The Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council (MassMEDIC) is proud to recognize its Chief Operating Officer, Rachel Robinson, for being named one of this year’s Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award recipients. Rachel, along with 39 other local leaders, were chosen from more than 400 applicants based on professional achievements and civic engagement. 

 “We are thrilled that the BBJ has recognized what we have always known at MassMEDIC - that Rachel is a dynamic and singular force in our industry. We are tremendously lucky to have her on our leadership team and New England’s medtech industry is lucky to have her in its corner,” said Brian Johnson, President, MassMEDIC. “In her two-and-a-half-year tenure, Rachel has helped us revitalize this 26-year-old institution. We have many achievements to be proud of as a leadership team of MassMEDIC: expanding value to our members, tripling our headcount and increasing our operating budget by more than 40%. However, what is even more exciting is seeing this organization become more energized, diverse and essential to our community. We have Rachel to thank for that. She gives her heart and soul to inspire our team to do more for others.” 

Rachel is the living embodiment of the mission of MassMEDIC. She was impacted by medical technology at a young age, having been diagnosed with several heart abnormalities as a child, doctors told Rachel’s parents she likely would not survive her critical open-heart surgery at the age of two. But like most things she has encountered in her life and career, Rachel beat the odds. She has turned her survival of a deadly heart condition into a career driven by a lifelong passion to help patients gain access to education and cutting-edge care.   

Joining the organization just before the pandemic in February 2020, Rachel was instrumental in pivoting MassMEDIC’s in-person event strategy to virtual programming, keeping members informed during challenging times, and continuing to bolster the value of membership.  Her prevue also extends to cultivating community partnerships and employee development, guiding the direction multiple industry Think Tanks on patient engagement and digital health. 

Rachel leads MassMEDIC’s Medtech IGNITE Program, the region’s premiere accelerator program for medical device and diagnostic start-ups. Under her leadership, the program has graduated 50 companies who have raised more than $100M in follow-on-funding in the last three years alone and expanded its focus to ensure inclusion and diversity among cohort members. 

With an infectious optimism and people-first approach, Rachel serves on various committees and spearheads networking events to support causes in which she believes. She is an active participant in fundraising for the American Heart Association, an organization that furthers research of cardiac issues that she is passionate about because of her personal experience. Rachel is also a member of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Awareness Network Executive Committee, where she provides strategic guidance and donates her time to plan educational events, including serving on the organization’s Annual Research & Equity Breakfast Planning Committee.   

“I am thankful and humbled by this recognition,” said Rachel Robinson. “I literally could not have accomplished any of these organizational successes without the amazing team we have at MassMEDIC and I am appreciative of their hard work and dedication to serve our members every day. I feel lucky to be in a position where I get to support such an amazing industry, and in that way, give back to patients.”