Femtech At Work

Femtech At Work

por Maaike Steinebach
NegociosSalud y estado físico
Temporada 3
Progressive Period Care and the Problem Nobody Was Solving: Mia Klitsas on Innovation in Women's Health through Moxie
It started with a lone tampon rolling around at the bottom of a handbag. That was the moment, Mia Klitsas, the Co-founder of Moxie, Australia's progressive period care brand on a mission to make women feel genuinely seen through products that are functional, beautiful, and built around real needs that have been overlooked for far too long. In this episode, Mia takes us behind twenty-one years of building a brand from the ground up, bootstrapped, battle-tested, and unapologetically focused on women. From cracking major retail at 22 with nothing but cold calls and conviction, to developing Australia's first purpose-built pad for endometriosis, there is a lot in this conversation that goes well beyond period care. If you are building something, selling something, or simply trying to understand what it really takes to create a product women actually need, the answers are in here. Let’s dive in! Key Takeaways: Find out how a tampon rolling around in a handbag sparked a business idea that a 21-year-old turned into a launch in just six months with nothing but guts, cold calls, and a dog-with-a-bone attitude Discover why Moxie calls itself progressive period care and what that actually means when it comes to the way they talk about women's bodies, periods, and pain Learn what Mia personally uncovered when she sat down with 43 people living with endometriosis, and why what she heard completely changed how Moxie thinks about product development Find out what Australia's first purpose-built pad for endometriosis actually does differently Find out why Mia believes the future of women's health innovation isn't just about building products for women and the two words that she thinks should sit at the centre of every founder's process Find out why Mia thinks most people building in women's health are still getting it fundamentally wrong and the uncomfortable truth she's not afraid to say out loud Resources: Mia Klitsas: LinkedIn Moxie: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube Moxie: Website Maaike Steinebach: LinkedIn Website Femtech Future: https://www.femtechfuture.com Instagram Femtech Future: @femtech_future Mia didn't wait for permission to change the conversation around periods, she just started having it. Loudly, honestly, and without apology. And in doing so, she built something that millions of women around the world didn't even know they were waiting for. That's what happens when you stop designing around what's comfortable and start designing around what's real. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a woman in your life who deserves to feel seen in her health. Like it, leave a review, and help us keep amplifying the founders who are quietly and not so quietly changing the face of women's health. See you next week for another episode of Femtech At Work.
T3 · E77
25 jun 2026
39:58
Maternity Deserts, AI Bias, and the Future of Women's Health Tech with Anoushka Gungadin in Building HeraMed
What if the data collected during your pregnancy could predict and even prevent - a heart attack, a stroke, or dementia decades later? That's not a distant vision. That's exactly what HeraMed is building right now. Anoushka Gungadin's path to CEO of HeraMed is anything but straight from growing up in Mauritius, to a decade in China, to building a leadership practice in Australia. And it's that exact breadth of experience that shapes the way she thinks about women's health. Because in her world, one size has never, and should never, fit all. This is a conversation about technology, equity, and what it truly looks like to build healthcare that's designed around the woman not the other way around. Key Takeaways: Find out how a girl from Mauritius who detoured through China and corporate boardrooms ended up leading one of the most exciting companies in women's health Discover how HeraMed quietly grew from a single device into a full women's health platform and what that journey reveals about where personalized care is actually headed Learn the link your doctor probably never mentioned, what happens in your pregnancy and what it could mean for your heart, your brain, and your body decades down the line Find out why AI is failing women 60% of the time right now and how HeraMed is tackling a bias that most of the health tech world isn't even willing to admit exists Discover what a "maternity desert" really means and why the scale of the problem in the US is what brought an Australian company all the way across the Pacific Learn the one thing that makes or breaks clinician buy-in for health tech innovation and why it has nothing to do with how impressive your technology is Find out what Anoushka thinks is quietly getting in the way of real progress in Australia's femtech space and why she believes the industry's biggest unlock isn't funding, it's each other Discover why being the only ASX-listed femtech company is not the win it sounds like and what it actually tells us about how far women's health investment still has to go Resources: Anoushka Gungadin: LinkedIn HeraMed: LinkedIn HeraMed: hera-med.com Maaike Steinebach: LinkedIn Website Femtech Future: https://www.femtechfuture.com Instagram Femtech Future: @femtech_future Anoushka isn't just building a platform, she's building a future where a woman's health data actually follows her, protects her, and works for her at every stage of life. That vision is rare. And it deserves to be heard. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a woman in your life who deserves better from her healthcare. Like it, leave a review, and help us keep putting these conversations in front of the people who need them most. Thank you, and see you next week for another episode of Femtech At Work.
