July 31, 2026
Communications strategy +
execution for digital health startups
ThoughtStarters helps early-stage digital health companies become known and trusted through founder-led thought leadership, content marketing, and PR.
WHY IT MATTERS
Stand for something, and stand out
B2B healthcare buyers do some serious vetting before making their purchases. Digital health startup founders and CEOs known for their industry insights stand a greater chance of getting the call – and closing the deal.
What do you want to be known for? How do you want to say it? Who needs to hear your message? And where?
We help you answer those questions. And work with you on the journey from barely known to recognized to trusted.
ABOUT
About you: Digital health founder/CEO
- Digital health, healthtech, or health AI startup, seed stage through Series B
- Looking to build the company narrative and be the leader that prospects and influencers recognize, remember, and trust, whether with health systems, physician groups, payers, employers, or pharma
- A desire and willingness to share your point of view, and comfortable with getting support for executive visibility; you don’t have time to do it all yourself while you’re building a company
- Intrigued by thought leadership-first approach to PR, or insights over exposure
About me: Kyle Marshall
- B2B communications and marketing professional with deep domain expertise in healthcare; right at home with healthcare business models, how the money flows, misaligned incentives, and the regulatory climate
- Hands-on experience advising and writing for healthcare CEOs and clinicians, including more than two dozen digital health startups
- Former payer corporate communications pro, digital health PR agency account lead, and business reporter
- Solo consultant who does the work: Accountable for results, with a network of healthcare marketing experts to call on for support, and perhaps best of all, no junior staff, no account-management layer, and no employee churn
SERVICES
What ThoughtStarters provides:
01
Strategy: Advising where to focus, who to reach, and how to turn healthcare thought leadership into competitive advantage.
02
Narrative: Drawing out executive insights for clear, memorable, and actionable points of view.
03
Content: Creating high-stakes content that showcases expert opinion and builds authority for the brand.
04
Influence: Securing opportunities to demonstrate expertise and influence target audiences.
Wait... How is this different from what agencies do?
Agencies and I do similar work, and there's no single approach that's always right. When clients hire me, it's usually because of my healthcare industry knowledge.
There's value in having a "healthcare whisperer" to refine and amplify the founder's and company's narrative, whether you work just with me or have me come alongside your agency.
Here's my playbook: I spend the time up front to tap into your insights and develop your thought leadership narrative. Then I orchestrate it to reach your target audiences. That means strategy and support, including ghostwriting, to help you and your leadership team "go direct" with a story rooted in the unique insights you bring to solving healthcare challenges.
If you're ready to build lasting authority in healthcare through founder-led communications, a 30-minute conversation is a good place to start.
CASE STUDY
Building credibility with independent physicians
Physician enablement platform Alo Solutions needed to establish credibility with its target market of independent physician practices. I worked with the chief clinical officer and other leaders to develop the content strategy, narratives, and assets to engage physicians. Among the results: A 73% increase in open rates and 100% increase in click-through rates for the company's monthly newsletter over a 10-month period, directly contributing to leads for Alo's clinically integrated network.
“ThoughtStarters delivers tremendous value. We consider them a vital part of our team as they know healthcare and corporate communications best practices better than almost anyone.” — Michael Pittman, former senior marketing manager
CASE STUDY
Launching into the AI infrastructure market
Modeling and simulation startup UltiSim was looking to establish a stronger presence in the AI infrastructure market for healthcare, defense, and government. I began the engagement by developing a messaging platform, leading to product launch communications — the company's first news moment in nearly a year. I also developed and placed a CEO bylined article in one of the top publications covering AI, and while managing the company's LinkedIn page, oversaw an increase in the engagement rate from 3.8% to 5.6%.
“I haven’t worked with anyone in communications and PR who understands healthcare better than Kyle. It’s not just his knowledge – it’s how he applies it. He’s got a process for getting visibility and trust for founders that works.” — Keith Duprey, head of marketing
CASE STUDY
Developing content to persuade payer IT leaders
Flume Health, a payer data integration provider, engaged ThoughtStarters for planning and creating thought leadership content for its online resource center. To meet Flume's goal of educating IT leaders at payers and third-party administrators, I ghostwrote a white paper for the founder/CEO, followed by a series of SME blog and LinkedIn posts articulating a new data integration framework.
“Flume Health works in a narrow specialty in health IT, so our marketing has to reflect real expertise in our field. Kyle is one of the rare partners who understands this. He's been a tremendous help with distilling our messaging into communications that will resonate with our target customers.” — Molly Gallagher, former client success manager
INSIGHTS
