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Wednesday, 5 Nov, 2025Registration8:00 AM - 8:55 AMMorning Sessions
- Understand how leaders across sectors are harnessing the opportunity of addressing women’s health
- Learn where the opportunities are to reap the health and economic returns of closing the gap
- Get strategic insights on where the health of women market is heading – and how stakeholders can stay ahead
Innovation and InvestmentHealthcare Costs and Outcomes
Lucy Perez
Senior Partner, Life SciencesMcKinsey & CompanyLucy is a Senior Partner in McKinsey’s Boston office. Lucy has 15+ years of experience advising CEOs and top teams at leading pharma, biotech and life sciences companies globally on growth strategy, innovation, sustainability, and organizational transformation.
Lucy co-leads McKinsey’s ESG domain and McKinsey’s All-In DEI efforts in North America. She also sponsors the Hispanic Latino Network at McKinsey and leads our research efforts on health equity.
Lucy works extensively with number of biopharma and life science clients on broad range of topics, with recent focus on ESG/ sustainability, evidence generation, and digital/analytics programs to improve patient outcomes and support sustainable, inclusive growth.
Led efforts for a leading biopharma to define their ESG strategy, partnership strategy, and stakeholder engagement approach
Led efforts for a leading biopharma to embed health equity as a core principle in their R&D priorities and ways of working across the value chain
Led efforts to assess internal and external portfolio productivity and pricing models to optimize the R&D strategy and redesign the organization for a top pharmaceutical company
Led efforts for a leading biopharma to transform how it engages with customers through digital transformation, applying advanced analytics and embedding agile ways of working across their six largest markets that delivered $300M+ of near-term growth
Sponsor of McKinsey’s Early Stage Investor Conference, an annual event convening 200+ entrepreneurs and 1000+ investors interested in bio/med/health tech and sustainability innovation
Before joining McKinsey, Lucy was a research fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where she was involved in the development of novel treatments for solid tumors. She was also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute research fellow at Harvard University while completing her doctoral studies. She is co-inventor on multiple patents and has published in peer-reviewed journals.
- How can companies evidence value to payers in relation to existing solutions and models?
- As women’s health evolves, what areas are of greatest interest to payers?
- Exploring women’s health through a value-based care, Medicaid, government, and population health lens.
Innovation and InvestmentHealthcare Costs and Outcomes
Dianne Balon
SVP of GovernmentBlue Cross Alberta
Katie Ryan
Senior Innovation StrategistHumana
Alice Zheng, MD, MBA, MPH
PrincipalForeground CapitalNetworking Break10:00 AM - 11:00 AMMorning SessionsHear from investors with a range of funds, interests, and rounds available to companies active in healthcare sectors that only, differently, or disproportionately affect women. Tailor your company pitch to meet the needs of these investment experts.
Innovation and Investment
Anna Valcheva
Venture PartnerAlumni Ventures Group
Megan Dover
Principal and Co- FounderCross-Border Impact Ventures- Sharing perspectives from leaders in women's health, entrepreneurship, ecosystem building, and investment to explore the creation of thriving FemTech ecosystems.
- Delving into FemTechAZ's model, dissecting key barriers facing innovation, and outlining practical strategies for building supportive regional networks.
- Featuring insights from market validation and mission to establish Arizona as a blueprint for developing regional innovation ecosystems.
Innovation and InvestmentDigital Health
Susan Sly
Founder & CEOThe Pause.aiSusan Sly is the Co-CEO and cofounder of RadiusAI (RAI), an award-winning visual intelligence company specializing in the retail and healthcare sectors. RAI is currently implementing its smart retail solution at the edge for a national retailer with 1,000 locations.
RAI has been named one of the fastest growing startups in Phoenix three years in a row and won VentureBeat’s AI Innovation at the Edge Award in 2022, beating out several highly acclaimed technology companies.
