When we talk about innovation in healthcare, we often talk about technology, funding, regulation, or infrastructure. But rarely do we pause to ask a more fundamental question: Who gets to decide what “health” actually looks like?
Historically, the answer has been: Not women. Not people of color. Not LGBTQ+ communities. Not the chronically ill. Not the disabled. Health, as defined by much of our industry’s research, design, and investment decisions, has largely centered on a narrow version of the human experience – male, white, and able-bodied.
And we’re still living with the consequences of that bias.
The Default Male Problem
Until 1993, women in the U.S. were routinely excluded from clinical trials. Even today, women remain underrepresented in drug development and medical device testing – and when they are included, sex and gender data is often not analyzed or reported separately.
As a result, conditions that primarily or disproportionately affect women – like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, or menopause – remain vastly underfunded and poorly understood. Women are more likely to be misdiagnosed, dismissed, or harmed by drugs dosed for the average male body.
This isn’t just a data problem. It’s a design problem. A systems problem. And it’s a also a power problem.
Innovation Isn’t Neutral
Innovation is often framed as a meritocratic pursuit – the best ideas win. But in healthcare, innovation happens within structures shaped by bias, legacy systems, and the comfort zones of investors and institutions. When we call women’s health “niche,” what we’re really saying is: The majority of the population’s health needs don’t fit our existing model.
We’ve seen this firsthand in the media narrative around women’s health innovation. The discomfort with topics like periods, fertility, sexual health, or menopause isn’t just cultural – it influences capital allocation, product design, and even the speed of regulatory approval. What doesn’t get talked about doesn’t get prioritized. What doesn’t get measured doesn’t get funded.
Redefining Health – and Who It’s For
The good news? We’re already seeing a shift. From startups building inclusive fertility care to corporations waking up to menopause as a workforce issue, the definition of health is expanding – slowly, but meaningfully.
But we need more than one-off initiatives. We need a structural reset.
That means:
- Auditing our assumptions about who our users are and what they need
- Designing with, not for, the people we claim to serve – especially those historically excluded
- Funding beyond the familiar, recognizing that innovation lives in overlooked problems, not just shiny technology
Inclusive design isn’t a social initiative. It’s a strategic imperative. And in an era of personalization, prevention, and precision medicine, it’s a competitive advantage.
The Ask
Over the past months, I’ve had the opportunity to work with teams across healthcare, tech, finance and consumer industries – advising on inclusive product roadmap design, market strategy, and emerging opportunities in women’s health. One thing has become increasingly clear: Most organizations aren’t intentionally excluding people – they’re just designing from a limited starting point.
That’s where the work begins.
To the corporates:
If your definition of “health and wellness” only fits half your workforce or user base, you’re not building for the future – you’re clinging to the past.
This isn’t just about internal benefits or HR initiatives. It’s about how you design products, structure teams, assess market potential, and communicate value. The most successful companies in the next decade won’t necessarily be those with the best tech – they’ll be the ones that build for the reality of diverse human experiences.
- Product & R&D teams: Are menstruation, menopause, hormonal health, caregiving, and gender-specific conditions factored into your assumptions? If not, you’re likely excluding the majority of your users. Inclusive design is not about designing for “edge cases” – it’s about designing for how people actually live and feel in their bodies.
- Innovation & strategy teams: If you’re only looking where everyone else is already looking, you’re not innovating – you’re iterating. Markets like women’s health, chronic condition management, and healthy aging aren’t niche – they’re just neglected. Identifying overlooked needs is how category leaders are born.
- Marketing & brand teams: In a world where trust and authenticity matter more than ever, exclusionary messaging isn’t just risky – it’s obsolete. If your creative strategy doesn’t reflect the full spectrum of the people you serve, it’s time to reassess who your “default customer” really is.
- Leadership & decision-makers: Who defines success in your organization? Who sets the roadmap? If your leadership team isn’t diverse in background and lived experience, your company is likely reinforcing legacy systems – even as you try to innovate. Change begins at the top.
To the investors
If your portfolio looks diverse in sectors but not in the populations it serves, you’re not de-risking – you’re doubling down on old patterns.
Investing in women’s health, caregiving infrastructure, and inclusive diagnostics is not charity – it’s smart, long-term capital allocation.
- Women’s health and adjacent sectors continue to be underfunded despite clear demand, increasingly stronger exit potential, and growing political attention. The underserved is often underexploited opportunity in disguise.
- Your capital has influence. If you pass on women’s health deals because they feel “niche” or “hard to relate to,” ask yourself: Who’s missing from your investment team? Diverse deal flow follows diverse perspectives.
To the innovators:
You may be closer to the problem than anyone else – but proximity doesn’t guarantee inclusion.
If you’re building for everyone, prove it. Inclusive design isn’t just about your values – it’s about your process, your assumptions, and your feedback loops.
- Are you talking to users across the full spectrum of age, race, gender identity, socioeconomic background, and ability? Are you actively inviting in perspectives that challenge your assumptions?
- Inclusive innovation means validating needs before they become crises – not retrofitting once you’ve scaled. Whether you’re designing a health tracker, care platform, or patient experience, your approach must reflect the complexity of real lives.
- Don’t wait for gatekeepers to tell you a problem is worth solving. Many of the most important categories in women’s health started because someone said, “This shouldn’t be normal” – and built anyway.
Inclusive design isn’t a trend or a CSR box to tick. It’s a strategic imperative. The companies, investors, and innovators who lead the next decade of health will be those bold enough to rethink what “normal” looks like – and who gets to define it.
In Closing
Healthcare isn’t neutral. It never has been. But it can be intentional.
And if we’re serious about building a better, more equitable, and more effective healthcare system, we need to start by redefining what health looks like – and who gets to define it.
Because the default body is not the average body. And the future of health must reflect the full spectrum of humanity.
