200 Trailblazing Leaders in Women’s Health and FemTech
In 2024, women's health has seen significant strides through innovative technologies and policy initiatives.
On the policy front, the launch of the Women’s Health Research Initiative by the Biden administration in the previous year has begun to bear fruit, with increased funding and research into conditions that disproportionately affect women, potentially closing the gender health gap.
Investment in women's health has also seen a surge, with venture capital firms showing a marked interest in digital health startups, reflected by a 25% increase in women's concerns about personal health since Q2 2020 in the US alone. The focus on women's health is also reflected in the economic argument for investment; a report suggests that closing the women's health gap could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040. These developments underscore a global push towards not only improving health outcomes but also empowering women with control over their health and reproductive choices.
A notable advancement includes the development of molecular cryopreservation techniques, extending ovarian tissue viability by 70%, which is a game-changer for fertility preservation. Additionally, synthetic gene activation protocols are emerging as potential solutions to reverse age-related degradation in gametes, offering new hope for women facing age-related fertility challenges. Further, the year has marked a shift towards more personalized and accessible healthcare solutions in women's health. Innovations like AI-driven fertility aids are gaining traction, with applications ranging from personalized IVF protocols to early diagnosis of conditions like PCOS and endometriosis. This technology is particularly revolutionary in regions where infertility rates can reach up to 30% among women.
Moreover, the market for menopause-related products and services is expanding, with projections indicating it could become a billion-dollar industry, driven by new research into menopause's physiological impacts and economic effects.
In response, we set out to celebrate leaders and innovators shaping the present and future of women's health. We invited our community to nominate founders, scientists, researchers, innovators, and advocates—and were thrilled to receive over 300 submissions!
Our compilation of 200 Trailblazing Leaders in Women’s Health and FemTech aims to make the industry more accessible, inclusive, and ultimately visible.
Disclaimer: The list has been arranged alphabetically and not in rank. We have also not included any medical titles in our list of participants, so it’s easier to navigate the list in alphabetical order by the name of the person. There are many more leaders who should be on this list and we’d like to encourage everyone to continue adding to it by posting in the comments. Also, in case you think we have missed someone or wish to suggest a correction, please drop us a line at hello@womenofwearables.com.
Aidan Crawley, co-founder and CEO at Amber Therapeutics
Alia Rahman, founder and CEO of Amplexd Therapeutics
Alice Zheng, Elizabeth Bailey, and Stasia Obremskey, co-founders of Foreground Capital
Amanda Shea, Fractional Chief Science Officer at Clue
Amy Beckley, founder and CEO of Proov
Amy Divaraniya, founder and CEO of Oova
Amy Keenan, Chief Marketing Officer at Hello Inside
Ana Cristina Gonzalez Velez, Senior advisor on the right to health and gender equality at Mesa por la Vida y la Salud de las Mujeres, Colombia
Andrea Ippolito, CEO and Founder of SimpliFed
Ann-Marie de Lange, Scientist and Leader of FemiLab
Anna Butterworth, Managing Director of Ultra Violet Agency
Anna Laura Ross, Head of Emerging Technologies, research prioritisation and support, WHO
Anna Luisa Schaffgotsch, founder and CEO of Impli
Anna O’Sullivan, founder of Future FemHealth and co-founder of the CensHERship campaign
Anne Fulenwider and Monica Molenaar, co-founders of Alloy Women’s Health
Anoushka Gungadin, CEO and MD of HeraMED
Antonella Chadha Santuccione, founder and CEO of Women's Brain Project
Anu Parvatiyar and Julie Yip, co-founders of Ananya Health
Arianne Kidder, Partner at Seae Ventures
Arion Long, founder and CEO of Femly
Alyssa Dweck MS MD FACOG, MSCP, Chief Medical Officer of Bonafide Health
Barry Mc Cann, Padraig Maher and Marie-Therese Maher, co-founders of NUA Surgical
Beatrice Aretz, founder and CEO of Caona Health, co-founder of FemTech Germany
Beth Battaglino, President and CEO at HealthyWomen
Bethany Corbin, co-founder and CEO of FemInnovation, Femtech lawyer
Brittany Barreto, PhD Author of Best Seller, Unlocking Women's Health, Femtech and the Quest for Gender Equity