Prior to cofounding RAI, Susan led channel sales teams in three sectors generating over $2 billion in revenue. In her spare time, Susan is the host of the highly acclaimed podcast, Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, mom of five, wife, and tech investor. Susan has appeared on CNN, CNBC, Fox, ABC Family, and is a member of the prestigious Forbes Business Council.
Sidnee Peck
Co-FounderFemtechAZ
Azin Radsan van Alebeek
Co-Founder & General PartnerEmmeline Ventures
Mitzi Krockover
Co-Founder, FemtechAZManaging Director, Golden Seeds, CEO, Woman Centered
Scarlett Spring
Executive DirectorPhoenix Bioscience CoreLunch Break12:20 PM - 1:30 PMAfternoon SessionsFrom the latest apps, wearables, digital therapeutics and diagnostics, AI and M/L, the Startup Showcase brings you 6 investor selected seed & series A disruptors poised to transform consumer women’s health.
Join this rapid-fire pitching session to hear from our startup finalists, followed by questions from a judging panel of expert investors. Come along to see the who’s who dominating the startup landscape.
Innovation and Investment- Exploring how advancements in the fertility industry improving success rates translates into greater access.
- How policy and business models can provide opportunities regardless of geography, income, background, and sexuality.
Fertility
Dr. Neel Shah
Chief Medical OfficerMaven Clinic
Lynn Mason
Chief Executive OfficerIVI RMA GLOBAL
Kate Devine
Chief Research OfficerUSFertility- Delving into how policy and insurance coverage is shaping national maternal health standards.
- Showcasing Kaiser Permanente’s approach to value-based care models, accessibility, and population health.
- How the ‘cocoon model’ surrounds women with holistic supportive care beyond clinical monitoring during pregnancy.
Maternal HealthHealthcare Costs and OutcomesFertility
Eduardo Hariton
Managing Director, Fertility Innovation FundUS Fertility
Kay Waud
REI PhysicianHRC FertilityMaternal HealthHealthcare Outcomes
Nididiamaka Amutah-Onukagha
ProfessorTufts University School of MedicineFrom the latest drug developments, diagnostic devices and tools, the Startup Showcase brings you the best of the best innovators disrupting the space.
Join this rapid-fire pitching session to hear from our 6 seed / series A startup finalists developing the next generation of regulated medical products, followed by questions from a judging panel of expert investors. Come along to see the who’s who dominating the startup landscape.
Innovation and Investment- How fertility companies are expanding into broader women’s health areas like menopause, sexual health, and mental health and the partnership opportunities this creates for more holistic patient care.
- How addressing reproductive, mental, and metabolic health can translate to fertility success.
- Patient-centred approaches that leverage collaborations to address unmet needs across a woman's entire lifespan, including reproductive, mental, and cardiovascular health.
FertilityReproductive Health
Janet Choi
Chief Medical OfficerProgyny- How remote monitoring and wearables are improving maternal outcomes through data-backed decision making.
- Addressing the “fourth trimester” with digital tools and at home care.
- Investment, commercialization, and coverage strategies for maternal health technology.
Maternal HealthInnovation and Investment
Rachel Springate
Founding PartnerMuse Capital- Navigating the financial pathways of fertility care, addressing complexities in coverage across the clinical journey.
- Exploring how leaders are using insurance innovation, employer benefits, fintech tools, and electronic health records to reduce friction, increase cost transparency, and help more patients access the care they need.
FertilityHealthcare Costs and Outcomes
Chloe Cai
CEONew Hope Fertility Center
Sheeva Talebian
Reproductive EndocrinologistCCRM New York- Uncover the technologies and breakthroughs around behavioural health practices
- Prescribing behavioural health support strategies are effective for tackling mental health for new mothers.
- How to maintain good mental, physical, and emotional health across the day-to-day life.
Maternal HealthBrain Health
Leslie Forde
CEO & FounderMom's Hierarchy of NeedsNetworking Break3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAfternoon Sessions- Sharing consumer insights into how stigma surrounding women’s health influences purchasing and channel engagement.
