the keynote your audience argues about at lunch
Craig T. Ingram has spent twenty-five years launching medical technology — a decade inside Johnson & Johnson, then commercial leadership at the startups that got acquired. He brings the launches that worked, the ones that did not, and the pattern underneath both to your stage.
- Real companies, real numbers, and the launches that failed — not a highlight reel
- Every session rebuilt around your theme, your sector and your room
- IAOTP MedTech & HealthTech Advisor of the Year, 2024
Twenty-five years across these companies
See why people keep recommending him
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I first heard Craig speak at a MedTech conference, speaking words which instantly resonated with me. His insights weren’t just words; they were hard-earned truths from someone who’s seen it all, from triumphs to pitfalls, across countless organizations. He tells you what you need to hear, not what you may want to hear, delivering astute advice backed by clear, logical professional reasoning.
Dr Stephen Smith Regulatory & Quality Consultant, FCQI, Fellow of TOPRA, Elevate MedTech -
Craig came to Vivify Health and had an immediate impact with his work ethic and enthusiasm. I was really impressed with his outside-the-box thinking. The best part was the effect his efforts had on his fellow sales people — the entire team started thinking and sharing new ideas. If you are looking to reenergize your team this guy would be a great person to bring in.
Michael E. Banesse Vice President of Commercial Sales, BETTRAI -
I have had the pleasure of working with Craig on several projects and presentations at Minerva Surgical. Craig’s positive energy, loyalty to his organization and people, and his passion for sales are second to none. Thank you for your consistent willingness to step in and help, and your contagious enthusiasm.
Stacie Hootkin Medical Device Sales Leader, Minerva Surgical -
Most of the medtech world has a very basic understanding of what constitutes commercialisation. Craig has literally written the book on this approach to solid and serious, long-term strategic medtech commercialisation. If you want long-term and sustainable commercialisation of a MedTech device, then you should reach out to Craig.
Steve Bell Non-Executive Director, Board Advisor & Investor, Surgical Robotics & MedTech -
Craig is loyal, honest, and a true disruptor. You can always count on him to speak his mind, challenge the status quo, and work with you to come up with new ideas and strategies — all while maintaining a high level of integrity and collaborative spirit. I recommend Craig to those who are not afraid to do things differently.
Melanie Huen Business Development & Channel Partnerships, Hello Heart -
A consultant, mentor, leader and experienced sales representative. Craig takes the hands-on approach to work with your team and dives deep into the technical aspects of the products. I would highly recommend him.
Joel Russo Director of Sales (former), Microline Surgical, Inc. -
Craig was my sales trainer and consultant. His leadership and guidance allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. I will be forever grateful.
Larry Anderson, Jr. Vice President — Commercial & Strategic Initiatives, BG Medical -
Craig is an outstanding sales professional and a great person. He is an over-achiever, detail oriented, and has excellent interpersonal skills. I would highly recommend Craig and would love to hire him again.
David Renzi Senior Vice President, Sales, Pulmonx Corporation
Watch Craig work a room
Four minutes of keynote footage, audience reaction, and the moment he asks a room of founders to admit which part of their launch they have never looked at.
About Craig T. Ingram
Craig started selling medical devices while still at university and built a distribution company doing it. Almost a decade at Ethicon, a surgical division of Johnson & Johnson, was followed by commercial leadership at venture-backed startups including SurgRx, acquired by Johnson & Johnson; Patton Surgical, acquired by Stryker Endoscopy; and Microline Surgical, acquired by Hoya.
Since 2007 he has advised CEOs of medical technology companies on the unglamorous work of turning a promising product into repeatable adoption. On stage that becomes something rarer than a motivational talk: someone describing what actually happened, including the parts that went badly.
- IAOTP Top MedTech & HealthTech Advisor of the Year, 2024
- Certified for inclusion by Marquis Who’s Who of America
- MBA International Management; BA Marketing; AS Bioelectric Technology & Molecular Cell Physiology
- Author of the forthcoming book, The Bridge Strategy Blueprint
- Commercialisation strategist on the Elevate MedTech advisory team
- 25+
- Years in medical technology
- 2007
- Advising CEOs since
- 3
- Companies he helped build, then acquired
- 2024
- IAOTP Advisor of the Year
Your event becomes the story
Six things that reliably happen when Craig has the room.
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Full room engagement
Back row included. Nobody drifts to their phone while a launch is being taken apart on stage.
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Earned credibility
Real companies, real numbers, and the launches that did not work. Twenty-five years is hard to argue with.
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Reflects your event
Your theme, your sector, your language — woven in from the pre-event call, not bolted on.
