Ross M. Levy, MD, serves as a dermatologist at Endeavor Health in Illinois, specializing in cosmetic and surgical dermatology with expertise in Mohs surgery for skin cancer.

Ross M. Levy, MD

Skin Angels, the dermatology-focused angel investing network featured in a 

 panel, has evaluated more than 300 companies, with a portfolio spanning over-the-counter products, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.¹ The group positions itself as more than a source of capital, pairing check-writing with clinicians who lend hands-on experience to founders navigating regulatory and commercial hurdles.

Members help move ideas from concept toward a minimum viable product and beyond, offering perspective and hands-on experience few venture networks outside dermatology can provide. Panelists noted an idea often starts as a simple pain point a clinician sees in daily practice, well before it becomes a formal business plan. Dermatology remains one of few specialties without an investment network solely dedicated to skin-focused innovation.

Venture investment in artificial intelligence within 

 has accelerated over the past decade, reshaping both clinical workflows and how lean a startup team needs to be to launch a new therapy.² A wave of startups is also harnessing specific areas of the immune system in topical formulations, aiming for targeted results with lower systemic risk to patients. Ross Levy, MD, a dermatologist at Endeavor Health specializing in cosmetic and surgical dermatology, discussed these shifts alongside fellow panelists Manju Dawkins, MD, Buu Duong, MD, Peter Lio, MD, and Ross Lane Pearlman, MD.

In the following Q&A interview, Levy spoke with 

 at LEADderm 2026 in Newport Beach, California, about the Skin Angels model, practical advice for early-career dermatologists, and where he expects dermatology innovation to head next:

: Is Skin Angels the first dermatology-focused angel investing group, and can you describe it?

Sure. We're a loosely connected, affiliated group of dermatologists and people in industry interested in dermatology, really anybody who wants to learn more and develop skills with respect to investing in early-stage companies, which is what angel investing is. We're not just composed of people writing checks. We also have a group of people who lend their experience, since industry sometimes needs partners to improve or understand the clinician experience. We're trying to make it more than just an angel group, more of a real community of people who invest in and support the next generation of companies, but also help them get from the idea stage to the actual MVP stage and beyond, as well as act as a resource within dermatology. There are a number of these groups around, but none are solely focused on skin and dermatology, and there's a ton of innovation occurring in our field. That's kind of where we wanted the offering to land.

: What's one practical step a resident or early-career dermatologist can take to help shape the field rather than just follow it?

 I love the idea stage. We all have ideas, right? Essentially, an idea, when it comes to a business or a startup, is just a solution to a problem, a pain point we have or somebody else has had. Many times that idea is the result of a simple pain point, and many of us just chalk it up and move on with the rest of our day. What I hope is people say, I'm here at the front lines in medicine, there's a problem I see, it's either a problem for me or a problem for my patients, and I have a way to solve it and help out the world and my community. Those ideas are important, that's how these things start. Certainly there's a huge way to go between having an idea and a successful product and company, but it's got to start somewhere, and we want to position ourselves as a place where people can bring those ideas and move them forward, as well as see companies that have had those ideas and support them.

: Looking ahead, what do you hope to see from the next generation of dermatology innovators in 5 to 10 years?

That's a great question. Obviously AI is the tool everybody is talking about, specifically how it integrates and makes current practices quicker, faster, and better. There's a whole area of improving clinical efficiency and day-to-day work and administration, but there's also another area of increasing our ability to develop new chemicals and new treatments, and I think that's going to accelerate this process. The role of AI in shaping and moving companies forward is amazing too. What used to require 10 people to start an idea and a company can now be very lean, with one or two people getting it started. I'm really interested to see how AI and machine learning shape the industry in both of those areas. From a particular standpoint within dermatology, I'm excited about how there are so many new developments related to the immune system. You see a lot of startups now harnessing certain areas of the immune system in a fashion that's topical, so there's less risk to the patient, but the treatment is still very directed, and we still get good results.

Editor's Note: This transcript has been edited for grammar and clarity using artificial intelligence tools. Levy had no relevant disclosures of note outside of his own involvement in Skin Angels.

Lio P. Skin Angels and the atopic dermatitis pipeline, with Peter Lio, MD. HCPLive. Published August 31, 2026. Accessed September 4, 2026. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/skin-angels-atopic-dermatitis-pipeline-peter-lio-md

Ramachandran V, Jairath NK, Orlow SJ. A Decade of Venture Investment in Artificial Intelligence in Dermatology Amidst Macroeconomic Shifts and Technological Advancements. J Invest Dermatol. 2024;144(8):1685-1688.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2024.02.024.

