Tuesday, November 18
8:45 am - 9:15 am
Entrepreneurs in Women’s Health: The dual challenge of surviving and scaling
Building women’s health companies requires a unique combination of vision, skill, resilience, and creativity. To determine what separates founders in this space from others, primary research was conducted. The research team interviewed over 100 founders, academics, HCPs, and investors focused on how to survive and thrive while building women’s health companies. That work was done primarily during the years of COVID. A clear pattern emerged demonstrating the challenges of fighting stigma while building businesses and driving social change. These patterns were consistent regardless of the type of companies evaluated: consumer, device, digital, and care delivery.
To continue to refine the learning, additional research was done over the past several years, looking at some of these companies today. The research included the review of 4 to 5 additional interviews and dozens of podcast episodes (co-hosted by one of the authors of this research) with leaders in the space. The focus was on how strategies have evolved over the past five years and what outcomes are being delivered by these companies. Specific companies will be highlighted to demonstrate the learning.
» Rachel Braun Scherl
Managing Partner, Entrepreneur, SPARK Solutions For Growth
BIOGRAPHY
Rachel Braun Scherl has a long track record of success as a growth strategist, marketing expert, and Vagipreneur™. Over her 25+ year career, Rachel has grown some of the world’s leading brands and businesses as well as helped many start-ups achieve market dominance. As Managing Partner of SPARK Solutions for Growth, Rachel counsels a global client base including Johnson & Johnson, Allergan, Pfizer and Bayer. In addition, Rachel works closely with many start-ups in a range of female health businesses including reproductive health, pregnancy, birth control, and arousal.Rachel was Co-Founder and President of Semprae Laboratories, Inc., a venture-backed company focused on developing and marketing women's sexual health products. The company was sold to Innovus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 2013. Rachel speaks broadly on entrepreneurship, leadership and women in business, contributes monthly to Huffington Post and to Inc. She earned her BA from Duke University, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa and her MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Rachel is the recipient of numerous business awards.
