In this episode of Innovate & Elevate, Sharon Kedar is joined by Carolee Lee, Founder and CEO of Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM). Carolee shares her journey from fashion entrepreneur to women's health trailblazer, highlighting how her experience building a global jewelry brand led her to recognize the critical need for change in women's health funding and research.

The conversation delves into the reality of the current state of women's health research and investment. Less than 1% of global research funding is allocated to studying women's health and only 2% of venture capital goes to female-founded startups, with an even smaller percentage dedicated to women's health companies. However, organizations like WHAM are making strides in changing that reality. 

Carolee outlines WHAM's groundbreaking initiative, "3Not30," which aims to accelerate change in women's health research and investment within three years. The Initiative is the first of a series of activities WHAM is spearheading in recognition of the 30th Anniversary of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act of 1993, a law which established guidelines that women and minorities should be included in all clinical trials and research which are funded by the NIH. The goals of the program include doubling research funding for women's health, increasing venture capital investment in women-founded companies from 2% to 4%, and improving diversity in clinical trials. 

This conversation underscores that women's health is everyone's health. By raising awareness about these disparities, WHAM is driving collaborative efforts across sectors to create meaningful change. Carolee’s parting message is powerful: while individual efforts are crucial, it's the collective power of everyone working together that will ultimately create substantial change in women's health research and investment.

Connect with Sharon

• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Kedar
• Learn more about Innovate and Elevate innovateandelevatepodcast.com
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: Innovate and Elevate Newsletter

Connect with Carolee 

• Follow Carolee LinkedIn
• Follow WHAM on LinkedIn 

Additional Resources

• WHAM (Women's Health Access Matters)
• The WHAM Report
• WHAM 3Not30 Initiative

This podcast is produced by The Wave Podcasting

In this episode of Innovate and Elevate, Sharon is joined by Shelley Zalis, Founder and CEO of The Female Quotient, a media and experience company that advances gender equality in the workplace. Shelley is a pioneer in online research and the first female chief executive ranked in the research industry's top 25.

The importance of mentorship and community building is a central theme of Shelley’s career. She shares powerful advice for young women who are starting to build up their careers and addresses the concept of imposter syndrome, emphasizing how important it is to recognize and own your value. 

Shelley reflects on her journey as a self-proclaimed "Chief Troublemaker" and discusses how breaking rules has led to her success. She isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers and encourages everyone to practice self-advocacy, create new norms in the workplace, and challenge the status quo. 

Shelley highlights the need for better data and storytelling to change narratives around women in business and VC funding. She discusses her efforts to challenge existing statistics and uncover more nuanced data about female founders and diverse investors. This approach, she argues, is crucial for shifting perspectives and driving change in the industry.

Episode Outline

(01:27) Chief Troublemaker 

(06:12) Shut That B***h Up in Your Head 

(09:27) Data Driven: The Power to Tell New Stories

(13:40) Together We Rise: Closing the Mentorship Gap

Connect with Shelley 

• Follow Shelley on LinkedIn
• Learn more about The Female Quotient 

Additional Resources

• Shelley's column in Forbes   
• Shelley's article for Time Magazine: Women Drive Wealth. So Why Is Equity Still Inequitable? 

Connect with Sharon

• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Kedar
• Follow Sharon on Instagram
• Learn more about Innovate and Elevate innovateandelevatepodcast.com
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: Innovate and Elevate Newsletter

This podcast is produced by The Wave Podcasting

A special episode 10 thank you:

Thank you to all the doctors, nurses, and hospital staff who work tirelessly to ensure patients receive the quality care they deserve. We recognize that, despite best efforts, healthcare is inherently complex and challenging. Your dedication and commitment are deeply appreciated, even in the face of difficult situations such as misdiagnoses. Your continuous striving to provide the best possible care makes a significant difference in countless lives.

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of Innovate & Elevate, Sharon Kedar is joined by two remarkable young women, Alice Paul Tapper and Audrey Maged, for an inspiring discussion on the importance of self-advocacy and resilience, particularly in the face of medical misdiagnosis.

