Janet Campbell

You have founded three majorly successful companies (Seno Medical Instruments, Dominion Aesthetic Technologies, and BellaMia Technologies). What inspired you to venture into the medical device and aesthetics industries?

Early in life, I began to have a desire to make a difference, this was eventually implemented by becoming an entrepreneur in the medical field. My desire was prompted, as many entrepreneurs will tell you, by a personal experience. Mine began at 5 years of age, I had a tremendous loss, the loss of my sister. She had been sick, it seemed to me for a long time and that imprinted on me a way that changed my life. Her loss drove me. I started with much more serious technology, which pertained to cancer detection. Seno, the first new functional imaging technology developed in 25 years, is one example. After Seno, I founded another company in the aesthetic sector. In many ways, the aesthetic sector is like the Wild West, where doctors can still determine the types of devices and tools they want to use. The doctors can do this because their patients choose to have these procedures, they are all elective and they pay in cash, not insurance. This multi-billion-dollar market with double-digit growth is very unusual in medicine.

Did you always want to be an entrepreneur?

I think I was born an entrepreneur, as a child I always had ideas and created companies around my ideas; and I was always inspired to do more, contribute, and live for the excitement of it. Initially, while working for larger companies such as Johnson and Johnson I was asked to do some consulting and to interact at the level that I did, which I found exciting because I was driving the decisions. This showed me a life I found really exciting, it showed me what I could do and so I did… be careful what you wish for….

Securing over $100 million in investment capital for Seno is a remarkable achievement. Can you share some insights into your approach to fundraising and building investor confidence in your vision and technology?

Raising capital is something I believe any CEO should be able to do. Fundraising to me is an extension of the technology that I want to bring to market. Building investor confidence comes from many things including being transparent, communicating the vision, achieving the goals, revealing any obstacles, stating the achievements, and then sharing the excitement with my investors about what has been accomplished and created. My investors know they can always reach me and that I am happy to provide an update on our progress. I also provide updates in the Quarterly reports. Our investors feel my passion and pride in delivering on the goals that we set. This is evident because many of my original investors have invested in all my companies.

With Dominion, you introduced the world’s first non-contact laser body contouring robotic device. What sparked the idea for this innovation, and what were the major hurdles in developing and commercializing such groundbreaking technology?

After visiting The Plastic Surgery Meeting and seeing over 200 exhibitors, I had many concerns about the technologies being sold. Many competitors duplicated each other, I saw no difference in the devices, and no distinction was offered, making the market confusing. My team and I pride ourselves on innovation, but only after listening and learning from world experts. I always assemble a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of world renown experts before forming any company. Our experts are chosen based on their use of lasers, all my companies are laser-based, and their medical practice that is specific to the field we are targeting. I started with an interest in the medical sector, such as fat reduction (EON), determine if it is a large market and if that market has strong growth. Then we learn about the unmet needs from our experts, confirming this understanding as we moved along the initial phases of R&D with our KOLs. Once identifying our target, my team and I determine if we could address those identified unmet needs and if they would be sufficient.

The innovation of robotics came about from my team’s observation of the advanced use of robotics in the automotive and electronics industries. The use in these fields reflects the precision that robots offer. Our desire was to offer this same ability to cover a greater treatment area quickly, to be non-contact and to deliver better precision. Once we decided to use robotics, our effort was devoted to the choice and locating the robots we wanted to try. The choice of the robot encompassed many aspects, size, weight, power supply, aesthetic appeal, cost, repetitiveness, the reach around the torso and many more aspects. We went through many trials and ordered a variety of robots before arriving at our ultimate choice. Upon finding our perfect match, we faced having to develop the software to drive the robot for our particular use. The final hurdles included the FDA since there is only one other aesthetic device driven by robotics, the nesting position of the robotic arm when in rest and the smoothing out the robot in its movement while in use. It was an iterative process, but now it is the sexiest device in the industry, having been recognized and won many awards for its innovation and beauty. I believe that the MDs in the practice of aesthetic medicine like their devices to have beauty- you see that in their choice and design of their aesthetic practices and in the choice of their cars. The device is also designed to appeal to patients.

