Some of the most meaningful healthcare innovations start with a deeply personal problem and the determination to make care more dignified.
In this episode, Alli Truttmann, founder and CEO of Wicked Technologies, shares how a personal caregiving experience led her to pivot from lifestyle products into medical device innovation. Inspired by her grandmother’s end-of-life journey, she identified critical gaps in incontinence care and set out to create solutions that improve dignity, sleep quality, and caregiver awareness. She discusses the company’s evolution into healthcare, highlighting the Wicked Smart Pad, which detects small amounts of moisture and alerts caregivers in senior living environments. Alli also reflects on her experience with MedTech Innovator and how its network and support have helped shape her journey as a first-time device founder.
Tune in to learn how personal experience, smart product design, and the right medtech network can help bring more dignity and innovation to care.
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[00:00:02] Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Outcomes Rocket podcast, recording live from Medtech Innovators Radar Forum. I'm excited to be here with the outstanding Alli Truttmann. She is the founder and CEO of Wicked Technologies. Alli, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much for having me. This has been an incredible experience and I get to hang out with you. So this is awesome. So how's the event going for you?
[00:00:27] I am blown away. Not only was I honored to just be selected in the first place to pitch today, but the organization and the curation of how founders get to experience important and valuable information, it's unparalleled. I've never been to a conference or a forum like this where I'm actually getting valuable information at every room I go to or every spot that I go to. So that's great. So how's the format been for you? I mean, you obviously did the pitch. How long did you get for the pitch?
[00:00:56] So you do a one minute lightning round pitch and then you do four or five minute pitches with 15 minutes of Q&A and it's rapid fire. So that was something I was really nervous about. The five minute pitches were OK because you're sitting with your table and it's more a little bit more conversational. OK, got it. But the one minute pitch is pretty intimidating because you're in front of the entire investment group and you only have one slide. So I tried to rehearse it, but I was last because Wicked is W. So I'm last. So I'm like, I got to finish with a bang.
[00:01:24] And I totally went off script and I hopefully was memorable. But what did you do? Since we're in incontinence pad, I said, and if you want to learn more about poop and pee, come and find me at table 17. And they're like, so, yeah, I know I try to be kitschy. You know, it's an end of the pitch competition. You've got to be memorable and people need a little spicing up. I like it. I like it. I like it. So what brought you here? What's the goal?
[00:01:50] All right. So this is my first foray into medical device. Historically, I've been a founder of like e-commerce lifestyle products and really found a problem that my own family experienced in the incontinence space as my grandmother was passing away. And her end of life journey was preventable and undignified. And I just knew that there was a way that things could be innovated. And we call this smart incontinence care. And so when I heard about MedTech Innovator, I knew that this was the network I needed to be surrounded by.
[00:02:20] And I knew that the folks that invest in MedTech companies that come from this network understand regulated devices. They understand hardware. They understand manufacturing. They understand timelines. And I'm from Louisville, Kentucky. And not to discourage or disparage any of the Louisville investors, but they're used to bourbon and tourism and horse racing. And so being a medical device company in Louisville, Kentucky has been pretty challenging. Yeah. So you're here for the environment, for the expertise, all of that. Absolutely.
[00:02:50] That's great. And it sounds like you've found it. It is remarkable. Everybody has an open mind here and they're willing to share their time and expertise. You just have to be ready to ask the right questions and not waste anybody's time. Absolutely. Well, I mean, look, you came here and before we started recording, you're shaking hands and kissing babies. So I'm like, OK, you know, Ali's the mayor of MedTech Innovator or something. I feel like this is your seventh one or something. That's what I was going to work. No, it's my first time. But I have done a number of pitch competitions recently.
[00:03:20] I was just in San Diego a few weeks ago. I won Senior Living 100. Oh, congratulations. That was thank you. That was really exciting. But I find sharing the story, since it is so relatable, very easy because it was something I experienced. But a lot of the audience has experienced it as well. And I think what's unique about this group in particular is that a lot of the founders have a personal connection to what it is they're doing. Either they practice medicine and saw this in their own patients or experienced it in their own families.
[00:03:48] And that's where that like passion comes into play. I think that's really great. So then tell me a little bit more about the company. You know, tell me about the company. You shared the product, but just this is the stage, right? Tell us about it. Yeah, so Wicked Technologies is a smart bedding solution. Bedding as in sleep bedding. And what we're trying to do is provide high-tech quality and innovative solutions that are going to help the quality of sleep. They're going to take care of excess moisture in the bed.
[00:04:15] So we have a sheet line called Wicked Sheets that is for excessive sweaters, night sweats and hot flashes. We have a moisture wicking and cooling Wicked waterproof layer that protects the beds and the linens. And then we have this Wicked Smart Pad, which is our first medical device incorporating the technology and the waterproofing into a smart pad that actually detects as little as two ounces of moisture and sends alerts to caregivers. So we're primarily selling into senior living.
[00:04:39] And we still have that presence on the Wicked Sheets side of things like the direct consumer, but really heavily focused on the B2B opportunities that these health care communities or facilities can offer to us. That's great. Well, I really hope that your pitches lead to the end that you're looking forward to here. If folks wanted to learn more about you and the company, where can they reach out? Connect with me on LinkedIn. Alli Truttmann is my name. Wicked Technologies is the company. Or you can go to our website, wickedsmartpad.com to learn more about the product.
[00:05:09] That's awesome, Alli. Well, there you have it, folks. Alli Truttmann, she is the founder and CEO of Wicked Technologies. In the show notes, you'll find all the ways to get in touch with her and her crew at Wicked Technologies. If you found something about this podcast interesting or insightful, make sure you share it with your friends. Because at the end of the day, that's why we're here, to bring these stories to all of you. Thanks for tuning in. And Allie, thanks for being with us. Thank you so much. Have a good day. You too. Thanks.