Alice, a high school senior and author of two picture books, including her upcoming release "Use Your Voice," shares her harrowing experience of surviving untreated appendicitis that led to a life-threatening sepsis diagnosis. She details her journey from feeling dismissed by healthcare professionals to becoming a fierce advocate for herself and others. Her story is a testament to the critical need for patients, especially young girls, to speak up and advocate for their own health, even when it means challenging authority.

Audrey Maged, Sharon’s daughter and a fourth grade student, was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri, more commonly known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), a condition that involves increased pressure around the brain, leading to symptoms like severe headaches. Audrey joins the conversation to reflect on the common barriers children face when trying to express their needs in a healthcare setting. Both Alice and Audrey emphasize the importance of teaching young people to use their voices, not just in healthcare but in all areas of life.

Sharon, Alice, and Audrey unpack the societal norms that often discourage girls from being assertive and how these norms can have serious consequences when it comes to healthcare. They also discuss the emotional and psychological impacts of feeling unheard and the role parents and communities play in empowering children to advocate for themselves.

Episode Outline

(01:47) Raise Your Hand: Be Bold, Be Brave 

(09:42) Alice’s Misdiagnosis Journey 

(18:45) Use Your Voice: You Are Your Best Advocate

Connect with Sharon

• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Kedar
• Follow Sharon on Instagram: @sharonkedarcfa 
• Learn more about Innovate and Elevate innovateandelevatepodcast.com
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: Innovate and Elevate Newsletter

Additional Resources

• Use Your Voice by Alice Paul Tapper 
• Raise Your Hand by Alice Paul Tapper 
• Raise Your Hand Girl Scout Patch
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia   

This podcast is produced by the women at The Wave Editing

In this episode of Innovate and Elevate, Sharon Kedar is joined by Dr. Renee Wegrzyn, the inaugural director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a government agency designed to drive high-impact health innovations. Appointed by President Biden in 2022, Dr. Wegrzyn shares her deep experience in both synthetic biology and biosecurity, drawing from her work at DARPA, IARPA, and Ginkgo Bioworks.

The conversation dives into the unique role of government in fostering breakthrough technologies, emphasizing ARPA-H’s mission to transform health outcomes. Dr. Wegrzyn explains how ARPA-H takes on ambitious, high-risk projects with the potential to revolutionize healthcare, much like DARPA’s past successes in defense technologies, such as the early development of mRNA technology.

Dr. Wegrzyn highlights ARPA-H’s approach to maximizing the return on investment for American taxpayers by focusing on scalable, impactful solutions that can transition to the private sector. She walks listeners through transformative projects, including NITRO, GLIDE, ADAPT, and POSEIDON. 

ARPA-H has a unique Program Management structure, which provides hands-on mentorship and support to ARPA-H grantees. Dr. Wegrzyn identifies how the partnership helps innovators address cost, accessibility, and user experience in health innovations. Sharon and Dr. Wegrzyn also discuss the ARPA-H’s Sprint for Women's Health and how the funding opportunity addresses critical unmet challenges in the women’s health sector. 

Episode Outline

(01:50) How the US Government Drives Innovation 

(04:01) The Return on Investment to Americans 

(09:27) ARPA-H Programs and Funding 

(12:42) How To Work with ARPA-H 

(15:28) The Audacity to Imagine Success 

(18:59) Improving Research and the Standard of Care 

(21:40) Women’s Health Innovation 

(26:45) Beyond Conversation: Embracing Data-Driven Solutions 

Connect with Sharon

• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Kedar
• Learn more about Innovate and Elevate innovateandelevatepodcast.com
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: Innovate and Elevate Newsletter

Connect with Dr. Renee Wegrzyn

• Follow Renee on LinkedIn
• Learn more on the ARPA-H website

Additional Resources

• Subscribe to the ARPA-H Vitals newsletter
• Full list of ARPA-H programs
• The hidden questions behind the Heilmeir Questions
• The White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research

This podcast is produced by the women at The Wave Editing

In this episode of Innovate and Elevate, Sharon welcomes Lucy Pérez, a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and Coleader of the McKinsey Health Institute. Lucy is also coauthor of the groundbreaking report, "Closing The Women's Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies," copublished with the World Economic Forum. Sharon and Lucy discuss the report’s key findings and the significant economic and social benefits of closing the women's health gap.

