WoW Woman in Women's Health I Daniella Levy, founder and CEO of Happy V
Daniella Levy is the founder and CEO of Happy V.
Daniella started her business to redefine and uplift women's wellness – specifically, vaginal health. As the founder and CEO of Happy V, she helps erase the stigma of discussing women's health by arming them with high-quality information and scientifically sound products.
Happy V is a wellness company committed to creating scientifically sound products and educational content to help women lead healthier and more empowered lives. Their team of experts combined their years of experience in manufacturing, science, and healthcare to move the needle forward in women’s health. They experienced first-hand the gaps that exist in meeting vaginal health needs in the 21st century. They created Happy V® in order to deliver high-quality information about vaginal health, along with better products to improve the lives of women. Their mission Is to make women happy at every stage of their life journey by addressing common health issues through quality products, and information and building a platform for women to share their stories.
Tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.
I started the research and development of Happy V during my last year of college before graduating with a degree in Marketing. During that time, I also had the opportunity to work on the social media marketing team for a couple of DTC sports nutrition brands where we secured partnerships with some of the largest influencers in the health, wellness and fitness categories. This role shaped my understanding of influencer marketing, and the importance of authenticity in creator partnerships, which inspires much of Happy V’s digital strategy today. We have a brand-first mentality here at Happy V and are confident about securing meaningful partnerships with aligned influencers eager to shine a light on the quality and efficacy of Happy V from their own unique perspectives.
How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?
In my early twenties, I started to experience uncomfortable symptoms. Eventually, my Gynecologist diagnosed me with Bacterial Vaginosis… This was the beginning of a five-year battle crystallized by unsuccessful doctor visits, ineffective treatments, and antibiotics that simply didn’t work. Many of these antibiotics also made me more susceptible to other vaginal infections, which added to my anxiety. I switched Gynecologists five times and experienced dismissiveness surrounding my symptoms when I shared how BV was interfering with my life.
Embarrassed and confused, I started to isolate myself from activities I loved for fear of worsening my BV symptoms. Slowly, but surely, it felt like I was losing myself to BV.
During this time, I began dating my now husband, Hans Graubard, whose family owns and operates a manufacturing company that makes natural supplements (vitamins, protein, etc). When I finally opened up to him about what I had been going through with BV, we decided to join forces, combining my marketing experience with his knowledge and access to the world of supplements. Hence, the inception of Happy V.
This was a huge turning point for me both medically and professionally. Being able to create effective, safe, and natural products for other women who, like me, were having these experiences and weren’t getting the support or answers they needed was exponentially rewarding. What inspires and drives us at Happy V is delivering solutions to women who need them, relieving them of their discomfort, and, most importantly, helping them feel less alone!
How long did it take you to be where you are now? What was the biggest obstacle?
We started Happy V in 2017 and it took two years to bring the first products to market. Today Happy V offers a diverse range of wellness products for women including Prebiotics, Probiotics, and D-Mannose with Cranberry. The journey hasn’t been easy, and our team has been confronted with many unique challenges… Some are more simple like packaging, and some more complex like product formulation. There’s no blueprint when it comes to starting a business and I feel fortunate to have such a strong, passionate and flexible team committed to the best result for our customers. I lean on them as experts in their respective fields and also spend a lot of time self-educating. From watching YouTube videos to reading long articles, to personally attending events to learn about the latest and greatest in women’s wellness, this is an evolving industry and I make it a priority to keep my finger on the pulse while encouraging my team to do the same.
What are the challenges of being in the industry you are in?
Although issues related to feminine health should be normalized, women often feel embarrassed when talking about the subject. A common misconception surrounding vaginal infections is if a woman has one, she’s not practicing good hygiene. By default, women are reluctant to open up about the complications they’re experiencing because they don’t want others to assume they are neglecting their feminine health. Society's resistance to accepting women’s wellness as part of our natural body chemistry has posed many challenges for Happy V. It’s not uncommon for us to encounter censorship issues when advertising for women's health on social media platforms. Ads are frequently blocked on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X, and Meta when words like vagina, vaginal discharge and vaginal odor are used. We constantly have to invent new and creative ways to communicate with our customers via social media, which can be frustrating. Even though advertising in women’s health has come a long way, barriers still need to be broken. It’s my personal hope that we can eventually cross that bridge through open dialogue, candid communication, and heightened education surrounding women’s wellness.
What are your biggest achievements to date?
Our efforts on social media to educate our audience about vaginal health issues have yielded positive results for not only Happy V but for the industry and culture at large. Our TikTok videos continue to go viral, garnering millions of views and likes while igniting meaningful user discussions. I commonly post about my personal journey suffering from BV - as well as health tips for vaginal wellness. These videos have reached millions of women around the world and have opened up important conversations about very vulnerable topics. Hundreds of women are sharing their personal experiences with vaginal health issues because Happy V has created a safe space for them to do so. Our social media efforts are geared towards confronting uncomfortable topics, which gets us one step closer to eliminating stigmas attached to women’s health.
What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?
Now more than ever, conversations surrounding wellness are at an all-time high. As a result, consumers are spending more on health, fitness, and beauty. Technology (as we know), is also growing at a rapid pace and consumers are becoming increasingly more dependent on tech as a result. With the wellness and tech industries booming, it will be interesting to see how these two marry together in the next five years. We have some exciting opportunities on the horizon here at Happy V as we plan to join forces with apps that help track and improve feminine health. With the social and digital landscape, consumers have more visibility and opportunity to self-educate. We pride ourselves in producing high-quality, natural products with the most effective ingredients and clinical studies to prove their efficacy. We will continue to leverage quality products and ingredients in order to stay true to not only our brand ethos but also our customer base, which we suspect will become even more concerned with labels and ingredients in the next five years.
What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?
One is to always stay true to your values. It can be tempting to change your core beliefs to fit into certain molds or to make quick gains. However, staying true to your values not only ensures that you remain authentic, but it also builds trust with clients, partners, and stakeholders. Furthermore, always strive to learn more and stay curious. The entrepreneurial journey demands relentless growth. Whether it's about your industry, business strategies, or personal development, never stop learning. Every lesson is a step closer to your goals. Lastly, don't fear failure. So many people see failure as an endpoint, but it's truly a stepping stone. Every setback has a lesson, and every challenge is an opportunity for growth. Embrace them, learn from them, and you’ll come back stronger and better than ever.
Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry that you admire?
There are so many powerful women in the wellness industry it’s hard to name just three! I especially admire these ladies…
Through her efforts at ‘Live UTI Free,’ a patient advocacy and research organization that ensures women are seen and heard, particularly in the area of recurrent Urinary Tract Infections PhD researcher and women’s health advocate Melissa Kramer has made massive waves in the women’s health space. I have so much respect for her! Deepica Mutala is another woman in business I really admire. She uses her beauty brand, ‘Live Tinted’ (designed for all skin tones!) to open up the conversation about diversity, inclusion and culture. These are values that are equally important to Happy V, so it’s great to shine a light on her. I also am obsessed with her Superhue Hyperpigmentation Serum Stick! Lastly, I love the stylish fitness accessories from Bala and everything the brand stands for. Fitness is a huge pillar of wellness and we encourage our customer base to stay active in addition to taking their Happy V supplements. It’s evident that Co-Founder Natalie Holloway loves to use her brand to help women look and feel better. I think she’s done a great job differentiating her brand in a highly competitive space and I find that aspirational.
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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.