Christopher Schlenger (Verdure Imaging): From Chiropractor to Spine Imaging Innovator

Founder & CEO of Verdure Imaging · Mother of Success Interview Series

Early Years and Education

Xiao He: Thank you for joining me today, Chris! To begin, could you introduce yourself to our readers?

Chris Schlenger: My name is Christopher Schlenger. I'm the founder and CEO of Verdure Imaging. I started my journey years ago as a chiropractor. I was interested in finding a way to view the spine without radiation — that was the original spark that led to Verdure. Ultrasound turned out to be the only real option, but the challenge was making it 3D for clinical use.

From Economics to Chiropractic

Xiao He: Looking back at your early days, I noticed that you studied economics before going into chiropractic medicine. How did that transition happen?

Chris Schlenger: My dad is a chiropractor. When I went to college, I wanted to explore something besides the required science courses — organic chemistry, biology, all that. I’ve always been curious about how the world works, and economics was fascinating because it applies everywhere — from macro-policy to running a small business. It wasn’t about becoming an economist; it was about understanding systems and decision-making. After finishing undergrad, I went straight into chiropractic school.

The Chiropractic Years

Xiao He: How would you describe your years in chiropractic school?

Chris Schlenger: Very challenging! It’s a four-year program that’s pretty much full-time — classes all day, studying at night, and tests constantly. It took over every part of life. Unlike medical school, though, we don’t have a long residency afterward. After graduation, I joined my dad’s practice for about a year, learning not only the clinical side but also how to run a business and manage patients. That mentorship was invaluable.

Learning from Father

Xiao He: That must have been special: working with your father as both mentor and parent. What was that dynamic like?

Chris Schlenger: It was both rewarding and demanding. He was very busy, so I had to learn fast, taking in whatever information I could whenever he had time. There’s always some father-son challenge, but overall, it was great. I only stayed for about a year before branching out on my own. After that, I moved from Santa Cruz to Stockton, bought an existing chiropractic practice from a widow, and started rebuilding it from scratch. I was 27 — it was risky, but it felt like the right time.

Starting His Own Practice

Xiao He: Why did you decide to move away from Santa Cruz instead of staying close to your family’s practice?

Chris Schlenger: I wanted to carve my own path and also thought strategically about opportunity. In Santa Cruz, most people worked white-collar jobs. I realized areas with more manual labor — like the Central Valley — would have higher demand for chiropractic care, especially for workers’ compensation cases. Plus, overhead costs like rent and payroll were lower. So it was a mix of independence and economics — my econ background definitely helped me think through that.

Buying a Business at 27

Xiao He: What gave you the courage to buy your own practice at such a young age?

Chris Schlenger: Honestly, I think it came from watching my dad. When you’ve seen someone do it up close, you think, if he can do it, I can do it. I borrowed money from him to buy the practice — banks wouldn’t lend to me — and paid him back within six months. I used credit cards for everything else. It was scrappy, but it worked.

Building and Moving

Xiao He: Is that the same office you’re in today?

Chris Schlenger: No, I moved twice since then. The first building got sold, and I couldn’t afford to buy it. I found another space that was already set up for chiropractic work — x-ray room and all — and stayed there for 10 years. In 2017, I finally bought my own building. That was a turning point — owning the real estate gave me control over my future.

Xiao He: That’s both business and investment foresight.

Chris Schlenger: Exactly. You have to think long-term. Owning the space where you practice makes a huge difference.

Behind the Scenes: The Reality of Running a Practice

Xiao He: Outside patient care, there’s so much admin and overhead. How did you balance all that?

Chris Schlenger: It’s constant. Taxes, audits, employee issues, insurance forms, property management — endless. None of it’s reimbursed, so you learn to offload what you can to staff. But some things you just have to handle yourself. It’s the reality of any small business.

The Spark Behind Verdure Imaging

Xiao He: Let’s fast-forward a little to Verdure Imaging. What prompted you to take the leap into medical devices?

