Transforming Ideas into Devices

Founder

Chairman of the Board

Has anyone seen Casey’s bio?

Chief Executive Officer

James Michelinie is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of engineering experience, including 15 years in orthopedics. As CEO of Surgeon Design Center, he shapes the company’s vision and strategy, leading the development of innovative medical technologies in close collaboration with surgeons and industry leaders. With expertise in biomedical engineering, product design, and business development, James has a proven record of leading cross-functional teams to solve clinical challenges and drive the successful commercialization of medical devices. 

Before joining SDC, James founded Fulcrum Design, an engineering consulting firm for orthopedic OEMs, and held senior roles at Acumed and Johnson Design, where he contributed to the development of orthopedic implant technologies. 

When he isn’t working, you can find James under a pile of LEGO with his kids or trying to stay young on the soccer field. 

VP of Product and Commercialization

Andy Seykora brings over 15 years of experience in the medical device industry and 20+ pending and granted patents. As Vice President of Product and Commercialization at Surgeon Design Center, Andy drives innovation and leads high-performing teams to bring market-leading solutions to life. Andy also serves as the CEO of Axia Orthopedics – a Series A-funded company born at SDC with a mission to revolutionize fracture reduction. His career includes leadership roles at major companies like Acumed, as well as key contributions to the growth of startups such as Acute Innovations, and Outerpull. 

Andy’s expertise spans research and development, intellectual property, product development, project management, quality assurance, supply chain management, and operations, enabling him to approach startup challenges with a comprehensive, results-driven mindset. 

When he isn't working you can find Andy attached to a kite at one of Oregon's many amazing kiteboarding spots or exploring the woods with his wife and daughter. 

Senior Engineer

Chad brings 20 years of experience split between the industrial, biomedical, and medical fields. He specializes in design and problem analysis, process optimization and automation, and coming up with creative solutions to novel problems. This enables him to quickly and efficiently move from problem statement to concept, thanks to a mixture of out-of-the-box creativity, strong analytical skills, proficiency with a variety of analysis tools, and a distinctly varied background to draw inspiration from. Chad is passionate about creatively yet practically solving real-world problems and is committed to bringing these values to each of the projects he works on and each of the teams he's a member of. 

When he isn’t working, he enjoys coding, photography, riding horses, oil painting, and learning about almost anything. 

Senior Engineer

Andrew brings seven years of experience in orthopedic design. He specializes in transforming early concepts into functional prototypes. With a collaborative, hands-on approach, he works closely with surgeons to bring their ideas to life. Andrew is deeply committed to a patient-centered design philosophy, striving to create innovative solutions that enhance patient care and address their unique needs. 

When he isn’t working, Andrew enjoys playing soccer and taking walks with his wife and their dog. 

Project Engineer

Bex brings three years of experience in orthopedic medical device development. They specialize in product development, helping SDC bring ideas to life through product ideation and design, CAD modeling, and rapid prototyping. Bex is passionate about identifying critical clinical problems and is committed to designing innovative medical devices that improve patient outcomes and address unmet needs. 

When they aren’t working, you can find them roller skating, biking around Portland, or cooking meals with friends. 

Principal Wizard / Engineer

Zach brings 14 years of experience in medical devices. He specializes in complex mechanism design and mechanical testing, helping achieve engineering excellence through both analysis and simulated use. Zach is passionate about all things mechanical and is committed to creating robust solutions to complex problems. 

When he isn’t working, you can find him rebuilding an engine or an entire car in his shop, or hiking along the Oregon coast. 

Staff Engineer

Steve brings 10 years of experience in orthopedic medical devices. He specializes in product design and development, delivering high‑quality medical devices that elevate patient care through analytical problem‑solving and user‑centered design. He is passionate about tackling real‑world challenges faced by healthcare professionals and committed to developing innovative solutions that address unmet clinical needs.

When he isn’t working, you can find him enjoying the outdoors, hiking, or rock climbing.

Steff Engineer 

Steph brings 12 years of experience in medical devices. She specializes in leading cross-functional teams and driving product development, helping SDC achieve meaningful innovation and growth in the orthopedic space. She is passionate about improving patient outcomes through novel advancements that support healing and improve quality of life. 

When she isn’t working, you can find her playing golf, traveling, knitting, or exploring the Oregon wine country. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and their cat, and dog. 

Staff Engineer

Matthew is a mechanical engineer with over 10 years of experience in the biomedical industry, specializing in the design, development, and commercialization of advanced medical technologies. He has led products through the full development lifecycle, from concept and design to manufacturing and market release. His expertise spans manufacturing processes, computer-aided design (CAD), finite element analysis, electromagnetic simulation, and the planning and execution of preclinical research for implantable medical devices. Known for his analytical mindset and solutions-oriented approach, he is passionate about solving complex engineering challenges, driving innovation, and developing technologies that improve lives.

When he isn’t working, you can find him playing disc golf or on the river with a fly rod in his hand.

Principal Engineer

Brian brings over 25 years of experience in the medical device industry to our team and has a growing IP portfolio with over 20+ patents granted. His expertise focuses on working with surgeons to understand unmet user needs for complex surgical indications and developing creative solutions to solve these unique challenges. He has a keen sense for where and when to innovate and feels that the best designs should not only be intuitive and easy to use but also look & feel elegant in the user's hands. Brian is passionate about helping people and has dedicated his career to ensuring that healthcare professionals have the absolute best solutions at their disposal when helping their patients through difficult times.  

 Before joining SDC, Brian was a R&D and Product Development leader at Acumed. He led the development efforts of some of Acumed's largest flagship products, developed successful voice of customer methodologies to ensure the right products were developed, focused on complex testing methods, 510(k) strategy and preparation, and helped ensure that both the surgeons and patients were receiving best-in-class designs.

 When he isn't working, you can find him puttering around his garden or kitchen, acquiring new hobbies and skills, reading, hiking, foraging, and making friends with every animal that he comes across.