T3 · E76
19 jun 2026
32:42
Why Menopause Patches Are Stuck in the Past & How Lorai Health Plans to Change That
Millions of women rely on hormone therapy patches to survive menopause, yet Big Pharma has essentially decided that fixing the global patch shortage isn't profitable enough. What happens when the system fails women, and two midlife founders decide to rewrite the rules of healthcare themselves? In this episode, Maaike sits down with Johanna Wicks, co-founder of Lorai Health, to expose the frustrating reality behind the global patch shortage and the regulatory question marks surrounding decades-old formulas. Johanna shares her own harrowing battle with undiagnosed perimenopause and reveals Lorai's ambitious, unconventional two-patch strategy to disrupt the market, navigate the brutal world of female-founder funding, and secure a shocking quarter-million-dollar lifeline. If you are ready for a masterclass in science, fury, and pure resilience, this is an episode you cannot afford to miss. Tune in now to find out exactly how Lorai Health plans to get patches back on the shelves in record time. Key Takeaways: Find out what two years of unexplained symptoms, repeated doctor visits, and a diagnosis that should have come much sooner taught Johanna and how it completely rewrote the path her career would take Discover the uncomfortable truth behind why menopause hormone therapy patches are in chronic global shortage and why the pharmaceutical companies that could solve it keep looking the other way Learn what Laorai Health's two-patch strategy actually involves and why the timeline for getting a better patch into women's hands is shorter than you might expect Find out why manufacturing a hormone therapy patch is far more complicated than it sounds, and how a surprisingly small number of facilities worldwide are even equipped to do it Learn what Johanna and her co-founder Raisa experienced when they took their vision to venture capital and why the reality of female founders in the funding world is even more sobering than the statistics suggest Find out how a GoFundMe, a Channel Nine news story, and a stranger on the Gold Coast set off a chain of events that resulted in a quarter-million-dollar donation and what it signals about where true support for women's health actually comes from Discover why Australia's sophisticated investor rules may be quietly shutting the very women who believe in Lorai Health out of the opportunity to back it and why Johanna thinks the whole system needs a rethink
T3 · E75
11 jun 2026
35:49
How CaptureCare is Rewriting the Rules of Menopause Support with Real Empathy
What happens when you combine decades of medical sales expertise with a refusal to accept the status quo? You get Amelia Dickinson, the founder of Capture Care. In this beautifully raw conversation, Amelia opens up about the painful turning points that led her here. From navigating three redundancies and systemic harassment to witnessing the silent health struggles women face in midlife. Together, we will explore why medical data is empty without real empathy, how small daily choices (like a single glass of wine) can dictate the boundary between brain fog and clarity, and why she is fiercely dedicated to funding free legal aid for women falling through the cracks. This is more than a business profile; it’s a vital blueprint for women's survival and success in the modern world. Key Takeaways: Find out why a stable career in Big Pharma isn't as secure as it looks, and what specific "accumulation of experiences" forced Amelia to stop playing by the industry's rules? Learn the secret to slashing patient medication drop-off rates from 50% to just 14% using a model that prioritizes human connection over automated alerts Understand why monitoring your health through "snapshots" like annual blood tests is failing you, and how continuous data can reveal what’s actually happening to your cortisol and hormones in real-time Discover how "Preventative Remote Patient Monitoring" is filling the dangerous gap between your annual doctor appointments Find out why women in midlife are 10x more likely to develop autoimmune issues and how real-time data can stop a crisis before it starts Learn the specific "Health Summary" strategy that ensures you are never rushed during a 15-minute GP consult again Discover why Amelia believes that a normal reaction to an abnormal situation is the most important thing a woman in perimenopause needs to hear Resources: Amelia Dickison: LinkedIn CaptureCare Digitals: LinkedIn CaptureCare Digitals: Instagram CaptureCare Digitals: https://capturecare.com.au/ Maaike Steinebach: LinkedIn Website Femtech Future: https://www.femtechfuture.com Instagram Femtech Future: @femtech_future Amelia’s story reminds us that the most powerful innovations don't come from a lab, they come from a "lived experience" that says enough is enough. From the trenches of medical sales to the boardrooms of Singapore, she is proving that when women are cared for, the entire economy rises. If this episode moved you, don't keep it to yourself. Like, share, and leave a review to help us amplify the voices of founders who are literally saving lives. Your engagement is the fuel that keeps this movement growing. Thank you, and see you next week for another episode of FemTech at Work.