Chris Schlenger: Honestly, a mix of curiosity and naivety. Sometimes it helps not to know how hard something will be — you just jump in. The spark came when I saw the 4D ultrasound image of my daughter in utero. I was amazed — the clarity, the detail. I realized how far ultrasound had come. In chiropractic care, we use x-ray, CT, or MRI, but no one used ultrasound for the spine.

That moment stayed with me. In my practice, I was constantly faced with a dilemma — we needed imaging to assess alignment, but I didn’t want to expose patients, especially young ones, to radiation repeatedly. X-rays are powerful, but there’s no such thing as a safe dose. For children and teens, the risk accumulates.

I began thinking: What if we could see the spine without harm? That question became the foundation of Verdure Imaging.

Rethinking the Spine

Xiao He: That’s a really profound shift — seeing the spine as something that evolves and can be monitored non-invasively.

Chris Schlenger: Exactly. After decades of reviewing thousands of spinal x-rays, I realized most adult spine issues actually start early — adolescence or even earlier. People think pain “comes out of nowhere,” but if you look back, it’s developmental.

Scoliosis is a perfect example. You’ll meet a forty-year-old with pain and degeneration, but the curvature likely began at fourteen. By adulthood, the spine has already adapted and worn unevenly. It’s not if it becomes symptomatic — it’s when.

Our industry tends to intervene late — when people are 30, 40, 50 — but the real opportunity is between 10 and 25, when changes can still be corrected. The irony is that’s also when we’re least likely to image people, because of radiation risk. That contradiction was the “aha” moment. I wanted to create a safe, repeatable imaging method for the spine’s developmental years.

First Steps: From Idea to Prototype

Xiao He: So what were the very first steps once you had that realization?

Chris Schlenger: The first thing I did was go to my local imaging center. I asked the radiologist if I could see what ultrasound on the spine actually looked like. I brought a staff member, and we scanned their back. You could see the bone surfaces! I thought, if I can see it, we can teach an algorithm to see it too.

That started a long journey. I dove into research papers, learning everything about ultrasound physics and 3D reconstruction. I realized the big challenge: bones reflect sound waves away from the probe, not back toward it — unlike soft tissue. So you can’t rely on standard ultrasound algorithms.

To solve that, I filed my first patent — using optical tracking to locate the probe and patient in space, allowing us to reconstruct a 3D image despite those reflections. That’s still the foundation of Verdure’s technology today.

Building the System — Piece by Piece

Xiao He: That’s remarkable. What did it take to start turning that idea into an actual system?

Chris Schlenger: It took years of iteration. I bought my own ultrasound machine and tracking system, partnered with a small R&D firm that specialized in prototyping and grant-funded innovation, and started experimenting.

After tens of thousands of dollars and countless failed tests, I realized conventional algorithms weren’t enough — we needed AI. But at that time, I didn’t have an AI team, so I started working on everything around the algorithm — the software interface, data structure, workflow. I knew when we finally had the right algorithm, we could drop it in.

I reached out to collaborators worldwide — researchers at Queen’s University in Canada, Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and engineers in London and Spain. Bit by bit, we built the network and infrastructure necessary to develop Verdure Imaging’s system.

Funding the Impossible

Xiao He: If I remember correctly, you didn’t raise venture funding. You self-funded everything through the FDA clearance stage?

Chris Schlenger: That’s right. We did have a small friends-and-family round, but I personally funded most of it. I never took a salary. I continued running my chiropractic practice and funneled earnings into Verdure.

To save money, I learned every task I could — labeling and annotating thousands of ultrasound images myself to train the AI. Most people hire data teams for that, but I just rolled up my sleeves. When you’re bootstrapping, every dollar counts.

If you included my time value, sure, the project probably cost millions — but the cash outlay was a fraction of that. Sweat equity and belief made it possible.

Building a Global Team

Xiao He: And your entire team worked part-time?

