STARTUP PHYSICIANS

Incubator

You know what is broken in healthcare. Now transform your vision into a real company.

A six-month program for physician founders ready to move from idea to execution — with expert guidance, real accountability, and access to the network required to build a company.

July – December 2026 · No equity taken · Limited cohort by application

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Learn more by watching the Physicians Founders Roadmap Webinar.

Watch the Webinar

You’ve seen what’s broken in healthcare.
You’ve thought about how to fix it.

But when it comes to building something real, the path isn’t clear.

You don’t know:

  • what to do first

  • who to talk to

  • how to evaluate risk

  • or how to move forward without wasting time or money

So progress stalls. Not because the idea isn’t strong — but because no one ever showed you how this actually works.

You have the insight — but not the path.

And even if you figure it out on your own, you’re doing it without:

  • a network

  • experienced guidance

  • or access to the people who actually build and fund companies

In healthcare innovation, access matters.

You can have the right idea — and still never get in the room.

“Dr. Curfman is amazing! She taught me how to shift my identity to leverage my clinical skills to bring value outside of traditional medicine.”
— Dr. Christina Kang

The Incubator gives you the structure, support, and access to move forward — deliberately.

This is a six-month working program designed for physicians who are serious about building something real.

Not a course.
Not theory.
A focused environment to do the work — with the right guidance.

“Alison is inspiring and her energy is truly contagious.”
— Dr. Fabiola Kopp

Meet Your Guide

Led by a physician who has done it — and never stopped practicing.

A woman with long, blonde hair smiling and standing with arms crossed in a hallway with glass walls.
“Working with Alison Curfman through the Physicians & Founders Incubator was a turning point in my journey as a physician founder. As clinicians, we are trained to identify problems—but not how to translate those insights into scalable businesses. Alison bridges that gap with exceptional clarity. She helped me refine my idea and explore various paths to execution as well as options for technical build.

Her program goes far beyond theory—it delivers actionable strategy and a structured framework for building a real healthcare startup. Most important - Alison helped me make connections and introduce me to people who are still helping me to keep moving forward. I walked away with a refined business model, clearer positioning, and, most importantly, confidence in my next steps.”
— Dr. W

Alison Curfman, MD, MBA - Founder, Startup Physicians

Alison is a practicing pediatric emergency physician, founder, and operator. She co-founded Imagine Pediatrics, which reached a multi-nine-figure valuation and now serves over 100,000 patients.

She has built companies, worked in private equity, and helped raise over $100M — and she built StartUp Physicians to create a path that didn’t exist when she started.

What Makes This DifferenT

PEERS that understand the problem

Physician founders building alongside you — aligned in context, pace, and ambition

Capital strategy, not guesswork

Financial modeling, fundraising strategy, and real-world positioning

Direct access to experts

A vetted bench of advisors available for 1:1 work — not just introductions

Built for physicians

No equity taken. No requirement to leave clinical practice

Applications are closed, but if you’d like to still be considered, please download our Concept Pitch Builder here.

Download the CONCEPT PITCH BUILDER

The Startup Physicians Incubator™

Inside the Incubator, what you get…

  • Monthly live group sessions with Alison and expert faculty

  • Credits for 1:1 coaching, expert support and operational help

  • Two in-person retreat weekends with the cohort

  • A live pitch opportunity in front of VCs and family offices

  • Private cohort community and direct access to Alison and other experts

The DetAils

Everything you need to verify before committing .

What’s included…

PROGRAM CORE

Structured monthly sessions and a curriculum designed to move your idea to execution.

  • Three structured sessions each month designed to move your company forward in real time.

    • A 90-minute session for core curriculum, led by Alison. Includes structured homework for the month

    • A guest expert session aligned to that month’s focus

    • A small-group accountability call to pressure-test progress

    All sessions are recorded so you can stay on track alongside your clinical schedule.

  • A six-month, faculty-led curriculum that takes you from idea to investor-ready company.

    • Monthly themes build from validation → business model → capital strategy → pitch

    • Taught by operators, investors, and domain experts in healthcare

    • Focused on real-world execution — not theory or templates

    You leave with a complete company foundation, not a collection of disconnected lessons.

EXPERT ACCESS & SUPPORT

Direct access to the people and support you need to actually build this.

  • Included credits to use toward expert support throughout the program.

    • Apply credits toward 1:1 sessions, business coaching, or operational help

    • Use them where your company needs it most

    • Access specially negotiated rates with vetted experts

    Additional credits are available if you need deeper support as your company evolves.

  • Work directly with the experts who teach and support the program.

    • Book sessions with specialists across capital strategy, product, legal, and operations

    • Get direct guidance on your specific company — not generic advice

    • Build relationships with advisors who understand healthcare and early-stage growth

    This is not a referral list — it’s a working bench of people you can actually engage.

  • Execution support to help you move from strategy to action.

    • Access vetted resources for pitch decks, marketing, and project scoping

    • Get help translating ideas into tangible deliverables

    • Support for the operational side of building — not just the strategy

    So you’re not stuck figuring out how to actually get things done.

