FemTech Focus

🎧 FemTech Focus Podcast | Episode Title:From Cancer Diagnosis to Advocacy: Sahar Paz Builds House of Paz👤 Guest: Sahar Paz, Founder of House of Paz & Own Your Voice Strategy Firm🔗 Website: houseofpaz.org📱 Instagram: @saharpaz📌 Episode Summary:In this deeply personal and empowering episode, Dr. Brittany Barreto sits down with Sahar Paz—a communications strategist, cancer survivor, and fierce patient advocate—to explore how voice, story, and emotional intelligence are essential tools in modern healthcare. Sahar shares her powerful journey from a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis to launching House of Paz, a wellness and advocacy platform for women navigating treatment, healing, and prevention.You’ll hear how Sahar used her intuition and persistence to challenge dismissive doctors, how she now teaches life science companies to humanize their data through storytelling, and why inclusive, patient-centered care is the future of medicine.💡 Key Takeaways:Your voice is data—why patient intuition and self-advocacy are essential in diagnosis and treatment.Sahar’s cancer journey: from misdiagnosis and miscommunication to finding a treatment team that listened.House of Paz: a holistic platform blending emotional healing, physical wellness, and spiritual growth.Emotional intelligence as a leadership strategy—especially in startup and innovation teams.Why storytelling is a critical skill for founders, clinicians, and researchers alike.Building trust with diverse patient communities in clinical trials and health innovation.🛠 Tools + Resources Mentioned:Sahar’s memoir + cognitive behavior workbook: Find Your VoiceComplex Creatures – breast health ritualsBrilliantly Warm – warming pads for breast comfort post-surgery📣 Connect with Us:Host: Dr. Brittany Barreto – @drbrittanybarretoPodcast: FemTech Focus🎙 About Our Sponsor:This episode is brought to you by Withum, a forward-thinking advisory and accounting firm that specializes in helping healthtech and life science innovators scale. Whether you’re raising your seed round or preparing for IPO, Withum’s team understands the complexities of building at the intersection of healthcare and innovation.🔗 Learn more: ⁠withum.com⁠

📋 Episode Summary:In this bold and eye-opening episode of FemTech Focus, Dr. Brittany Barreto is joined by Gabriela Rojas, Founder and CEO of Sin Reglas, the first Spanish-speaking digital platform dedicated to comprehensive menopause care across Latin America. With two master’s degrees from Harvard and a career rooted in law, health policy, and women’s rights, Gabriela is on a mission to dismantle the silence and stigma surrounding menopause.Gabriela shares her personal journey through perimenopause, the lack of awareness and care she encountered, and how that inspired her to create Sin Reglas. From digital self-assessments and peer coaching to workplace policy reform and public health advocacy, Gabriela breaks down the three-pronged approach Sin Reglas uses to redesign menopause for women from all backgrounds and regions.Together, Brittany and Gabriela explore the urgent need for localized, culturally competent menopause care, why menopause is a workplace equity issue, and how systemic change—including legal reform—is essential to supporting women through this critical life stage.🧠 What You’ll Learn:Why most women in Mexico don’t realize they’re in perimenopause—and how the Menotest is changing thatThe results of Mexico’s first national study on menopause perception and impactHow Sin Reglas combines digital care, workplace inclusion, and public policy to drive changeWhat it means to bring a gender lens to menopause in both healthcare and employmentPractical steps for companies to support menopausal employees—from surveys to uniformsThe cultural and structural barriers unique to LatAm—and why innovation must be local🌎 Explore More:Visit www.sin-reglas.mx to try the Menotest, explore menopause resources, or bring Sin Reglas programming to your workplace.🎤 This episode is sponsored by:Withum, a forward-thinking advisory and accounting firm empowering founders in healthcare and tech.Nest Collaborative, the leader in virtual lactation support, available to families 365 days a year.

📋 Episode Summary:In this powerful episode of FemTech Focus, Dr. Brittany Barreto is joined by Kamila Staryga, CEO and Co-founder of Rita Health. Kamila is a seasoned entrepreneur and product leader with a background at Flo Health, Google X, and ATAP—and she’s now on a mission to change the fertility care paradigm.Together, they explore why traditional fertility metrics like age and AMH aren't enough, how Rita Health is pioneering a proactive approach to fertility, and why fertility should be part of routine healthcare long before someone tries to conceive. Kamila explains how her team built a proprietary dataset, developed personalized care plans using AI, and is challenging the outdated notion that fertility care starts only after a problem arises.The episode dives deep into the behavioral, biological, and systemic factors impacting fertility today—and how Rita is helping users make informed decisions about their reproductive future.Whether you’re actively trying to conceive, considering your options, or just curious about how data and AI are reshaping women’s health, this episode is a must-listen.🧠 What You’ll Learn:Why fertility care should start before you're trying to conceiveThe dangers of relying on age and AMH aloneHow Rita Health uses AI to build personalized fertility profilesWhat your family history, lifestyle, and even dental hygiene may reveal about fertilityHow behavioral science and inclusive design shaped Rita’s user experienceWhy it’s time to stop treating fertility as an urgent switch—and start treating it as a continuum 🔗 Explore More: Check out Rita Health at wearerita.com and sign up for early access to their new care plan. This episode is the first place it’s being announced publicly!🎁 Listener Perk:You’re the first to know—Rita’s new proactive fertility care plan is now available for pre-order. Head to wearerita.com to reserve your spot and join the movement redefining fertility care.🎤 This episode is sponsored by:Clue, the leading cycle tracking app. Use promocode FEMHEALTH at helloclue.com for 1 year free Clue Plus Membership, and Nest Collaborative, the trusted name in virtual lactation support available 365 days a year.

