What we talked about
David Esposito traces how West Point, the 101st Airborne, and leading soldiers in high-stakes environments shaped his approach to listening first, setting clear principles, and acting with calm resolve as a healthcare CEO. He and Federico dive into his work at ONL Therapeutics, a biotech company developing therapies to protect retinal cells in diseases like age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal detachment. David explains how the retina works, why retinal cells don’t regenerate, and how ONL aims to “help patients see the future” by stopping stressed cells from dying.
Show notes
David Esposito went from leading infantry soldiers in the 101st Airborne to running a biotech company trying to prevent blindness, and he argues the leadership principles that worked on the battlefield work in a clinical trial, too. What’s less expected is his 30-year “side hustle” building tools to help parents, managers, and community members live by better values, starting with a patented board game he developed with his wife.
What we covered
- ONL Therapeutics develops a small peptide drug that blocks a specific receptor on retinal cells, preventing those cells from triggering their own death cascade under disease. Unlike skin cells, retinal cells do not regenerate, so the more you protect, the more vision the patient retains. ONL is currently in global clinical trials for age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal detachment.
- David explains retinal detachment as wallpaper peeling off a wall. The standard treatment is a surgeon using a laser to tack the retina back in place. ONL’s drug is designed to protect the retinal cells in the window between detachment and that surgical procedure, buying time without letting cells die in the meantime.
- His biggest current leadership challenge is running a large global clinical trial with a small team where everyone is “running hot.” His solution draws directly from Army doctrine: set the destination clearly, build an operating plan with explicit priorities, translate those priorities into individual tasks, and then trust people to execute.
- David says early-stage companies have no room for turf battles. When a problem arises, functional boundaries have to dissolve and everyone gets in the room to solve it together. He values team players over functional experts specifically because of this dynamic.
- Harvest Time Partners, his 30-year side project, was sparked by watching families, including his own, struggle to put real issues on the table. He and his wife Tracy developed a patented board game to help parents and kids talk about principles like compassion and honesty. The business now covers home, work, and community, with books and resources in each area. The fuel that keeps him going is occasional calls and emails from people saying a game or book changed a conversation with their child.
- On exits and acquisitions, David’s advice is that it never goes smoothly. Even with a great business and strong interest, something always blows up between the term sheet and the close. He says knowing that in advance would have saved him from wondering each time whether the deal collapsing was normal. It is, he says, and it almost always comes back together.
About David
David Esposito is a West Point graduate, former infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division, and currently serves as President and CEO of ONL Therapeutics, an early-stage biotech company focused on protecting retinal cells in serious eye diseases. He is also on the board of Allergenis and runs Harvest Time Partners, a leadership and values development venture he has built alongside his day job for over three decades.
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidesposito2
- Website: http://www.onltherapeutics.com
Episode 94 of the PreVetted Podcast.