EXPERIENCE & NETWORK

Real-world exposure and a network that doesn’t exist if you’re building alone.

  • Two full weekends designed for focused work and meaningful connection.

    • In-person retreats with your cohort in August and November (details below)

    • Dedicated time to step away from day-to-day demands and move your company forward

    • Structured sessions balanced with space for deep thinking and collaboration

    This is where a lot of clarity — and momentum — happens.

  • Present your company to real investors — not a simulated exercise.

    • Live virtual pitch event with VCs and family offices

    • Opportunity to generate feedback, conversations, and potential interest

    • Preparation and refinement leading up to the event

    You leave with a pitch that holds up in a real room.

  • You’re building alongside physicians who understand the problem — and the ambition.

    • A small cohort of founders working through similar challenges at the same time

    • Ongoing communication and support throughout the program

    • Direct access to Alison during the six months

    You’re not figuring this out alone — and that changes everything.

Applications are closed, but if you’d like to still be considered, please download our Concept Pitch Builder here.

APPLY NOW

THE EXPERT BENCH

The faculty who teach the curriculum are also available for direct 1:1 booking using your coaching credits.

  • Kimberly Sharp

    Kimberly Sharp

    SENIOR ADVISOR, STARTUP PHYSICIANS
    Chief Capital Officer, Thinkhat Venture Studio. 30 years in healthcare and life sciences capital strategy, investor pipeline development, and deal structuring.

  • David Strickler

    David Strickler

    Operating Partner, Chicago Pacific Founders. CEO, Qoros Health. Former CEO of Imagine Pediatrics, HarmonyCares, and Evergreen Nephrology. Healthcare operator and growth strategist.

  • Ann Wu, MD MPH

    Ann Wu, MD MPH

    Founder, GeneSprout. Pediatrician and former Harvard Medical School professor building solutions to deliver accessible, actionable genetic insights for families.

  • Michael Fang, MD

    Michael Fang,, MD

    Founder, Ryze Health. Physician entrepreneur and former CEO of BASE10 building innovative health plan solutions for independent practices.

  • Kyle Lavin

    Kyle Lavin MD, MPH

    Co-Founder, Cerula Care. Palliative care psychiatrist and psycho-oncologist building scalable behavioral health integration within cancer care.

  • David Johnson

    David Johnson, MD

    Chief Physician Executive, Atlas Oncology Partners. Urologic oncologist and physician operator building value-based care models and oncology platforms.

  • Michael Vincent Smith

    Michael V. Smith, MD

    Founder & CEO, Marti Health. Physician entrepreneur building value-based care models for adults with sickle cell disease.

  • Sipra Laddha

    Sipra Laddha, MD

    Co-Founder & CEO, LunaJoy Health. Psychiatrist and entrepreneur building modern mental health care solutions for women.

  • Zhen Chan

    Zhen Chan, MD MBA

    Founder, Grapevyne. Pediatrician building community-driven platforms to connect physicians and improve career growth and wellbeing.

  • Dagmara Witek-Kuśmider

    Dagmara Witek-Kuśmider

    Creative Director, Publicis. Co-Founder & Vice President, K.I.D.S. Foundation. Brand and innovation leader advancing technology-driven improvements in pediatric hospital care.

  • Jennifer Miles-Thomas

    Jennifer Miles-Thomas, MD, MBA

    Vice Chair of Integration & Innovation, Northwestern Medicine. Physician executive and former CEO of Urology of Virginia leading healthcare innovation, digital transformation, and enterprise strategy.

  • Mary Minno

    Mary Minno

    Founder, Treehub by AI Health Fund. Former operator at Google, Meta, and venture-backed startups focused on helping AI and healthcare founders scale impactful companies.

  • Ty Gabriel

    Ty Gabriel

    Investment strategist and biotech operator with a background spanning venture, diagnostics, and life sciences startups. Retired naval officer and STEM education founder supporting healthcare innovation, commercialization, and investment strategy.

  • Nate Akers

    Nate Akers

    Healthcare strategy and digital transformation leader with expertise across payer, provider, and value-based care models. Experienced in strategic planning, medical economics, and leading teams that solve complex healthcare operational challenges.

  • Mary Wynne

    Mary Wynne

    President, Cardiac Life. Healthcare leader advancing public access defibrillation, CPR education, and emergency preparedness through AED program management and technology solutions.

  • Alex Dummett

    Alex Dummett, MD, FACP, ABPM-CI, CPPS, CPHFH

    CEO, Socratic AI. Physician educator, clinical informaticist, and former Kaiser Permanente Associate Program Director advancing AI-driven medical education and patient safety innovation.

  • Lyndsey Garbi

    Lyndsey Garbi, MD

    Chief Medical Officer, Blueberry Pediatrics. Neonatologist and healthcare leader building AI-enabled pediatric care models that expand access and support modern families.

  • Varun Bajaj

    Varun Bajaj, MHA

    Chief of Staff, Pinta Capital Partners. Healthcare operator and digital transformation leader with experience spanning AI, digital health, and healthcare innovation strategy.

Expert categories available via coaching credits

  • Capital strategy:how deals are evaluated, what kills them, term sheet structures, cap table management, and fundraising sequencing

  • Technology & product development: finding the right technical partners, what to build first, what not to build yet.

