🎧 FemTech Focus Podcast | Episode Title:
From Cancer Diagnosis to Advocacy: Sahar Paz Builds House of Paz

👤 Guest: Sahar Paz, Founder of House of Paz & Own Your Voice Strategy Firm
🔗 Website: houseofpaz.org
📱 Instagram: @saharpaz

📌 Episode Summary:In this deeply personal and empowering episode, Dr. Brittany Barreto sits down with Sahar Paz—a communications strategist, cancer survivor, and fierce patient advocate—to explore how voice, story, and emotional intelligence are essential tools in modern healthcare. Sahar shares her powerful journey from a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis to launching House of Paz, a wellness and advocacy platform for women navigating treatment, healing, and prevention.

You’ll hear how Sahar used her intuition and persistence to challenge dismissive doctors, how she now teaches life science companies to humanize their data through storytelling, and why inclusive, patient-centered care is the future of medicine.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Your voice is data—why patient intuition and self-advocacy are essential in diagnosis and treatment.

• Sahar’s cancer journey: from misdiagnosis and miscommunication to finding a treatment team that listened.

• House of Paz: a holistic platform blending emotional healing, physical wellness, and spiritual growth.

• Emotional intelligence as a leadership strategy—especially in startup and innovation teams.

• Why storytelling is a critical skill for founders, clinicians, and researchers alike.

• Building trust with diverse patient communities in clinical trials and health innovation.

  
  

🛠 Tools + Resources Mentioned:

• Sahar’s memoir + cognitive behavior workbook: Find Your Voice

• Complex Creatures – breast health rituals

• Brilliantly Warm – warming pads for breast comfort post-surgery

📣 Connect with Us:

• Host: Dr. Brittany Barreto – @drbrittanybarreto

• Podcast: FemTech Focus

  
  

🎙 About Our Sponsor:This episode is brought to you by Withum, a forward-thinking advisory and accounting firm that specializes in helping healthtech and life science innovators scale. Whether you’re raising your seed round or preparing for IPO, Withum’s team understands the complexities of building at the intersection of healthcare and innovation.

🔗 Learn more: ⁠withum.com⁠

📋 Episode Summary:In this powerful episode of FemTech Focus, Dr. Brittany Barreto is joined by Kamila Staryga, CEO and Co-founder of Rita Health. Kamila is a seasoned entrepreneur and product leader with a background at Flo Health, Google X, and ATAP—and she’s now on a mission to change the fertility care paradigm.

Together, they explore why traditional fertility metrics like age and AMH aren't enough, how Rita Health is pioneering a proactive approach to fertility, and why fertility should be part of routine healthcare long before someone tries to conceive. Kamila explains how her team built a proprietary dataset, developed personalized care plans using AI, and is challenging the outdated notion that fertility care starts only after a problem arises.

The episode dives deep into the behavioral, biological, and systemic factors impacting fertility today—and how Rita is helping users make informed decisions about their reproductive future.

Whether you’re actively trying to conceive, considering your options, or just curious about how data and AI are reshaping women’s health, this episode is a must-listen.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• Why fertility care should start before you're trying to conceive

• The dangers of relying on age and AMH alone

• How Rita Health uses AI to build personalized fertility profiles

• What your family history, lifestyle, and even dental hygiene may reveal about fertility

• How behavioral science and inclusive design shaped Rita’s user experience

• • Why it’s time to stop treating fertility as an urgent switch—and start treating it as a continuum

  
  

  🔗 Explore More: Check out Rita Health at wearerita.com and sign up for early access to their new care plan. This episode is the first place it’s being announced publicly!

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  🎁 Listener Perk:You’re the first to know—Rita’s new proactive fertility care plan is now available for pre-order. Head to wearerita.com to reserve your spot and join the movement redefining fertility care.

  
  

  🎤 This episode is sponsored by:
  Clue, the leading cycle tracking app. Use promocode FEMHEALTH at helloclue.com for 1 year free Clue Plus Membership, and Nest Collaborative, the trusted name in virtual lactation support available 365 days a year.

📋 Episode Summary:
In this cutting-edge episode, Dr. Brittany Barreto sits down with Dr. Rahima Benhabbour—chemist, biomedical engineer, and founder of AnelleO, a UNC spinout transforming intravaginal drug delivery. With her roots in Algeria and her scientific training spanning three continents, Dr. Benhabbour brings a global, deeply human perspective to women's health innovation.

Together, they discuss how outdated vaginal ring technology inspired the development of AnelleO PRO, a 3D-printed, customizable progesterone ring designed for women undergoing fertility treatment. Unlike traditional rings that waste over 85% of the active drug, AnelleO's platform maximizes drug release and allows for multi-drug, multi-use configurations—including HIV prevention and contraception in a single product.

