Since launching in 2020, we’ve been on a mission to create a radically better experience for researchers, clinicians, and patients.
We (are) Tend.
The gut microbiome is like a rainforest—diverse, powerful, and interdependent.
When left alone, it thrives and is fully capable of supporting and healing itself. When disruption occurs through disease or an outside force—serious consequences are inevitable, both to its immediate environment and to its neighboring systems.
Like a gardener who serves as both steward and student to every seed and plant, we tend. Our goal is to grow awareness, understanding, and clinician access to the gut microbiome for therapeutic use, to support its natural capacity to heal.
The Tend Philosophy
We believe…
Gut decisions shouldn’t be counterintuitive.
Nature intended us to thrive—and gave us what we naturally need to do so.
While our healthcare has certainly come a long way since the early days of civilization, we have, in some ways, placed unnecessary distance between our maladies and our medicine. Our lean on manufactured solutions should be something we watch out for—not default to.
We believe…
It’s (always) a good time to talk about poop.
By removing the emotion and embarrassment around natural body processes, we can better learn, understand, and improve them.
The easier it is for us as a society—clinicians, researchers, companies, families, friends, strangers—to discuss digestive issues from top to bottom, the clearer the path forward to cures that work for all.
We believe…
Chronic does not mean incurable.
For those who suffer from acute and chronic intestinal health issues, “trading symptoms” and periodic relief isn’t enough.
We support providing access to proven, economically sustainable cures—striving to go beyond remedies that can come with additional and ongoing physical and financial side effects.
We believe…
Everyone deserves better, easier, faster access to diverse gut flora.
That’s why we’re committed to making the process of accessing and understanding a diverse gut microbiome as easy and impactful as possible.
We believe
When it comes to the power of the microbiome, we’ve only scratched the surface.
Approved therapeutic use of the gut microbiome is only beginning to emerge. There's great promise for gut flora to impact numerous serious conditions in the future.
Meet the Team
Thomas Lendvay
Co-founder & CEO
Dr. Lendvay is a surgeon and entrepreneur. He is currently on leave from his position as a Professor in the Department of Urology at the University of Washington and co-Director of Seattle Children’s Robotic Surgery Center, as he focuses on Tend. Dr. Lendvay was the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of CSATS (acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2018). His research and innovation focus on disruptive technologies to improve patient outcomes.
Kathleen Lendvay
Co-founder & COO
Kathleen has over 20 years experience in business consulting and management at Accenture and Point B, followed by senior executive positions in global health and social enterprise organizations. Most recently, Kathleen served as interim CEO at VitalTalk (healthcare) and FIRST Washington (STEM education).
Will DePaolo, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Will DePaolo is an immunologist, microbiome specialist, and microbiologist. Prior to joining Tend, Will was Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and Director of the DePaolo Lab, a research laboratory working to understand the complex relationship between our immune system and the microbiota in different disease and nutritional states.
Advisors
Roslyn Hendriks, DVM, PhD
Roslyn Hendriks was founding CEO of Tend and remains as an advisor. Previously, she was the founding CEO of Immunexpress. Under her leadership, Immunexpress raised $42.5M, and developed the the first FDA-cleared RNA-based diagnostic for infectious disease. Immunexpress was awarded the Medtech Innovation Award 2018. Dr. Hendriks is a Fellow of NACD.
Christina Surawicz, MD
Dr. Surawicz is Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington. She joined the faculty in the Gastroenterology Division in 1981, retiring in 2018. Her research interests include the use of fecal microbiota transplant in recurrent C difficile infection (CDI), with 118 peer reviewed publications. She has served on the FDA’s GI Drug advisory committee and was President (first woman) of the American College of Gastroenterology.
Rich Cohen
Rich Cohen is Vice President, Global Marketing at Boston Scientific. He has 25 years of experience in the global medical device market, with a focus on driving revenue, developing innovative business strategies, and commercializing new products.
Scott Weissman, MD
Associate Professor Scott Weissman is the Medical Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Seattle Children’s Hospital (SCH). As an NIH-funded investigator with over 60 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Weissman is an expert in the clinical management of dysbiotic conditions including CDI and colonization with multi-drug-resistant Enterobacterales.
Rebecca Darr
Rebecca is co-Founder and principal at BIG Acts, a business strategy consultancy formed to help business leaders strategically take on the world's biggest challenges, as defined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Previously, Rebecca spent a decade as a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute, working for systems change in capital markets and in business.
Blake Hannaford, PhD
Blake Hannaford is a Professor of Electrical Engineering, Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Surgery at the University of Washington. His teaching and sponsored research are in the areas of medical devices, embedded systems, haptic interfaces, and surgical technologies. Dr. Hannaford has also worked as an expert witness and consultant on patent protection and litigation.
Mark McWilliams
Mark McWilliams specializes in bringing new medical technology to market, having successfully taken three companies from concept to exit and served in various capacities ranging from Innovator, Founder, CEO, Board Member and Investor over the past 20 years.
Jeremy Litchfield
Jeremy is an experienced entrepreneur and brand strategist. Passionate about health and wellness, Jeremy founded Atayne, a company that creates high performing outdoor and athletic gear that is sensitive on the environment and safe for the people who make and use it. Jeremy loves to disrupt outdated business models and create financial value while also creating social and environmental value.
Careers
Join the Team
All our current seats are filled but this train is rolling quickly so keep an eye on this space for new opportunities to climb aboard as we grow.