FemInnovation

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 12: The Titanic Effect: Navigating the Icebergs that Can Sink Femtech Startups Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

Many entrepreneurs assume that the Titanic sunk because it hit a single iceberg. But the truth is that the Titanic’s fate was the result of a series of missteps and misguided choices that prevented the ship from recovering once it struck the iceberg. The failure of many startups can be viewed similarly – there’s never just one thing that sinks a startup. Rather, startup failure is the result of choices, debt, and spending over time, with such decisions accumulating to prevent success when a future roadblock is encountered. It’s why up to 90% of startups fail.

In this episode of the FemInnovation Podcast, host Bethany Corbin sits down with Drs. Todd and Kim Saxton to discuss the Titanic effect and how startups can successfully navigate the uncertainties that threaten to pull their businesses under. Todd and Kim are award-winning professors at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and have made it their mission to help startup founders and investors navigate the icebergs that so often sink startups in their early stages. Kim and Todd have advised, helped launch, and invested in hundreds of startups spanning life sciences, software, sports, consumer products, and services. If you’re a startup company, you won’t want to miss their incredible perspective on how to navigate the oceans of debt that startups accumulate.

RELEVANT LINKS:

More about Todd Saxton at this website.
More about Kim Saxton at this website.
Read The Titanic Effect: Successfully Navigating the Uncertainties that Sink Most Startups.

Connect with Our Guest, Todd Saxton: LINKEDIN

Connect with Our Guest, Kim Saxton: LINKEDIN

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Ep. 11: The Power of Investing in Female Founders: Moving Beyond "Charitable" Funding Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

It’s no secret that female founders remain extremely underfunded in today’s entrepreneurial world, receiving only 2% of total venture capital dollars. On the flip side, studies consistently show that female founded companies over-deliver results and profits. So why are investments in female founded companies still treated as charitable or philanthropic endeavors instead of standard business practice?

In this episode of FemInnovation, host Bethany Corbin speaks with Carrie Colbert, founder and general partner of Curate Capital, to learn more about why women are being neglected in the VC world and what we can do about it. As the first in her family to graduate college, Carrie began investing her money into female-founded companies, generating a 10x ROI in just five short years. She launched Curate Capital in 2021 to expand investments in businesses by women for women. Curate Capital closed its first fund in 2022 with a $15 million raise primarily supported by individual female investors. Bethany and Carrie discuss how to get more dollars to female founders, the importance of changing the profile of investors, how to overcome biases as a female founder, how more women can invest in female founded businesses, and much more. Join us for an engaging discussion on transforming the VC landscape!

RELEVANT LINKS:

More about Curate Capital at this website.
Follow Curate Capital @Instagram.
Follow Curate Capital @LinkedIn.

Connect with Our Guest, Carrie Colbert: LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM

Follow Our Host, Bethany Corbin: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM | ADDITIONAL LINKS

Ep. 10: Protecting Your Genius with Trademarks: An Inside Conversation with Attorney Kelli Jones Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

Curious about protecting your intellectual property through trademarks but don’t know where to start? In this episode of FemInnovation, host Bethany Corbin sits down with attorney Kelli Jones to demystify the trademark process. Kelli runs her own virtual law firm focused on helping entrepreneurs legally protect their business ideas and strategies. Bethany and Kelli start with the basics by educating founders about the foundational characteristics of trademarks – including what they are and why they’re beneficial for startups. The legal duo then walks through how companies can determine whether they need trademarks, how trademarks can save startups money, common trademark mistakes, and the trademark process. Join us for an exciting episode that breaks down everything startups should know about trademarks.

RELEVANT LINKS:

More about Kelli Jones Law at this website.
Follow Kelli Jones Law @LinkedIn.

Connect with Our Guest, Kelli Jones: LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM

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Ep. 9: Women's Health and Biotech: Funding Insights and the Future of Endometriosis Diagnostics Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of FemInnovation, host Bethany Corbin sits down with Somer Baburek to discuss women's health in the biotech industry and the future of endometriosis diagnosis. Somer is the CEO of Hera Biotech, an early-stage women's health company focused on commercializing a minimally invasive diagnostic for endometriosis. Prior to founding Hera, Somer spent 7 years with the largest life science venture capital fund in San Antonio and served as the Director of Clinical Operations for two of the fund's sister companies. Bethany and Somer discuss why the biotech industry continues to ignore women's health, how to build diagnostic tools without a scientific or medical background, how life sciences VC funds analyze biotech companies, and the ways in which Hera Biotech is revolutionizing the endometriosis field. You won't want to miss this exciting discussion.
RELEVANT LINKS:

More about Hera Biotech at this website.
Follow Hera Biotech @LinkedIn and @Instagram.
Hera Biotech Articles & Features @Linktr.ee.

Connect with Our Guest, Somer Baburek: LINKEDIN
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Ep. 8: Building a Winning Sales Mindset in Femtech: Strategies for Success from a Sales Superstar Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

Host Bethany Corbin engages in an enlightening conversation with Jocelyn Chong about how femtech and women’s health companies can approach the sales side of their businesses with confidence and power. Jocelyn, a certified life and business coach and award-winning author, breaks down why sales shouldn’t be a dirty word and how female founders can cultivate a sales mindset without shame or discomfort. In this episode, Bethany and Jocelyn talk about why sales gets a bad reputation with female founders, common misconceptions about sales, how to change your perception of the sales process, pushing through imposter syndrome so that female founders can own their position and authority with confidence, and how entrepreneurs can stay motivated during difficult sales cycles.