Camille Escudero, founder of Lily of the Valley
Carina Kohli, founder and CEO of Humm Care
Carine Carmy, co-founder and CEO at Origin
Carla Cressy, founder and CEO of The Endometriosis Foundation
Carli Sapir, Founding Partner at Amboy Street Ventures
Carolee Lee, founder and CEO of Women's Health Access Matters
Carolyn Witte and Felicity Yost, co-founders of Tia
Carolyn M Mazure, Director and founder of Women's Health Research at Yale and Chair of the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research
Cecilia Caetano, Vice President - Head Global Medical Affairs Women’s Health at Bayer
Charlotte Nørgaard Langer, founder of Nordic Women's Health Hub
Chris Wigley, co-founder and CEO of Aneira Health
Cindy Gallop, founder and CEO at MakeLoveNotPorn
Claire Dixon, co-founder and CEO of Neuraura
Clara Mackay, CEO of the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition
Claudia Chisari, founder and CEO of Bloume Health
Colette Courtion, founder and CEO of Joylux
Colleen Acosta, co-founder and CEO of Freya Biosciences
Cristina Ljungberg, Gerda Mazi Larsson, Wendy Anderson, co-founders of The Case For Her
Cynthia Plotch and Jamie Norwood, Co-Founders of Winx Health
Daniella Gilboa, co-founder and CEO of AIVF
Delphine Moulu, co-founder and Managing Director of Femtech France
Denise Pines, co-founder and CEO of FemAging Project and one of the co-authors of the documentary "The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause"
Dina Radenkovic, co-founder and CEO of Gameto
Dmitry Gurski, co-founder and CEO of Flo Health
Christy (Tomkins) Lane and Laura J. McDonald, co-founders of Flora Fertility
Elina Berglund Scherwitzl, co-founder and CEO of Natural Cycles
Elizabeth (Onyemelukwe) Garner, women’s health expert and advocate, C-suite pharma executive and independent Board Chair and member
Emilie Faure, founder and CEO of Juniver
EJ Kim and Marina Pen, co-founders of NNABI
Ella Smoraczewska Harris, founder and CEO of Uvisa Health
Eleonora Cavani, founder and CEO of Alba Health
Elena Rueda and Paulina Cecula, co-founders of Dama Health
Elizabeth Gazda, CEO of Embr Labs
Emilė Radytė and Alex Cook, co-founders of Samphire Neuroscience
Emily Napier, New Business Development Leader Europe - MCC & Women’s Health at Philips
Esther Krofah, Executive Vice President at Milken Institute Health
Fahti Khosrowshahi, founder, CEO and President of Ceek Women’s Health
Gina Nebesar, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Ovia Health
Giovanna Forte, CEO of Forte Medical
Hannah Samano, founder and CEO of Unfabled
Helen O'Neill, Natalie Getreu and Deirdre O'Neill, co-founders of Hertility Health
Helene Guillaume Pabis, founder and CEO of Wild.ai
Hope Yates, Chief Strategy Officer, Women's Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Ida Tin, founder and CEO of FemTech Assembly, co-founder of Clue, mother of the term ‘femtech’
Ikram Guerd, VP of Global Marketing and Managing Director US of Aspivix
Inessa Lurye, Senior Director of Product & Head of Women’s Health at Hinge Health
Irene Aninye, Chief Science Officer at the Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR)
Isabelle Guenou and Miriam Santer, co-founders of theblood
Jackie Rotman, founder and CEO of the Center for Intimacy Justice
Janine Austin Clayton, Associate Director of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health
Jas Schembri-Stothart and Jo Goodall, co-founders of Luna
Jeni Mayorskaya, founder and CEO of Stork Club
Jennifer Kidwell Drake, Director and Women's Health Lead at Gates Ventures (Exemplars in Global Health)
Jenny Button, founder and CEO of Emm
Jenny Lundkvist, Jennifer Grönqvist, Malin Frithiofsson, co-founders of Daya
Jessica Karr, founder and Managing Director at Coyote Ventures
Joanna Griffiths, founder and President at Knix
Joanna Strober, co-founder and CEO of Midi Health
Jodi Neuhauser, co-founder of the Women’s Health PAC and founder of In Women’s Health
John Mastrototaro, CEO of Movano Health
Jon Brandon, co-founder and CEO of Foria
Joyce Harper, Professor in Reproductive Science at UCL
Karina Vazirova and Katia Lang, co-founders of FemTech Lab
Karolina Lofqvist, founder and CEO of Hormona
Kate Ryder, founder and CEO of Maven
Kathrin Folkendt, founder and CEO of Femtech Insider
Kathryn Godburn Schubert, President and CEO, Society for Women's Health Research
Kiki Freedman, co-founder and CEO of Hey Jane
Kim Palmer, founder of Clementine
Kim Rodriguez, President and CEO of Vitara Biomedical
Kiran Roest, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at PocDoc
Kelsey Mayo, CEO of Armor Medical Inc.
