In today’s fast-paced world, where technological advancements are transforming every aspect of our lives, the blend of healthcare and technology is a game-changer, especially for women and their unique health challenges. One remarkable entrepreneur leading the charge in this domain is Dr. Urszula Herman, the CEO of Pelvifly.com, a pioneering platform dedicated to improving women’s health in an innovative and engaging way.
Urszula’s history is that of perseverance, bravery and the power of vision. Her journey began during her Ph.D. studies, where she recognized a pressing need for better support for women’s pelvic health. However, her initial attempts to address this issue were met with reluctance. Undeterred, Dr. Herman refused to let go of her vision. Instead, she took a bold step and reached out to engineers in Silicon Valley, determined to bring her idea to life.
Through collaboration and sheer determination, Dr. Herman and her team developed a groundbreaking sensor designed to measure the strength of a woman’s pelvic floor muscles. With the product aligned to her specific vision and expectations, she took the next leap, pitching her project at the convention of “Sieci Przedsiębiorczych Kobiet”. It was here that Dr. Herman’s persistence and innovation caught the attention of investors, enabling her to get the project off the ground.
When we sat down for the interview, I asked Urszula if she thought it was more difficult for her to make it in the startup world, not only as a women founder, but with the project so specifically catered to women.
“When I was starting out back in 2014, I didn’t know what a startup was”, she says, laughing. “I had to look it up! Kraków wasn’t the dynamic, innovation-driven startup hub that it is today. I moved to Warszawa because I felt there’s more opportunities there. When I initially reached out to the engineers in the Silicon Valley, I didn’t even think they would respond, but at that point, I had nothing to lose so I just went ahead and emailed them. They did respond, and that’s how the work on the sensor started. I knew that eventually I would want to create software that would work with the device to not only measure, but also allow for a customized approach to improve the strength of the pelvic floor.”
Urszula’s idea of telemedicine is still considered revolutionary in Poland but she says we are slowly but surely catching up to the world trends, especially in terms of AI.
“In, let’s say, Germany, telemedicine is a standard procedure. But in Poland, there is definitely reason to be optimistic, as there are more and more companies that lead the way in making telemedicine more widespread.”
I was interested to learn Urszula’s perspective on sex bias. Has she ever encountered any gender-based biases or discrimination?
“Not at all. I believe that if you have a clear vision, the expertise, and you know what you’re talking about, there’s no difference whether you’re a woman or a man. It’s true that oftentimes I’m the only woman in a room full of men, but I don’t feel I’m being treated ‘less than’. I think if you want to be heard and respected, you have to earn the respect. But that goes both for men and women.”
What’s next for Urszula and Pelvifly?
“My plan involves expanding our product line, exploring international markets, investing in research and development, increasing education/awareness and developing telemedicine services.”
