Business of the V

When it comes to female incontinence, it’s a little unexpected to see a young businessman as the face of a solution. But Steven Cruz is here to tell us on this episode of Busine$$ of the V exactly how he came to develop an innovative disposable underwear that is breaking barriers and changing the conversation. As a founder of Hazel, he is helping to shake up a consumer product sector that has been...

Long known as a “silent killer,” ovarian cancer wouldn’t claim nearly as many women’s lives as it does each year if reliable early screening were available. But as we learn on this episode of the Busine$$ of the V, such diagnostics have been elusive — a challenge that Oriana Papin-Zoghbi and her co-founders at AOA have taken up with a passion that has yielded amazing progress.   We learn about thi...

This episode of the Busine$$ of the V is focused on a digital health platform that is drawing raves from women wrestling with low libido and sexual dysfunction. Dr. Dweck and Rachel are hearing from Dr. Lyndsey Harper, an entrepreneur to watch in the sexual health space. She is the CEO and Founder of Rosy , a unique platform that blends education, coaching and a supportive community for women to b...

Deeply entrenched stigmas and taboos are hard to overcome. But if there’s anyone who can effect transformational change it would have to be Suhani Jalota, the social entrepreneur Dr. Dweck and Rachel welcome on this episode of The Busine$$ of the V. She has not only founded the visionary Myna Mahila Foundation to educate and debunk disempowering myths about menstruation prevalent in India, she’s u...

Could it be that menopause is finally getting its day in the sun? On this episode of the Busine$$ of the V, Dr. Dweck and Rachel showcase the latest example of a femtech product addressing a massive, never-ending, recession-proof market opportunity. Liz Gazda, CEO of Embr Labs , is introducing us to a therapeutic device that disrupts hot flashes at the touch of a button. It’s a welcome solution fo...

Women’s sexual health is more than a huge (often untapped) market with outsized impacts, it’s also a huge investment opportunity. Learn more about this sector and its many verticals from Carli Sapir, Founding Partner at Amboy Street Ventures, who is sharing with Rachel and Dr. Dweck the ins and outs of raising capital for “femtech” and related startups on this episode of Busine$$ of the V. It may...

Many of the most impactful products in the sextech space have grown up in direct response to an unmet need. As we learn on this episode of Busine$$ of the V, Melanie Cristol brainstormed her unique patented underwear technology because she wanted to enable more people to say “yes” to oral sex. You’ll learn how and why the CEO & Founder of Lorals stepped out of a successful partner-track legal care...

This episode highlights inequities in clinical research due to a lack of both diversity and nuance within the industry. To understand the “why” behind this persistent problem, Dr. Dweck and Rachel welcome Dr. Ru-fong Joanne Cheng, Senior Medical Director in charge of women’s health projects in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer at Johnson & Johnson. It’s an overwhelmingly tall order, but this...

This episode highlights the huge progress we’re seeing (at long last!) in the sextech industry. Dr. Dweck and Rachel invite their guest Polly Rodriguez to share the journey of Unbound , the sexual wellness company she initially founded to fill a market gap – only to discover its super-power: Breaking open the silence around women’s sexual health and wellness. Diagnosed at 21 years old with Stage 3...

This episode of the Busine$$ of the V features Jackie Rotman, CEO and founder of the Center for Intimacy Justice (CIJ), a social change organization committed to equity and wellbeing in people’s intimate lives. You’ll learn about how CIJ is helping to rewrite the rules in tech companies' ad policies to allow ads for female sexual health and wellness – which are systematically censored today. She a...

On this episode of the Busine$$ of the V, hosts Dr. Dweck and Rachel ramp up a conversation that has burst forth in recent years. No more is menopause a whispered word, suitable only for the gynecologist’s office. With some 20 percent of women in the U.S. at some stage of menopause — many of them in the workforce — it was time to break the silence, which is just what Michelle Jacobs and Sally Muel...

It’s not often that we associate menopause-related products with high-end retail outlets like Nordstrom’s and Bloomingdale’s but that’s the feat achieved by Amy Buckalter, the visionary featured on this episode of the Busine$$ of the V. Hosts Dr. Dweck and Rachel get the full rundown on her burgeoning company Pulse , which has developed a bespoke dispenser for lubricants that is drawing fans well...