Lara Solomon, founder of Hoopsy
Lara Zibners Lohr and Thang Vo-Ta, co-founders of Calla Lily Clinical Care
Laura McGrath, founder and CEO of Lola&Lykke
Laura Yecies, CEO and Board Member of Bone Health Technologies
Libby Tanswell-Gidney, founder and CEO of Ove Care
Liliane Brunner Halbach and Jessica Chung, co-founders of Artemis Women’s Health Foundation
Linda Goler Blount, President at Black Women's Health Imperative
Linda Greub, Managing Partner at Avestria Ventures
Lindsay Balfour, Assistant Professor at Coventry University
Lindsay Davis, founder of FemTech Association Asia
Lindsey Calcutt and Theresa Gevaert, co-founders of Incora Health
Liz Powell, founder of G2G Consulting, co-founder of Women's Digital Health Network and Breast Cancer Early Detection Coalition
Loewen Cavill, co-founder and CEO of Amira Health
Lucy Perez, Senior Partner, Life Sciences at McKinsey & Company
Lyndsey Harper, CEO and founder of Rosy Wellness
Maike Scharp, Deputy Director, Diagnostics and co-chair of Innovation Equity Forum at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Maaike Steinebach, founder and CEO of FemTech Future Limited, host of Femtech At Work podcast
Maria Alvarez de Sotomayor Vergara, Venture Lead at Essity Ventures
Maria D. Toler, Founding and Managing Partner at SteelSky Ventures
Maria Gabriela Salvador, CEO of Maternova
Marina Rigau, co-founder and CEO of MiMARK
Marissa Fayer, CEO and founder of HERhealthEQ, CEO at DeepLook Medical
Margaret Zablocka, founder and CEO of Onoco
Marina Gerner, Journalist, Adjunct Professor at NYU Stern and author of the book ‘The Vagina Business’
Martha Silcott, founder and CEO of FabLittleBag
Maryon Stewart BEM, CEO of Femmar
Maureen Brown, CEO and Co-founder of Mosie Baby
Maxime Kryvian, co-founder and CEO of Celsius Innovations
Maxine Mackintosh, Co-founder and Co-Director of One HealthTech
Maya Goldstein, Director of Strategy and External Affairs, Gender Lead at Impact Global Health
Megan Huchko, Ob/Gyn, Associate Professor and Director of Duke Center for Global Reproductive Health
Melissa Teran, CEO at Alife
Melissa Wallace, co-founder of Fierce Foundry
Michal Elovitz, Dean of Women’s Health Research and Director of Women’s Biomedical Research Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Michelle Griffin, health expert, strategist, advisor and BBC women's health columnist
Michelle Kennedy, founder and CEO of Peanut
Mika Miyake, Business Development Manager, EMEA, at Garmin Health
Mindy Simmon, Co-Director at NHS Innovation Accelerator
Mitzi Krockover, Managing Director, Co-Chair Health Sector Committee and Founding Member, Arizona Chapter of Golden Seeds and Podcast Host
Morgane Leten and Jan Deruyck, co-founders of Guud
Nadia Neytcheva, co-founder and CEO of Doctorsa
Nadine Wunderlich, co-founder and CEO at Lilio
Navneet Kaur, founder and CEO of FemTech India
Neta Gotlieb, Product Manager and Women’s Health Lead at Oura
Nimmi Ramanujam, Director of the Center for Global Women's Health Technologies at Duke University and founder of Calla Health Foundation
Olena Ivanova, MD, PhD, co-founder of FemTech Germany, founder of Women’s Health and Femtech Ukraine
Olivia Orchowski, founder and CEO of KYRI
Oriana Papin-Zoghbi and Anna Milik Jeter, co-founders AOA Dx Inc.
