Inaugural Femtech and Women’s Health Summit launching in Phoenix this month – Phoenix Business Journal

Industry and economic development officials aim to highlight Arizona as a destination for femtech startups with a new event taking place next week in downtown Phoenix.

The Arizona Commerce Authority and The Pause Technologies will host the inaugural Femtech and Women’s Health Summit on Oct. 9 at ACA’s office, 100 N. 7th Ave.

“We want to showcase Arizona as a hub for innovation and a wonderful place for women to launch their companies and be supported,” Susan Sly, event co-chair and CEO and founder of The Pause Technologies, told AZ Inno.

The first-of-its-kind event — which is expected to draw more than 100 attendees — will connect leaders in health care, technology, government and venture capital to foster innovation and advancements in women’s health. The event is also intended to position Arizona as a national leader for solving women’s health care challenges, including gaps in menopause care and underfunding for medical research. It will also highlight the potential of AI and the important role data plays in women’s health, Sly said.

“Arizona is poised to lead with breakthroughs in women’s health, largely thanks to our booming bioscience industry,” Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix, said in a statement. “That’s why we are especially thrilled to host the inaugural Femtech and Women’s Health Summit, where leaders across healthcare, technology, and research will come together to address critical challenges in women’s health and advance collaborative solutions that ensure equity in care.”

Event speakers to discuss technology’s role in health care

Speakers at the event include Lisa Larkin, president of the North American Menopause Society and founder and CEO of MsMedicine; Mitzi Krockover, managing partner of Krockover Collaborative and former leader of Mayo Clinic’s Women’s Health initiative; and Melissa Margraves, an executive sales leader at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, who will speak about technology’s role in transforming health care.

What’s more, Joan Koerber-Walker, CEO of the Arizona BioIndustry Association, will offer insights on biotech solutions for women’s health, while Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the ACA, will share how Arizona’s business environment is contributing to the state’s thriving health care ecosystem.

Mia Chorney, a senior leader at HonorHealth, will discuss how large health care systems are adopting AI and emerging technologies to improve patient care, particularly for underserved areas in women’s health.

Last year, Sly and Chorney launched thePause.ai, which created a platform offering expert guidance and curated resources for women navigating various stages of menopause.

The Arizona Femtech and Women’s Health Summit is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield, Bayless Ventures, PNC Bank, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, AMD, Snell and Wilmer and Emmeline Ventures, a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm with ties to the Valley.

Emmeline Ventures, which invests in female and female-identifying founders building businesses that empower women to manage their health, wealth and environment, was featured in “Show Her the Money,” a documentary exploring how to address underfunding of women-led startups, the Business Journal previously reported.

“The inaugural Arizona Women’s Health and Femtech Summit is not only a platform for cutting-edge innovation in women’s healthcare but also a pivotal step in positioning Phoenix as a premier femtech hub, leveraging the city’s unique mix of talent, resources, and entrepreneurial spirit,” Azin Radsan van Alebeek, cofounder and managing partner of Emmeline Ventures, said in a statement.

Sly said she’d like to see the Femtech and Women’s Health Summit become a premier women’s health event.

Last month, she was a speaker at the Women’s Health Innovation Summit, which was held in Boston and drew more than 800 attendees. With the Mayo Clinic, Arizona State University, HonorHealth and a growing tech ecosystem, Arizona has potential to host a similar event of that scale in the future, she said.

“I would love for us to be able to have something very similar (to the Women’s Health Innovation Summit), but in Arizona,” Sly said.

For more information, visit: azfemtechsummit.com.

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