Business of the V

Once again, Rachel and Dr. Dweck are hosting a conversation that brings to light a topic little discussed but pervasive in the world of women’s health. Their guest on this episode of Busine$$ of the V, Tracy MacNeal, explains why dilators have an important role to play for a huge number of women who are suffering – usually undiagnosed – with pelvic floor-related issues. President and CEO at Matern...

So many of us have spent years trying to figure out the riddle of our skin. On this episode of Busine$$ of the V, Dr. Dweck and Rachel welcome someone who is helping us to figure it all out by connecting the dots – starting with the many hormones at play. Learn why Allie Eagan’s career trajectory made her uniquely positioned to launch Veracity Skincare,  a personalized skin suite of testing and pr...

Given that women are the ultimate multi-taskers, it’s no surprise that they resonate with new Multi-Purpose Prevention Technologies (MPTs) – the focus of this episode of Busine$$ of the V. Dr. Bethany Holt, director of the CAMI Public Health Institute, shares with Dr. Dweck and Rachel the common-sense wisdom behind combining reproductive health with HIV and STI protections.   In an apt analogy, Ra...

On this episode of Busine$$ of the V, Dr. Dweck and Rachel welcome a pioneer in the FemTech space. As the Founder & Director of Ultra Violet Futures, Anna Butterworth is bringing future forecasting into new realms of health innovation. Whether you’re a startup geared toward women’s needs or looking to grow a business already in that space, she is all about elevating brands and showcasing innovativ...

This episode of Busine$$ of the V is all about the intersection of women’s health and technology. Alyssa and Rachel speak with Kathrin Folkendt, who began in the tech world, later combining technology with women’s health and is now the founder of Perla and Femtech Insider. Kathrin discusses PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) – a condition that she has been diagnosed with and one that affects 10 pe...

With 6,000 women entering menopause on a daily basis, the market opportunity is huge and growing. This episode of Busine$$ of the V features Colette Courtion, whose innovative medical device company has spawned all kinds of conversation as well as welcome product offerings. Join Dr. Dweck and her co-host Rachel in exploring the evolution of Joylux, whose brand is focused on providing life-changing...

Sometimes employees need to educate their employers and Kate Torgersen is a case in point! In this episode of Busine$$ of the V, Dr. Dweck and Rachel unspool the story of how MilkStork, the first-ever breast milk shipping company, came into being. Formerly an executive communications manager for 18 years with Clif Bar & Co., Kate entered a whole new world when she added young kids to her work-life...

This episode of Busine$$ of the V is about having important conversations surrounding sexual wellness and reproductive health. Guest Claire McCormack, founder of Beauty Independent, shares her in-depth knowledge of entrepreneurs, their personal stories and rising trends in the market space of intimate beauty. Furthermore, she shares about today’s increase in consumer awareness and the impact that...

This episode of Busine$$ of the V is about helping women beat infertility by asking the right questions. Guest Amy Beckley, owner and CEO of Proov , introduces us to a new home ovulation test that asks not “if” but “how.” Called Proov, this ovulation test frames the infertility conversation around overall ovarian health by measuring the quality of ovulation over a mere presence of eggs. This under...

This episode of Busine$$ of the V is all about putting technology in the hands of women, starting with birth control. Guest Amanda French, co-founder and CEO of Emme, introduces us to an integrated technology-enabled solution designed to safeguard the birth control experience and reduce the rate of missed pills. With its unique multi-sensor “smart” design, Emme’s case syncs with an app to send per...

Feminine health issues like yeast infections and genital herpes are still considered “taboo” when it comes to media portrayal, and even sometimes in healthcare circles. On this episode of the Busine$$ of the V, hosts Rachel-Braun Scherl and Dr. Alyssa Dweck sit down with Caroline Goodner, the founder and CEO of OrganiCare. OrganiCare is an efficacious and all-natural healthcare company that specia...

It’s all about “smashing taboos,” as Elektra Health CEO Alessandra Henderson puts it on this episode of the Busine$$ of the V. Together with Dr. Dweck and Rachel, she explains how the market for menopausal education and treatment is burgeoning and what it means from a start-up perspective. Co-founded by Alessandra just two years ago, Elektra Health is a unique online platform built on three pillar...

U-T-I. Mention these three letters to just about any woman and you’ll likely elicit instant recognition. In this episode of the Busine$$ of the V, Rachel and Dr. Dweck introduce a proactive advance of interest to anyone who has dealt with a urinary tract infection – which is millions of us every year. Jenna Ryan, founder of Uqora, explains how her line of health products is jumpstarting a neglecte...

