In this episode, Drue sits down with Gary Stevenson, a seasoned venture capitalist and managing partner at Healthpoint Capital, whose 24-year journey in musculoskeletal investing has made him a cornerstone of the orthopedic startup community. Starting as a CPA at Arthur Andersen, Gary transitioned into medical device experience at Abbott Labs and investment banking at Morgan Keegan. He shares what led him to launch MB Venture Partners in Memphis, where he raised $130 million across four funds, with 80% of the focus on the musculoskeletal space.

Gary reveals the strategic thinking behind his focus on orthopedics and spine, explaining how domain expertise and relationships create competitive advantages for both investors and the companies they back. He discusses pattern recognition from nearly 500 companies he's encountered, emphasizing the critical importance of starting with unmet clinical needs rather than looking for problems to solve with existing technologies. The conversation explores the challenging dynamics of startup leadership transitions, with Gary sharing insights on when founding entrepreneurs can take companies all the way versus when professional management changes become necessary.

We discuss a crown jewel of the orthopedic industry, the Musculoskeletal New Ventures Conference (MNVC), celebrating its 23rd year as the industry's only dedicated orthopedic and spine startup showcase. Gary explains how the Memphis-based conference they started has become the premier venue, where 40 companies present to 200 targeted investors and strategics over two days, featuring longer 20-minute presentations that allow for meaningful depth. Together, they explore what makes MNVC unique in the conference landscape, from its exclusive MSK focus and premium venue to the relationships and deals that have emerged from this carefully curated gathering of the orthopedic innovation ecosystem.