By Darrell Kirk
Sounder contributor
Some amazing people visit Orcas Island, including Dr. Kingsley Ndoh, founder of Seattle-based startup Hurone AI, which has developed a humanoid AI platform that revolutionizes cancer patient navigation and clinical decision support.
With 1.4 million cancer patients struggling to navigate complex care journeys, Hurone AI serves as their personal cancer companion, providing 24/7 guidance while preparing doctors with pre-visit insights that make appointments three times more productive. Dr. Ndoh’s platform has demonstrated $2,100 monthly cost savings per patient and has established growing partnerships with leading cancer centers including Mayo Clinic, UCSF, and Johns Hopkins, with additional partnerships expanding into Kenya.
I caught up with Dr. Kingsley after the Orcas Island Independence parade to hear more about his visit to the island.
Sounder: Dr. Kingsley, what brought you to Orcas Island?
Dr. Ndoh: I have been coming to this island for the past 10 years. I’m a physician, but now I’m an entrepreneur. My company is Hurone AI and it’s a startup that builds AI agents to help cancer patients navigate their care, both from a clinical perspective and from a logistics perspective, and then we have a platform for oncologists that helps them make better clinical decisions. We are at UCSF Brain Tumor Center, Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic.
Sounder: I understand you are from Nigeria. What part of Nigeria?
Dr. Ndoh: So I grew up in a small city called Joss. It’s sort of like in the middle of Nigeria. Almost like a hundred miles north of the capital Abuja. I moved to Washington about 13 years ago when I came for grad school at the University of Washington, and then I also did a fellowship at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
Sounder: How did you first come to Orcas Island?
Dr. Ndoh: I met Dick Staub. He’s a pastor at one of the major churches here. He was giving a commencement speech in California and I introduced myself. He asked me if I ever heard of Orcas Island and I said no. We exchanged contact information and he invited me here. When I came I attended the church and I made community here and it became one of my favorite places in the world.
Sounder: What are your thoughts about Orcas Island?
Dr. Ndoh: So one, it’s pristine green. The air is, you know, as clean as ever. You’re just ensconced in nature, and the people! Mount Constitution is one of my favorite places. I never get tired of going there and the views are absolutely amazing. There are several lakes, like lake Crescent. I’m a hiker so there are several beautiful trails around here. It’s just an amazing place and just being on the island decompresses you from, you know, like city stress and entrepreneurial stress.
While Dr. Ndoh works tirelessly to bring life-saving cancer care to patients around the world, he knows he can always return to our island for the kind of peace you just can’t find anywhere else. There’s something special about Orcas—whether it’s a quiet walk through our forests or simply sitting by the water—that helps fuel the passion and clarity needed for work this important.