T3 · E74
4 jun 2026
39:34
Turning Pain into Purpose: BV, Vaginal Health and the Rise of Pinc Wellness with Sarah Galloy
Vaginal health is central to a woman’s life, from her first period to her last hot flush – yet it remains one of the most dismissed, misunderstood and under-researched areas of healthcare. In this powerful conversation, we sit down with Sarah Galloy, founder of Pinc Wellness, to unpack the reality behind recurrent BV, UTIs, thrush and the emotional toll of not being believed. If you’ve ever been dismissed by a doctor, struggled with recurring infections, or simply felt you “should know more” about your own body, this episode will leave you informed, validated and ready to join a bigger movement for change. Key Takeaways: Find out how Sarah’s personal battle with recurrent BV, UTIs and thrush pushed her from repeated medical gaslighting to founding Pinc Wellness in the first place Discover what bacterial vaginosis (BV) actually is, how the vaginal microbiome and pH shifts trigger it, and why so many women have it without obvious symptoms Understand how male partners can carry BV-causing bacteria like Gardnerella without symptoms, and why treating only the woman often leads to endless recurrence Learn why antibiotics alone rarely solve recurrent vaginal infections, and how rebuilding a healthy vaginal microbiome with probiotics and acidity support can change everything Find out which Pink Wellness products women are turning to most like vaginal probiotics, gentle washes with boric acid and vulva oils and what specific problems they help address Discover how social media censorship of words like “vagina” and “vulva” shapes what women see and learn online, and why educational femtech content gets punished while pure product posts thrive Find out what Sarah’s new Pink Bloom platform will offer from vaginal microbiome testing to telehealth with gynecologists, naturopaths and sexologists across every life stage Discover what needs to change in healthcare, education and at home so that parents can confidently teach their daughters about vaginal microbiome and intimate wellness from day one Resources: Sarah Galloy: LinkedIn Pinc Wellness: LinkedIn | https://www.instagram.com/pincwellness/ Pinc Wellness: https://pincwellness.com/ Maaike Steinebach LinkedIn Website Femtech Future: https://www.femtechfuture.com Instagram Femtech Future: @femtech_future In a world where vaginal health is still treated as niche, shameful or “too much for the workplace,” conversations like this one are how change begins. Sarah’s journey from gaslighting to founding Pink Wellness and now building Pink Bloom proves that women’s intimate health is not a side topic; it is central to our physical, mental and sexual wellbeing. If this episode resonated with you, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with a friend who needs to hear she’s not alone. Like this episode, leave a review so more listeners can find these stories, and help us push vaginal health and femtech into the mainstream. See you on our next episode
T3 · E73
28 may 2026
27:30
The Startup Story Behind Girls Get Off and Women’s Sexual Empowerment
What happens when two female founders decide that women’s pleasure deserves the same love and design as kincare and refuse to let stigma or shadow bans stop them? Today, we have Viv Conway, co‑founder of the sexual wellness brand Girls Get Off, to unpack how a “taboo” idea became a fast‑growing, community‑driven business across New Zealand and Australia. This is a candid, funny, and deeply empowering conversation about sex, leadership, entrepreneurship, and why sexual wellbeing is health, not a guilty secret. Let’s dive in! Key Takeaways: Find out how two founders turned a lockdown idea for a sex toy brand into a fast‑growing sexual wellness business without relying on paid ads Discover why Girls Get Off’s most devoted customers weren’t the 20‑somethings they first imagined, but time‑poor women juggling kids, careers, and long‑term relationships Learn how Viv used organic Instagram content, Sunday Confessions, and community‑driven storytelling to normalize sex toys on people’s feeds Find out how they navigate digital censorship, code words, and shadow bans while still growing a vibrant, engaged online community Find out what really happens behind the scenes when you try to source sex toys from overseas manufacturers and the expensive mistakes Viv would never repeat Discover the shocking gap between how