Meet Doug Miller, Founder and Chief Product Officer @ Impower Health

Impower Health is a healthtech startup that offers hardware and software solutions that transform existing treadmills into diagnostic tools for measuring natural gaits. It grew out of University of Nebraska research.

Earlier this year, the company announced a new CEO and a pre-seed venture capital raise. Miller said Impower Health is going through pilots across Omaha and Columbus, has secured a third patent and received a Nebraska academic research and development grant in April.  

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur or support other entrepreneurs?

I was a bit of a reluctant entrepreneur at first. I started what became Impower Health with a “consulting” mindset — collaborating with UNO Biomechanics and UNeTech. They were looking for expertise, so I started by showing them how to integrate their software ideas into existing treadmills while helping them map out the commercial fitness landscape. In return, I got a crash course in the intricacies of biomechanics and neuro-rehabilitation.

Soon, we had the prototype working seamlessly, and I faced a classic crossroad: It was time to put up or shut up with all my “bright ideas.” I chose to put up. 

I jumped in part time in 2021, keeping the spark alive on a bootstrapped budget until leaning in full time in 2024. In late 2024, I met the team at Boomerang Ventures. By mid-2025, they validated our approach, funding Impower Health that October. Invest Nebraska matched it two months later, and we were off to the races.

Today, full development is underway, and we are on track for clinical pilots this summer, a commercial launch later this year and massive scaling in 2027.

What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time to when you were just starting out?

First: Have more confidence in your own abilities and the unique gifts you bring to the table. Learn from others, absolutely, but ultimately lean into your own voice.

Early on, after a major pitch event, I asked a close friend for their honest feedback. After a painfully long pause, they smiled and said, “You did really great during the Q&A!” Translated: I was way too stiff, scripted and robotic during the actual pitch, but when I engaged directly with the audience, my natural energy became infectious. Lesson learned: Stop trying to memorize everyone else’s “perfect” answers and bring my passion.

Second: Triple down on your investor outreach, and genuinely embrace the chaos of the journey. There is a mountain of things you won’t know on day one. Dive in anyway, expect to stumble often but focus entirely on failing forward. It’s only a failure if you walk away without the lesson.

How do you stay motivated when things feel overwhelming — or stagnant?

I’ve noticed I typically slip into one of two default modes.

Mode A is the high-pressure grind: telling myself, “The only thing I can guarantee is that everything coasts to a stop when I take my foot off the gas.” 

Mode B is focused on perspective: “Stewardship doesn’t demand we know every answer — it reminds us who to ask when we don’t.”

Honestly, I fall into the “gas pedal” trap way too often, but the stewardship mindset is infinitely better for the business and my sanity. We all have brilliant mentors, advisers and cheerleaders in our corner. Use them! Seek their guidance, accept the help and don’t be the lone wolf howling in the dark.

I’ve also learned that staying motivated means investing in myself daily — physically, mentally and spiritually. No need to go overboard; it’s about taking consistent, small steps to protect my health. 

For me, finding intentional quiet time to focus on my faith is the most critical piece. It is the glue that holds the chaos of startup life together and the beacon on the horizon I use to constantly adjust my course.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome and how did you overcome it?

Raising our initial $500,000. For many technical or product-focused founders, fundraising is the ultimate hurdle, and it was absolutely my weakest link starting out. It’s still not what I look forward to doing when I wake up in the morning! 

But I forced myself to keep leaning in, telling myself, “Just one more pitch. Just one more conversation.” Eventually, a “yes” landed. Then another one followed. We kept building momentum from there, turning a weak link into a strong(er) engine.

How can the Nebraska community support you?

First, we are in the home stretch of closing our pre-seed round. We’ve successfully raised $590,000 of our $750,000 target. If you know an investor or fund looking to back a high-growth, de-risked healthtech startup with a massive addressable market, send them our way.

Second, our clinical and community pilots are kicking off right here in the greater Omaha area this summer. If you want to be among the first to experience a platform that transforms everyday treadmills into clinical-grade mobility labs — and help us establish gait as the sixth vital sign for healthy aging — reach out to me on LinkedIn or visit www.goimpower.com. Let’s get you on the list!