Hannah McKenney

Bestie, here’s what’s good with Hannah McKenney, this straight-up badass bioengineer turned medtech founder who’s crushing it right now. She’s part of YC W22, so she’s legit in the startup game. But her story? It’s not just some typical founder process. It’s about real passion for fixing healthcare and a hustle to make stuff that actually helps people.

So, Hannah’s background? She’s got a Master’s in Bioengineering and a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Rice. Dude, that’s top-tier school, and she focused on mechanical engineering, so she’s got mad technical chops. Before jumping into her own thing, she did rounds at big names like Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic, working on surgical devices. Basically, she’s been in the trenches, building stuff that goes inside your body or helps surgeons do their thing better.

Then, she took it a step further at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she started and ran the Surgical Innovation Program. That’s a big deal, she was guiding early-stage tech from just an idea to a real clinical tool. That’s where she saw firsthand how much innovation in healthcare can change lives, and she got hooked on that mission.

Fast forward, she’s now CEO and co-founder of Starling Medical, which is backed by YC. What do they do? They’re building a smart at-home urine diagnostic platform. Yeah, you heard that right, a toilet that’s basically a health monitor. Think about how many times we ignore health issues until it’s too late. Hannah’s whole vibe? Using digital health and user-centered design to catch problems early, save lives, and cut healthcare costs. No bullshit, she’s trying to make healthcare more preventative, more accessible, and way less invasive.

Her work’s been recognized everywhere, TechCrunch, CB Insights, YC, even some top innovation awards. That’s not just luck, she’s got a clear vision and the skills to turn it into reality. She’s all about building tech that’s not just cool but actually improves patient care and healthcare economics.

Honestly, her story is about someone who saw a problem, the pain points in healthcare, and jumped into the deep end to fix it. She’s been in the trenches, learned what works and what doesn’t, and now she’s leveraging that experience to change how we monitor health at home. That’s why she’s so important, she’s not just building a startup; she’s reshaping the future of healthcare, one smart toilet at a time.

Long story short? Hannah McKenney is the real deal. She’s got the brains, the hustle, and the heart to change the game. And I’m telling you, she’s just getting started.