Chris Schlenger: Yes. Everyone had other jobs. Our AI specialists were at University College London — one an MD-PhD, another a researcher in computer vision. Our regulatory lead worked full-time elsewhere and did Verdure on nights and weekends. We hired consultants for compliance and partnered with external developers for infrastructure.

It was truly global — people in London, Spain, Canada, and me in the U.S. It’s incredible what you can accomplish with modern collaboration tools and shared purpose.

From Prototype to FDA Clearance

Xiao He:
Now that Verdure Imaging has received FDA clearance — a huge milestone — how would you describe the years leading up to that moment?

Chris Schlenger:
Stressful, to put it simply. When you’re an entrepreneur, there’s no clear roadmap. In a traditional job, there are defined roles and metrics for success. But when you’re creating something new — a new product, a new technology — there’s no blueprint. Every day you’re solving problems no one has solved before.

Each startup is unique, and each founder has to invent their own systems, frameworks, and sometimes even vocabulary. That uncertainty brings stress, but it’s also what makes it meaningful. You have to remind yourself why you’re doing it. That “why” gets you through all the ambiguity.

Another tough part is the isolation. I reached out to other founders for advice, but many were too busy or guarded. People often don’t want to share how they did it — they want to stay special. So, you end up learning by doing, paying for expertise when you can, and inventing your own process the rest of the time.

Crossing the Finish Line

Xiao He:
Now that you’ve crossed that milestone, the FDA clearance, has the stress gone down?

Chris Schlenger:
Way down. The clearance was a massive relief, but I actually see it as the beginning of the real company. Getting a product built is one thing; turning it into a sustainable business is another.

Now we’re focused on go-to-market: assembling a long-term team, developing marketing and distribution partnerships, and managing finances so we can scale responsibly.

We’re also in active conversations with surgical-navigation companies about integrating Verdure’s real-time, radiation-free imaging into operating rooms. Our goal has always been to prevent unnecessary spine surgery — but when surgery is necessary, we can make it safer.

It’s the only system today that provides true, real-time 3D imaging without any radiation exposure. I’m excited to see it used globally — both for early diagnosis and intraoperative guidance.

Lessons in Entrepreneurship

Xiao He:
What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned from building Verdure Imaging?

Chris Schlenger:

• Start with a problem you understand deeply.
  Verdure came from decades of firsthand experience. I saw the gap every day. That conviction kept me going when things got tough.
  
  

• Be ready to wear every hat.
  I was CEO, engineer, annotator, grant writer, and janitor. If you can’t do it yourself, learn it until you can.
  
  

• Find mission-driven people, not just resumés.
  Our part-time, global team worked because everyone truly believed in the mission.
  
  

• Understand your “why.”
  The “why” is what carries you through the nights when nothing works and the weeks when funding is tight.
  
  

Reflections on Impact and Legacy

Xiao He:
Looking ahead, what impact do you hope Verdure Imaging will have?

Chris Schlenger:
I hope it changes how we think about spinal health. Imagine if every child could have safe, non-radiation monitoring for posture and growth — we could prevent countless adult problems.

I also hope it inspires other clinicians to innovate. You don’t have to come from a traditional engineering background to contribute meaningfully to MedTech. Curiosity and persistence can take you far.

Books and Podcasts for Founders

Xiao He:
At Mother of Success, we love ending each conversation with inspiration. Is there a book, film, podcast, or even a piece of music you’d recommend to our readers?

Chris Schlenger:
There are so many good ones! But I’m a big fan of podcasts. I browse Spotify and Twitter often to find people exploring similar challenges in innovation, technology, and medicine. Listening to others’ journeys helps you stay grounded and remember that every founder, no matter the field, wrestles with uncertainty.

Closing Reflections

Xiao He:
In our last chat, I saw the business side of you; today, I got to see the human side. Thank you for sharing so openly.

Chris Schlenger:
Thank you for having me, Xiao!