This episode is a must-listen for those interested in biotechnology, platform therapeutics, and the engineering breakthroughs reshaping reproductive care.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• Why traditional intravaginal rings are inefficient and outdated

• How AnelleO’s 3D printing technology allows for better drug release, fit, and personalization

• The clinical and regulatory milestones leading to first-in-human trials for fertility care

• How multi-purpose prevention technologies could transform global contraception and HIV care

• The growing movement toward non-hormonal contraception and the future of male birth control

💬 Quotable Moment:
"Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. Someone has to pave the way." – Dr. Rahima Benhabbour

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• AnelleO: www.anelleo.com

• Dr. Benhabbour’s Lab: benhabbour.web.unc.edu

• Nature Reviews Bioengineering article on AnelleO’s technology

🧪 Episode Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by:
Withum – A forward-thinking accounting and advisory firm supporting innovators in the Women’s Health and Wellness industry. Learn more at withum.com.

🍼 Nest Collaborative – The pioneers in telehealth lactation support. Book your virtual appointment with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant at . Same-day visits often available and hundreds of insurance plans accepted, including Medicaid. www.nestcollaborative.com

🎙️ Episode Title:

Somatic Sexology: The Nervous System’s Role in Female Sexual Health with Crystal Rose Napolitano

📋 Episode Summary:

In this deeply personal and illuminating episode, Dr. Brittany Barreto is joined by Crystal Rose Napolitano, somatic sexologist, birth doula, and CEO of Your Body Your Story. Together, they explore the critical connection between the nervous system, attachment strategies, and female sexual health—areas often overlooked in traditional Western medicine.

Crystal shares how her conservative upbringing shaped her journey toward healing, how somatic coaching can unlock sexual freedom, and why conditions like vaginismus and endometriosis deserve more integrated and empathetic care. The episode dives into the power of body awareness, trauma-informed intimacy, and the need for sex tech that’s inclusive, connective, and accessible—especially for people living with chronic pelvic pain.

Whether you're new to somatics or a seasoned wellness advocate, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in rethinking what sexual health care can and should be.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• What somatic sexology is and how it supports sexual healing

• The impact of shame, trauma, and attachment styles on intimacy

• How nervous system regulation improves sexual wellness

• Why endometriosis is a sexual health issue—and what solutions are emerging

• How sex tech can empower connection, not just orgasm

• The difference between dysfunction and the body’s intelligent protection

💬 Special Listener Offer:

Listeners of FemTech Focus get 10% off Crystal’s services! Just message her the word “FemTech” on Instagram @itsyourbodyyourstory or through her website at YourBodyYourStory.com to claim the discount. This includes coaching packages and one-on-one sessions.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• Your Body Your Story

• Instagram: @itsyourbodyyourstory

• Endo45 app

• Crave Jewelry Vibrator

• Lioness Smart Vibrator

• Crescendo by MysteryVibe

🧪 Episode Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by:

🍼 Nest Collaborative – The pioneers in telehealth lactation support. Book your virtual appointment with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant at NestCollaborative.com. Same-day visits often available and hundreds of insurance plans accepted, including Medicaid.

🎤 SIS Global – The premier femtech conference happening in NYC this May 15–16. Join industry leaders, founders, and advocates advancing innovation in women’s health. Learn more and register at SISglobal.org.

Let me know if you'd like a version of this for Apple Podcasts or Spotify episode descriptions (which often require shorter word counts).

🔍 Episode Summary

In this powerful episode, Dr. Brittany Barreto sits down with Dr. Melanie Santos — a fellowship-trained urogynecologist and Chief Medical Officer of CERN Corporation — to discuss the pelvic floor as the epicenter of women's health, why vaginitis is the #1 medical complaint among premenopausal women, and how low-level visible light therapy might just be the drug-free future of vaginal care.

Together, they explore the often-overlooked complexity of pelvic health, the limitations of current treatments for urinary incontinence and recurrent infections, and the groundbreaking potential of CERN’s intravaginal light-based therapy. This episode is packed with clinical insight, passionate advocacy, and a clear vision for the future of women’s health.

