Browse our Sections

Femaging 2023

Executive Summary

FemAging Era

Past Reports

Submit Innovation

Contact us

Faz K. Bashi, MD,

Lead Venture Investor, Portfolia's FemTech Funds

Faz K. Bashi, MD, has a research background in Immunology and Virology from UCSF.  He is Lead Venture Investor for Portfolia’s FemTech Funds I, II and III, focused on Women’s Health and Wellness (www.portfolia.co), an active member of Life Science Angels (www.lifescienceangels.com) in Silicon Valley and an Emeritus Board Member of the Angel Capital Association (ACA;
www.angelcapitalassociation.org) where he continues to Chair the ACA&’s Life Sciences Syndication group. He is active with UCSF’s Entrepreneurship Startup 101 and Lean Launchpad, and serves on the
external advisory board member for UCSF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and Johns Hopkins’ Center for BioEngineering and Design (CBID; https://cbid.bme.jhu.edu/). He mentors women entrepreneur leaders for Springboard Enterprises (www.sb.co) Life Sciences Council.

Dr. Bashi is also very active in the Animal/Pet Health entrepreneurial ecosystem and serves as an advisor to One Health Group (www.onehealthgroup.com), with 72 issued patents providing non-contact, highly accurate, medical-grade remote-monitoring animal health data.  Dr. Bashi is committed to helping find treatments for Tinnitus, Autism, Lupus, and Vascular diseases. He completed several triathlons with Team-In-Training to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

gpx3
gpx1
low-angle-businesswoman-posing-with-arms-crossed-outdoors.png
gpx2
gpx7
gpx5
gpx5

The Fast Pitch competition was conducted during a live online event on May 24, 2023.

WINNERS

&

FAST PITCH PRIZES

$10k Cash

+

additional prizes & professional services

Watch our Fast Pitch Event on March 24. Below Video

Video Thumbnail
Click Play to Start

The Finalists for our 2023 May Competition

Amira Health

Amira is a menopausal healthcare platform leveraging wearable technology and AI. We are launching with a product that keeps women asleep through their nighttime hot flashes.

Luna Nectar

Luna Nectar’s mission is to kick the stigma of women’s hair loss, specializing in all-natural, vegan, waterfree hair, lash, and brow density serums.

Bossa Bars Menopause Energy Bars

Bossa Bars, named an Oprah Daily Best Menopause Product, are the first function food created for women in the stages of menopause. Bossa Bars are delicious plant-based and gluten-free bars helping women support energy and weight loss during the challenging stages of The Pause!

Moremme-VA LLC

Moremme is a female-owned, NIH-supported, therapeutics company dedicated to providing natural, hormone-free and scientifically designed products to treat Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM).

OCON Therapeutics

OCON Therapeutics is developing highly innovative women’s health solutions, inspired by women’s anatomy, specifically designed to be safe, comfortable, easily usable, and highly effective.

Vigeo Orthopedics, LLC

Vigeo Orthopedics is a black female orthopedic surgeon owned company that advances health equity in underserved communities by providing orthopedic surgical services and creating sustainable community centered bone and joint health programs.

Grand Prize Winner Receives

$10k

IN CASH

+

with Investor

One Year Keiretsu Participation

Professional Services

Two Runners up Receives

25% DISCOUNT

One Year Keiretsu Participation

Free professional consultation services worth thousands of dollars based on needs, such as legal, marketing, etc

Opportunities to connect with investors

CRITERIA FOR APPLYING

The criteria below are must-haves. If you cannot answer ‘yes’ to all of these, it will be difficult to succeed.

  • A commercial company or entity. Non profit Organisations needn’t apply.
  • Addresses a sizeable market opportunity. Of course, sizeable is relative, but generally hundreds of millions or billions of dollars, however a smaller niche will be considered.
  • Solving a real market need for women ages 40+– there is a problem that customers will pay to have solved. It is a must-have, not just a nice-to-have.
  • Has a potential sustainable source of differentiation – cannot be easily copied either because of patents or some other unique quality.
  • Has a clear path to making money (business model).
APPLICATION DEADLINE

MAY 15, 2023

Application Deadline has ended.

PITCH GUIDELINES

APPLICATION

The criteria below are must-haves. If you cannot answer ‘yes’ to all of these, it will be difficult to succeed.

