In this part 1 of the series we will explore the problem, through storytelling, on the ground insights and lived experience. We hear from Maneesha Ghiya, the founder of FemHealth Ventures about her own birth experience that prompted a career-long devotion to women’s health issues, as well as Yele Aluko, EY Americas Chief Medical Officer, director of the EY Center for Health Equity, Adonica Shaw, CEO and Founder of My Wing Women, an online community and resource center for women relating to reproductive and other health issues. Maura Rosenfeld, founder of digital health innovator – MindUp, provides her insights on the innovations and technology that can move the needle in alleviating this problem. 

Nkem Egekeze is chief innovation officer and Managing Director of Stealth Startup.  He previously worked as an orthopedic surgery resident and as a research scholar at the University of Georgia, and a strategy advisor at Harvard Innovation Labs. He obtained his medical degree from University of Michigan medical school. He focuses on providing value-based health research and innovation insights for investment executives and medical professionals focusing in particular on cost savings and customized insights. 

In Series 2 of our Inspiring People in Medicine and Science we continue to source inspiring voices and to ventilate topics relevant to us, our loved ones and the societies we live in.  With topics as wide ranging as development aid, mental health, Femhealth and value – we dig deep into what these areas mean, why the conventional wisdom is not always “wise” and hear about exciting new frontiers.  We are releasing all four of these episodes this week so that you can compare and contrast the experiences of these doctors and medical professionals and that have broken the mould and are pushing for change.  

Shalom Lloyd,  after a career of over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry, went on to found two businesses. She is founder of Naturally Tribal skincare, a beauty line based on traditional remedies including shea butter, which she developed initially to cure her son’s eczema. She is also the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of eMQT, described as “the Bridge between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Africa” which facilitates clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies in Africa. She has been a keynote speaker on the topic of innovation and was a fellow of the Start-Up Leadership Program in London until 2020.