🧠 What You'll Learn

• Why pelvic floor health impacts nearly every facet of a woman’s life — from intimacy to digestion to mental wellness

• The staggering prevalence of vaginitis and why current treatments fall short

• How CERN Corporation is using low-level microbicidal light to treat yeast and bacterial infections without antibiotics

• The science behind the vaginal microbiome — and why it’s the “wild west” of research right now

• How cultural norms, product marketing, and racial health disparities influence vaginal health

• • The growing need to educate and empower patients, especially women of color, about safer and more effective solutions
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  🧬 Featured Topics:

• • Reframing urinary incontinence as a treatable condition — not a “normal” part of aging

  • The clinical design and mechanism of CERN’s intravaginal device

  • Potential global health applications of light-based vaginal therapy, including for the military

  • The vaginal microbiome, recurrent infections, and the promise of sequencing startups like Juno Bio

  • The overlooked connection between hormone metabolism, gut health, and vaginal health

  🧵 Quotable Moments:

  “The pelvic floor is the epicenter. It’s pleasure, infection, childbirth, digestion — it’s everything.” – Dr. Brittany Barreto

  “We’re not just treating infections; we’re restoring balance — and we’re doing it without drugs.” – Dr. Melanie Santos

  💡 Resources Mentioned:

  • CERN Corporation – Innovators in light-based treatment for vaginitis

  • Unlocking Women’s Health by Dr. Brittany Barreto – Featuring chapters on vaginal and urinary health

  • Juno Bio – Vaginal microbiome sequencing startup

• • CDC and ACOG statistics on vaginitis and preterm birth
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  👩🏽‍⚕️ About Dr. Melanie Santos:

• Dr. Santos is a board-certified, fellowship-trained urogynecologist and reconstructive pelvic surgeon. She serves as the Chief Medical Officer at CERN Corporation and is the Medical Director for Pelvic Health at St. Jude Medical Center. She’s an advocate for integrated care models, pelvic floor education, and driving innovation in vaginal health.

  🎧 Listen Now & Subscribe:

  Don’t miss this must-hear episode for anyone interested in women’s health innovation, pelvic care, and the future of non-drug treatments. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

In this episode of FemTech Focus, Dr. Brittany Barreto sits down with the incredibly dynamic Akifa Khattak—a healthcare attorney, biotech expert, policy advocate, and Miss North Orlando 2025. With advanced degrees from Cornell and Johns Hopkins, Akifa is a powerhouse at the intersection of law, tech, and women’s health.

Akifa shares how her personal journey through a rare and severe case of endometriosis—including three surgeries, medical menopause, and fertility preservation—led her to co-found Her Health AI, a femtech company revolutionizing endometriosis diagnostics using artificial intelligence.

Together, we explore:

• How AI is being trained to identify and map endometriosis more accurately and non-invasively

• The regulatory, ethical, and privacy challenges of using AI in healthcare

• What makes Brazil a leader in personalized endometriosis care

• Akifa’s work lobbying for the Find It Early Act and pushing to include endometriosis in ADA accommodations

• Why your data—and your story—can drive meaningful innovation in women’s health

From deep sea diving to deep system change, Akifa is reshaping the narrative of what it means to be a woman in healthcare—both as a patient and a professional.

Don’t miss this empowering episode that proves healing, hope, and innovation go hand-in-hand.

In this episode, we are honored to host Miller Morris, the visionary Founder and CEO of Comma. Miller is reshaping period care by integrating sustainability, autonomy, and clinical science into menstruation products. A former women’s health researcher and now a trailblazer in social entrepreneurship, Miller's journey has spanned continents—from transformative projects in South Africa to pivotal roles at the WHO in Switzerland.

Comma has introduced Sara, a groundbreaking HIPAA-compliant period tracking app that empowers users to uncover and understand menstrual cycle patterns and connect with essential health resources. This level of security is vital for maintaining user privacy, a core value for Miller and Comma.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How Comma is driving innovation in menstrual health through software, sustainable products, and laboratory diagnostics.
• The importance of data security in health apps and how Comma ensures user data is protected.
• Future plans for Comma and how they aim to personalize reproductive health care.

Don't Miss Out:

• Head over to YourComma.com to create your Sara account today. Sara is not just any app; it's a Progressive Web App (PWA), ensuring seamless updates and superior privacy.

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• 📖 Grab your copy of Dr. Brittany Barreto’s influential book, Unlocking Women's Health: FemTech and the Quest for Gender Equity. Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and directly through drbrittanybarreto.com for a personalized signed copy.

  Connect with Us:

  • 🌐 Visit FemTech Focus to learn more about our mission and upcoming episodes.
  • 📲 Follow Dr. BrittanyBarreto on Linkedin and Instagram to stay updated on the latest in femtech and women's health innovation.

  
  

  Together, let's drive the conversation forward and work towards solutions that enhance health outcomes for women worldwide. Join us in transforming the landscape of healthcare through innovation and empowerment.