Femtech Health Podcast
Sheree Dibiase
Recent Episodes
In this episode, host Sheree sits down with Amanda DeLuca, co‑founder of Riley—a science‑backed, AI‑powered parenting and mental health app designed to give families data‑driven guidance at every stage. Amanda shares the deeply personal experience that inspired Riley, how the app uses live data and AI to surface insights (from sleep schedules to developmental milestones to postpartum mental‑health support), and what it’s like building a HIPAA‑compliant tool by parents for parents.
Get 20% Riley with 20% off with the code: FEMTECH20 - https://www.rileyapp.com/
Guest Bio
Amanda DeLuca
- Co‑founder & Chief Product Officer, Riley
- 15+ years in tech product management, especially health‑tech
- Personal journey from first‑time mom overwhelmed by postpartum anxiety to building Riley
- Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacdeluca/
Key Topics & Timestamps
00:00 – 02:00 | Why Riley Exists
- Amanda and her husband “product‑managed” pregnancy—and watched it all vanish in the first sleepless nights.
- The frustration of 3 AM questions with no expert help at your fingertips.
02:00 – 08:00 | From Personal Pain Point to Product Idea
- Real‑world data is everywhere—but parents need a trustworthy filter.
- Amanda’s background building user‑centered tech and her year of research in family‑tech before Riley.
08:00 – 14:00 | Core Riley Features
- Tracking & Insight Engine: Turn feeding, diaper, sleep logs into actionable trends.
- Golden Window™ Sleep Scheduler: AI‑driven nap and bedtime calculator that adapts live.
- Contextual Guidance: From solids introduction to toddler tantrums, Riley surfaces “what the data really says.”
14:00 – 20:00 | Supporting Parental Mental Health
- Under‑reported reality of postpartum depression/anxiety—even high‑functioning parents feel shame.
- How Riley’s clinical advisory board and embedded questionnaires help flag “yellow‑flag” moments.
- Medication, rest, and community as pillars of postpartum recovery.
20:00 – 26:00 | Building with Privacy & Safety in Mind
- HIPAA‑compliance explained: why it matters and how Riley keeps your family’s data secure.
- No user data is used for AI model training; personal logs stay private.
26:00 – 32:00 | The Magic Moments & Future Roadmap
- Hyper‑personal touches (e.g. suggesting Japanese vocabulary when traveling in Japan).
- VIP community beta: high‑touch feedback loops with founders and early users.
- Upcoming features: peer “high‑fives” at 3 AM, deeper provider integrations, expanded mental‑health screening.
Top Quotes
“There is no normal newborn—every baby charts their own course, and parents need a guide, not a generic 400‑page book.”“It shouldn’t take an economics degree to know what’s good data—and that insight gap is what Riley was built to close.”“Putting your own oxygen mask on first is not selfish—it’s the only way you can care for your little ones.”Resources & Links
- Amanda’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacdeluca/
- Riley App: https://rileyapp.com
- Founder pricing: $10 /mo (annual); $12 /mo (quarterly); $15 /mo (monthly)
- Learn more about HIPAA compliance in consumer health apps:
- U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services – HIPAA Overview: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/index.html
In this episode, I welcome pelvic health pioneer Ingrid Harm-Ernandes, PT, DPT, author and international speaker, to discuss her four-decade journey in physical therapy and nearly 30 years specializing in pelvic health. Ingrid shares how the field has evolved—from obscurity in the U.S. to structured residency programs—while underscoring the critical need for early education, interdisciplinary teamwork, and advocacy. She reveals the inspiration behind her book A Musculoskeletal Mystery: How to Solve Your Pelvic Floor Symptoms, outlines practical strategies for mentorship and collaboration across healthcare disciplines, and calls listeners to champion pelvic health as a public health priority throughout women’s lifespan.
Guest Bio
Ingrid Harm-Ernandes, PT, DPT
Background:
- 40 years as a physical therapist; 28+ years in pelvic health
- Co-Director & Mentor, Women’s Health PT Residency Program, Duke University
- Course Development Director, International Women’s Health Courses
- Author of A Musculoskeletal Mystery: How to Solve Your Pelvic Floor Symptoms
- International speaker, educator, and illustrator
- Areas of Expertise: Pelvic floor rehabilitation, orthopedic integration, interdisciplinary care, women’s health through life stages
Key Topics & Timestamps
00:00 – 05:00 | Origins of Pelvic Health PTIngrid recounts the early 1990s landscape—scarce training in the U.S., skepticism from physicians, and her orthopedic foundation that shaped today’s best practices.
05:00 – 12:00 | Building Residency & Education
How Duke launched one of the first pelvic PT residencies, the slow but steady growth of programs, and the power of “book clubs” and clinical mentoring to integrate pelvic health into standard curricula.
