E148 From Operating Room to Boardroom: Dr. Navin Goyal, MD, on Purpose, Capital, & Building What Matters

On this episode of the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, host Michael Stamatinos welcomes Dr. Navin Goyal, MD, a trained anesthesiologist who left the comfort of clinical medicine to become an entrepreneur, founder, and investor who is helping shape the future of healthcare innovation through purpose-driven capital.

Dr. Goyal is the co-founder of LOUD Capital, an alternative investment firm that blends traditional venture capital with a human-centered, values-first approach. The firm backs people, not just business plans, and is known for supporting mission-driven founders who often operate outside of the spotlight but are solving real-world problems at scale.

In this episode, Dr. Goyal shares the story of how he transitioned from the OR to the boardroom, what it took to walk away from a stable career, and why that choice was never about escape, it was about alignment. He talks openly about the uncertainty, the fear, and the excitement that come with building something from scratch, especially as a clinician with no formal business background.

Michael and Navin explore the deeper emotional and strategic dimensions of early-stage investing, including the power of belief, the importance of surrounding founders with the right operational support, and the role values play when companies face tough quarters. Dr. Goyal unpacks how he thinks about pattern recognition, why he avoids chasing hype, and how being based in the Midwest has helped him uncover overlooked but exceptional founders.

The conversation also dives into Dr. Goyal’s identity as an underdog. He explains what fuels him, why he believes people with good hearts should reach positions of influence, and what still feels unfinished in his journey. Along the way, he shares hard-earned lessons from failed partnerships, fundraising setbacks, and the inner work required to keep showing up with integrity.

Whether you're a founder, a physician exploring new paths, or someone who cares about building systems that work for people, this episode offers a blueprint for what it looks like to lead with clarity, invest with empathy, and build something that lasts.

What to expect:

* Why leaving medicine was an act of alignment, not rebellion

* How LOUD Capital redefines value creation by supporting founders beyond the check

* The underestimated role of emotional support and belief in early-stage investing

* Lessons from setbacks, stalled relationships, and capital-raising challenges

* Why more physicians should become investors

* What drives Dr. Goyal’s work, and what he hopes to leave behind

To learn more about Dr. Navin Goyal and the work happening at LOUD Capital, visit www.loud.vc. There, you'll find insights into how the firm is backing early-stage companies that blend profit with purpose, along with resources for founders, investors, and future leaders who believe business can be a force for good.

You can also follow Dr. Goyal on LinkedIn for thoughtful reflections on leadership, investing, and building systems that truly serve people.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/navingoyalmd/

This is more than venture capital, it’s a movement built around people, belief, and long-term impact.

Subscribe to the AHI Show to hear more real conversations with the leaders, builders, and believers shaping the future of healthcare, on their terms.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome and Introduction

02:15 – The Moment That Made Leaving Medicine Inevitable

06:45 – Launching LOUD Capital and Building with Values

11:20 – Capital vs. Belief: What Founders Really Need

15:45 – Breaking the Traditional VC Mold

20:10 – Navigating Rough Quarters with Empathy

24:30 – What Setbacks Teach You That Wins Cannot

27:15 – The Underdog Lens and Leadership at Scale

29:40 – What Still Feels Unfinished

31:00 – Final Reflections and Takeaways

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

Find out more about how we are building bridges within healthcare. Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn.