Business of the V

Proov Gives Women More Control Over Their Reproductive Lives

This episode of Busine$$ of the V is about helping women beat infertility by asking the right questions. Guest Amy Beckley, owner and CEO of Proov, introduces us to a new home ovulation test that asks not “if” but “how.” Called Proov, this ovulation test frames the infertility conversation around overall ovarian health by measuring the quality of ovulation over a mere presence of eggs. This understanding of quality ovulation can help women develop a better plan to overcome the challenge of infertility.

Studies show that 1 in 8 couples in the United States wrestle with infertility every year, and the technology around understanding infertility has done little to empower individual women. Amy developed the idea for Proov after several miscarriages and a broken dream of an easy path to motherhood. Unhappy with the answers and determined to find better solutions, she developed Proov from her background in pharmacology, which she holds a PhD in from the University of Colorado Medical Center. Armed with knowledge, she set out to provide a method for women to fill the gap between a loose understanding of ovulation and treatment methods that didn’t yield results.

If you or anyone you know has struggled to conceive, then you understand how this kind of technology can be literally live-giving. Enough women have been frustrated by too little information while waiting too long. They’ve grieved their lost babies and fought against what many thought ought to be a naturally simple process. Proov is helping give the power back to women by offering a real ovulation quality test set that they can take in the comfort of their own homes.

Proov helps women bolster their ovarian health and creates an environment for overall reproductive success. Join hosts Dr. Dweck and Rachel in finding out more about how Proov is helping women reverse their infertility for good.

To hear previous episodes or subscribe to the Busine$$ of the V podcast, visit: https://businessofthev.com

Emme was Designed to Keep Your Birth Control Pills on Track

This episode of Busine$$ of the V is all about putting technology in the hands of women, starting with birth control. Guest Amanda French, co-founder and CEO of Emme, introduces us to an integrated technology-enabled solution designed to safeguard the birth control experience and reduce the rate of missed pills. With its unique multi-sensor “smart” design, Emme’s case syncs with an app to send persistent, customized reminders as well as contraceptive guidance and a comprehensive window into overall reproductive health. 

 

At least 80% of users struggle with missed pills each year, resulting in some 1 million unplanned pregnancies annually. Amanda developed her cutting-edge vision as a Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellow, focused on evolving better ways not only to track and remind birth control pill users but also to access current gynecological information and guidance. Named one of Fast Company Magazine’s Most Innovative Companies of 2021, Emme’s smart case and app are complemented by telemedicine and prescription delivery options.  

 

Anyone who has ever had a sleepless night because of a missed pill or forgetting to pick up a prescription altogether will appreciate learning more about how Emme came to be and what it’s providing growing numbers of women in terms of support. It’s not only about reminders to take the pill but also answers to critical questions: Should you double up if you miss a day? Is it necessary to make an appointment to see your gynecologist? 

 

With missed pills, hormone imbalances and unplanned pregnancies all too commonly part of the birth control pill experience, it’s time to step out of the 1960s. Join hosts Dr. Dweck and Rachel in finding out more about how Emme is leading the way. 

Today’s episode is sponsored by Attain

Do you get up several times a night to go to the bathroom? Do you wear pads or diapers due to bladder leaks? Attain, by InControl Medical, will stop the leaks and give you back control. Attain is the only FDA cleared at home device, for the treatment of stress, urge and mixed urinary incontinence as well as fecal incontinence. Visit InControlmedical.com for more information.

To hear previous episodes or subscribe to the Busine$$ of the V podcast, visit: https://businessofthev.com 

Organicare Creates All Natural Herpes Relief Backed By Science

Feminine health issues like yeast infections and genital herpes are still considered “taboo” when it comes to media portrayal, and even sometimes in healthcare circles. On this episode of the Busine$$ of the V, hosts Rachel-Braun Scherl and Dr. Alyssa Dweck sit down with Caroline Goodner, the founder and CEO of OrganiCare.

OrganiCare is an efficacious and all-natural healthcare company that specializes in creating products to treat feminine health concerns like yeast infections and genital herpes. With products like FemiClear and Curoxen that are both natural and scientifically proven to work, Caroline has blazed a new trail when it comes to bridging the gap between all-natural and efficacious.

Elektra Health Is Transforming the Future of Menopause

It’s all about “smashing taboos,” as Elektra Health CEO Alessandra Henderson puts it on this episode of the Busine$$ of the V. Together with Dr. Dweck and Rachel, she explains how the market for menopausal education and treatment is burgeoning and what it means from a start-up perspective.

Co-founded by Alessandra just two years ago, Elektra Health is a unique online platform built on three pillars: Education, Expertise and Community. Millions of women have been underserved in their often decade-long journey through menopause, so Alessandra and her team have stepped up with a telehealth alternative within the women’s health space. And companies are jumping on board. Why? Because the market is enormous.

This conversation also highlights an exciting implicit recognition that women are valued team members whose health and wellness needs matter – and that their employees know it. With a constellation of some 34 symptoms – ranging from the traditional hot flash to impacts on mental acuity and vision – menopause is a phase of life that merits serious corporate and entrepreneurial attention. Elektra has taken this as a challenge to get rid of stigma and silence by connecting women with carefully vetted providers, quality education and a powerful network – each other.

Learn how Elektra is meeting a need by meeting women where they are. Corporate America is recognizing the power of menopause – both as a market opportunity and for the freedom, wisdom and confidence associated with well-supported women in the workplace. World-class, evidence-based care, education and community are long overdue! Find out what’s on the horizon in this episode of Busine$$ of the V.

To hear previous episodes or subscribe to the Busine$$ of the V podcast, visit: https://businessofthev.com

Today’s Episode is Sponsored by Attain

Do you get up several times a night to go to the bathroom? Do you wear pads or diapers due to bladder leaks? Attain, by InControl Medical, will stop the leaks and give you back control. Attain is the only FDA cleared at home device, for the treatment of stress, urge and mixed urinary incontinence as well as fecal incontinence. Visit InControlmedical.com for more information.

Uqora Tackles UTI's In A Whole New Way

U-T-I. Mention these three letters to just about any woman and you’ll likely elicit instant recognition. In this episode of the Busine$$ of the V, Rachel and Dr. Dweck introduce a proactive advance of interest to anyone who has dealt with a urinary tract infection – which is millions of us every year. Jenna Ryan, founder of Uqora, explains how her line of health products is jumpstarting a neglected area of women’s health while becoming a gold-standard business startup at the same time.

Contracted nearly as commonly as the common cold, women are particularly prone to UTIs. A chronic sufferer herself, Jenna was inspired (along with her now-husband) to found Uqora out of a personal desire to foster better options than were available. As many as one in seven hospitalizations and health care visits are devoted to urinary tract health, so clearly the market for at-home test kits and preventative measures is there!

Jenna shares the personal experience that played a role in her decision to start Uqora in 2017 as well as exciting news about the company’s recent acquisition by Pharmavite, the parent of Nature Made, a major drug store vitamin and supplement brand.

In addition to products that promote urinary tract health, Uqora is also conducting research on new, non-antibiotic UTI treatments and providing UTI education and research updates. Maintaining optimal urinary tract health isn’t just smart medically; it’s also key to avoiding the anxiety and emotional baggage that comes with UTIs.

It’s no surprise that Uqora’s website boasts more than 11,000 positive reviews from women who have found relief. Enjoy hearing about the many ways in which Jenna and her team are enjoying a win-win, both as an innovator and advocate for women and as a tremendous entrepreneurial success story in the women’s health care space.

Today's Episode is Sponsored by Attain

Do you get up several times a night to go to the bathroom? Do you wear pads or diapers due to bladder leaks? Attain, by InControl Medical, will stop the leaks and give you back control. Attain is the only FDA cleared at home device, for the treatment of stress, urge and mixed urinary incontinence as well as fecal incontinence. Visit InControlmedical.com for more information.

To hear previous episodes or subscribe to the Busine$$ of the V podcast, visit: https://businessofthev.com

Dame Products Closes the Pleasure Gap for Women

If only 4% of women report internal penetration as their most reliable route to climax, then why has the vibrator industry been built around products shaped like penises? The reasons are clear, as you’ll discover in this episode of the Busine$$ of the V. Women’s sexual pleasure is finally moving into the mainstream and Alex Fine, co-founder of Dame Products, explains why.

Designed by and for women, Dame Products has taken vibrators into a new realm – one that encourages open conversation about sexuality. Alex explains the process by which she and her team at Dame put together their products, paying close attention to details such as shape, colors, safe materials and the experience itself. In an industry historically dominated by men, Dame’s products are all about listening to women. The result? Women’s sex toys are now readily available on the shelves of retail outlets like Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom’s.

Some 70% of women do not orgasm from penetration, but a curtain of silence persists. Where ads for erectile dysfunction products appear regularly on primetime TV, products to support women’s sexual health are siloed or snubbed. After being denied billboard space by the NY public transportation authority, Alex has taken the issue head-on with a lawsuit she believes will expose and demonstrate this double standard once and for all.

The stigma around women’s health and sexual well-being won’t disappear until the shame is lifted. Don’t miss this lively conversation about everything from the economic impact of pandemic on the vibrator business (excellent!) to the colorful way in which a six-year-old Alex was first introduced to human sexuality (healthy and judgment-free!).

To hear previous episodes or subscribe to the Busine$$ of the V podcast, visit: https://businessofthev.com

Period Poverty, Hustle Culture & Self Worth with Nadya Okamoto

This week’s episode features a young woman who is changing the conversation around women’s reproductive health, and more specifically the stigma associated with period products. Barely into her 20s, Nadya Okamoto shares her story both as a serial entrepreneur and as a young woman evolving. She founded and became executive director at age 16 of Period.org, a nonprofit organization with 900 chapters in all 50 states, and has gone on to expand her portfolio. She explains to the hosts how she came to her passion for destigmatizing and reimagining periods – and how she has been shaped by the journey.

