CEO/Founder
Dr. Oke Anakwenze is the CEO and founder of SutureTech. He also the Chief of Shoulder surgery and Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Duke University. Observing challenges in rotator cuff tendon healing and techniques, Dr. Anakwenze devoted 8 years to designing the RapidFix.
With over 180 peer-reviewed articles, multiple patents, and numerous research awards, Dr. Anakwenze's work is internationally recognized. He completed his medical education at the Mayo Clinic, Orthopedic training at the University of Pennsylvania, and shoulder and elbow fellowship at Columbia University. He also holds an MBA from UCLA and was previously the CEO and co-founder of Advanced Surgery Center of North County, the first dedicated out-patient joint replacement center in California. His dedication to improving patient care continues to drive innovation at SutureTech.
Lead Engineer
Ben Arnold is the lead product and regulatory engineer. He has over 20 years of experience in R&D, Quality control, design and manufacturing, fundraising and operations. He is also the CEO of Cor Medical Ventures, a leading medical design and distribution company. He leads a team with over 75 years of combined experience in medical devices and over 100 issued patents. In his role as CEO, he has guided numerous orthopedic surgery start-ups that have had successful exits and spinouts. A few examples include Responsive Orthopedics, the Smith & Nephew Aetos shoulder, Responsive Arthroscopy, and Osteal Therapeutics.
Senior Advisor – Finance & Corporate Development
James Leech has extensive finance and corporate strategy experience in the Med Tech space. He was a founding member of Palette Life Sciences where he served as the Chief Business Officer helping to facilitate a successful acquisition by Teleflex. He has advised or led over $2B in life sciences M&A transactions. James currently serves as Chief Financial and Strategy Officer at Moximed. He is also the Founder and Managing Partner of Warren Point Capital, a Med Tech focused venture and growth equity firm. James started his career in life science investment banking and strategy consulting.