With its lack of early diagnostics and greater than 50% mortality rate, ovarian cancer impacts enormous costs to women and society as a whole. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to Valerie Palmieri, a force to be reckoned with and the featured guest on this episode of Busine$$ of the V. As President and CEO at  Aspira Women’s Health , she is not only overseeing the development of...

What if women around the world had a single platform through which to support and “upscale” each other? That’s the goal for Dr. Dweck’s and Rachel’s guest on this episode of Busine$$ of the V. Amy Williams is Founder and CEO at Fem Foundry, a one-of-a-kind online resource of the sort she wished were available when she was navigating a lonely, challenging life passage.   Some 74% of women globally...

How is it that so many of us are more sure of what we want on a sandwich than in our sexual pleasure? On this episode of Busine$$ of the V, Dr. Alyssa Dweck and Rachel Braun Scherl take on this question along with their guest, Andrea Barrica. Her sexual education platform, the O.School, has carved out a niche by providing a safe place for people in search of science-based and accessible informatio...

This episode of Busine$$ of the V features a game-changing new FemTech response to urinary incontinence, a very common and largely unseen condition often linked to pregnancy, childbirth and menopause. As Dr. Dweck knows from her own practice, Kegel exercises can be very effective in restoring pelvic floor muscle strength, but many busy women aren’t able to make the commitment of time and intention...

This episode of Busine$$ of the V takes on a gynecological affliction that affects a significant number of women, can take years to diagnose and often leaves permanent scarring and even infertility. Dr. Dweck and Rachel welcome Somer Baburek, CEO and President of Hera Biotech, an early-stage women's health company bringing to market a minimally invasive diagnostic for endometriosis. Tens of millio...

This episode of Busine$$ of the V features Frances Tang, the forward-thinking founder of Awkward Essentials, a startup devoted to taking the taboo out of post-sex cleanup. It might not be the easiest of entrepreneurial concepts to sell, but with her flair for social media and creative pitching, Frances has turned an intimate personal care challenge into a viable and thriving niche enterprise.   In...

Alyssa couldn't have said it any better. It's been an unbelievable year in the world of vagina's and business.  This podcast was born from a desire to educate themselves and other people about the intersection of businesses creating solutions and solving problems for vaginal health. We've released 30 episodes in 2021 with many more to come in 2022. We've been overwhelmed by the excitement and the...

As we come to the end of another year  we wanted to take a moment to reflect. We are so thankful for all of our guests, our listeners and our sponsors that made Business of the V possible this year. Here is a re-release of our most downloaded episode of the year featuring OhNut. Look for all new episodes dropping in January of 2022! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In this episode, Dr. Dweck and Rachel interview E...

If you’re interested in the ultimate lemons-to-lemonade startup story, then this episode of Busine$$ of the V is for you. It features a woman who has channeled second-degree burns from a Brazilian wax gone wrong and a punishing round of breast cancer treatment into a hot new women’s health product. Suzanne Sinatra, CEO & Founder of Private Packs, shares with us her remarkable entrepreneurial journ...

This episode of Busine$$ of the V introduces a dynamo who proves that anything is possible with bootstrap determination. Deeannah Seymour, CEO & Founder of pH-D Feminine Health, shares the story of how she founded her company and grew it from limited online sales on Amazon (where the rave reviews came in an avalanche) to availability at some 35,000 retail outlets nationwide. It’s a profile in pers...

Communities are built in all kinds of ways, but when it comes to menopause it’s education that knits the fabric together. In this episode of Busine$$ of the V, Dr. Dweck and Rachel learn about how Kindra has created space for women navigating this stage of life. As CEO Catherine Balsam-Schwaber explains, Kindra’s platform and products are all about destigmatizing and managing symptoms throughout t...

Who doesn’t want to know more about a company whose mantra is: Joy and pleasure are your birthright? On this episode of Busine$$ of the V, Dr. Dweck and Rachel offer robust conversation about an intimate skincare company that embraces self-love. Christine Marie Mason, founder and CEO of Rosebud Woman, shares her journey from successful B2B tech startup guru to femtech entrepreneur.   Rosebud Woman...

On this episode of Busine$$ of the V, Dr. Dweck and Rachel welcome Toni Brannagan, whose work as content editor at Thinx Inc. is generating an exciting conversation about menstrual underwear. This innovative company has transcended the “ick” factor with candid advertising, multi-platform communications and an emphasis on education. We’re saying goodbye to the granny panties and hello to a new alte...