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Real participation
The audience diagnoses their own business in real time. Nobody is dragged on stage.
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Creates conversation
People argue about their own constraint over lunch. That is the point.
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Built every time
Rebuilt from a pre-event call, not pulled off a shelf and relabelled.
From recent events
Formats that fit your event
Four ways to put Craig on the agenda. Each one is customized to your audience on a pre-event call.
- 01
The Keynote
Forty-five minutes. One argument. A room that leaves decided.
- 45–60 minutes, built around your theme
- Real launches, named companies, honest outcomes
- Closes on a framework, not a platitude
- 02
The Workshop
The keynote, but your team does the work.
- 90 minutes, hands-on, capped for interaction
- Teams locate their own constraint live
- Leaves behind a one-page operating rule
- 03
Panel & Fireside
Unscripted, and better for it.
- Panelist or moderator — he has done both
- Audience questions, answered straight
- Ideal for summits and investor days
- 04
Host / Emcee
Far more than reading the run-of-show.
- Holds energy across the whole program
- Quick on his feet between sessions
- Ties the day together at the close
How it works
Hassle-free and professional from first contact to final applause.
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Share event details
Two minutes on the form: date, city, audience, and what you need the session to do.
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Receive a proposal
A written proposal with format options and all-in pricing, back to you within one business day.
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Lock in the date
Contract, deposit, and a pre-event call to build the session around your theme.
Four talks. One uncomfortable question.
Every one of them ends with the room working out which part of their own business is the problem.
- Talk 01
The 70% Club
Why great products lose, and what the survivors do differently.
Craig opens with the number nobody in the room wants to be part of. Using two decades of launches — the ones that worked and the ones that did not — he shows why the best technology in the category regularly loses to the second-best, and what the winners were doing while everyone else was building.
- Why clearance and a strong product guarantee nothing
- The warning signs a launch is drifting, six months before revenue shows it
- What separates the companies that get acquired from the ones that run out of runway
- Talk 02
Breaking Into New Markets
The front door is locked. Somebody built a side entrance.
The talk Craig has given on the SaaS Fuel Expert Series, expanded for the stage. Entrenched competitors, bundled contracts and buyers with no reason to switch — and the uncommon routes around all three, told through markets he has actually opened.
- How to find the door that is not contracted shut
- Building demand upstream of the person who signs
- Why hiring for skill set beats hiring for industry background
- Talk 03
A Sales Problem Is Not Always a Sales Problem
Stop pushing the team harder. Go find the actual constraint.
Ten things have to work for a product to get adopted, and sales is only one of them. Craig walks the room through the whole system, then has them locate their own constraint in real time. The session most likely to produce an uncomfortable silence, then a very good conversation.
- The ten components every commercial system runs on
- How to tell a symptom from a cause
- A triage order for fixing them that will not blow the budget
- Talk 04
Choosing Your Expert Partners
The MedTech Malta panel, as a full session.
Built out from the panel Craig sat on at MedTech Malta 2024. Which partners actually accelerate a startup, which ones quietly cost you a year, and how a founder with no leverage should run the conversation. Aimed squarely at accelerators, incubators and investor summits.
- What a genuinely useful partner does in the first ninety days
- The questions founders forget to ask before signing
- Keeping control of the commercial strategy while taking the help
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of events does Craig speak at?
MedTech and HealthTech conferences, startup accelerators and incubators, sales kickoffs, investor summits, association meetings and university programs. Anywhere the room is trying to turn technology into revenue.
How long is a typical keynote?
Forty-five to sixty minutes, with fifteen minutes of Q&A if the agenda allows. The workshop format runs ninety minutes, and he is comfortable on a panel of any length.
Does he travel internationally?
Yes. Craig is based between Austin, Rome and Malta, and has presented on both sides of the Atlantic — most recently on the MedTech Malta 2024 panel. European dates are straightforward.
How far in advance should we book?
Three to six months is comfortable. Shorter runways happen and are often workable — send the date and you will hear straight away whether it is open.
What do you need from us to quote?
Date, city, venue type, audience size, who is in the room and the outcome you want from the session. That is enough for a firm all-in number.
Can the talk be customized to our theme?
Always. Every booking includes a pre-event call, and the examples, framing and language are rebuilt around your sector and your conference theme.
Recent audiences and sectors
Your date is still open. Check availability now.
Craig takes a limited number of speaking engagements each quarter so every one gets a real pre-event build. Send the details and you will have a written proposal back within one business day.
- clientsupport@medicalsalesgrowth.com
- +1 551-697-7320
- Available worldwide — U.S. and Europe based