News: Dr. Judith Richter, co-founder of The NIR School of the Heart, speaks at uplifting lunch for women of IMES

IMES was privileged to receive Dr. Judith Richter, co-founder of The NIR School of the Heart and co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the cardiovascular firm Medinol, on May 30 for a visit and lunch geared toward the women of IMES and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST). Together with a group of graduate students, Dr. Richter was joined by IMES Director Elazer Edelman, HST Director of Education Julie Greenberg, and Core Faculty member Ellen Roche.

Dr. Richter’s informal talk centered on balancing career with family, excelling as a multi-business entrepreneur, and her co-founding of The NIR School, an Israel-based experiential program for high school students hailing from throughout the Middle East. Dr. Richter’s dream for the school is to promote knowledge and creativity among youth in the fields of science and medicine and to encourage them to evolve as ambassadors for health and peace in their respective communities. More than 800 students have graduated from the program since its founding 20 years ago.

In addition to running both a nonprofit and a business, Dr. Richter serves as a board member for several private medical technology companies focused on innovation. Prior to her career in industry, she was a faculty member at Tel-Aviv University’s Graduate School of Business, teaching corporate strategy and decision-making for over a decade.

Elizabeth Lee, a graduate student from the lab of Professor Martha Gray, arrived at the lunch curious about Dr. Richter’s drive and how she was able to accomplish so much and still “keep it together.” She was heartened by Dr. Richter’s perspective.

“If you’re motivated and something is important to you, nothing else matters. Everything will take care of itself,” Lee said. “By talking to her and getting answers, I have a better understanding of what can be done.”

Along with providing an encouraging example, the lunch was held to formally establish the Judith Richter Lecture Series in Education, Science, and Peace, a speakers’ series poised to bring countless prominent and engaging individuals to IMES in the coming years, offering further inspiration to the IMES and HST community. We are tremendously grateful for Dr. Richter’s combined efforts and generosity.

For information about The NIR School of the Heart, click here. Learn more about Medinol here.