I’m committed to diversity when it comes to healthcare, technology and leadership. I saw a tweet quoting @JudyMurphyHIT today (#EqualPayDay) on the #HIMSS15 timeline which said that “$42M in greater healthcare firm value when women are represented at the executive level”. Indeed, Rock Health’s “State of Women in Healthcare” provides further data on the need and value for diversity in HIT, inclusive of the fact that not only do diverse teams raise more capital (besides being more capital efficient) but also women tend to be the primary decision makers, caregivers and a majority of the workforce.
I could also talk about market opportunity and market size, but I’d rather say this: look to your left, look to your right, look in front of you, look behind you. It’s likely at least 50% of the people around you, or the people that you know, are affected by the biological life cycles of ovulation, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause etc.
I’d like to highlight female innovators who work to build digital tools for women and girls and, in the process, inspire them to become fellow innovators and leaders. Links are provided for you to learn more about the companies and their teams.
BellaBeat– Pregnancy tracking
(female co-founder and COO: Urska Srsen)
HelloFlo– Ecommerce site for every stage in a woman’s life (menstruation —> to menopause)
(founder and CEO: Naama Bloom)
Celmatix– Personalized medicine company targeting infertility
(founder and CEO: Piraye Yurttas Beim)
Naia Health (Naia Mom)- Smart connected breast pump
(co-founder and CEO: Janica Alvarez)
CakeHealth– Personal healthcare spending management system
(founder and CEO: Rebecca Woodcock)
Eve Medical– Medical device company focused on women’s health (HerSwab: Self-collect HPV samples for cervical cancer screening at home).
(co-founder and CEO: Jessica Ching)
Honorable mention:
I also recognize the men who stand up for women. Great story from Fast Company about “The Menstrual Man”, who defied cultural norms, societal pressure, financial pressure and lack of formal education to create hygienic options for women in rural and economically disadvantaged areas: “An Indian Inventor Distrupts the Period Industry”. A must read.