The Power of a Sounding Board: MediTeddi’s Journey with TechRiseRoc
How one physician turned a bedside insight into a scalable health innovation—with help from the Rochester tech community.
As a practicing family physician Dr. Bayer has seen many patients become ill and die because they weren’t taking their medications regularly. His pleading with patients seemed to hit deaf ears so he invented MediTeddi, an electronic talking bear that inquires regularly whether patients are taking their medications. In a program at a local community health center, MediTeddi helped diabetes patients take their medications more regularly and lower their average blood sugar levels by almost 100 points. He is now trying to present MediTeddi to a larger audience but didn’t learn much about sales and marketing in medical school!
As the founder of HealthPozitive, Dr. Bayer is transforming this plush companion into a scalable medical tool. Beyond simple reminders, the device also provides real-time tracking for caregivers to ensure long-term patient safety.
To work on the transition from clinical success to commercial viability, Dr. Bayer recognized he could use some help navigating this journey. When an email came to his inbox from TechRochester announcing the launch of TechRiseRoc, Dr. Bayer signed right up.
Finding the Right Support at the Right Time
“As a solo entrepreneur, I wanted to have someone that I could bounce ideas off of, to open up my mind to other platforms and concepts that might be helpful to my business,” explained Dr. Bayer. “There are several organizations in the region that support entrepreneurs, like NextCorps, but I felt I was too early in my startup journey to fully benefit from this level of support.”
TechRiseRoc fills that gap by matching entrepreneurs with industry professionals in the Rochester community. These mentors share advice on everything from recruiting and staffing to financing growth, marketing, and building a positive company culture.
The initiative is run by TechRochester volunteers and made possible through a grant from Springboard NY—a prize competition funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation focused on building a connected entrepreneurial ecosystem in Western New York.
Making Matches Based on Needs
Through the program, Dr. Bayer was matched with Dylan Famolaro, executive sales manager at iSECURE. The pairing proved to be a perfect match for medical innovation and business development.
“Dylan is responsive to my ideas and he’s given me thoughts on new branches to explore for sales channels—companies I should try to either sell to or sell through,” said Bayer. “This has been eye-opening. He’s also helping me identify volunteer resources that could provide hands-on support to keep my expenses at a minimum.”
The feeling is mutual. “The ideas just keep coming,” shared Famolaro. “I’ve mentioned medical supply companies that might be able to market MediTeddi, including those that provide supplies primarily for older people, and given him contacts at the Veterans Administration.”
Strengthening the Local Economy
The benefits of TechRiseRoc extend beyond the founders. For Famolaro, mentoring has provided a fresh perspective on his own backyard.
“You hear about all of these companies that are forming here. I wanted to be a part of what's growing our Rochester economy,” he explained. “Getting a closer look at what's happening locally—and contributing to it—is exciting.”
Teaming for the Future
With initial testing data proving MediTeddi’s effectiveness, Dr. Bayer is now focusing on rebuilding his website to set HealthPozitive up for long-term growth.
“It gets a little isolating working on a small company, so it's nice to get feedback like Dylan’s,” said Bayer. “Signing up for TechRiseRoc was a really easy process, too.”
Famolaro added, “It really does take a community and lots of support to get things off of the ground. It’s like that saying, ‘You never know who you’ll meet that might be able to open a door.’ Dr. Bayer has a good product. If more of us join the entrepreneur community as support players, we can help create the next best things.”
Ready to grow your vision—or help someone else grow theirs? Whether you’re a founder looking for a sounding board like Dr. Bayer, or a local professional wanting to give back like Dylan, TechRiseRoc is your gateway to a stronger Rochester. Learn more by contacting TechRochester.