Lucy shares that closing the women’s health gap could add an astounding $1 trillion to the global GDP annually. This economic boost would come from healthier women having fewer missed workdays, increased productivity, and less time spent on unpaid caregiving duties. She highlights that women, despite living longer than men, spend more time in poor health, particularly during their most productive years (ages 20-60), which has considerable economic implications.

A major challenge in addressing women's health is the shocking underinvestment in research. Currently, only 1-2% of R&D dollars are dedicated to women's health issues, excluding cancers. Lucy emphasizes the need for increased funding and better understanding of sex-based differences in medical research. Conditions like cardiovascular disease and autoimmune diseases often present differently in women, necessitating tailored approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

Lucy provides actionable advice for how individuals can close the women’s health gap, including ways to be proactive in healthcare interactions, raise awareness about women's health issues, and support initiatives aimed at closing the health gap. She also underscores the importance of leveraging real-world data to drive innovation and improve health outcomes, advocating for strategic partnerships and increased funding to address health inequities.

Episode Outline

(02:13) What Is The Business Case For Investing In Women's Health?

(07:50) Understanding Sex-Based Health Differences

(11:43) When Women Are Healthier, Everyone Benefits

(18:06) Opportunities for Women's Health Research, Development & Funding 

(25:01) How Can We Contribute to Closing The Women's Health Gap?

Additional Resources:

• Closing the Women's Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies

Connect with Sharon

• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Kedar
• Learn more about Innovate and Elevate innovateandelevatepodcast.com
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: Innovate and Elevate Newsletter

Connect with Lucy Pérez

• Follow Lucy Pérez on LinkedIn: Lucy Pérez 

This podcast is produced by the women at The Wave Editing

In this episode, Sharon is joined by Erin Lambroza, Vice President of L Catterton, a consumer-focused private equity firm. Erin holds Director roles on the boards of Alice Mushrooms—a functional health supplement business pairing chocolate with the power of adaptogens from legal mushrooms; an unannounced beauty and wellness platform providing solutions to women who are navigating menopause; and Yummers, a pet food company founded by “Queer Eye” stars Jonathan Van Ness and Antoni Porowski alongside the former CMO of Petco.

In this conversation, Erin and Sharon discuss what makes a women's health company fundable and how to navigate the challenges in this space. Erin brings her extensive experience in early-stage investments with a focus on health and wellness to provide invaluable advice for founders and investors alike.

Erin emphasizes that the success of a women’s health startup relies on the same factors as any other sector: a growing market, scalable growth, and demonstrated product-market fit. She highlights the importance of understanding unit economics, ensuring that the business model is sustainable and profitable, especially after the first year in the market. The conversation also touches on the historical challenges in women’s health, such as underinvestment and the lack of viable exit paths, which make fundraising particularly difficult. Erin notes that overcoming these obstacles requires innovation at the research level to build a foundation for profitable businesses.

The episode delves into the historical context of women's health, revealing that women were excluded from clinical trials until 1993, resulting in a significant lack of comprehensive data and chronic underrepresentation in healthcare research. Erin also discusses the origins of the word "hysteria" and its longstanding impact on the perception of women's health issues. This historical lens underscores the need for deliberate and targeted innovation in areas such as autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular disease, which disproportionately affect women.

Erin offers practical advice for founders, emphasizing the importance of surrounding oneself with the right people who genuinely support the mission, being receptive to investor feedback while synthesizing advice from multiple sources, and seeking strategic, active capital rather than passive investment. Her insights provide a roadmap for founders looking to make a meaningful impact in women’s health.

Episode Outline

(01:56) What Makes a Women's Health Business Fundable? 

(04:49) The Audacity of Profit 

(08:53) Beyond Bikini Medicine: Addressing Innovation in Women’s Health 

(12:06) You Are Not Alone: Common Challenges All Startup Founders Face 

Connect with Sharon

• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Kedar
• Learn more about Innovate and Elevate innovateandelevatepodcast.com
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: Innovate and Elevate Newsletter

Connect with Erin Lambroza

• Follow Erin Lambroza on LinkedIn 
• Learn more about L Catterton 
• Learn more about Alice Mushrooms 

Additional Resources

• The New Menopause by Dr. Marie Claire Haver 
• Scipher  
• Kyverna 
• NYSE Women's Health Summit 

This podcast is produced by the women at The Wave Editing

In this episode, Sharon is joined by Dr. Natalie Bello, Director of Hypertension Research, Staff Physician and Associate Professor of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

After learning that 80% of heart disease is preventable in medical school, Dr. Bello decided that focusing her career on helping people stay healthy, optimize their risk factors, and live long lives was an easy choice to make. 