If only 4% of women report internal penetration as their most reliable route to climax, then why has the vibrator industry been built around products shaped like penises? The reasons are clear, as you’ll discover in this episode of the Busine$$ of the V. Women’s sexual pleasure is finally moving into the mainstream and Alex Fine, co-founder of Dame Products , explains why. Designed by and for wome...

This week’s episode features a young woman who is changing the conversation around women’s reproductive health, and more specifically the stigma associated with period products. Barely into her 20s, Nadya Okamoto shares her story both as a serial entrepreneur and as a young woman evolving. She founded and became executive director at age 16 of Period.org , a nonprofit organization with 900 chapter...

As we learn on this episode of Busine$$ of the V, the speculum represented a major advance for women’s health … back in the 1800s! So it’s not surprising that Dr. Dweck and Rachel’s guest often gets the following reaction when she introduces her new take on an old device: “Why didn’t someone think of this sooner?” or “It’s about time!” Fahti Khosrowshahi, CEO & Founder of Ceek Women’s Health , sha...

In this episode, Dr. Dweck and Rachel interview Emily Sauer, founder of OhNut , female entrepreneur, maker, IRL community leader, and sexual health advocate with a passion to empower women who are co-creating a deeper understanding of how sexual identity informs our individual and collective lives. Emily shares how after years of painful intercourse, also known as dyspareunia, why and how she inve...

Do opposites attract? According to Brittany Barreto, a FemTech entrepreneur who launched her career with a DNA-based dating app, the answer is: Yes! In this episode of the Business of the V, Dr. Alyssa Dweck and Rachel Braun Scherl talk with this upstart geneticist about her burgeoning podcast, FemTech Focus, as well as the many ventures she’s helping to cultivate in the FemTech space. With more t...

Technology invades all the rooms in our house, so why don’t we talk about its impact in the bedroom? Dr. Alyssa Dweck and Rachel talk taboo topics with Bryony Cole, a leading expert in sex tech.  Her global sex tech hackathon events and Future of Sex podcast are considered the pinnacle of industry insights and innovation. Bryony is a sought-after consultant who partners with organizations across t...

For anyone who still thinks menopause is a forbidden topic, today’s episode breaks right through that barrier. Dr. Alyssa Dweck and Rachel talking facts and welcoming insights from Mike Satow, president and CEO of Bonafide , a data-driven supplement company “on a mission to provide naturally effective solutions to perfectly natural symptoms.” Focused on women’s sexual and reproductive health, the...

In this episode, Dr. Alyssa Dweck and Rachel have a raw and real conversation with Cindy Gallop, founder of MakeLoveNotPorn (MLNP), a social sextech platform designed to promote good sexual behavior and good sexual values. MLNP was launched at TED 2009. Cindy shares how MakeLoveNotPorn birthed from the desire to date younger men and her Ted Talk. Cindy shares the impact she is seeing from building...

  In Episode 3, Dr. Alyssa Dweck and Rachel interview Sophia Yen, CEO and co-founder of Pandia Health , a health platform with the mission is to make women’s lives easier by bringing birth control to women wherever they have the internet and a mailbox. Dr. Yen is a reproductive health specialist who continually researches the data behind birth control and has a belief in using science to customize...

This week’s episode features the introduction of a brand new product in a space that is overdue for some innovation: Menstruation products. It’s one of the most innovative developments in women’s period health care that our hosts, Dr. Alyssa Dweck and Rachel, have seen in some time. They welcome Thang Vo-Ta, a fascinating entrepreneur driven by the desire to deliver to women a better, more reliabl...

In this episode, Dr. Alyssa Dweck and Rachel have a conversation with special guest Jill Angelo, founder of Gennev, the first ever online clinic for women in menopause. Together, they talk about menopause, what women are seeking for their own menopausal health and the impact that menopause has on the economy as well as the physical self.   First, Jill candidly shares how she began her career in te...

Hello friends and colleagues, welcome to the Business of the V ! I’m Dr. Alyssa Dweck. I’m a gynecologist, surgeon and author. I speak vagina. I think the v is super cool to know about but not always so hip to talk about. Have you ever wondered what’s normal down there, or worse, something scary? What is that itch or worse that bump? What keeps you up at night when it comes to your v health? We wi...