- The role of branding and education in normalizing conversations and driving purchasing behavior.
- How businesses can collaborate to improve trust, and empower women to center their own health needs.
Consumer Health
Jenny Fisher
Head of Strategy & Transformation, Adult Feminine CareKimberly Clark- Sharing personal stories of RPL and miscarriage, what factors play a role and the outcome this has on families.
- How employers, healthcare providers, and insurers can better support women experiencing miscarriage.
- Opportunities to tackle miscarriage through mental health resource, education, technology, and partnerships.
Reproductive HealthMaternal Health
Cindy Rahman
President & CEOMarch of Dimes
Brandi Howard
SVP of Clinical AffairsConceptra Biosciences- Examining the growing uptake in menopause treatments that cater specific stages and symptoms of menopause.
- Ensuring that personalized menopause treatments are accessible to all women, including socio-economic, cultural, and healthcare system barriers.
- Analyzing trends in provider menopause education & support and payer coverage for holistic menopause care.
Menopause and Longevity
Asima Ahmad
Chief Medical OfficerCarrot Fertility
Claire Gill
CEOMenopause Foundation- How can we maximise the use of real time data driven by wearables, at-home diagnostics, and digital health platforms across the women’s health ecosystem.
- Creating business opportunities in leveraging women’s health data for product innovation, personalized care, and strategic partnerships with healthcare and retail.
Digital HealthConsumer Health
Dorothy Kilroy
Chief Commerical OfficerOura
Florence Comite
CEO & FounderComite Center for Longevity
Rhiannon White
CEOClue
Sylvia Kang
CEOMiracare- Sharing how the telehealth industry is evolving to cater the needs of women across states and regions in the US.
- Discussing how virtual care supports patient access in stigmatised health conditions and abortion care.
- Where and when telehealth is the optimal means of engagement in women’s health and how telehealth companies can tailor to the needs of women.
Reproductive HealthDigital Health
Jenny Sheehan
Director of Telehealth & Access SupportNational Abortion Foundation
Angel Foster
Co-FounderThe Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project (The MAP)Dr. Angel M. Foster is a Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa and the 2024-2029 University Research Chair in Medication Abortion Studies. A 1996 Rhodes Scholar, she holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, an MD from Harvard Medical School, and both master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Stanford University. Dr. Foster is a global abortion researcher and leads projects in 22 countries. She has authored more than 150 articles, co-edited three books, and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. She received the Guttmacher Institute’s 2017 Darroch Award for Excellence in Sexual and Reproductive Health Research and was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2023.
Yenee Bekele
Medical DirectorFeminist Center for Reproductive Justice
Ushma Upadhyay
ProfessorUCSF- Shed light on Mayo Clinics’ expansion into longevity medicine and the benefits this field has for women.
- Discussing the role of AI and pharmaco-genetics, and how this is weighed against food as medicine, mental health, and wellness plans.
- How diagnosis influences lifestyle medicine from pre-conception to menopause and across a women’s reproductive health journey.
FertilityMenopause and Longevity
Adrijana Kekic
Associate Director, Experiential Education PharmacyMayo Clinic
Rashmi Kudesia
Reproductive EndocrinologistCCRM Houston- Sharing examples of partnerships between technologies enabling scalable and sustainable femtech solutions across fertility, menopause, and maternal health.
- Learn how infrastructure & software services are bridging data, clinical care, and benefits to power integrated women's health ecosystems.
- Hear from leaders building the digital backbone that supports innovation, provider partnerships, and better patient outcomes through patient monitoring & engagement
Digital HealthConsumer Health
Tamara Orlova
CFOFlo Health- Integrating advanced MRI and ultrasound to enable surgical pre-staging and personalized planning.
- Expanding access to robotic-assisted excision surgery to address the shortage of trained surgeons and technologies.
- Bridging clinical innovation and business investment to scale precision care models.
Reproductive Health- How the demand for menopause-focused functional foods, probiotics, and supplements is shaping new business opportunities.