Hypertension, also known as “The Silent Killer,” is a leading global contributor to heart disease. A common myth is that heart disease disproportionately affects men when, in fact, it is the number one killer of both men and women. This misinformation has major consequences,  namely that women experiencing chest pain wait 29% longer in the emergency room to be seen by a doctor than their male counterparts. 

Dr. Bello shares that just because a woman doesn’t present their pain the same way as a man doesn’t mean that they aren’t experiencing the same pain. Being your biggest health advocate is the best way to regain your agency in heart health. Sometimes, for a woman, that may look like firmly declaring that your chest pain has brought you to the emergency room, stating your risk factors and that you must be treated for potentially having a heart attack.

Dr. Bello recommends the tests for anyone with chest pain or interested in improving their heart health, like an EKG, troponin, stress test, or angiogram. In order to assess personal risk factors, the Pooled Cohort Equations to Prevent Heart Failure (PCP-HF) or PREVENT are most used.  Dr. Bello then discusses the mechanics of hereditarily passing down heart conditions between genders and the importance of increasing the number of studies on pregnancy’s impact on the body. 

Episode Outline

(00:55) Meet Dr. Bello

(01:35) 80% of Heart Disease Is Preventable

(05:14) PSA: Women Wait Longer in the ER With Chest Pain

(12:46) Knowledge Is Power: Know Your Hereditary and Gender-Specific Risk Factors

Connect with Sharon

• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Kedar
• Learn more about Innovate and Elevate innovateandelevatepodcast.com
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: Innovate and Elevate Newsletter

Connect with Dr. Bello

• Follow Dr. Bello on LinkedIn 

Additional Resources

• Women and Black adults wait longer to be seen in the ER for chest pain By American Heart Association News  
• PREVENT Online Calculator
• ASCVD Risk Estimator App 
• How Heart Palpitations Led Oprah to Discover She Was Approaching Menopause 

This podcast is produced by the women at The Wave Editing

In this episode, Sharon is joined by Dr. Donald Ingber, Founding Director at Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. 

Dr. Ingber’s commitment to following his passion has led him to countless medical and technological breakthroughs, including organ-chip technology. These incredible chips recreate the structure and function of human organs. Drugs can be administered through organ-chips so that blood impact can be monitored. Once more widely adopted, organ-chip testing will be able to replace animal testing. As Dr. Ingber shares, the results will surpass those of animal testing.

The organ-chip technology already includes women’s health models and holds great promise to revolutionize this under-invested area. Because animals, namely mice, do not have menstrual cycles, their biological environments are already skewed to test any women’s health-related projects. Organ-chips are a great solution to close the data gap. Dr. Ingber shares two projects underway in partnership with the Gates Foundation: to create a cure for bacterial vaginosis and to create a non-hormonal contraceptive. 

Dr. Ingber highlights the importance of nurturing the business side of scientific breakthroughs so that innovations can reach patients. Twenty percent of Harvard’s intellectual property comes out of the Wyss Institute, and both funding and mentorship play crucial roles in that success metric.  

Episode Outline

(00:53) Meet Dr. Donald Inbger 

(02:11) Where Art Meets Science: Inside The Brilliant Mind of Dr. Ingber 

(07:08) What Is Organ-on-a-Chip Technology? 

(13:17) Reimaging Women’s Health with Organ-Chips

(21:11) Think Outside The Box: Bringing Innovation to Life 

Connect with Sharon

• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Kedar
• Learn more about Innovate and Elevate innovateandelevatepodcast.com
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: Innovate and Elevate Newsletter

Connect with Dr. Ingber

• Follow The Wyss Institute on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Emulate, Inc.

Additional Resources

• The Wyss Institute 
• The Wyss-Northpond Research And Innovation Alliance 
• First rodent found with a human-like menstrual cycle
• The White House Initiative on Women's Health Research

This podcast is produced by the women at The Wave Editing.

