reveals about building in healthcare(02:45) Early ideas around telehealth in the 1990s(05:57) Why timing and market readiness matter(07:26) Long-term thinking in healthcare innovation(10:48) Building before the outcome is clear(15:30) Lessons from industries outside healthcare(20:10) Systems thinking and operational excellence(25:45) Scaling One Medical(30:00) The real challenges of building in healthcare(34:00) What it really takes to win in human healthAbout Our Guest: Amir Dan Rubin is a healthcare executive and entrepreneur known for building and scaling innovative care delivery models. He is the former CEO of One Medical, where he led the company through rapid growth, its IPO, and its $3.9 billion acquisition by Amazon. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Stanford Health Care and held leadership roles at UCLA Health, Optum, and Stony Brook University Health System. Across his career, Amir has focused on improving access, experience, and outcomes in healthcare by applying systems thinking and technology. He is currently the founder and managing partner of Healthier Capital.About Sharon: Sharon Kedar is a co-founder and partner at Northpond Ventures, a multi-billion-dollar science-driven venture capital firm. Her extensive career includes leadership roles at Sands Capital and McKinsey & Company, and she is a published author on personal finance. As the host of the Innovate and Elevate podcast, she passionately advocates for menopause care and HRT (hormone replacement therapy), challenging the silence around human health XX (also known as women’s health). She aims to help women navigate midlife and achieve longevity by aging with power. Sharon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a CFA charter holder. She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Greg, their three kids, and their dog Bo.This podcast is produced by Brave Moon Podcasts.
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    33 mins
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