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.
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