Sarah Porter: Turning Chronic Illness into Healthcare Innovation
Thu Jan 15 2026
About Sarah Porter: Sarah Porter is the CEO and founder of Boardwalk Health, an AI-powered healthcare software company focused on improving outcomes for patients with complex and chronic conditions. With nearly a decade of experience building early-stage startups across edtech and HR tech, Sarah’s entrepreneurial path took a deeply personal turn after she was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Frustrated by a healthcare system that often overlooks and misunderstands complex cases, she founded Boardwalk Health to bridge the gap between patients and providers by reducing prep time, improving continuity of care, and empowering physicians with actionable insights. Sarah is a passionate advocate for patient-centered innovation and a visible leader redefining what compassionate, effective healthcare can look like.
In this episode, Lisa and Sarah Porter discuss:
Sarah’s journey from startup operator to founder after being diagnosed with POTSThe systemic gaps in healthcare for patients with chronic and complex conditionsHow Boardwalk Health uses AI to reduce provider prep time and improve patient outcomesManaging energy, leadership, and entrepreneurship while living with a chronic illnessRedefining success, legacy, and impact in healthcare innovation
Key Takeaways:
Personal pain can become a powerful catalyst for systemic change when paired with purpose and execution. Sarah’s experience navigating chronic illness revealed deep flaws in healthcare and inspired her to build a solution from the inside out.Chronic illness forces entrepreneurs to think differently about energy, sustainability, and leadership. Success often depends not on doing more, but on building safeguards, support systems, and intentional boundaries.AI can enhance, not replace, healthcare providers when designed to meet them within existing workflows. By reducing prep time and clarifying patient data, providers can focus on what matters most: care and connection.Early hiring decisions shape the trajectory of a startup more than founders often realize. Clear documentation, product vision, and role alignment are essential, especially for non-technical founders.True success goes beyond growth metrics and exits. For Sarah, impact is measured by lives improved, patients heard, and a healthcare system made more humane for future generations.
“Success is saying I found this huge thing that's broken in this big system, and I'm going to fix it, and it's going to impact all of these lives.” - Sarah Porter
Connect with Sarah Porter:
Website: https://mymeddefend.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahatboardwalk/
Podcast: The Capital Maze
Connect with Lisa Thee:
Website: https://lisathee.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathee/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/lisa.thee.polvi
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_thee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisatheepolvi/
Lisa’s BOOK: Go!: Reboot Your Career in 90 Days
Show notes by Podcastologist: Francine Poblete
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
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About Sarah Porter: Sarah Porter is the CEO and founder of Boardwalk Health, an AI-powered healthcare software company focused on improving outcomes for patients with complex and chronic conditions. With nearly a decade of experience building early-stage startups across edtech and HR tech, Sarah’s entrepreneurial path took a deeply personal turn after she was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Frustrated by a healthcare system that often overlooks and misunderstands complex cases, she founded Boardwalk Health to bridge the gap between patients and providers by reducing prep time, improving continuity of care, and empowering physicians with actionable insights. Sarah is a passionate advocate for patient-centered innovation and a visible leader redefining what compassionate, effective healthcare can look like. In this episode, Lisa and Sarah Porter discuss: Sarah’s journey from startup operator to founder after being diagnosed with POTSThe systemic gaps in healthcare for patients with chronic and complex conditionsHow Boardwalk Health uses AI to reduce provider prep time and improve patient outcomesManaging energy, leadership, and entrepreneurship while living with a chronic illnessRedefining success, legacy, and impact in healthcare innovation Key Takeaways: Personal pain can become a powerful catalyst for systemic change when paired with purpose and execution. Sarah’s experience navigating chronic illness revealed deep flaws in healthcare and inspired her to build a solution from the inside out.Chronic illness forces entrepreneurs to think differently about energy, sustainability, and leadership. Success often depends not on doing more, but on building safeguards, support systems, and intentional boundaries.AI can enhance, not replace, healthcare providers when designed to meet them within existing workflows. By reducing prep time and clarifying patient data, providers can focus on what matters most: care and connection.Early hiring decisions shape the trajectory of a startup more than founders often realize. Clear documentation, product vision, and role alignment are essential, especially for non-technical founders.True success goes beyond growth metrics and exits. For Sarah, impact is measured by lives improved, patients heard, and a healthcare system made more humane for future generations. “Success is saying I found this huge thing that's broken in this big system, and I'm going to fix it, and it's going to impact all of these lives.” - Sarah Porter Connect with Sarah Porter: Website: https://mymeddefend.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahatboardwalk/ Podcast: The Capital Maze Connect with Lisa Thee: Website: https://lisathee.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathee/ Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/lisa.thee.polvi Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_thee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisatheepolvi/ Lisa’s BOOK: Go!: Reboot Your Career in 90 Days Show notes by Podcastologist: Francine Poblete Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.