 

While still a student at Harvard University, Nadya has created an activist community that seeks to normalize and make more inclusive the conversation around menstruation. This growing and increasingly vocal generation of activists thrives both online and in-person. Nadya inspired this movement first with Period.org and also with her book, “The Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement.” She has more recently branched out as a branding officer for a Generation Z consulting company and is currently launching a new period products lifestyle brand called August.

 

Part of what makes Nadya so powerful as a woman and activist is her candor. She shares with Dr. Dweck and Rachel not only how she came to her passion but also some of the trauma and abuse, mental health challenges and recovery steps that have shaped who she is and how she is moving forward. Currently work on a new memoir and cultivating August (in spite of pandemic challenges), this is a young woman people of all ages are going to be hearing from in the years ahead.   

 

To hear previous episodes of the Busine$$ of the V podcast, visit: https://businessofthev.com

Ceek Women’s Health Changes the Way Gynecological Care is Delivered

As we learn on this episode of Busine$$ of the V, the speculum represented a major advance for women’s health … back in the 1800s! So it’s not surprising that Dr. Dweck and Rachel’s guest often gets the following reaction when she introduces her new take on an old device: “Why didn’t someone think of this sooner?” or “It’s about time!”

Fahti Khosrowshahi, CEO & Founder of Ceek Women’s Health, shares the genesis of her innovative new speculum – from research and development to the patent process and field testing for both providers and patients. The feedback? Uniformly positive! Goodbye to “the metal cowboy,” as some of Alyssa’s patients call the metal speculum that has been synonymous with pelvic exams for generations and generations. The Nella NuSpec Vaginal Speculum has arrived!

 

As narrow as a tampon and made of a gentle, quiet polymer material, this new device improves visibility for practitioners and reduces the repetitive strain injuries many sustain after years of wrestling speculums that are either loud, hard to grip, lacking in visibility or all of the above. Just as importantly, the NuSpec offers women of all ages a completely modern, smooth, temperature-neutral pelvic exam experience.

Long-term Fahti believes the NuSpec’s comfortable design will be transformational for women who are resistant to the cold, metal speculum that – until now – was their only option. Thanks to NuSpec, women will be less likely to dread pelvic exams or avoid important annual and follow-up appointments. On the user side, providers will find the new device, with its comfortable grip and unique lateral sidewall feature, a game-changing substitute for the archaic instrument that was until now the industry standard.

It’s no surprise that Time Magazine named the Nella NuSpec one of 2020’s best inventions. Enjoy this conversation about how Fahti founded Ceek Women’s Health and took the NuSpec from start-up concept to the innovatively designed, patented device long overdue and most welcome in OB-GYN exam rooms of the 21^st Century.  

To hear previous episodes of the Busine$$ of the V podcast, visit: https://businessofthev.com

This is How Ohnut Relieves Painful Penetration

In this episode, Dr. Dweck and Rachel interview Emily Sauer, founder of OhNut, female entrepreneur, maker, IRL community leader, and sexual health advocate with a passion to empower women who are co-creating a deeper understanding of how sexual identity informs our individual and collective lives.

Emily shares how after years of painful intercourse, also known as dyspareunia, why and how she invented the OhNut, wearable rings that feel like skin to control the depth of penetration during intercourse. The OhNut is backed by renowned surgeons, pelvic floor physical therapists, sexual health educators and guided by a medical and scientific advisory board.

If you’ve missed previous episodes of the Busine$$ of the V podcast, they are available at: https://businessofthev.com

Brittany Baretto: Geneticist to Femtech Entrepreneur

Do opposites attract? According to Brittany Barreto, a FemTech entrepreneur who launched her career with a DNA-based dating app, the answer is: Yes! In this episode of the Business of the V, Dr. Alyssa Dweck and Rachel Braun Scherl talk with this upstart geneticist about her burgeoning podcast, FemTech Focus, as well as the many ventures she’s helping to cultivate in the FemTech space. With more than 20,000 listeners in 88 countries during its inaugural year (during Covid19 lockdown), Brittany’s podcast platform has made an immediate impact on FemTech as both a business opportunity and critical key to understanding women’s health.

 

Brittany shares with Alyssa and Rachel her journey from PhD candidate in genetics to her dating app’s meteoric success and (due to a sudden, unavoidable development) heartbreaking failure. Falling back on resilience and creativity, Brittany has reinvented herself and evolved an entirely new career direction. Her podcast, FemTech Focus, provides first-hand insights and incisive advice aimed at thousands of entrepreneurial women whose services and inventions are challenging and changing the FemTech landscape. This lively conversation explores emerging technologies, rapid growth in investor opportunities and the importance of incorporating medical doctors and other hands-on experts in the innovation process – from research and design to marketing and implementation.

 

To hear previous episodes of the Busine$$ of the V podcast, visit: https://businessofthev.com