February 2021 Power Womxn
We’re committed to uplifting the amazing womxn in tech who are working to ensure that everyone – no matter who they are or where they live – can achieve reproductive well-being. Brought to you by Pandia Health, we are pleased to launch the Power Womxn series in which we will feature womxn FemTech leaders and founders who are out to change the world!
This month’s Power Womxn is Dr. Fahimeh Sasan, founding OBGYN at Kindbody.
What inspired you to start/lead your company?
Kindbody is a national network of reproductive health and fertility clinics with a mission to reinvent the delivery of women's health. As a physician, woman, and mother my goal is to end the fragmentation that exists in the current health care system by providing comprehensive care that is a true end-to-end solution for women from menarche to menopause and beyond.
Our goal at Kindbody is to improve access, provide clinical excellence that exceeds industry standards, and an exceptional patient experience. We can achieve this by utilizing technology to improve outcomes and efficiencies, work with employers to improve access to comprehensive health care, and reduce costs by improving efficiencies.
How does your work help give people the tools to achieve reproductive well-being?
At Kindbody we offer the full array of gynecologic services including well woman exams, routine cancer screening, contraception, and urgent gyn visits. In addition, we provide the full spectrum of fertility care including fertility assessments, egg freezing, IUI (intra-uterine insemination), IVF (invitro fertilization), as well as donor egg and sperm. We also provide mental health and nutrition services to promote wellness and improve outcomes.
We advocate to our patients that they are never too young or too old to learn more about their health, ovarian reserve, and options. We pride ourselves in serving a diverse patient population including the LGBTQ+ community to explore and achieve their family building goals.
How would you define success for your company and for the fem tech space, more generally?
Success for Kindbody is changing the approach to fertility to one that is focused on prevention and fertility preservation instead of the current system which is reactionary and advises women to not worry about their fertility until they have failed to conceive after a year of trying. Additionally, success is also providing equal access to reproductive and fertility care to people of color, LGBTQ, and low socio-economic men and women.
Finally, success is creating honest discussion about women's health that brings an end to the secrecy and shame that surrounds miscarriage, menstrual cycles, and infertility. Kindbody aims to change and lead the conversation about women's health and create a new dialogue that normalizes these topics, provides a place for answers, and let's women know they are not alone.
How do you see the FemTech space changing in the next 5 years? What are you looking forward to?
Funding and ability to raise venture capital will improve, more female entrepreneurs will enter the space, and we will see truly effectuate change.
What advice what you give other womxn looking to get into FemTech?
We need more entrepreneurs who are willing to go and sit in front of a male-dominated industry, ask for money, have the strength and the research and knowledge to back up why they need the funds. Really make sure you assemble a good team. Have a strong foundation of your goals and what you want to achieve. Don’t be afraid, and don’t take "no" for an answer. Recognize that part of success is rejection and failure. You may not get it right the first time but keep at it.