  • Financial Modeling: Creating a forward-looking financial model with sensitivity analysis

  • Business coaching & leadership: Entrepreneur Operating System coaches, operations, decision-making, the non-clinical skills of building a company

  • Pitch & storytelling: investor narrative, deck construction, and presentation delivery

  • Operational support: pitch deck design, marketing and brand resources, project scoping, and other execution needs

TIME COMMITMENT

Expect to invest 8–10 hours per month.

  • Monthly sessions in the evenings to work around clinical schedules.

  • 2 in-person retreats (full weekends).

  • All sessions recorded for flexibility.

IN-PERSON EVENTS

August 13-15, 2026: Retreat 1 - Nashville, TN

November 13-15, 2026: Retreat 2 - Las Vegas, NV

November 15-18, 2026: HLTH USA - Las Vegas, NV

We built this program for busy physicians, but it holds the cohort to a high standard.

Your colleagues will be showing up, doing the work, and bringing their full attention to your ventures as well as their own.

That accountability is part of the value.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Most accelerators take equity. This one does not. Most are designed for companies that already have funding or a team. This program starts with the idea and with a physician who is still in clinical practice figuring out what comes next. The curriculum covers the specific challenges physician founders face: navigating clinical credibility into business strategy, understanding how healthcare-specific investors evaluate deals, and building without burning savings or quitting medicine.

  • You need a clear sense of the problem you want to solve and some conviction that you are the right person to solve it. You do not need a business plan, a deck, a co-founder, or a product. Month 1 focuses specifically on validating and sharpening the concept.

  • Yes. We designed this program for that reality. We hold sessions in the evenings. Retreats are weekends. The time commitment is real (8–10 hours per month plus retreats), but it is manageable alongside clinical work.

  • You receive coaching credits as part of the program through our specially negotiated rates with the expert bench. You use them across three categories: expert access (1:1 sessions with faculty and domain experts), general business coaching (including Entrepreneur Operating System coaches), and operational support (pitch deck design, marketing resources, and other execution needs). The experts are the same people who teach the curriculum, so you go deeper with people you already know. Additional credits are available if you need them.

  • No. This is one of the most important things the program teaches. Most physician founders assume they will need to self-fund entirely. There are many alternatives: grants, angel investors, seed funds, strategic corporate investors, and venture capital. Part of what you will learn is how to access capital that is not your own savings, and how to do it without giving away the company in the process.

  • The program ends with a live pitch event attended by VCs and family offices. Founders leave with a business model, a financial model, a capital strategy, and a pitch they have refined in front of real investors. After the program, you are part of the Startup Physicians alumni community.

  • We limit the cohort size by design. We review every application. The interview is a conversation, not a test. We want to understand your idea, your clinical background, and what you are trying to build. We also want you to evaluate whether this is the right program for you. This is a significant investment of time and money, and we want founders who are in for the right reasons.

  • Yes. Co-founders who join together can qualify for a reduced rate. All co-founders participate in everything: sessions, retreats, the pitch competition. Apply together and note your co-founder team.

  • We hold monthly group sessions in the evenings on weekdays. We will set specific days and times with the founding cohort in mind. We record all sessions. Retreats are full weekends in August and November 2026.

The Path Forward

1.APPLY

Share your idea and what you’re looking to build

2.INTERVIEW

A conversation to assess fit — for both sides

3.BUILD

Six months of structured work, ending in a live pitch

APPLY NOW

Applications are closed, but if you’d like to still be considered, please download our Concept Pitch Builder here.

Picture month 6

You can clearly explain what you’re building — in terms investors understand.

You have:

  • a business model that holds up

  • a capital strategy you can defend

  • a network that knows your work

You’re not guessing anymore.
You’re building.

The Cost of Waiting

This is what happens to physicians who wait.

The idea stays an idea.
Progress slows.
Someone else builds it first.

Or you spend a year learning what you could have learned in a structured environment — with fewer mistakes.

The founding cohort begins in July 2026. There will not be another founding cohort.

Early members get the most direct access: to Alison, to the expert bench, and to a program shaped partly by the people in it.

This program is for you if:

  • You have a clear healthcare concept and want to build it

  • You are a practicing physician

  • You are ready to commit time, focus, and resources

  • You want to build a company — not just explore

This program is not for you if:

  • You are looking for a credential or passive learning

  • You are not ready to invest at this level

  • You want someone else to build it for you

Applications are closed, but if you’d like to still be considered, please download our Concept Pitch Builder here.

APPLY NOW

Six months

from now…

You will either be building or still thinking about it.

This is the reality of physicians who wait.

You became a physician because you refused to accept the status quo. That same instinct is what makes you the right person to build what is next in healthcare.

Cohort starts July 2026.

Tell us what you are building.

Apply now. Sessions start in July.

So, what are you waiting for?

APPLY NOW

Still not ready to apply? Download our two-page guide to the five foundations every physician startup needs.

DOWNLOAD

Let's change the future of healthcare, together.

Disclaimer: Individual results may vary.