Your latest venture, BellaMia Technologies Inc., focuses on skin rejuvenation. What market gaps or opportunities did you identify that led to the development of your cart-based laser system?  How does it differentiate itself from existing solutions?  

I typically choose an area I find to be a target of interest and then we proceed to investigate that market. Upon investigating it, if it looks like an opportunity, we begin to actively validate by polling users in the market about the competitors. Once we have more basic knowledge, we reach out to a variety of users to learn their thoughts, how they use their products, what are their unmet needs and their “wish lists”. For the aesthetic market, it starts with the estheticians, RNs, and the Physician Assistants (PAs). Once we have initial validation that there is an opportunity, I begin to reach out to the world’s Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs). This is my second company in the aesthetic field, which makes it easier to connect with those experts. I have been told by our KOLs that for skin rejuvenation, there has not been a lot of innovation in the last 5-7 years. In addition, the leaders in the field use a multitude of devices for a single patient procedure, since no single device can meet the needs. This means a lot of things, more staff to move the devices to set up a procedure, more space ( for storage and in the procedure room), less convenience, less ease of use, the necessity to learn a myriad of devices for themselves and their staff, jerry-rigging to make many manufacturers devices work in harmony for a procedure, more staff needed during a procedure, a variety of disposables and laser glasses needed, higher cost for the warranties (typically 4-6 devices are used per procedure) and little innovation.

The Botticelli® is filled with distinctive features to ease the use for the physician and their staff. It is the first device in skin rejuvenation that has the integrated sensor technology offered for ease of use, precision, and patient safety. It uses state-of-the-art diode lasers delivered via fiber optics. It has the 4 most frequently used lasers for skin rejuvenation and is the first device to have a built-in chiller and evacuator for improved patient comfort and safety. It contains the first optics to allow the doctor with the push of a button to change the laser wavelength without needing to change the lens or the hand piece. It will be the first device to offer full-body robotics for skin rejuvenation.

As an entrepreneur with a background in investment banking and technology, how do you approach risk assessment and decision-making in your ventures?

The risk is measured but instinct and experience are a very important part of this after so many years of being in the device field. I believe risk is mitigated by the pre-market validation that I conduct and the team that I assemble. For me, a larger market with double-digit growth is appealing. The medical device field is highly regulated, so assessing the pathway to market is another important consideration. I like this market sector because it uses one of the easiest FDA clearances, the 510k, and since it is a cash-based business, it does not require a CPT code (reimbursement code). The reimbursement code is often harder to receive than the FDA clearance. I was fortunate to work for some wonderful venture capitalists in my career and in doing so I learned a lot about the potential downfalls of other early-stage companies and their CEOs.

How did you come to be involved with the Texas Business Hall of Fame? Is there a particular memory or experience that stands out as a favorite during your time as Director?

I had some wonderful people who sponsored me when I first moved to San Antonio, my friend, Mary Bass, invited me to attend an event almost right after I moved back to Texas from Washington, D.C. It was a great night, and I loved all the people I met that evening. I really find it hard to believe that was 20 years ago!

There are so many wonderful memories and events that have occurred during my time as a Director for the TBHF, I really enjoy mentoring in my companies. We always hire interns to teach them. So, the scholarship awards hold a special place in my heart. The scholarships are really an incredible opportunity to work with other members of the Directors and team up to interview potential recipients for scholarships. The evenings for the inductees and scholars are also wonderful. I love hearing the stories told by the inductees during the afternoon lunches and then that same evening hearing more from each inductee about their personal stories. They are inspiring and all of them are so talented and modest. The scholars are so excited as recipients. I love knowing that our awards contribute and will help them in their futures which will also strengthen our country and its future!