WoW Woman in FemTech I Dalya Gartzman, co-founder and CEO of sheKnows
Dalya Gartzman is the co-founder and CEO of sheKnows.
Dalya takes pride in having Feminism as her day job. She started her career as a mathematician specializing in network analysis, applying her analytical skills to get an MSc. in math and bioinformatics. Her journey evolved to developing algorithms for various Israeli startups, where she specialized in leading AI projects from idea to market.
Dalya believes Professional Karma is the engine that drives our career. Therefore, her extra circular activities include blogging, public speaking, organizing events, hosting a Hebrew podcast about entrepreneurship, and she is intensely involved in promoting women in tech.
Her role as Co-Founder and CEO of sheKnows perfectly combines her two greatest passions - Artificial Intelligence and Feminism.
sheKnows is an AI-First company, with a vision to bridge the gender health gap by creating a new kind of knowledge - a convergence of collective intelligence with science. The female body is ever-changing and under-researched, leaving women misdiagnosed, mistreated, and misunderstood. At sheKnows, they identified the most pressing problem that we are most fitted to solve - the healthcare journey women experience around menopause, which today is needlessly long, frustrating, and lonely.
Tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.
First, I am a mathematician. Math education is my origin story; it is where I started my career and where many of my thought models started forming. During my graduate studies, as much as I love pure math, I realized I want to be more connected to the real world. It happened in two parallel paths. Professionally, I became more involved with technology. I first learned to code at age 30 and fell in love. I became immersed in the local tech ecosystem, mastering technological challenges and leading local communities.
On a personal level, I became a feminist activist. I participated in the foundation of the Israeli Math Association for Women and volunteered in countless activities for promoting women in tech, mostly in collaboration with Baot.
How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?
It was during the epidemic's peak when I started seriously considering becoming an entrepreneur. Luckily, I stumbled upon a WoW webinar about The FemTech Revolution: Stories from FemTech Founders. I remember thinking two things - first, it's incredible that both myself and the world are so used to doing stuff online that this is so natural to all of us. Second, I felt like I had finally found my place as if I had arrived home. It was clear to me from the first meetup that I wanted to become a FemTech entrepreneur.
There is a theory about professional fulfillment - if you find a place where you promote your greatest passions, apply your essential skills, and work in an atmosphere that is right for you, you will be your happiest. FemTech is all three for me: promoting my feminist social passion, applying my analytical and social skills, and working in a feminine atmosphere driven by excellence, collaboration, and compassion.
To answer the question - I was lucky that FemTech already existed worldwide and was accessible to me, so I already had role models and an existing industry to join.
FemTech is just starting to rise in Israel, and I am doing my best to boost the local ecosystem. I do this by being vocal about FemTech on local social media, raising awareness on my Hebrew podcast, contributing to the research on the topic, and by doing this interview - I am delighted and honored to contribute back to WoW, which has been so influential on my journey.
How long did it take you to be where you are now? What was the biggest obstacle? What are the challenges of being in the industry you are in?
A dry recap of my career would include six years in university (followed by a gap year traveling the world), six months transitioning to a tech position, four years developing algorithms in startups, and now celebrating one year of full-time entrepreneurship. My biggest obstacle in tech positions was to fit in, which pushed me towards entrepreneurship.
When I was a kid, my mom used to say that no one had invented yet the clothes factory that fit my taste. So since I was 20, I have been making my own clothes (best hobby ever!).
The same goes for workplaces. I worked for awesome companies and met wonderful people who are my best friends and professional contacts. But I haven't found my place, so I set out to build it. Building a company with an inclusive and encouraging culture is integral to my entrepreneurial mission.
The greatest challenge in the menopause domain is raising awareness. When I started researching women's health and thinking about where I can impact, I discovered menopause. Yup, I actually had to discover it exists. I am 38yo, and no one ever talked to me about it. I knew this was something I had to change. These days many of my conversations are used to promote awareness of the problem. It's hard-core market education. But we are confident the market is ready, so we are optimistic and driven to spread the word.
What are your biggest achievements to date?
It's that I'm here to stay. I've established my entrepreneurial persona and identified a problem I want to solve.
One year ago, I left the comfort of a steady job without knowing where it would take me. I had a fantasy that I would find a co-founder in no time, find an idea, raise money, change the world, boom, mic drop.
