Paul S. Heirendt is an author, speaker and seasoned entrepreneur with over five decades of leadership in media, healthcare publishing, and technology. He played a role in multiple tech startups in St. Louis and Silicon Valley, he has driven successful exits and navigated impactful challenges and valuable failures. As a Fellow at Lindenwood University’s Duree Center for Entrepreneurship and an Advisory Board member for Webster University’s Management & Leadership Program, he mentors aspiring innovators.

In his book, Entrepreneur Means Do!, Paul distills his extensive experience into practical guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs, offering insights to boost their success. Based in St. Louis, he remains dedicated to mentoring the next generation of innovators.

Paul Heirendt is a digital innovator and entrepreneur with over four decades of experience at the intersection of technology, media, and healthcare. From his early days as an audio and video engineer and radio host on Southern California’s first “album rock” FM station, Paul quickly advanced into leadership roles—becoming a global sales executive in healthcare publishing by age 30.

Self-taught in software development, Paul transitioned into a 30-year career spanning electronic publishing, internet services, cybersecurity, and SaaS. He built award-winning portals, led enterprise software projects, and was an early contributor to the digital world—launching a MIDI-focused BBS for musicians, joining The WELL in 1986, and publishing one of the first consumer CD-ROMs with online updates.

Paul led the digital transformation of Drug Facts and Comparisons, evolving it from a print reference to the world’s most licensed drug database. He helped commercialize MDx, a NASA-originated medical diagnosis tool, and played key roles in pioneering startups like eMedicine.com (acquired by WebMD) and MD Consult, used by 95% of U.S. medical schools.

At Medifor (acquired by Allscripts), Paul helped develop one of the first platforms for electronic prescriptions and web-based medical records, integrating drug interaction and formulary data into the prescribing process.

Throughout his career, Paul has consistently bridged the gap between innovation and impact — driving the adoption of digital tools that have transformed healthcare delivery, clinical decision-making, and access to medical knowledge.