Navigating Women's Health Tech with Journalist Marina Gerner
02/17/25 • 27 min
Marina Gerner is an award-winning financial journalist and author. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Commerce & Culture at NYU Stern. In her new book, The Vagina Business, she explores the innovations shaping women’s health and the forces that have held the field back.
In this episode, Marina shares some of the biggest success stories in health tech, as well as the innovations that have personally impacted her. She also explains how to navigate this rapidly growing space—and how to avoid what she calls “scam-tech.”
Over her career, Marina has reported on health, technology, and finance for leading publications, bringing a critical lens to the intersection of business and innovation.
[03:44] Women’s Heart Health and the Smart Bra
[05:28] Birth Innovations
[08:29] Challenges in Femtech Funding
[14:36] Misinformation in Women’s Health
[16:49] Adoption Barriers and Consumer Habits
[19:28] Marina’s In Her Ellement Moment
[21:44] Reflections
Links:
The $32 Trillion Opportunity in Women-Focused Products and Services
About In Her Ellement:
In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?
About The Hosts:
Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.
Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.
Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.
Marina Gerner is an award-winning financial journalist and author. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Commerce & Culture at NYU Stern. In her new book, The Vagina Business, she explores the innovations shaping women’s health and the forces that have held the field back.
In this episode, Marina shares some of the biggest success stories in health tech, as well as the innovations that have personally impacted her. She also explains how to navigate this rapidly growing space—and how to avoid what she calls “scam-tech.”
Over her career, Marina has reported on health, technology, and finance for leading publications, bringing a critical lens to the intersection of business and innovation.
[03:44] Women’s Heart Health and the Smart Bra
[05:28] Birth Innovations
[08:29] Challenges in Femtech Funding
[14:36] Misinformation in Women’s Health
[16:49] Adoption Barriers and Consumer Habits
[19:28] Marina’s In Her Ellement Moment
[21:44] Reflections
Links:
The $32 Trillion Opportunity in Women-Focused Products and Services
About In Her Ellement:
In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?
About The Hosts:
Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.
Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.
Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.
Previous Episode
Driving Change with Magnify Ventures’ Pam Kostka
What does it take to drive meaningful change in venture capital?
Pam Kostka is an executive in residence at Magnify Ventures, a VC firm focused on transforming the care economy. She was also the founding CEO of All Raise, an organization dedicated to increasing representation of female and non-binary founders and investors.
In this episode, Pam talks about why she thinks women are reaching a tipping point in the startup ecosystem. Plus, she discusses the impact of AI and demographic shifts on innovation, as well as what networking and your kitchen cabinet have in common.
Over her 30-year career, Pam has led multiple companies and she currently holds an advisory role at several organizations.
[01:41] The Importance of Health Tech and the Care Economy
[02:36] Demographic Shifts and Their Impact on Work
[05:51] Innovation from Lived Experiences
[08:51] Tipping Point in Startups and Venture Capital
[16:58] Networking and Your Kitchen Cabinet
[20:57] The Power of Saying No
[24:44] Pam's In Her Ellement Moment
[26:42] Reflections
Links:
About In Her Ellement:
In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?
About The Hosts:
Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.
Rynaa Chagti is a student and BCG X Co-op. She grew up in Dubai. She is currently studying business and design at Northeastern University, where she is the public relations coordinator for IDEA, the university’s student-led venture capital accelerator. She is passionate about building a career that does not box her into one role or title and rather one that reflects who she is authentically.
Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.
Next Episode
Navigating Career Pivots and Grit with Milo’s Avni Patel Thompson
How do you know when it’s time to make your next big career move?
With International Women’s Day around the corner, we are excited to feature Avni Patel Thompson, Founder and CEO of Milo. Avni is building technology that directly supports the often overlooked emotional and logistical labor that falls on parents—especially women. Milo is an AI assistant designed to help families manage that invisible load more efficiently.
In this episode, Avni shares her journey from studying chemistry to holding leadership roles at global brands like Adidas and Starbucks, to launching her own ventures. She discusses how she approaches career transitions, the importance of unpleasant experiences, and why she’s focused on making everyday life easier for parents.
[01:26] Avni's University Days and Early Career
[04:36] Non-Linear Career Paths
[05:16] Pursuing Steep Learning Curves
[11:51] Entrepreneurship and Safety Nets
[15:22] Lived Experiences and Milo
[19:55] Avni’s In Her Ellement Moment
[20:03] Reflections
Links:
Avni Patel Thompson on LinkedIn
Ipsos report on the future of parenting
About In Her Ellement:
In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?
About The Hosts:
Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.
Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.
Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.
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