WoW Woman in Wearable Tech I Luisa Zettinig, founder and Strategy Director at Nudge

Luisa Zettinig is a public health executive and businesswoman, whose career has spanned multiple countries and sectors. She currently lives in Zurich, Switzerland, where she works at the children’s hospital and as the Strategy Director at Nudge. Her passion lies in the application of technology to improving healthcare provision and the treatment of mental health conditions.

Nudge is a UK-based company on a mission to raise awareness of body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs). Their product, the Nudge Band, was born out of the founding team’s shared wish to develop an affordable, evidence-based solution for people affected by BFRBs, such as compulsive skin picking, hair pulling and nail-biting. The Nudge Band is a wrist-worn smart device that uses sophisticated technology to alert the wearer whenever their hand moves towards their face.

Luisa, tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.

My professional background is in business, with a specialisation in the health and care sector.  I’ve spent the past decade delivering transformation and development projects in clinics and hospitals all around the world - from Abu Dubai to Zurich.  

It was whilst working in a neurological rehabilitation clinic, where patients with severe brain injuries are treated, that my interest in medical technology was kindled. One of the projects we were working on was the creation of a telerehabilitation app, a platform for patients to stay connected with therapists, monitor their progress and continue their treatment after being discharged from the clinic. Seeing the incredibly positive impact of this platform on patients left me feeling passionate about pursuing tech-led solutions for other complex physical and mental health conditions. 

How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?

Coming from a business background, I’d never specifically planned to end up in the health tech industry. However, it’s always been important to me to be working in a role where I feel like I’m making a positive difference in some way. As a result, I felt a natural pull towards the health and care sector - and I haven’t looked back since. 

I didn’t find it particularly difficult to first get my foot in the door in this industry, but, like many young professionals, it took me a couple of years to discover where my strengths lie and what aspects of work I enjoy most. Working in healthcare can be high-pressure at times, and dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially tough. However, I love working in the health care sector (and in hospitals) because it’s a multi-stakeholder industry. This means that I’m constantly interacting and collaborating with a diverse group of highly skilled colleagues and partners, with each person playing an important part in creating value for our customers and patients.

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 have struggled with a condition called dermatillomania (also known as skin picking disorder) for a long time, but it was only in recent years that I learnt how many other people around the world also suffer from a variety of body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs). More than 1 in 20 people will be affected at some point in their lives! This realisation inspired me to develop an accessible tech-based tool for BFRB sufferers - something that was not available at the time but was sorely needed. I started developing a product during the first coronavirus lockdown, March 2020, with the support of my partner Grant Gillon (now Nudge CEO). 

We assembled an international team of tech experts and behavioural change specialists, all with personal experiences of BFRBs and all equally committed to creating a solution. After months of hard work and intensive research, we launched the Nudge band in November 2020. 

It has been an incredible journey with so many challenges. Alongside the normal mountains that new founders have to climb - from branding and hiring to marketing and funding - we had to contend with the pandemic, fully remote working, Brexit and a global semiconductor shortage. To this day I am not quite sure how we pulled it off,  and I am so grateful to our team who have done such a brilliant job, put in endless hours and stuck with Nudge during scary periods of uncertainty.

What are your biggest achievements to date?

I couldn’t be prouder of the positive feedback and reviews that we have received from Nudge customers and community members. The Nudge band is making a real difference to the lives of children, teens and adults who have been struggling with the mental and physical impacts of skin picking, hair pulling and nail-biting for years; it means a great deal to me to be a part of this. 

When it comes to raising awareness and developing resources for sufferers of BFRBs, we’ve made a significant amount of progress in a short time frame. However, there is still a very long way to go. Ultimately, the Nudge team wants to see the end of all stigma surrounding these mental health conditions, and we want to be known as the top provider of practical solutions, sitting at the heart of a supportive global community. 

What are the projects you are currently working on?

Together with the rest of the Nudge team, I’m working to develop a new and improved version of the product - Nudge 2.0. We’re planning this to be an even more effective recovery sidekick powered by next-generation technology and more sophisticated machine learning.

In parallel, the team is building an app that will work alongside the Nudge band and offer enhanced support to our customers on their BFRB recovery journeys. 

Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?

We are in the midst of a really exciting period for the #WomenInTech movement; there have never been so many inspirational women working on ground-breaking research projects and launching world-changing products. The barriers that held us back in the past are being dismantled piece by piece, but this is no time for complacency - we must continue to collaborate, support, and motivate each other so that our daughters are able to deliver the tech solutions that the planet and the human race will undoubtedly need over the coming decades.

What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?

New technologies and digitalisation are completely transforming the healthcare industry, especially the treatment of mental health conditions. Monitoring and improving our health and getting access to care is no longer solely about seeing a specialist, getting the right meds or therapy. New tech tools are empowering every person to take control of their own wellbeing and to integrate positive behaviours into their daily routines without inconvenience or significant expense. 

Over the next five years, I anticipate health tech tools being made even more accessible to the global population, with advancements in production and distribution removing many of the current barriers to access. I also anticipate a normalisation of tech-enabled ‘self-care’ and an increasing acceptance of the need to pay equal attention to one’s mental and physical wellbeing to truly increase the quality of life. 

What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?

My advice would be to stop thinking about it and start actively pursuing your dream! Don’t be afraid to start again from the bottom of the ladder, if that’s what it’s going to take to get you where you want to go. Remember that you need to always be a team player, show empathy, and never lose your willingness to learn. If your heart and your mind are fully committed to your goal, there are endless opportunities you can seize to make a real difference in other people’s lives.

Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry you admire?

My two Nudge My co-founders, Carrie Craig & Katie Beswick, instantly spring to mind. These women are incredibly talented, resilient, and dedicated to supporting members of the BFRB community and their families. Starting a business with other people is not always easy - especially when the stakes are high and you’re working towards a shared mission. However, I couldn’t have asked for more hard-working and solution-oriented co-founders than Carrie and Katie. 

The third person in my industry who I admire is Christina Pearson, founder of the Trichotillomania. Learning Centre (now known as the TLC Foundation for BFRBs). Christina grew up suffering from skin picking and hair pulling, and over thirty years ago she became one of the very first people to start raising awareness of BFRBs. She has devoted her life to creating resources for fellow sufferers, launching support groups, and stimulating scientific research. At Nudge, we are working to continue her mission with the help of 21st-century technology, the internet, and social media. 

Find out more about Nudge on their website.

Follow Nudge on Instagram. Connect with Luisa on her LinkedIn.

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.