terrified most women feel asking for what they want in bed and how enthusiastic most men are to be “given the answers to the test” Learn how stigma shows up in unexpected places—from influencers afraid to work with sexual wellness brands to banks refusing to open accounts and how Girls Get Off turned that into media wins Find out why Viv believes we stand on the shoulders of generations of women who fought for our rights and why it’s an embarrassment not to use that freedom boldly Resources: Viv Conway: LinkedIn Girls Get Off: Facebook Group | Facebook Girls Get Off: Instagram Girls Get Off: https://girlsgetoff.com/ Maaike Steinebach LinkedIn Website Femtech Future: https://www.femtechfuture.com Instagram Femtech Future: @femtech_future This episode is more than a founder story, it’s a lens into how changing the conversation about pleasure can change women’s lives, relationships, and even how we see our own power. Together, we can move sexual wellness out of the shadows and into everyday self‑care. If this conversation made you laugh, think, or feel just a little bit braver about your own pleasure and power, don’t let it stop at your earbuds. Like it and leave a review, so more listeners can discover these powerful stories. See you next week for another episode of FemTech at Work, where we keep amplifying the voices reshaping women’s health and wellbeing.
T3 · E72
21 may 2026
35:02
How GonGlobal Is Reinventing IVF Drug Delivery in Australia
Infertility affects 1 in 6 adults, but what if hundreds of IVF injections could be replaced by a non-invasive, connected drug delivery platform, designed by a daughter who became a “human pin cushion” and the father who spent 50+ years in non‑invasive drug delivery? Today, we chatted with Ellen Gonda, co‑founder of GonGlobal, a pioneering Femtech startup on a mission to radically transform the IVF journey. After enduring cycle after cycle of injections and describing herself as a “human pin cushion,” Ellen turned to her father, a leading expert in non‑invasive drug delivery, and asked a simple but life‑changing question: “Is there a better way? Tune in because she’ll take us behind the scenes of preclinical R&D, IP strategy, fundraising with doctors and pharmaceutical executives, and navigating the “Valley of Death” between preclinical work and commercialization. If you’re interested in IVF, femtech, non‑invasive drug delivery, or the realities of building a mission‑driven women’s health company from the ground up, this conversation will give you both a deeply human story and a front‑row seat to a game‑changing innovation. Key Takeaways: How Ellen’s personal IVF journey and “human pin cushion” experience sparked the idea for a non‑invasive alternative to hundreds of injections Why infertility isn’t just a woman’s issue and how male‑factor infertility contributes to around half of all cases Learn how GonGlobal’s connected, non‑invasive drug delivery platform could transform the IVF patient experience and improve treatment outcomes Understand why Australia—especially Victoria—has become a powerhouse hub for women’s health, IVF innovation, and early clinical research Find out how Ellen leveraged accelerators and pre‑accelerators to transition from corporate communications into a biotech founder role Learn how IP strategy, licensing, and preclinical R&D shape the future of a femtech startup like GonGlobal Understand why doctors, pharma executives, and IVF patients themselves are backing this innovation with capital and conviction Find out what stigma and silence still surround infertility and how Ellen’s candour is changing the conversation Resources: Ellen Gonda: LinkedIn GonGlobal: LinkedIn GonGlobal: https://gonglobal.com/ Maaike Steinebach LinkedIn Website Femtech Future: https://www.femtechfuture.com Instagram Femtech Future: @femtech_future This conversation is more than a founder story—it’s a glimpse into a future where IVF is less painful, more personalised, and truly centred on the patient. Ellen Gonda and Gon Global are showing what’s possible when lived experience, world‑class science, and a relentless mission to serve women come together. If this episode moved you, be part of the movement: share it with someone on a fertility journey, like it, and leave a review so we can keep amplifying the voices of the builders changing women’s health. And see you next week for another episode of Femcheck at Work, where we spotlight the founders reshaping the future of care.