- Sharing insights into how nutrition and food as medicine links bone, heart, and brain health in menopause and the opportunity to address these health outcomes through wellness.
- Expanding access to menopause nutrition solutions through pharmacies, e-commerce, consumer wellness, and employer plans.
Menopause and LongevityNutrition and Food as Medicine
Jacqueline Oliveira-Cella
FounderwellBe Consulting
Laura Katz
CEOHelainaNetworking Drinks Reception5:30 PM -
Thursday, 6 Nov, 2025Registration8:00 AM - 8:55 AMMorning Sessions
- Understanding FDA approval pathways for women's health drugs and devices.
- Addressing regulatory gaps and challenges in clinical trial design and data collection.
- Strategies for working with regulators to accelerate innovation and ensure patient safety.
Drug DevelopmentMed Device- Addressing the under-representation of women in cardiovascular studies and how data-driven clinical outcomes are essential for tailored treatments.
- How new technologies, screenings, and wearables are improving early detection and prevention of heart disease in women.
- How partnerships between healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, device, and tech companies, can drive better cardiovascular outcomes for women.
Cardiovascular Health
Tracy Warren
Senior Managing Director, Go Red for Women FundAmerican Heart Association
Nisha Parikh
System Director, Women’s Heart ProgramNorthwell HealthNetworking Break10:00 AM - 11:00 AMMorning Sessions- Discussing the financial burden associated with contraception, gaps in coverage, and how this influences retail access.
- Sharing commercial opportunities by making low-cost contraception more available through ecosystem partnerships.
- How can the industry operationalize OTC coverage and distribution of contraception and other women’s health medications.
Consumer HealthHealthcare Costs and Outcomes
Victoria Nichols
Senior Project Director, Free the PillIbis Reproductive Health
Flavia Mason
Global Vice President, Women's HealthPerrigo- Exploring how housing, nutrition, identity, and income shape maternal outcomes.
- Highlighting programs and solutions that integrate social support with clinical care.
- Discussing actionable strategies in the clinical setting that embed accessibility and education into maternal health systems.
Nutrition and Food as MedicineMaternal Health
Nawal Nour
Chair & Director of Obstetrics & GynecologyBrigham and Women’s Hospital- How to mitigate inappropriate drug use and dosing risk, leveraging mechanisms like Pre-Approval Information Exchange (PIE) and PDUFA timelines to shape understanding of indication, value, and safety.
- How to engage payers as early as phase 2 to build trust and tailor future value-based contracts, launching with outcomes-driven frameworks to support access and reimbursement.
Healthcare OutcomesInnovation and Investment
Jim Kenney
Founder – JTKENNEYFormer Manager, Specialty and Pharmacy Contracts - Harvard Pilgrim Health Care- Discussing the emerging trends of women’s health education & awareness on social media.
- How companies can best utilize social media for marketing & business opportunity.
- Addressing misinformation, trust and health literacy impacting health & wellness decision-making.
Reproductive HealthFertilityDigital Health
Roohi Jeelani
Chief Growth OfficerKindbody- Leveraging tech and epidemiological data to reduce diagnostic delays in reproductive health.
- Exploring AI, biomarkers, digital therapeutics, and digital platforms that enable earlier and more accurate diagnoses.
- Advice to start-ups and sharing the market opportunity for clinical integration in preventative & diagnostic women’s health.
Reproductive HealthDigital Health
Miller Morris
CEOComma- How payers can apply AI and predictive analytics to optimize cost structures in women’s healthcare.
- The role of structured and unstructured data in improving patient outcomes and reducing financial barriers.
- Actionable insights for startups: what data to prioritize and how to maximize its value when working with payers and providers.
Healthcare Costs and OutcomesInnovation and Investment
Angela Rastegar
CEOSunfish- Concrete guidance on accessing non-dilutive and dilutive funding - what’s available, what’s working, and how to get it.
- Strategies for founders and funders to navigate uncertainty and build investable, scalable ventures in women's health.