Pamela Walker Geddes and Tatum Getty, founding partners of THENA Capital
Pete Anevski, CEO of Progyny
Piraye Yurttas Beim PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Celmatix
Priyanka Jain, co-founder and CEO of Evvy
Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Women’s Health Ambassador for England
Rachel Bartholomew, founder and CEO of Hyivy and Femtech Canada
Rachel Blank, founder and CEO of Allara Health
Rachel Braun Scherl, co-founder of SPARK Solutions for growth and co-host of Business of the V
Raphaelle Taub, CEO of Matricis AI
Reenita Das, Partner at Frost & Sullivan, Board Member of Arab Health
Richika Sahay Shukla, Director and co-founder of India IVF fertility
Rohi Hourvitz and Almog Luz, co-founders of FertilAI
Rosanne Longmore, CEO of Coroflo
Sabrina (Martucci) Johnson, President and CEO at DARÉ Bioscience
Sadie Dobrozsi, medical director for genetic testing and oncology imaging at Evolent
Sam Simister and Heather Jackson, co-founders of GenM
Samantha (Mandy) Pulliam, Chief Medical Officer of Axena Health
Sara Naseri, co-founder and CEO of Qvin
Sarah Cowlishaw, Life Sciences Regulatory Partner and co-chair of Covington's Digital Health Initiative
Sarah Dillingham, co-founder and CEO of Grace&Able
Senan Ebrahim, founder and CEO of Delfina
Shana Bartlett, Executive Director, Women’s Health Strategy at CVS Health
Shashwata Narain, co-founder and CEO of Veera Health
Shavini Fernando, founder and CEO of OxiWear
Shruthi Mahalingaiah, M.D., M.S., physician-scientist, Assistant Professor of Environmental, Reproductive, and Women's Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Simone Theiss, Program Manager EPFL Innovation Park and Tech4Eva Accelerator
Sioned Fôn Jones, COO and co-founder of BoobyBiome
Somer Baburek, MBA, CEO at Hera Biotech
Sophia Yen, MD, MPH, co-founder and CEO of Pandia Health
Sophie Smith, founder and CEO of Nabta Health
Stasa Stankovic, co-founder of OvartiX, Strategy Consultant, Genomics & AI for Drug Discovery at AstraZeneca
Stephanie Kuku, Chief Knowledge Officer at Conceivable Life Sciences and Co-Investigator/Clinical AI at the Institute of Women’s Health at UCL
Stiliyana Minkovska, founder and CEO of Matrix Health & Care
Susan Stover, Marketing Lead at Hyivy Health, Advisory Board Member FemTech Canada and FemTech India
Svetlana Kazantseva and Svetlana Grinchenko, co-founders of Strawberry Health
Sylvia Kang, co-founder and CEO of Mira
Tammy Sun, founder and CEO at Carrot Fertility
Tara Croft, CEO of Baymatob
Teodora Popa, Director of Reproductive Science and Women's Health at UCL and Chief Innovation Officer at Avenues
Terry Weber, CEO of Biote
Theresa Neil, founder of Femovate, a global femtech incubator
Thao Nguyen, founder and CEO of Equal Care
Tina Keshani, co-founder and CEO of Seven Starling
Trish Costello, founder and CEO of Portfolia
Ula Rustamova and Irene Jia, co-founders of Level Zero Health
Ula Sankowska, co-owner and co-CEO at MIM Fertility
Valentina Milanova, founder and CEO of Daye
Valeria Leuti, founder of Tech4Fem
Victoria Iezzi, Senior Manager and co-leader of the Women’s Health and Wellness Technology Group at Withum
Vikram Bhaskaran, co-founder of Roon
Wolfgang Hackl, founder and CEO of OncoGenomX
Our Partners
Covington is proud to support the transformative work shaping the future of women’s health. From fundraising and investment, to navigating complex regulatory pathways, to forming strategic partnerships, Covington provides expert, pragmatic, legal guidance to help founders, investors, and companies at all stages achieve their goals. Their global, cross-disciplinary team regularly advises clients across industry sectors on matters arising across the lifecycle of women’s health and femtech solutions, including AI, commercial contracts, digital health, drug and medical device development, healthcare services, intellectual property, M&A, privacy and data security, and venture capital. For further information on women’s health, please contact their team.
If you are interested in learning more about our work in the women’s health space, below are some options for you to get involved.
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