Denise Zarins

Denise began her career as a research and development engineer and manager at AneuRx, a startup that was founded by Dr. Fogarty and later acquired by Medtronic; then she subsequently joined another Fogarty-backed startup, Bacchus Vascular, which was later acquired by Covidien. With roots in engineering, Denise found her stride in project management and intellectual property development.

One of the most rewarding aspects of her career has been involvement with startups whose products have gone to market and are still being used to help patients today. That was the case with her time at The Foundry, where she co-founded Ardian, Inc., the pioneer of renal denervation for hypertension, heart failure and other associated disorders, which was acquired by Medtronic in 2011.

Denise then co-founded Ziva Medical, an early-stage medical device company treating infertility caused by polycystic ovary syndrome. While launching this company, she also consulted in project management, due diligence, and intellectual property development.

Her work at Fogarty Innovation allows her to be involved in multiple projects simultaneously, while also helping young entrepreneurs avoid missteps as they launch their companies. She finds it a place she can live her values every day, as integrity and the concept of “team before self” drive everything she does. Denise has received several awards and is a frequent guest lecturer at Stanford University.