12:00 – 20:00 | Mentorship Beyond the Discipline
Strategies for new grads: start generalist, shadow diverse providers (OB-GYN, urogynecology, cardiopulmonary PT, even acupuncturists and sex therapists) to build confidence and referrals.
20:00 – 30:00 | Writing A Musculoskeletal Mystery
The pandemic-sparked book project: filling the education gap for patients and practitioners, demystifying pelvic floor anatomy, evaluations, treatments, and including a self-help toolkit.
30:00 – 40:00 | The Continuum of Life & Menopause Care
Reframing women’s health as a lifelong continuum—pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause—and the alarming statistics: 50% of life spent in menopause transition, rising cardiovascular risks, and the need for strength training over cardio.
40:00 – 50:00 | Interdisciplinary Teamwork & Advocacy
“Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork”: integrating PTs with physicians, nurses, nutritionists, mental health professionals, and corporate stakeholders. How education fuels advocacy—from clinic in-services to writing senators for research funding.
Major Takeaways
- Education Is Foundation: Early exposure in PT, medical, and nursing curricula prevents decades of untreated symptoms.
- Mentorship Matters: Seek out and sustain relationships with both pelvic PT and cross-specialty mentors to refine skills and referrals.
- Interdisciplinary Care: Pelvic health thrives when PTs collaborate with OB-GYNs, urogynecologists, acupuncturists, PAs, and beyond—breaking silos boosts patient outcomes.
- Lifelong Lens: Women spend a large portion of life in menopause transition—with implications for bone, cardiovascular, and pelvic health; prevention through strength training and pelvic floor awareness is key.
- Advocacy Amplifies Impact: Armed with education, practitioners and patients can lobby for research funding, insurance coverage, and workplace policies that support pelvic health.
Resources & Guest Links
- Ingrid Harm-Ernandes on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingrid-harm-ernandes-5057773b/ - Book: A Musculoskeletal Mystery: How to Solve Your Pelvic Floor Symptoms
- Duke University Women’s Health PT Residency Program (search DukePT.edu for details)
In this inspiring episode, Sheree sits down with Jessica DiBiase — master performance coach, kettlebell champion, and founder of Jessica DiBiase Fitness — to explore the intersection of strength, breath, and holistic wellness. Jessica shares her journey from competitive gymnastics to becoming the first American female Master of Sport in long cycle kettlebell lifting. They discuss the physical and mental benefits of kettlebell sport, the meditative power of breathwork, and how movement shapes identity and emotional well-being.
Jessica also shares the entrepreneurial story behind KettleGuard, the leading wrist protection gear for kettlebell athletes, and her approach to making strength training accessible through her Kettlebells & Core program. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned athlete, this episode will inspire you to rethink strength, movement, and inner resilience.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to Jessica DiBiase
01:45 – Jessica's early journey in movement and sport
06:35 – How gymnastics and triathlons shaped her foundation
09:42 – Discovering kettlebells and building a women-led sport team
13:58 – What is kettlebell sport? How it differs from hardstyle
17:40 – Breathwork and the meditative power of kettlebell lifting
22:04 – Reframing movement as empowerment
26:15 – Why kettlebell sport is accessible to all ages
30:05 – Core strength, the nervous system, and postpartum recovery
36:10 – Entrepreneurial story: Creating KettleGuard
42:33 – Tools & gear to get started with kettlebells
47:50 – How the mind-body connection fuels transformation
50:40 – Closing reflections on building strength from the inside out
Key Takeaways:
- Movement as identity: Jessica’s love for health and wellness began in childhood and became a way of life rooted in family values and athletics.
- Kettlebell sport vs. hardstyle: Learn the key differences in technique, breathwork, and purpose — and why kettlebell sport is more than lifting; it's a rhythmic, meditative practice.
- Breath is everything: Jessica emphasizes how breathwork calms the nervous system, improves core stability, and reconnects the diaphragm and pelvic floor — essential for postpartum and perimenopausal health.
- KettleGuard origin story: See how Jessica turned a personal need into a widely used training product in the kettlebell world.
- Accessibility in fitness: Through her online program Kettlebells & Core, Jessica helps beginners enter the world of strength training with confidence and clarity.
Resources & Mentions:
- https://instagram.com/jessicadbsfitness
- https://www.kettleguard.com/
- Book Mentioned: Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
- Referenced Expert: Dr. Gabrielle Lyon on Muscle-Centric Medicine
Notable Quotes:
"The fastest mood stabilizer we have isn’t a drug — it’s movement." – Jessica DiBiase"Breath is your body's way of reconnecting to itself." – Sheree
"You don’t have to wait to be perfect. You just have to start where you are." – Jessica