From Legacy to Tech-Enabled: How MEDQOR is Transforming Healthcare Media
speaker
Brian serves as Chairman and CEO of Torch.AI, a company he founded in 2017. He has more than 20 years of experience leading mission driven, high growth, technology focused companies. Brian is a member of the Board of Trustees of The U.S. Army University / CGSC Foundation and the current president and chairman of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) Kansas City chapter. He has a Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (TS/SCI) clearance.
Torch.AI helps the defense and intelligence community rapidly and more effectively operationalize artificial intelligence in high risk environments via patented innovations in AI for enterprise data management and analytics. Unlike traditional government contractors, the company's team of experts takes calculated risks to self-fund R&D behind the scenes and then sells complete products "off-the-shelf" to mission owners. Torch.AI conducts deep research into understanding how AI and new processing techniques can improve a growing array of national security needs. This allows mission owners to go from ideation to full capability deployment in weeks and months, instead of years. Prior to Torch.AI, Brian launched or acquired several companies all focused on technology and data connectivity. His companies collectively serve nearly 10 million users and more than 1,300 clients. In 2001, he launched his first company which focused on using data to monitor and influence consumer behavior at sporting events. In 2005, he acquired a former employer, a global marketing technology company. In 2009, Brian acquired California based MEDQOR from Wells Fargo and as Chairman guided growth of the assets into the premier information business exclusively focused on the FDA regulated medical device and pharmaceutical market. The MEDQOR acquisition rapidly evolved his concepts around leveraging data at scale to solve problems. In 2012, he began investing in what would eventually become the Torch artificial intelligence software platform.
Brian’s past companies have been recognized as a Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and multiple Inc. 500 award winners. He has been featured in Forbes magazine for concepts around data encapsulation. He received the Defense Innovation Award at DITAC in 2017. He was named as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 Heartland Award winner.
As a member of the Board of Trustees of The Army University and CGSC Foundation, Brian contributes directly to the enrichment of the U.S. Army’s academic framework and support to soldiers and their families at a critical time in their careers.
SUMMARY
In this episode, Heather sits down with Brian Weaver, the innovative mind behind Chronicle, MEDQOR's proprietary data platform that is redefining how B2B media companies deliver performance and prove ROI.
Brian shares the story of acquiring MEDQOR in 2009—then a traditional print publisher—and turning it into a data-powered marketing engine that delivers buyer intelligence, real-time leads, and measurable outcomes. He pulls back the curtain on how Chronicle combines AI, CRM integration, and predictive analytics to create a completely new value proposition for healthcare marketers—and how it’s scalable across verticals.
This is a masterclass for any media, events, or B2B leader looking to move beyond impressions and into the era of performance-proofed media.
Key Takeaways: -Why media companies need to evolve from content sellers to strategic growth partners -How Chronicle turns passive media engagement into revenue-driving buyer signals -What it takes to build proprietary platforms that deliver guaranteed performance -The power of first-party data in transforming advertiser relationships and revenue models -Why today’s marketers demand proof—and how media companies can rise to meet it
About Brian Weaver
Brian is the Chairman of MEDQOR, a healthcare intelligence media company and CEO of Torch.AI, an AI-powered data infrastructure platform. He’s an expert in behavioral data science and enterprise-grade machine learning and an endurance athlete who brings that same mindset to business transformation.
TRANSCRIPT
[01:00–03:00] Introduction to Brian Weaver. AI innovator, CEO of Torch.AI (defense AI), Chairman of MEDQOR. Also an Ironman athlete.
[03:00–05:00] Raised in a data-rich, intellectually rigorous household (army intelligence & mathematician parents). First company: behavioral analytics in motorsports —early foray into data-driven marketing.
[05:00–07:00] Kansas City’s ecosystem (Garmin, T-Mobile, digital agencies) helped shape his data-centric innovation. Lack of easy venture capital fostered a bootstrapped, customer-first mindset.
[07:00–10:00] Acquiring MEDQOR. Acquired MEDQOR in 2009 from a PE-backed conglomerate. Saw opportunity in its untapped data: vast but unused — ideal for a data innovator.
[10:00–13:00] Early career at ABC/Disney, then marketing tech for travel/NASCAR. Experience helped shape a customer-centric, analytics-first approach to media.
[13:00–17:00] Owns 20+ healthcare-focused brands targeting med tech and pharma buyers. Focus: transforming customer journeys with operational data and buyer insights.
[17:00–22:00] Chronicle started in 2012, matured over years of iteration. Solves marketer's core issue: proving ROI, identifying buyers, and tracking journey. Built Chronicle to differentiate by delivering provable, high-converting leads.
[22:00–27:00] Tracks behavior across MEDQOR assets, social, and external sites via tracking pixels. High-fidelity HCP (healthcare professional) database + content telemetry. Acts like ABM (account-based marketing), but more scalable and precise.
[27:00–33:00] Chronicle enables advertisers to: Strategically plan and target. Monitor performance in real-time. Discover high-intent buyers beyond campaign reach. Automatically receive and route leads to CRM.
[33:00–37:00] Chronicle supports a recurring revenue model via guaranteed performance. MEDQOR owns the risk of delivering leads, reducing advertiser friction. Strong growth: advertiser engagement and average ticket size growing double digits.
[37:00–41:00] Transitioned from brand/editorial sales to audience-based, ROI-focused selling. Chronicle empowers reps to lead with buyer data — a strategic shift from traditional B2B media sales. Result: deeper, stickier advertiser relationships.
[41:00–44:00] AI presents massive opportunity for relevance and scalability in B2B media. Trusted brands can now combine reputation with buyer intelligence. Chronicle's next frontier: AI-driven content tailored to real-time market signals.
[44:00–47:00] Chronicle helps marketers spend smarter — essential in downturns or tariff-affected industries. It gives users a competitive edge by identifying and nurturing leads competitors miss.
[47:00–51:00] Book: Dog in a Hat (Belgian cycling) and Whitehead’s Process and Reality. Ironman racing: teaches resilience, focus under pressure, and decision-making — crucial for entrepreneurial leadership.