RELEVANT LINKS:

More about Jocelyn Chong at this website.
More about Jocelyn Chong’s coaching services at this website.

Connect with Our Guest, Jocelyn Chong: LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM

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Ep. 7: Data Donation and AI in Women's Health: A Conversation with Ligia Kornowska Sep 06, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of FemInnovation, host Bethany Corbin sits down with Ligia Kornowska, an internationally recognized leader in AI in medicine, telemedicine, and medical data, and 2x Forbes 30 under 30 honoree. Ligia is the Managing Director of the Polish Hospital Federation (the largest hospital organization in Poland), Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of Data Lake, and President of the Donate Your Data Foundation. She is also a recipient of the ESET Heroes of Progress award and has been listed among the 100 most influential people in Polish healthcare for the last 3 years. In this episode, Bethany and Ligia discuss democratizing access to medical data (with patient consent!) to help advance women's healthcare and close the gender data gap. They break down the use of blockchain technology to give medical organizations and startups access to essential data to help improve, test, and refine their products and offerings. Bethany and Ligia also discuss best practices and concerns with AI that femtech and healthtech startups should know, and the importance of breaking into emerging femtech markets worldwide.
RELEVANT LINKS:
More about Data Lake at this website.
More about Ligia’s work at the International Hospital Federation at this website.

Connect with Our Guest, Ligia Kornowska: LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER/X

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Ep. 6: Femovate: UX Design for Women's Health Founders with Theresa Neil Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

On the sixth episode of FemInnovation, host Bethany Corbin dives into the fundamentals of user experience (UX) design with guest Theresa Neil. Theresa is the founder and CEO of Guidea, a women-owned, women-led UX consultancy with extensive product and design strategy expertise in health tech and medtech. In this episode, Bethany and Theresa explore the essentials of UX design, how femtech startups should think about product design strategy, common design mistakes for health tech companies, how to perform a competitive analysis, and an incredible sponsorship program for femtech UX design consultancy services known as Femovate! Join us for an incredible episode that will take your femtech design strategy to the next level.
More about Guidea at this website.
More about Femovate by Guidea at this website.
More about Femovate by Guidea @LinkedIn.

Connect with Our Guest, Theresa Neil: LINKEDIN

Connect with Our Host, Bethany Corbin:
WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | ADDITIONAL LINKS
Additional Resources Referenced in Episode:
Check out Fable for inclusive recruiting and research at this website.
Learn more about FDA requirements for breakthrough device designation at this website.
Product strategy books for founders (particularly those new to creating digital products) recommended by Theresa: Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love | Start at the End: How to Build Products that Create Change| The Lean Product Playbook: How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback
Resources for competitive analysis: FemTech Landscape Report 2022 | FemTech: A Growth Industry, a Special Report 2023

Ep. 5: Building Your Femtech Empire Through Scaling with Veronica Kirin Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

Join host Bethany Corbin and guest Veronica Kirin as they dive into the importance and practicalities associated with scaling an early-stage femtech company. Veronica is an anthropologist, author, and serial entrepreneur who works with business leaders to scale their impact and income while managing imposter syndrome. She has been featured on the Forbes NEXT 1,000 and BEQ's 40 LGBTQ Leaders under 40 lists, has presented her research at two Tedx events, and is the founder of the newly launched venture Asterisk. Bethany and Veronica discuss what scaling means, how entrepreneurs can successfully scale, the importance of starting scaled, and the three pillars of business scaling. They also highlight Veronica's new company, Asterisk, which seeks to revolutionize women's non-reproductive health through research and femtech funding. Tune in for this exciting episode!
Connect with Our Guest, Veronica Kirin
More about Veronica at this website.
Connect with Veronica @LinkedIn.
Connect with Veronica @Instagram.
Join Veronica in the SCALING:lab.
Learn More about Asterisk at this website.
Connect with Host Bethany Corbin:
WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | ADDITIONAL LINKS

Ep. 4: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Preterm Birth Landscape with Pamela Bonnett Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

More than 1 million children across the globe die every year from preterm birth complications, with U.S. healthcare costs for preterm births exceeding $30 billion per year. But what if artificial intelligence could change this landscape through early detection of preterm births – particularly for the 50% of women who don’t present with typical symptoms? Join host Bethany Corbin and guest Pamela Bonnett from Ultrasound AI to learn about a groundbreaking platform that utilizes the power of AI to accomplish this exact goal! Bethany and Pam discuss the existing preterm birth landscape, how Ultrasound AI is providing actionable solutions to change the preterm birth narrative, how to reduce bias when training AI algorithms, the importance of data-driven decision making for women’s health, and whether AI is the future for female healthcare. You won’t want to miss this exciting episode!

More about Ultrasound AI at this website.
More about Ultrasound AI @LinkedIn.
Follow Ultrasound AI @Facebook.

Ep. 3: Femopause: Menopause & Longevity Innovation with FemGevity Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

Join host Bethany Corbin for a deep dive into the menopause and longevity sectors with guests Michele Wispelwey and Kristin Mallon from FemGevity! FemGevity offers personalized menopause care designed by women to facilitate empowered aging. Bethany, Michele, and Kristin discuss the need for personalized menopause solutions, how to identify the stages of menopause, current menopause myths, misinformation about hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the impact of menopause on the workforce, tips and advice for building a telehealth company, and much more! This empowering and engaging episode is a must-listen for women who want to reclaim their post-reproductive health narratives.
More about FemGevity at this website.
More about FemGevity @LinkedIn.
Follow FemGevity @Instagram.
Follow FemGevity @Facebook.

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