Shockingly, that's not how it went down.
I also thought that entrepreneurship would be a linear extension of my previous life. And that turned out to be a misconception as well. Entrepreneurship is nonlinear. It's like Bamboo - the Bamboo grows for years underground, generating extensive roots, and then quickly spurs a flexible trunk, almost overnight. The Bamboo does not break or unroot because it has such strong foundations.
This past year has been all about laying the foundations for the future. I strengthened my resilience, built a network, educated myself about business and women's health, and grew into the next phase in my evolution.
I am excited and curious about what the future will bring - and I am ready for it.
What are the projects you are currently working on?
At sheKnows, our first order of business is to help women feel better around menopause. Adi Saraga Kenn, my co-founder & CPO, and I are working full-time to make that happen. Our research shows that women face the same issues when dealing with the hormonal changes leading to menopause: learn about menopause, understand their bodies, find effective solutions, and find emotional support.
The menopausal journey is appallingly under-discussed. Substantial hormonal changes start around age 45 and could continue for over ten years — reverse puberty in the middle of life. Half of the world experience menopause and more than half of menopausal women report life-changing symptoms, with some going on for years before finding a solution. A quarter of the world's population had, have, or will have a life-damaging experience that most people know nothing about.
We're here to change that. For our generation - so that when our time comes, it will be easier. And for the women there now - the same women who shattered so many glass ceilings for us.
We are now working on our MVP, which will pave the path to solving these problems.
Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?
Absolutely. Women are not only an underserved market in medical care but also in the workforce. At sheKnows, we are addressing both issues.
What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?
Adi Saraga Kenn, my co-founder & CPO, and I foresee five key trends in women's health:
Awareness. Social media enables a bottom-up rise of knowledge ideas. Women now have a platform to share authentically about their real-life challenges; through a network effect, more women will speak up and seek better solutions.
Research. A significant rise in awareness will shine a light on the most pressing issues that are under-researched. Researchers, governments, and other stakeholders will be motivated to bridge these gaps once they realize the potential impact.
Technology. We are just starting to see tech-based solutions that answer women's needs, and this trend will only intensify. As more women hold influential positions in tech, we will see more tech products addressing women's needs.
"Desert Greening." The status quo will shift from women's health is a taboo or a niche to being mainstream. Once a topic reaches mainstream status, the options are limitless.
Co-creation. With more female innovators, investors, and policymakers - we will take on a broader range of issues as co-creators of our world.
What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?
The only way is your way. Every path that someone has traveled leads to somewhere that already exists. To build something new, you must create a new path.
I wasted precious energy on feeling like an imposter, thinking there is a "right way" to be an entrepreneur, and I'm the only one who hasn't figured it out yet. Whenever I felt unsure about my path, I felt insecure about myself. But forging a new path is the opposite of being secure, so feeling uncomfortable or unfamiliar means I'm going in the right direction.
I work hard to learn from other people's experiences, devouring books and podcasts. And when the moment comes to make a choice - I trust my instincts.
Your inner campus is your primary competitive advantage.
Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry you admire?
Sara Tancman is an Israeli social entrepreneur who founded Briah, a foundation that promotes women's rights in healthcare. Sara has an exceptional capability to bring ideas to life while keeping a genuinely collaborative spirit. Her openness and devotion to the cause are an inspiration; she is one of the driving forces in our local ecosystem, and her activity in our field personally impacts me.
Dr. Brittany Bareto, the founder of FemTech Focus among her many ventures, is probably a typical role model in our field. My main reason for mentioning her here is that I admire her honesty and forwardness. She passes down crucial insiders-know-how, and hustling techniques traditionally passed down amongst men. Broadcasting these insights at scale is a game-changer in our field.
Dr. Louise Newson is a pioneer when it comes to menopause. Her many initiatives expose women to important information about their bodies and health. She enables women to take charge of their health by providing reliable and actionable information, and her public activities promote social awareness about menopause.
This interview was conducted by Marija Butkovic, Digital Marketing and PR strategist, founder, and CEO of Women of Wearables. She regularly writes and speaks on topics of wearable tech, fashion tech, IoT, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Follow Marija on Twitter @MarijaButkovic and read her stories for Forbes here.