Women in health tech: designing solutions and transforming lives across society by Mollie Goodfellow
It’s easy to conjure up images of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs when we think about the tech industry, but the often-unrecognised heroes of technology are the women spearheading new companies and inventions. This year sees the annual AXA Health Tech & You programme return, with new categories including the Women Entrepreneurs in Health Tech award, created to encourage and support women pioneering some of the most innovative health technology.
In the UK, only 17% of employees in the tech industry are female, and just 9% of UK startup investment goes to women. Globally, 9% of health tech businesses are founded by women. So it’s easy to see why women may feel less inclined to join the industry. Whether it’s lack of motivation, or a lack of funding to see budding ideas grow, this is a problem that needs a solution.
It’s certainly not that women aren’t enthused by the world of technology. We’ve spoken to three finalists, budding health tech entrepreneurs – who happen to also be women – to find out about their experiences within the industry.
Hadeel Ayoub – founder of BrightSign
Hadeel Ayoub: ‘When I take part in trade shows or give a talk in a conference, most often I am the only woman on the programme.’
BrightSign develops communication tech for children and sign language users. Its founder, Hadeel Ayoub, travelled with a team to South Korea during her PhD studies to take part in a global hackathon, entering a smart glove that translates sign language into text or speech. They won the competition, which led her to develop the technology further and create BrightSign.
“The tech arena in general is definitely male dominated. In digital health specifically, when I take part in trade shows or give a talk in a conference, most often I am the only woman on the programme. I am not necessarily treated differently, but the look of surprise on people’s faces when I am walking to the podium, into a meeting or presenting my technology cannot be overlooked. My name doesn’t always give me away as a woman, so it has happened to me several times that I am mistaken for the assistant while ‘Mr Hadeel’ is coming shortly.”
Although Ayoub is encouraged by the progress the industry is making when it comes to being more inclusive to women, she sometimes feels she can be treated like a box to tick.
“I feel I have been invited to events so they can even out the numbers and check the inclusivity and diversity boxes. That’s a shame, because I would rather be included for my work, not my gender.
“I have to say that in the past couple of months, I have been very happy to see other female names presenting, and CEOs no less. There are a few women in tech in London. We have joined together and meet up regularly to share our challenges and support each other.”
Hsin-Hua (Sheana) Yu – founder of Aergo
Sheana Yu: ‘I have learnt that by being clear, firm and professional, people begin to look past my gender and see me for my abilities.’
Hsin-Hua Yu, known as Sheana, was inspired by her own experiences with scoliosis (curvature of the spine) to create Aergo, a low-cost, inconspicuous postural support system. Sheana, who graduated with a double master’s in global innovation design at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, was motivated by a research visit where she met with young people who used wheelchairs but struggled to sit comfortably and maintain a healthy posture.
“Students and carers complained about the social stigma caused by not being able to sit upright, which led to people excluding them from conversations or activities. This motivated me to create a solution that helps children to break free from the need for constant assistance and build their self-confidence,” she says.
Despite her complex and life-changing work, Sheana feels she faces something of an uphill struggle to be taken seriously.
“As a female founder, I feel I have more to prove in front of colleagues, investors and business partners. I find the medical industry is particularly male-dominated and this can sometimes be quite intimidating. I’ve learned that by being clear, firm and professional, people begin to look past my gender and see me for my abilities.”
Sheana would like to see a more “inclusive” health tech industry in future.
“I’d like to see health tech designing solutions for all members of society. A lot of health tech today focuses on the medical condition and not the person. This often leads to a solution that can contribute to prejudice and social stigma. I believe in creating tech that is accessible to a wider range of users because it has the power to transform lives, remove social barriers, and change perceptions of disability within our culture.”
Flavia Wahl – founder at iBreve
Before creating iBreve, Wahl was working at Google’s legal department in Dublin and Boston. While travelling with her co-creator in Rishikesh, India – known as the yoga capital of the world – the pair saw an opportunity to combine breathing techniques from eastern culture with the western world and its modern stresses.
“The growing trend of mindfulness and the increasing popularity of wearables reinforced our endeavour,” says Wahl. “We decided to focus initially on women’s health and wellbeing. So we designed a beautiful and discreet wearable that attaches to the bra and helps to improve stress resilience by analysing breathing patterns with machine learning.”
Wahl wants to inspire more women and more diversity as a whole in the tech world.
“Inspiring more girls and women to join the tech world is going to contribute to this diversity and benefits society with better answers to the current big challenges we face. My time at Google and at iBreve showed me that working together with a diverse team from different backgrounds and with different experiences is productive, insightful and fun.”
She would encourage women wanting to break into the health tech industry – and the tech industry as a whole – to listen to their instincts and follow what comes naturally.
“The most important thing is to believe in yourself and do what you are passionate about. Trust your instincts and share your ideas and passion with others.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/axa-health-tech-and-you/2018/jun/19/women-in-health-tech-designing-solutions-and-transforming-lives-across-society