- How women, as both innovators and investors, are transforming the funding ecosystem - and how to leverage that shift now.
Digital HealthInnovation and Investment
Lisa Marceau
CEOJoyuus- Elucidating how researchers are using menstrual effluent to track fertility, inflammation, and disease.
- Consumer Adoption & Clinical Validation – The path to making menstrual-based diagnostics a mainstream health tool.
- Investment & Industry Growth – The market potential of menstrual-based biomarkers in diagnostics and therapeutics.
Reproductive Health
Lara Zibners
Co-FounderCalla Lily Clinical Care- How employers are integrating fertility, menopause, and maternal health into employee health plans.
- Addressing workplace challenges like menstrual health, caregiving, and chronic conditions.
- The ROI of Women's Health Investment – How employer-driven health initiatives improve retention.
Brain HealthNutrition and Food as MedicineHealthcare Costs and Outcomes
Maxine Carrington
Chief People OfficerNorthwell HealthLunch Break12:30 PM - 1:30 PMAfternoon Sessions- Demystifying product-market fit in the context of digital health, where clinical need, usability, and reimbursement must align.
- Identifying key indicators—user adoption, engagement, and outcomes—that show readiness to scale.
- Strategies for translating validated need into scalable, sustainable digital health solutions.
Innovation and Investment- How can pre-trial screening effectively predict side effects and symptoms associated with reproductive therapeutics.
- What are the appropriate safety profiles to apply for endometriosis, PCOS, and fibroids.
Reproductive HealthMed Device
Johan van Hylckama
CSOFreya Biosciences- Expanding access to mammograms and diagnostics in underserved communities.
- Personalizing Risk Assessment & Early Detection, how AI, genetic testing, and targeted outreach are improving outcomes.
- The adoption of innovation in breast & cervical cancer screening centred around patient centricity.
OncologyDigital Health- Sharing new clinical outcomes and how clinical trials are evolving.
- Exploring the link between menopause, estrogen, and cognitive decline.
- How biomarkers, digital tools, and lifestyle interventions can improve outcomes.
Brain Health- Explore how biomarker-driven approaches are streamlining trial design, improving patient stratification, and accelerating time-to-approval for women’s health therapeutics.
- Learn how collaborations between industry, academia, biotech, and pharma are turning early-stage biomarker insights into clinically actionable endpoints.
- How to maximise the use of biobanks in biomarker discovery.
Sanj Singh
CEOTemple Therapeutics- Discuss strategies for trial design that account for hormonal fluctuations, comorbidities, and age-related variables unique to the menopausal transition.
- Highlight regulatory, industry, and advocacy efforts that are pushing for menopause-specific representation in therapeutic areas beyond just women’s health.
- Sharing advancements to educate clinical trial patients about menopause.
Menopause and LongevityDrug DevelopmentAfternoon Sessions- Learn how to align clinical development strategies with licensing milestones to accelerate commercialization in women’s health.
- Explore what pharma and late stage investors look for in licensing-ready assets, from early efficacy signals to regulatory preparedness.
- Understand how to navigate clinical, legal, and market access challenges unique to women’s health to build a compelling licensing case.
Drug Development
Oliver Bates
Chief Executive OfficerViramal- Explore the mechanism of action and preclinical efficacy of a first-in-class oncolytic peptide targeting triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).
- Understand how peptide-based approaches offer new hope for aggressive and treatment-refractory subtypes of breast cancer.
- Learn about the breast cancer therapeutic roadmap and landscape.
OncologyDrug Development
Mark Eccleston
Chief Executive OfficerValiRx- Discover how real-world data, genomics, and AI are revealing new targets and mechanisms in female-specific and reproductive conditions.
- Learn how data integration is shortening timelines from target identification to preclinical validation.
- Sharing insights into novel drug discovery approaches, the use of AI, multi-omics data, and 3D models.
Reproductive HealthDrug Development
Stasa Stankovic
Chief Executive OfficerOvartixEnd of WHIS 2025
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