Dr. Canan Dagdeviren is Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Director of the Conformable Decoders research group at the MIT Media Lab. 

In this episode, Dr. Dagdeviren shares the incredible story behind the lab’s wearable, conformable ultrasound breast patch that enables standardized and reproducible breast imaging. They’re developing a first-of-its-kind ultrasound technology for breast tissue scanning and imaging which offers a non-invasive method for tracking real-time dynamic changes of soft tissue. This technology is meant to be used in adjunct with current screening methods, addressing the various barriers that many women at high risk for breast cancer face when it comes to breast screening. 

Driven by her aunt's battle with breast cancer, Dr. Dagdeviren embarked on a journey to innovate breast cancer screening solutions. In our conversation, she shares the current prototype for The Conformable Ultrasound Breast Patch (CUSBr-Patch), detailing the logistics of how it works and how she envisions the patient experience. 

Beyond product innovation, Dr. Dagdeviren emphasizes the need for elevating standards in clinical trials. She outlines the commitment she and her team have made to implement a diverse patient-centric approach in their lab. 

If you are a woman at high risk for breast cancer and currently on a breast cancer screening plan, please consider applying to be a part of the Conformable Decoders’ clinical trial. You can email Dr. Dagdeviren at [email protected] for more information. 

Connect with Sharon

• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Kedar
• Learn more about Innovate and Elevate innovateandelevatepodcast.com
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: Innovate and Elevate Newsletter

Connect with Dr. Dagdeviren: 

• Connect with Dr. Dagdeviren on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Conformable Decoders

Additional Resources

• Conformable Ultrasound Breast Patch (CUSBr-Patch) For Deep Tissue Scanning And Imaging
• The Ultrasound Breast Patch Prototype Video
• MIT Future Founders 
• BBC 100 Women 2023: Canan Dagdeviren

Credits

This podcast is produced by the women at The Wave Editing.

On this episode of Innovate and Elevate, Sharon is joined by Dr. Rachel Brem. Dr. Brem is board-certified in Diagnostic Radiology. She is a Professor of Radiology, the Vice Chair of Radiology, and Director of Breast Imaging & Intervention at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

In this conversation, Dr. Brem shares how to understand your risk for breast cancer and her recommended imaging strategy for those with dense breast tissue. She also emphasizes the importance of co-creating a personalized healthcare plan with a doctor that suits your needs. 

Note that other risk factors may influence your individual situation. For a comprehensive understanding, explore additional resources at breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors. 

Cancer in a dense breast is exponentially more difficult to detect in a mammogram, which is why Dr. Brem is a strong advocate for breast ultrasound and/or MRI. In fact, breast imaging specialists can find 25% more cancerous cells with ultrasound screening in women with dense breasts than they can with mammography. 

Dr. Brem doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all breast healthcare approach. Instead, she urges women to get the knowledge they need to make the right choices for their health and find a doctor that can tailor a plan for their unique needs. 

Finally, Dr. Brem shares her hope in the technologies currently in development to help detect cancer before imaging, such as liquid biopsy and breath analysis. 

Connect with Sharon

• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Kedar
• Learn more about Innovate and Elevate innovateandelevatepodcast.com
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: Innovate and Elevate Newsletter

Connect with Dr. Rachel Brem

• Connect with Dr. Rachel Brem on LinkedIn: Dr. Rachel Brem

Additional Resources

• No Longer Radical by Dr. Rachel Brem and Dr. Christy Teal
• Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer
• CheckMate by The Brem Foundation
• Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator
• Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (The Gail Model)

Glossary

• Prophylactic mastectomy: A prophylactic mastectomy is surgery to remove one or both breasts to lower the chances of getting breast cancer.
• BRCA mutation: A BRCA mutation is a mutation in either of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are tumor suppressor genes. Harmful mutations in these genes may produce a hereditary breast–ovarian cancer syndrome.
• Liquid biopsy: A liquid biopsy is a test that checks for signs of diseases by analyzing a small sample of blood instead of taking tissue from the actual tumor.
• Molecular breast imaging (MBI): Molecular breast imaging is a technique that uses a special camera and a radioactive substance to detect breast cancer by highlighting abnormal areas in the breast tissue