Articles

Skin Angels is a dermatology-centered angel network that combines early-stage capital with clinician-driven operational support to help founders navigate regulatory, product development, and commercialization milestones. With more than 300 companies evaluated across OTC products, pharmaceuticals, and devices, the group aims to formalize a community where frontline clinical pain points can be translated into minimum viable products and scalable businesses. Near-term innovation tailwinds include accelerating AI adoption to improve clinical efficiency and compress startup headcount, alongside topical, immune-targeted therapeutics designed to deliver directed efficacy with reduced systemic risk.

Ross Levy, MD, on how Skin Angels invests in dermatology innovation and where he sees the field heading over the next 5 - 10 years.

How Skin Angels Backs Dermatology's Next Innovators, With Ross Levy, MD

At LEADderm 2026, a panel titled ‘Skin Angels at LEADderm: Building the Next Generation of Dermatology Innovation’ addressed the topic of entrepreneurship in 

 The session walked attendees through how an idea becomes a company and outlined ways clinicians can support innovation alongside routine clinical work. Panelists framed innovation broadly, covering new treatments and devices as well as technologies reshaping the clinician and patient experience.

The panel also highlighted how many clinicians already contribute to innovation without recognizing it, whether through daily practice feedback or side projects, and outlined pathways for deeper involvement in supporting these companies. For early-career dermatologists, panelists emphasized starting from an everyday clinical pain point rather than waiting for a polished business plan. Ross Levy, MD, a dermatologist at Endeavor Health specializing in cosmetic and surgical dermatology with Mohs surgery expertise, joined fellow panelists Manju Dawkins, MD, Buu Duong, MD, Peter Lio, MD, and Ross Lane Pearlman, MD.

In the following interview, Levy spoke with 

 at LEADderm 2026 in Newport Beach, California, about why the panel mattered and what innovation looks like day to day in dermatology for clinicians:

: Why did you feel this Skin Angels panel was an important talk to give at LEADderm?

It's a great question. No matter what you do in dermatology or in healthcare, innovation and new companies moving our field forward is important for everybody to be aware of, and to understand how it happens. Sometimes the process of how an idea starts and becomes a company can be a little opaque. Part of the session was introducing people to how that process works, how often clinicians are already involved in that innovation, and how people can get involved, both through their regular work and on the side if they want to support these companies. That was the genesis of the session.

: What does dermatology innovation look like day to day, and how does that connect to the Skin Angels community?

Generally speaking, innovation is just thinking outside the box and doing something new. That's especially true for people in their mid to later careers, like myself, who have our own certain ways of doing things. When we talk about innovation as a broad term, it's everything: innovation on a personal level, and innovation with respect to new treatments and devices coming out. Specifically along the lines of Skin Angels, that innovation is generally on the industry side, meaning what new devices and treatments are coming and how we can improve the specialty for our patients, not just in terms of treatments and devices, but also technologies that improve the clinician and patient experience. From the standpoint of our group, it's really about innovating in how we interact with patients and with the rest of the world.

: As part of Skin Angels, what gap were you trying to fill that existing dermatology mentorship or education pathways don't cover?

It's about getting involved and thinking more broadly beyond your own practice. We spend the whole day treating patients and doing clinical medicine, and the point of the session and the group as a whole is to stand back from that and ask what else is going on in dermatology we can be involved in.

Editor's Note: This transcript has been edited for grammar and clarity using artificial intelligence tools. Levy did not have any relevant disclosures of note.

LEADderm. About LEADderm: the missing curriculum. 

Dawkins M, Lio P, et al. Skin Angels at LEADderm: Building the Next Generation of Dermatology Innovation. Session presented at LEADderm. Aug 29-30, 2026.

Dermatology entrepreneurship was positioned as a practical, clinician-accessible continuum from bedside observations to scalable companies. Emphasis centered on demystifying how ideas evolve into ventures, and on recognizing that routine clinical feedback and side projects already constitute meaningful innovation. Innovation was defined broadly to include therapeutics, devices, and workflow technologies that improve clinician and patient experiences. Early-career physicians were encouraged to start with concrete, recurring clinical pain points rather than waiting for a fully formed business plan.

Ross Levy, MD, explains why the LEADderm Skin Angels panel matters and what dermatology innovation looks like in daily practice.