When Gary Margolis first heard about OstoValve, he didn’t know much about medical devices—or ostomies, for that matter. But as he listened to inventor Bob Bell tell his story he knew he was witnessing something rare: a simple idea with the potential to transform lives.
Bob, a medically retired electrician from Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, lives with an ileostomy, an opening (stoma) in the abdominal wall through which waste from the small intestine (ileum) is diverted to the outside of the body. Frustrated by the limitations of ostomy bags, he designed a solution himself in the form of a small valve modeled after the flip-top lid of a water bottle. Using CAD software and a 3D printer at his local high school, he built a prototype and proved it could work. He just didn’t know how to bring it to market.
Enter Gary Margolis, a Hula member, entrepreneur, and former police chief turned mission-driven founder. After months of research, he and his business partner Paul Zlotoff teamed up with Bob to form OstoValve, believing that if the idea was real, it could provide quality of life options for people with ostomies around the world.
A close up of OstoSURE, the flagship OstoValve product
Using the networks of Hula and Vermont, Gary assembled a national team spanning multiple disciplines. Through the Hula community, he connected with engineers in California, manufacturing partners in the Midwest, and experts in regulatory affairs, reimbursement, clinical operations, marketing, and legal services across Vermont and New England. He also established clinical collaborations with Mass General Hospital, UVM Medical Center, and Henry Ford Hospital.
The device they’ve built has evolved since Bob’s first prototype, and now carries the name OstoSURE. About 30% of the original design remains, but the mission hasn’t changed. OstoSURE gives people living with an ostomy something so primal it is revolutionary: choice. With it, users can decide when and how to manage their stoma output, sometimes opting to go without a bag during workouts, sleep, or intimate moments. For some, it’s a small adjustment. For others, it’s a life-changing shift in confidence, comfort, and control.
Bob Bell, co-founder and innovator, inspecting OstoValve's initial product line.
Clinical trials are now underway at Massachusetts General Hospital, led by Dr. Rocco Ricciardi, Chief of Colorectal Surgery, who believes deeply in the device’s potential to improve quality of life. The team’s excitement is palpable and well-earned.
For Gary, the work is personal in a different way. “I’ve always been drawn to mission-based work,” he says. “My career in public safety was a mission. My last company, Social Sentinel, was about protecting students and communities. Margolis Healy was mission-focused on school safety and security. This company, OstoValve, is about creating quality of life options for people who live with stomas.”
He’s quick to deflect credit, citing OstoValve as “Bob’s idea” and emphasizing that successes thus far have been due to teamwork. At the same time, it is hard to miss the fact that Gary stepped into a situation where leadership and business wayfinding were needed, and through a combination of his networking, know-how, and commitment to mission, success is emerging. His steady focus on assembling the right people and giving them space to do their best work has helped turn a simple, ingenious idea into a movement toward freedom and quality of life for millions.
“We’re just a little Vermont company trying to do good,” Gary says with a smile. “And that feels pretty great.”