T3 · E71
14 may 2026
24:57
From Stigma to Standard Care: How Aunty Jane Is Rewriting Abortion Access in Australia
Abortion is legal across Australia, so why are so many women still turned away, forced to travel hours, or pay hundreds of dollars for essential care? In this episode, a registered nurse and co-founder of Aunty Jane, Alison Lima, pulls back the curtain on Australia’s abortion system, the quiet gatekeeping happening behind clinic doors, and the tele-abortion model rewriting what compassionate, accessible abortion care can look like. Care should never be one-size-fits-all. Whether it’s using AI to bridge language gaps or leveraging abortion funds to ensure no one is left behind, we’re exploring how to center the human experience in reproductive health. At the end of the day, Aunty Jane exists to fill a gap and our greatest dream is to one day see that gap closed for good. Let’s dive in! Key Takeaways: Why even after decriminalisation, Australian women still face so many legal, geographic, and systemic barriers to abortion care How a rural emergency nurse became the co-founder of Australia’s first nurse practitioner–led tele-abortion service and why this business was born from urgent need, not ambition How Aunty Jane’s no-scan protocol safely removes mandatory ultrasounds and in what ways has ultrasound historically been used to gatekeep abortion care Why only a small percentage of GPs and pharmacies in Australia provide medical abortion and what that means for cost, access, and equity How tele-abortion works step-by-step at Aunty Jane from first consult to 24/7 nursing support and a 14-day follow-up focused on both clinical and emotional care How abortion, fertility, periods, and menopause are deeply interconnected and why siloing abortion outside women’s health conversations reinforces stigma and shame How clinicians in abortion care protect their emotional and physical safety while still using storytelling and social media to de-stigmatise abortion as routine healthcare How AI triage tools and translation could transform support for people having abortions without replacing the human care that matters most Resources: Alison Lima: LinkedIn Aunty Jane Health: LinkedIn Aunty Jane Health: https://www.auntyjanehealth.com/ Maaike Steinebach LinkedIn Website Femtech Future: https://www.femtechfuture.com Instagram Femtech Future: @femtech_future Your body, your story, your choice. You deserve more than gatekeeping and whispers. If Alison’s story changed how you view abortion care in Australia, don't let the conversation end when the audio stops. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Start a dialogue in your own circle. Help us move abortion care out of the shadows and into the heart of healthcare exactly where it belongs. This isn't just a podcast; it’s a call to treat reproductive care as the routine, compassionate service it is. We stand with the women and clinicians who refuse to wait for permission to do what is right. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time!
