WoW Woman in MedTech I Marissa Fayer, CEO of DeepLook Medical and the Founder of HERhealthEQ
Marissa Fayer is a 20+ medtech executive, innovator, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. She is the CEO of DeepLook Medical and the CEO / Founder of the non-profit HERhealthEQ. Marissa’s mission is to move innovation and the health of women forward throughout the world. Marissa has previously served as an executive at Hologic, Olympus (formerly ACMI), Maquet-Getting (formerly Atrium Medical), Providien Medical, and Accumed Innovative Technologies.
Her consulting clients include many of the Top 500 healthcare companies and innovative start-ups including Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Nuvasive, the National Institute of Health (NIH), Oerlikon Medical, Lonza Precision Medical, Emit Imaging, and others. Marissa sits on the board of medtech companies Welwaze Medical and DeepLook Medical both focused on improving the diagnosis of breast cancer.
Marissa is a UCSC Miller Center Social Entrepreneur Fellow, and has been listed as one of the Top 100 Women in Medtech, part of the Medtech 24 in 2024 to follow, a First in FemTech award winner, a Top Woman Activist to Watch, and the recipient of numerous other awards.
DeepLook Medical, a Connecticut-based software firm, focuses on visual enhancement technology to advance medical imaging. DL Precise™ is the first in a series of innovative products using the company’s unique shape-recognition software to delineate the details of tumor morphology – a key to better diagnosis and treatment of malignancy across the field of oncology. The company is leveraging other complementary AI advances to further the reach and impact of its patented technology.
Tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.
I’m an engineer by education and have my MBA. After I finished college, I started working as an engineer on product improvements and new product introductions. I moved quickly into M&A work and leadership of highly visible products across large global organizations.
Having lived in Costa Rica, Canada, and Mexico, and having worked in the Dominican Republic, I gained insights into the disparities in healthcare, particularly for women.
I started a global non-profit, HERhealthEQ, which led me to work around the world in developing countries (LMICs) focusing on women’s health. It was eye-opening to see the opportunity to innovate in women’s health.
I started to advise and consult companies after I left corporate after 15 years. As I took on more leadership positions, I started being appointed to boards and management positions of smaller companies. As I was publicly speaking about women in leadership, women in healthcare, and women’s health, more opportunities came, which eventually led to my appointment as CEO of DeepLook Medical.
How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?
I was recruited into the healthcare industry straight from university and never left. I originally planned to go into the aerospace industry, but due to a down aerospace cycle, my first company found me and I started working in healthcare. I didn’t know how vast of a market it was, and at 21 took my health for granted.
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?
I’m not sure I’ve “arrived” yet nor will I ever. I believe we have grown to where we are meant to be in this industry, and where the most help is needed. But it took 22 years to become the CEO of a MedTech company, which I actually don’t think is a long time at all.
The biggest obstacle is being a woman and as such being taken seriously, being valued, and finding a technology that I personally can help get to market. There are so many incredible innovations, but there must be the correct fit with the correct personal motivation.
What are your biggest achievements to date?
Continuously improving women’s health, and knowing that I have found my life’s work and passion to continue to foster and grow.
Commercially Launching DeepLook Medical’s first product DL Precise which will help women with dense breasts (which affects 45% of all women) have better and more accurate annual imaging visualization.
Securing commercial partnerships with 4 separate channel partners within 1 year for the license and distribution of DeepLook Medical’s flagship product DL Precise spanning breast, lung, liver, thyroid, neuro, and other types of cancers.
Closing our seed round for DeepLook Medical.
Directly impacting the health of over 35,000 women through the deployment of medical equipment through the non-profit I founded, HERhealthEQ.
What are the projects you are currently working on?
I am currently the CEO of DeepLook Medical and work on our further commercialization, development of several new products, and the eventual acquisition of our company.
I am also the CEO of HERhealthEQ, where we have an audacious goal of impacting 1 Million women by the end of 2026 by providing medical equipment focused on the diagnosis, screening, and treatment of women’s health NCD such as cancers that affect women, heart disease, and maternal health. We are currently working to deploy over 100 pieces of equipment in the next 12 months.
Additionally, I am working with venture funds to ensure women’s health companies are supported around the world.
Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?
Absolutely, as I am part of it. Women need to be part of the tech movement and need to be equal partners in leadership, development, and all areas of the business. Without #womenintech, there is no equality in tech.
What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?
AI: AI will be transforming from basic AI to more ML methods (machine learning). It is starting in radiology and patient/doctor workflows and will eventually migrate to other areas of healthcare. Generative AI will have a slower start in healthcare but I think towards the end of the 5 years will have slight adoption.
Women’s Health: Further focus on women’s health will continue and grow with larger investments, many company exits, and increased focus on 51% of the population that is demanding better healthcare
Workflow: With a lack of physicians, technicians, nurses, and anyone working in healthcare, there is a significant focus and push for better workflow tools for both the staff and the patients. Ensuring that tools directly integrate into existing or revised workflows to decrease time, increase information, and increase patient care is critical for the diminishing workforce in direct healthcare.
Consolidation: We are currently in the healthcare and medtech cycle of acquisition and divestiture. That will continue in the years ahead as smaller companies grow, larger companies want the technology, and non-performing businesses are spun out. We are already seeing it and I expect it to accelerate.
What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?
100% get into it. It’s the most rewarding industry to be in. Not only are you continuously helping people and improving their health, but there is always new innovation being developed. What other industry can you say that about in all cycles of the economy?
Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry that you admire?
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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.