Top Women 2026: All-Star Honoree Kathy Odell

Just one year after retiring as CEO, Kathy Odell joined Cadense to help bring their adaptive footwear to medical markets.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 3:17am

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Kathy Odell, a serial entrepreneur, has reinvented herself many times over the years. After helping found Medical Concepts Inc. in 1985 and later running Inogen as CEO, Odell retired as CEO of Women's Economic Ventures in 2024. However, she soon returned to the workforce, joining Santa Barbara-based Cadense as chief business officer-healthcare in 2025. At Cadense, Odell is helping the company, which designs adaptive footwear for people with walking challenges, expand into medical payor markets.

Why it matters

Odell's career journey highlights her ability to identify and capitalize on opportunities to make a positive impact, whether through founding her own companies or joining startups to help them grow. Her experience and expertise have been invaluable to companies like Inogen and Cadense, which are developing innovative products to improve people's lives.

The details

Odell co-founded Medical Concepts Inc. in 1985, which became the largest supplier of endoscopy video cameras in the country within five to six years. She later ran Inogen, a company that makes portable oxygen concentrators, as CEO for five years before the company went public in 2014. After retiring as CEO of Women's Economic Ventures in 2024, Odell joined Cadense in 2025 as chief business officer-healthcare to help the company expand its adaptive footwear into medical payor markets. Cadense grew 106% last year, and Odell is excited about the company's future growth potential.

  • Odell co-founded Medical Concepts Inc. in 1985.
  • Odell sold Medical Concepts to Karl Storz in 1990.
  • Odell ran Inogen as CEO from 2001 to 2006.
  • Odell retired as CEO of Women's Economic Ventures in May 2024.
  • Odell joined Cadense as chief business officer-healthcare in May 2025.

The players

Kathy Odell

A serial entrepreneur who has founded and led several successful companies, including Medical Concepts Inc. and Inogen. She is currently the chief business officer-healthcare at Cadense, a company that designs adaptive footwear for people with walking challenges.

Ali Bauerlein

The co-founder and current COO of Sight Sciences, who previously worked with Odell at Inogen and described her as a mentor who was willing to teach, share, and include others in the decision-making process.

Johannes Sauer

The CEO and co-founder of Cadense, who asked Odell to help the company expand its adaptive footwear into medical payor markets.

Tyler Susko

The founder and chief technology officer of Cadense, who also worked with Odell to help the company grow.

Women's Economic Ventures

The organization that Odell served as CEO for five years before retiring in 2024.

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What they’re saying

“Kathy was always willing to teach, to share, to include us and make sure she was making the right decisions, not only for our company but for the founders as well.”

— Ali Bauerlein, Co-founder and COO, Sight Sciences

“For me, my career has sort of been a dream sequence of companies because I've been fortunate enough to have the ability to always be able to find a project that does good for people and that's dynamic and exciting to run.”

— Kathy Odell

What’s next

Cadense is expected to continue its rapid growth as the company expands its adaptive footwear into new medical payor markets, with Odell's guidance and expertise playing a key role in the company's success.

The takeaway

Kathy Odell's remarkable career journey, marked by her ability to identify and capitalize on opportunities to make a positive impact, serves as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders. Her willingness to reinvent herself and take on new challenges has allowed her to make a lasting difference in the lives of those she serves.