WoW Woman in Wearable Tech and FemTech I Elizabeth Gazda, CEO of Embr Labs
Elizabeth Gazda is the CEO of Embr Labs, a Boston-based wearables company that developed the Embr Wave – a wrist-worn, personal thermostat that improves sleep, relieves anxiety, and helps with hot flashes.
Prior to Embr Labs, Liz was a member of several founding teams including Doni, a fintech company, and Noteflight, a music technology company and has also worked at a number of Boston’s fastest-growing companies, including m-Qube (acq. Verisign) and unicorn Art Technology Group (acq. Oracle). Liz began her career with Philips Consumer Electronics in the Netherlands, where she was responsible for driving innovation in several business divisions across multiple countries.
Elizabeth received her undergraduate degree in Anthropology and International relations from UC Berkeley where she was also a member of the Women’s Varsity Soccer team. She also holds an International MBA from Nijenrode University in the Netherlands and an Executive Coaching degree from William James College. Elizabeth serves as a board member and advisor to several companies in IoT, hardware, and software.
Embr Labs is a Boston-based company that has the leading consumer solution for menopausal symptoms. The Embr Wave® is a wearable and mobile app that utilizes temperature as a new pathway to the brain to balance the sympathetic nervous system in order to manage hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and anxiety. The company's patented, clinically-validated technology harnesses the power of temperature to deliver a brand-new category of safe and natural solutions to manage hot flashes, sleep issues, and stress. Embr Labs is positioned to serve the 1.1 billion women in menopause by 2025 who will seek a digital-first, holistic approach to this important life transition. Embr Labs has won numerous awards for the Embr Wave, including the AARP Innovation in Aging Award, Time Magazine's Best Inventions, Frost & Sullivan’s Technology Leader Award in Menopause and the iF Design Award.
Tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.
My background is varied: hardware, software, mobile technology, services, and advertising. I have also been an entrepreneur myself. As a self-proclaimed “utility player”, I have been able to draw on my diverse set of skills to step into the CEO role at Embr Labs to support the amazing founders that started the company and made it successful. The powerful foundation that was laid made it easy for me to understand the potential of the solution and work with the team to pivot the company from a “cool gadget” to a true wellness device.
How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?
Getting into the industry was not too difficult as I had a background in many different areas that are relevant to wearable technology, however, I had never been a CEO before. Although I had founded and co-founded companies, a true CEO role was a stretch for me. I am very grateful that the founding team at Embr Labs saw my potential and decided to give me a chance. This unique opportunity, in turn, motivates me to also extend new opportunities to others when the potential is there.
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?
As a child, I wanted to be a doctor and work in medicine or life sciences. However, selfishly, I didn't want to give up my competitive athletic career. When I shifted to business, I continued to look for ways to work in healthcare, but the transition was quite challenging. Luckily for me, all my experience in software and mobile app development suddenly became very relevant with the emergence of Digital Therapeutics. It was a long road, but I am happy to be finally working in healthcare. Today, the biggest challenge is to convince investors and the industry that menopause is a lucrative segment. In fact, menopause is worth $81 Billion dollars - which is more than the markets for erectile dysfunction, male pattern baldness, prostate cancer and low testosterone COMBINED.
What are your biggest achievements to date?
On a company level, the biggest achievement for our team has been bringing our beautiful, second-generation device to market in April. We incorporated the direct feedback from over 70,000 customers to build a powerful, effective and beautiful wearable. On a more personal level, my biggest thrill has been to work with what I consider to be the most talented group of people in my career. Most importantly, we have built one of the most diverse companies in Boston, with four distinct generations working together, 50% gender parity, and a host of cultures and ethnic backgrounds. I am positive this diversity of thought is why Embr Labs has been successful.
Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?
Sometimes, it is difficult to comprehend that most, if not all of the technology that we interact with have been designed, coded, and manufactured by men. I often think: “how would this user interface work if a woman designed it?” or “why does this navigation feel so non-intuitive to me?” As more women build and lead technology development, humankind gets to experience a new way of thinking about problems and how to best address them. Women tend to be more “process-focused”, while men tend to be more “goal-oriented”. What if we could optimize technology from both sides of the brain?
What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?
As the Boomer generation continues to age, we will see the emergence of new technologies for the geriatric population. Up to now, older populations were not comfortable with mobile and connected technology, so innovation was stifled by consumer adoption. That is changing. I am also delighted to see that women’s health is no longer seen as a “niche,” and there is recognition that women are indeed 50% of the population! It is an uphill battle: 10 years ago just being a woman was considered a “pre-existing condition” by insurance companies. Today, menopause is still classified as a “disease state”. The time is ripe for changing these outdated perspectives.
What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?
Wearables, consumer health, and digital therapeutics are growing at an explosive pace - so the door is wide open for anyone to step into this arena as growing companies need top talent to help achieve company goals. My advice to those with little or no experience is to not be afraid to start anywhere in the organization - I’ve seen folks grow from customer service agents to leading teams in no time.
Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry you admire?
I am so inspired by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pam Peeke. Not only is Pam a medical doctor and advocate for women’s health, but she is an investor and media star. Pam has been a true pioneer in women’s health and teaching women how to best care for themselves via her three “M”s”: mind, mouth, and muscle. Most importantly, Pam dedicates a great deal of her time to mentor women around her. Rachel Braun Scherl is another visionary in women’s health. Long before “femtech” was coined, Rachel recognized the surge in women's sexual health and wellness. As a best-selling author, advisor, and investor, Rachel has helped countless female entrepreneurs undertake the right strategy and network with the right people. Lastly, I most admire the “everyday woman” - who must still navigate a world of hurdles: pay disparity, greater family responsibilities, fewer opportunities, and lack of access to capital - and yet still manages to thrive with grace and fortitude!
Elizabeth will be one of the speakers for our upcoming FemTech Untapped event “Better menopause - Are we there yet?” on October 19. Register for your FREE ticket via the button below.
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.