Justin Fulcher was 21 when he co-founded RingMD in 2013. Twelve years later, he was advising the U.S. Secretary of Defense. A recent profile explains how the jump from a telemedicine startup to defense acquisition reform makes more sense than it might first appear. Both roles required building inside systems with strict rules and little room for error.
The RingMD Years
RingMD set out to connect patients with physicians remotely across Asia. Mobile phones had spread faster than clinics and hospitals in many parts of the region, so a remote model filled a real gap. The catch was technical. Justin Fulcher‘s team had to build software that functioned on unreliable bandwidth and uneven infrastructure, in places where traditional healthcare delivery was sparse or entirely absent.
The company expanded into multiple countries, and Forbes Asia recognized Justin Fulcher on its 30 Under 30 list in Healthcare & Science in 2017. He later stepped out of daily management after several years leading the business. He remains connected to RingMD as a board member and minority shareholder, with no operational role.
Advising at the Department of Defense
Early 2025 brought a different assignment. Justin Fulcher joined the Department of Defense as a Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, where he concentrated on acquisition reform and technology adoption. The goal was to reduce bureaucratic friction in procurement and get new tools deployed faster within the department’s existing structures. Defense acquisition has long been criticized for lengthy approval cycles, which made the assignment a demanding one.
According to the profile, he contributed to reforms that moved software procurement timelines “from years to months” and modernized key IT systems. He also joined senior officials at high-level dialogues in the Indo-Pacific.
What links the two careers is operating in heavily regulated settings where accountability matters. Fulcher has written that he values “Execution over narrative. Accountability over optics. Durability over speed.” His current interests, including defense technology and rare-earth supply chains, suggest Justin Fulcher intends to keep working in that same demanding territory. Visit this page for related information.
Follow for more information about Justin Fulcher on https://www.instagram.com/justinfulcher/?hl=en