Lead From The Back: Michael Hund's Cowboy Code for Influence

About this episode

Michael Hund discusses influence-driven leadership and the impact of storytelling in healthcare advancements.

In this episode of Chief Influencer, Anthony Shop sits down with Michael Hund, CEO of EB Research Partnership, to explore how influence, storytelling, and venture philanthropy can accelerate breakthroughs in healthcare. Michael shares the remarkable journey behind EBRP’s innovative, investment-minded model, which has helped expand the epidermolysis bullosa (EB) clinical trial landscape from just two trials to more than fifty and contributed to multiple FDA-approved therapies. The conversation also dives into the unexpected evolution of the Netflix documentary Matter of Time, which brought unprecedented visibility to EB and the broader rare disease community through the power of music, storytelling, and authentic community-building. Beyond rare disease advocacy, this episode is a masterclass in influence-driven leadership. Michael explains why trust, vulnerability, and transparency are essential to building movements that endure. From lessons learned growing up on a Kansas cattle ranch to scaling a nonprofit like a venture capital firm, he shares how leaders can “run toward the storm,” embrace bold innovation, and create communities that transform visibility into action. The…

People in this episode

Host: Anthony Shop

Guest: Michael Hund

Topics covered

• influence
• storytelling
• venture philanthropy
• healthcare
• rare disease advocacy
• leadership

Keywords

• influence
• storytelling
• venture philanthropy
• healthcare
• rare diseases
• leadership
• trust
• visibility

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: EB Research Partnership

Books & works: Matter of Time

Places: Kansas

More episodes of Chief Influencer®

• Ethics, Influence, and Power | Live Panel with GW’s GSPM · May 27, 2026 · 42 min
• How Government Innovation Starts with Collaboration with Maryland's Francesca Ioffredda · May 20, 2026 · 44 min
• Why Your Business Needs a Voice with Dan Simons of Founding Farmers · May 13, 2026 · 1h 8m
• How a Podcast Put This Rare Disease on the Map with Mike Graglia of CURE SYNGAP1 · May 6, 2026 · 49 min
• Principled Influence: How Peter Goettler Leads Cato Without Compromise · April 29, 2026 · 52 min
• Tell Everybody: How VA's Paul R. Lawrence, Ph.D Uses Influence to Help Veterans Access What They’ve Earned · April 22, 2026 · 55 min