Grant Chapman has hosted 37 Episodes.
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From Formula 1 to Medtech: Geoff Hutchins from IntuiTap Medical
December 9th, 2025 | Season 2 | 43 mins 42 secs
In this episode, DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with Geoff Hutchins, VP of Operations at IntuiTap Medical, to discuss how the company developed the first FDA-cleared device for imaging and localizing lumbar puncture sites. Geoff shares insights from 30+ years across Formula 1 engineering, large medtech corporations, and early-stage startups, offering a masterclass on navigating concept development, De Novo submissions, design controls, clinical risk, and value-based care. This conversation breaks down the real challenges of building a medical device company from aligning teams around the true clinical problem to raising capital, mitigating risk, planning milestones, and managing technical and organizational complexity.
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Reinventing Concussion Diagnosis with Oculogica
December 1st, 2025 | Season 2 | 30 mins 30 secs
In this episode, DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with Joel Sanderson, CTO of Oculogica, the company behind the FDA-cleared EyeBOX, a groundbreaking eye-tracking device that objectively assesses concussions without requiring a baseline test. Joel walks through the origins of the technology, the engineering behind high-frame-rate eye tracking, De Novo FDA clearance, shrinking the device from research prototype to portable clinical tool, and the challenges of building hardware, optics, AI, and clinical validation into one unified product. This episode dives deep into what it really takes to build hard tech in the medical device world.
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The Hinckley Medical Story with Founder/CEO Tristian Hazlett
November 24th, 2025 | Season 2 | 42 mins 2 secs
Founder Tristan Hazlett shares how he turned a simple insight “paramedics have no way to measure patient weight” into a fully engineered, FDA-regulated hardware product now deployed across 27 states. Tristan walks through solving the technical challenges behind building a mobile, waterproof, multi-sensor gurney-mounted scale capable of accurate readings at any angle. He explains the realities of building medical hard tech: manufacturing struggles, field-test failures, regulatory hurdles, rapid iteration, and scaling a 10-person engineering-led team. The episode highlights Hinckley Medical’s impact on EMS dosing accuracy, founder lessons learned, and the emotional highs and lows of building hard tech that genuinely saves lives.
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Designing Joy Through Hardware: Ashley from Aura Frames
October 28th, 2025 | Season 2 | 51 mins 56 secs
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman talk with Ashley Phillips, Head of Product at Aura Frames, about building hardware that connects families through shared memories. Ashley shares her journey from software to hardware, Aura’s vertically integrated approach to design and engineering, and how the company creates “joy delivery devices” that millions of people love. The conversation explores Aura’s product philosophy, their decision to forgo subscriptions, and how product-market fit can be achieved by focusing relentlessly on customer happiness.
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From Apple to AI Soccer Cameras: Alex Krause from Trace
October 14th, 2025 | Season 2 | 40 mins 16 secs
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with Alex Krause, Director of Hardware at Trace, to explore how AI, hardware, and software intersect in the world of sports technology. Alex shares his journey from building Face ID systems at Apple to leading hardware innovation at Trace where his team designs AI-powered soccer cameras that capture every play automatically. The conversation dives into hardware-as-a-service, the balance between edge and cloud computing, and the lessons learned from building scalable, user-first products in a fast-moving industry.
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Redefining Men's Sexual Wellness: Jeff Bennett founder of MOR
October 14th, 2025 | Season 2 | 39 mins 56 secs
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman interview Jeff Bennett, founder and CEO of Morari Medical, a company pioneering innovation in sexual wellness through neurostimulation technology. Jeff discusses his journey from the medical device world to launching a groundbreaking wellness product that empowers men with safe, effective, and stigma-free solutions. The conversation covers FDA approval, user experience design, direct-to-consumer marketing, and the realities of fundraising in a sensitive category.
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Smarter Training, Fewer Injuries with VERT Performance
October 6th, 2025 | Season 2 | 52 mins 6 secs
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with David Gil, Managing Partner at VERT Performance, to explore how technology is revolutionizing the world of volleyball. The conversation dives into how jump tracking, load management, and landing mechanics are shaping the next generation of athlete performance and injury prevention.
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Autonomous Lawn Care: The Greenzie Story
September 29th, 2025 | Season 2 | 42 mins 17 secs
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with Charles Brian Quinn (CBQ), CEO and founder of Greenzie, to explore the future of autonomous mowing and outdoor robotics.
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Designing Better Coffee: Basheer Tome on Product Development at Fellow
September 22nd, 2025 | Season 2 | 52 mins 41 secs
In this episode of the Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre and Grant welcome Basheer Tome, a senior manager in product design at Fellow, to discuss the intricacies of designing coffee equipment. The conversation explores the intersection of industrial design and user experience, the challenges of hardware interface design, and the importance of balancing complexity with usability. Basheer shares insights on navigating stakeholder feedback, the significance of user research, and innovative methods for gathering user feedback. The episode also delves into the value of portfolios for aspiring designers and offers advice for those starting their careers in design.
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From Plant Killer to Shark Tank and CNN: The Flora Story
September 8th, 2025 | Season 2 | 48 mins 15 secs
In this episode of the Hardtech Podcast, Aabesh De shares his journey from being a self-proclaimed 'serial plant killer' to founding Flora, a company that merges IoT with gardening. He discusses the challenges of integrating hardware and software, the lessons learned from appearing on Shark Tank, and the impact of the show on his business growth. Aabesh emphasizes the importance of user experience and the need for a strong app to support the hardware. He also shares insights on the future vision for Flora, aiming to create a comprehensive ecosystem for plant care.
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Beyond Compliance: Quality Systems in MedTech
September 1st, 2025 | Season 2 | 38 mins 47 secs
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with Ashkon Rasooli, founder and CEO of EnGenius Solutions, to explore the realities of building quality into medical devices. Ashkon shares insights from the No BS QMS manifesto, explaining how to design efficient quality management systems that improve outcomes without unnecessary bureaucracy.
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From Startup to Amazon Supplier: The Modjoul Story with Founder Eric Martinez
July 28th, 2025 | Season 2 | 48 mins 37 secs
Eric Martinez, CEO of Modjoul, joins us to share how his startup went from idea to landing Amazon as a client. We dive into the evolution of Modjoul’s workplace safety technology, the emotional weight of building products that protect people, and what it really takes to scale a hard-tech company in industrial environments.