For this CEO, innovating in a ‘not to be taken seriously’ environment is a challenge

Willow’s Sarah O’Leary discusses the importance of inclusion and diversity in the tech and femtech spheres.

To Sarah O’Leary, CEO of femtech Willow Innovations, one of the biggest challenges he has encountered in his career is working to innovate in a sector that historically has not been “taken seriously”. She told SiliconRepublic.com that women’s health is often overlooked in the focus of investment and innovation.

For more than seven years O’Leary has been part of Willow Innovations, creating smart, AI and technological solutions for women’s postpartum healthcare. He described an important part of his role and the work of others to show how important the place itself is.

He said, “Women’s health used to be funded only by money 6pc VC funding for women’s health. Recent NIH funding cuts show that the agency is canceling grants at rates that disproportionately affect women and young researchers, showing how much women’s health is under-researched and under-prioritized. However, it affects part of the population and entire families.

“Addressing women’s issues is not just about equality, but about opening up greater opportunities for innovation and impact. When organizations take this seriously, they not only improve outcomes for women, they create entirely new categories and markets.

With that in mind, O’Leary is of the opinion that AI has great potential to improve outcomes in the area of ​​technology and healthcare for women, especially when it comes to managing postpartum anxiety, as it can improve access to information and support in times when women feel isolated or unsure of their options.

That, he said, is “a cutting edge area” and AI should always be seen as an enabler, never a replacement for human care. “The most effective solutions will combine technology and clinical expertise with human oversight.

“New mothers are navigating physical recovery, emotional fluctuations and often lack of sleep and support all at the same time. That means AI in this space cannot be one-size-fits-all or repurposed from broader healthcare models. It needs to be intentionally designed for this specific life stage, based on the reality of what women experience, and built to respond flexibly, accurately and care.”

He is of the opinion that the lack of high-quality information regarding women’s health also presents a major challenge, as AI systems are only as good as the data they are trained on to O’Leary saying that “historically, that data has been incomplete or underrepresentative of women, let alone postpartum women.”

Noting that there is very little room for error, he added, “Overcoming this looks like institutions investing in better data, ensuring clinical validation and building systems that know when to step up to support people. It’s about using technology responsibly, with a clear understanding of both their strengths and their limitations.”

Various voices

Undoubtedly diversity, be it in terms of age, race, religion, culture, or general life experience tends to improve working life and organizational goals. The same goes for gender diversity, which for O’Leary is a key factor in building a strong, informed and people-centered women’s health care system.

He explained, where diversity is not included medtechthe result is incomplete and ineffective solutions, where women and many women from the most marginalized backgrounds, are underrepresented in research, data and product development.

He said, “That means that the tools and technologies that are being developed do not fully reflect the realities of the people they are meant to help.”

Specifically, she finds, “In maternal and postpartum health, the consequences of that lack of diversity are incredibly clear in the care we see, the disparity in outcomes, or the lack of solutions that really meet women where they are. If we don’t design with diversity in mind from the start, we end up perpetuating the very gaps we’re trying to address.”

Finally, she said she learned that many problems facing women are not solved, rather they are ignored. But when you listen to the people you aim to help and design with purpose you change not just the product or solution, but the experience itself.

He said, “And that has a negative impact on self-confidence, health and the way women go through this stage of life.”

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