"Technically Speaking" Series Returns With Mina Fahim of MediView

TLI’s Technically Speaking series launched its first post-pandemic season on Thursday with a lively appearance by Mina Fahim, president and CEO of MediView.

MediView is an augmented-reality (AR) startup that builds 3-D heads-up display systems for surgeons.

Titled “Making the Leap from Technical to Business: Engineer to CEO”, Fahim (MOT ’14) talked about the challenges of moving from designing systems as an engineer to leading a company on his own.

MediView’s innovative AR display allows surgeons to see a 3D version of a patient’s internal organs in real time, based on MRI data.  

Fahim noted that the AR system was tested by surgeons and extensive revisions were made based on their feedback.

“We found out very quickly what was useful to surgeons and what they didn’t really need,” Fahim said. “They tended to want fewer features from the displays than what we had initially offered”. He noted that surgeons tend to stoop to peer into video monitors while they work, and said that an unexpected benefit of the Mediview system is the ergonomic improvement for surgeons.

Audience members were offered cards with QR codes that allowed them to try out AR displays using their own phones.

The session began with a 1-hour networking event. Then Fahim took the stage and gave an overview of MediView and its product line. Mark Sanders, Senior Fellow for TLI, conducted a one-on-one “fireside chat’, quizzing Fahim on his background and his journey from engineer to CEO.

A Q&A session followed, with members of the audience asking about everything from the technical aspects of the Mediview process to the difficulties startups have in attracting talent from industry players like Medtronic and Boston Scientific.

Thursday marked the return of Technically Speaking after a long hiatus due to the Covid pandemic. The series consists of interactive discussions featuring experts and thought-leaders in business, science and technology.

Upcoming talks will be by Kimberly Berneck, CEO of BTM Global on March 16; Khalid Kark, Managing Director of Deloitte CIO Program on April 6, and Jodie Kautt, VP of Target Cybersecurity on May 4.