T3 · E70
7 may 2026
39:36
Rewriting Pelvic Health: How Pelvy Is Transforming Care with Founder & Physio Amelia Godfrey
In this episode, we’re joined by Amelia Godfrey, the pelvic health physio and founder of Pelvy, who’s rewriting the rules of care. Too often, issues like leaking, pain, and postpartum recovery are dismissed or hidden in shame, but Amelia is changing that narrative. We dive into how Pelvy uses thoughtful tech to bridge the gap between evidence-based education and real-world results. From breaking "poo taboos" to simplifying rehab, this conversation is an invitation to rethink what’s possible when clinical advocacy meets innovation. Key Takeaways: Discover how a pelvic health physio became a global FemTech founder, and what gap in care Amelia sees that made Pelvy non‑negotiable to build Learn why pelvic health physio is considered first‑line treatment and how it can transform outcomes for leaking, prolapse, pain, and constipation before surgery is even on the table Find out why up to 30% of pelvic health appointments get cancelled and what this reveals about shame, overwhelm, and the “too hard basket” in intimate health care Understand how Pelvy turns forgotten advice into daily action and what the in‑session clinician workflow actually looks like for patients inside the app Discover how personalised cues, timing, and breathwork matter and how a single well-chosen cue can change the way someone uses their pelvic floor Learn why cultural background and family norms shape pelvic health and what surprising practices from Eastern traditions actually align with modern evidence Find out how Pelvy supports men’s pelvic health too, and why men often suffer in silence, and how the app is designed to include them Understand the sacrifices behind a bootstrapped FemTech startup and what Amelia gives up—financially, personally, geographically to keep Pelvy alive Discover how clinician feedback reshapes the product in real time and how a simple “template” feature radically increased usage and impact Learn what myths about “normal” pelvic function Amelia wants retired and how challenging those beliefs could change someone’s quality of life today Resources: Amelia Godfrey: LinkedIn Pelvy: LinkedIn Pelvy: https://pelvy.app/ Maaike Steinebach LinkedIn Website Femtech Future: https://www.femtechfuture.com Instagram Femtech Future: @femtech_future Your pelvic health doesn’t have to be an afterthought, a taboo, or a lifetime of “this is just how it is.” It’s the silent foundation of how we move, love, parent, age, and show up in the world. If this resonated with you, be part of the movement, share this episode with someone who needs it, like and review the show so more listeners can find these stories, and join us again next week for another powerful conversation on FemTech at Work.
T3 · E68
23 abr 2026
35:32
How Femmi Helps Women Run With Their Hormones, Not Against Them
What happens when an elite runner is praised for losing her period in the name of performance until it nearly breaks her body, and forces her to truly listen to it? In this episode, elite runner, coach, and Femmi co-founder Lydia O’Donnell joins us for a raw and honest conversation about disordered eating, hormone health, and how training with her menstrual cycle helped her rebuild performance, health and confidence from the ground up. If you care about women’s health, sport, or creating solutions that are genuinely built for women, this is an episode that will stay with you long after it ends. Key Takeaways: Find out how losing her period and being told it was a “good thing” pushed Lydia to completely rethink her body, her health and her running Learn why most coaching and sports science still default to male bodies and what that actually does to girls and women in sport Understand how FEMI went from one-to-one coaching on five messy platforms to a single app that connects training, cycle tracking, learning and community Find out what questions FEMI asks on onboarding (from goals to PBs to cycle info) to make training feel like having your own coach in your pocket. Discover what it’s really like pitching to 100+ investors as female founders building only for women, and why the 2% funding stat hits so hard earn how FEMI’s Friday women-only run communities and new in-app groups help women find their tribe, whether they’re in Auckland, London or Hong Kong Understand Lydia’s vision for using AI, wearables and hormone data to build truly hyper-personalised training Find out how reframing “bad” training days as normal hormonal shifts can stop women from blaming their bodies and start trusting them Discover Lydia’s one big piece of advice for founders in women’s health who feel scared to start but know the system wasn’t built for them Resources: Lydia O’Donnell: LinkedIn Femmi: LinkedIn Femmi: https://www.femmi.co/ Maaike Steinebach LinkedIn Website Femtech Future: https://www.femtechfuture.com Instagram Femtech Future: @femtech_future Hit play on this episode and walk alongside Lydia as she turns “just push harder” into “listen to your body” and shows what happens when running, hormones and women’s health finally line up. If you’ve ever thought sport wasn’t really built for you, this conversation might just change the way you move and how you see yourself. This isn’t just a story about an app; it’s about women refusing to shrink themselves to fit into systems that were never built for them and building new ones instead. You can be part of it. If this episode moved you, be part of the movement, share it with a friend, hit like, and leave a quick review so more people can find these stories. See you next week on FemTech at Work for another honest conversation with a founder changing the future of women’s health!
T3 · E67
16 abr 2026
37:27
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