📋 Episode Summary:In this cutting-edge episode, Dr. Brittany Barreto sits down with Dr. Rahima Benhabbour—chemist, biomedical engineer, and founder of AnelleO, a UNC spinout transforming intravaginal drug delivery. With her roots in Algeria and her scientific training spanning three continents, Dr. Benhabbour brings a global, deeply human perspective to women's health innovation.Together, they discuss how outdated vaginal ring technology inspired the development of AnelleO PRO, a 3D-printed, customizable progesterone ring designed for women undergoing fertility treatment. Unlike traditional rings that waste over 85% of the active drug, AnelleO's platform maximizes drug release and allows for multi-drug, multi-use configurations—including HIV prevention and contraception in a single product.This episode is a must-listen for those interested in biotechnology, platform therapeutics, and the engineering breakthroughs reshaping reproductive care.🧠 What You’ll Learn:Why traditional intravaginal rings are inefficient and outdatedHow AnelleO’s 3D printing technology allows for better drug release, fit, and personalizationThe clinical and regulatory milestones leading to first-in-human trials for fertility careHow multi-purpose prevention technologies could transform global contraception and HIV careThe growing movement toward non-hormonal contraception and the future of male birth control💬 Quotable Moment:"Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. Someone has to pave the way." – Dr. Rahima Benhabbour🔗 Resources Mentioned:AnelleO: www.anelleo.comDr. Benhabbour’s Lab: benhabbour.web.unc.eduNature Reviews Bioengineering article on AnelleO’s technology🧪 Episode Sponsor:This episode is brought to you by:Withum – A forward-thinking accounting and advisory firm supporting innovators in the Women’s Health and Wellness industry. Learn more at withum.com.🍼 Nest Collaborative – The pioneers in telehealth lactation support. Book your virtual appointment with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant at . Same-day visits often available and hundreds of insurance plans accepted, including Medicaid. www.nestcollaborative.com

🎙️ Episode Title:Somatic Sexology: The Nervous System’s Role in Female Sexual Health with Crystal Rose Napolitano📋 Episode Summary:In this deeply personal and illuminating episode, Dr. Brittany Barreto is joined by Crystal Rose Napolitano, somatic sexologist, birth doula, and CEO of Your Body Your Story. Together, they explore the critical connection between the nervous system, attachment strategies, and female sexual health—areas often overlooked in traditional Western medicine.Crystal shares how her conservative upbringing shaped her journey toward healing, how somatic coaching can unlock sexual freedom, and why conditions like vaginismus and endometriosis deserve more integrated and empathetic care. The episode dives into the power of body awareness, trauma-informed intimacy, and the need for sex tech that’s inclusive, connective, and accessible—especially for people living with chronic pelvic pain.Whether you're new to somatics or a seasoned wellness advocate, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in rethinking what sexual health care can and should be.🧠 What You’ll Learn:What somatic sexology is and how it supports sexual healingThe impact of shame, trauma, and attachment styles on intimacyHow nervous system regulation improves sexual wellnessWhy endometriosis is a sexual health issue—and what solutions are emergingHow sex tech can empower connection, not just orgasmThe difference between dysfunction and the body’s intelligent protection💬 Special Listener Offer:Listeners of FemTech Focus get 10% off Crystal’s services! Just message her the word “FemTech” on Instagram @itsyourbodyyourstory or through her website at YourBodyYourStory.com to claim the discount. This includes coaching packages and one-on-one sessions.🔗 Resources Mentioned:Your Body Your StoryInstagram: @itsyourbodyyourstoryEndo45 appCrave Jewelry VibratorLioness Smart VibratorCrescendo by MysteryVibe🧪 Episode Sponsors:This episode is sponsored by:🍼 Nest Collaborative – The pioneers in telehealth lactation support. Book your virtual appointment with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant at NestCollaborative.com. Same-day visits often available and hundreds of insurance plans accepted, including Medicaid.🎤 SIS Global – The premier femtech conference happening in NYC this May 15–16. Join industry leaders, founders, and advocates advancing innovation in women’s health. Learn more and register at SISglobal.org.Let me know if you'd like a version of this for Apple Podcasts or Spotify episode descriptions (which often require shorter word counts).