Team
Leading with vision and experience, our team is committed to transforming groundbreaking discoveries into impactful therapies that redefine patient care.
VivaMed BioPharma
Leadership Team
Kendric Speagle
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Kendric Speagle is a seasoned healthcare entrepreneur with over 20 years of expertise in mergers and acquisitions, executive management, and drug development. As the Founder and CEO of VivaMed BioPharma, Kendric leads the company in licensing and developing university-discovered drug assets to Phase 2 “Proof of Concept.” During his tenure at VivaMed, Kendric has collaborated with over 30 university partners across 13 countries, successfully developed over 150 drug assets, and achieved regulatory approval for 39 drugs.
In addition to his role at VivaMed, Kendric serves as Managing Partner of Bass & Weber, a private equity group specializing in acquiring, improving, and selling undervalued healthcare assets to create “roll-up” platform companies. Over 18 years, he has closed 52 deals, further showcasing his strategic expertise. Kendric also manages a family office in the Midwest and plays an active role in his family’s foundation, which is dedicated to increasing access to the humanities for underserved communities.
John Shufeldt, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP
President & Chief Medical Officer
Dr. John Shufeldt is a trailblazer in healthcare innovation, blending his expertise as a physician and entrepreneur to transform the way medicine is delivered. With over 30 years of experience, John has founded and scaled more than 15 companies, successfully exiting 13, and continues to redefine healthcare’s possibilities.
In 1993, John founded NextCare Urgent Care, one of the nation’s first urgent care chains, transforming access to emergency care. Under his leadership, it grew from a single clinic to 58 locations with nearly $100 million in annual revenue. In 2010, he launched MeMD, a groundbreaking telehealth platform empowering over 500 providers nationwide. MeMD, years ahead of its time, became a leader in virtual care and was acquired by Walmart in 2021. In 2015, John founded Tribal Health, a company addressing healthcare disparities in Indigenous communities. Today, it stands as a leader in improving care for Indian Country, exemplifying his commitment to equitable healthcare.
Beyond his entrepreneurial ventures, John is an active investor in healthtech, medtech, and biotech companies, using his experience to support groundbreaking innovation across the healthcare ecosystem. His vision, passion for problem-solving, and commitment to lifelong learning position him as a thought leader shaping the future of medicine.
Glenn Dean, MBA, CPA
Chief Financial Advisor
Glenn Dean is a seasoned financial executive and entrepreneur with a history of driving growth and innovation. He holds an MBA in strategic planning and finance from the University of Washington and is a CPA with expertise in financial services, technology, and healthcare. In the 1990s at MicroAge, a Fortune 100 company, he helped expand operations to 45 locations and $5B in annual revenue. He also managed a $20M acquisition at Zanova and helped secure $14M in venture funding for Apriva, a cutting-edge wireless payment platform.
Glenn later contributed to the success of healthcare organizations like NextCare, where his leadership in acquisitions and strategic initiatives helped grow the company to 58 locations and $100M in revenue. He also played a pivotal role in creating MeMD, a telehealth platform revolutionizing patient care where he led key initiatives of legal and financial structure design, regulatory compliance, and custom technology platform development, preparing the company for a future acquisition. As CFO of VivaMed BioPharma, Glenn leverages his extensive financial expertise to drive the company’s mission of transforming healthcare innovation.
Nicholas Harris
Chief Technology Officer
Nicholas Harris, CTO of VivaMed BioPharma and author of Elevate Your Health with AI, is an entrepreneur and published researcher recognized for his expertise in generative AI—spanning embeddings, autonomous agents, and fine-tuning. He builds AI-based agents to identify promising drug candidates for repurposing or further development, ensuring resources are allocated strategically.
In his role, Nick leverages skills in data science and machine learning to streamline discovery workflows and accelerate progress on potential therapies. He remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of AI innovation to bring transformative treatments closer to patients in need.
Tiffany Panessa Youtchoko, MBA, MEd, PMP
Marketing Director
A mathematics teacher turned business leader, Tiffany is a results-driven professional with a proven track record of growing multiple companies through strategic marketing, operational excellence, and innovative leadership. As Marketing Director at VivaMed BioPharma, she combines her expertise in project management and product marketing with a passion for driving impact in the biotech industry.
Tiffany excels at optimizing processes, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering results that align with organizational goals. Her ability to develop and execute growth strategies has been instrumental in expanding brand reach and market share across diverse sectors. Known for her adaptability and commitment to continuous learning, Tiffany thrives on turning challenges into opportunities. She is dedicated to advancing VivaMed BioPharma’s mission of transforming groundbreaking science into life-changing therapies, driving both business success and meaningful impact.