  • You will be prompted to create a login so you may edit/update your application until the May 15th deadline.
  • See submission form questions and requirements at the end of this guide.
  • Founder/Co-Founder/CEO does not need to be a woman
  • Must participate in the Fast Pitch Event on May 24*
  • Early-stage plans welcome (need to show customer interest, such as customer sign-ups, surveys, LOI’s, etc.)
  • Applications from nonprofit are not accepted.

JUDGING

Grand Prize and Runner Up winners selected by judges

MON

15

MAY

Application deadline date (midnight Eastern Time)

Week of

15

MAY

Applicants notified of status from first-round Judging. Top 6 companies Finalists advance to Fast Pitch Round on May 24.

Week of

15

MAY

Top 6 companies record 5-minute pitch presentation that will be viewed on May 24

WED

24

MAY

Fast Pitch Day May 24, 9:00 am PT/ 12:00 pm ET

*Six companies will present with prerecorded video and then 5 minutes of question and answer from the judges

JUDGES

Adrianna Samaniego

Principal Investor,
Female Founders Fund.

See Bio

Adrianna Samaniego

Principal Investor, Female Founders Fund,

Adrianna Samaniego is the Principal Investor at Female Founders Fund, an early-stage fund investing in female-founded technology companies across B2B, Consumer, Healthcare, and Fintech. Female Founders Fund has invested in some of the fastest-growing female-led start-ups including Zola, Billie, Co–Star, Eloquii, Maven Clinic, Rent the Runway, Peanut, Tala, WinkyLux, and more. In her role, she sources, invests, and supports portfolio companies that are building category-defining technology businesses.


Prior to joining Female Founders Fund, she worked at JetBlue Ventures, Harlem Capital Partners, & New Media Ventures. Adrianna spent eight years in tech, formerly as Co-founder & Co-CEO at Area 120 Google’s Startup Incubator. In this role, she led a team to rapidly build and launch a B2B marketplace for Fortune 500 companies to procure from diverse-owned companies. Adrianna also formerly led and created Google’s Global Supplier Diversity Program which created over $2B in opportunities for diverse- owned businesses.


Adrianna is passionate about removing inequities and increasing diversity in VC and Tech ecosystems. Adrianna Samaniego is of Mexican descent and was born and raised in the small border town of Douglas, Arizona. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA from the University of Georgia.

Faz K. Bashi, MD

Lead Venture Investor,
Portfolia's FemTech Funds.

See Bio

Faz K. Bashi, MD,

Lead Venture Investor, Portfolia's FemTech Funds

Faz K. Bashi, MD, has a research background in Immunology and Virology from UCSF.  He is Lead Venture Investor for Portfolia’s FemTech Funds I, II and III, focused on Women’s Health and Wellness (www.portfolia.co), an active member of Life Science Angels (www.lifescienceangels.com) in Silicon Valley and an Emeritus Board Member of the Angel Capital Association (ACA; www.angelcapitalassociation.org) where he continues to Chair the ACA&’s Life Sciences Syndication group. He is active with UCSF’s Entrepreneurship Startup 101 and Lean Launchpad, and serves on the external advisory board member for UCSF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and Johns Hopkins’ Center for BioEngineering and Design (CBID; https://cbid.bme.jhu.edu/). He mentors women entrepreneur leaders for Springboard Enterprises (www.sb.co) Life Sciences Council.

 

Dr. Bashi is also very active in the Animal/Pet Health entrepreneurial ecosystem and serves as an advisor to One Health Group (www.onehealthgroup.com), with 72 issued patents providing non-contact, highly accurate, medical-grade remote-monitoring animal health data.  Dr. Bashi is committed to helping find treatments for Tinnitus, Autism, Lupus, and Vascular diseases. He completed several triathlons with Team-In-Training to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Devon Sanford

Investor,
SJF Ventures.

See Bio

Devon Sanford

Investor, SJF Ventures,

Devon Sanford is an investor at SJF Ventures, a returns-driven impact investing fund. She focuses on innovative solutions in healthcare and workforce development, and has a keen interest in advancing women’s health. Devon earned her MBA from Harvard Business School with honors. Prior to business school, Devon worked at The Global Good Fund, a nonprofit supporting social entrepreneurs, where she co-launched the organization’s first impact investing fund. She started her career at GoodCompany Ventures, a Philadelphia-based accelerator, after graduating from Boston College summa cum laude.

Jolene Anderson

Managing Director,
VectorPoint Ventures.

See Bio

Jolene Anderson

Managing Director, VectorPoint Ventures,

Jolene Anderson is the Managing Director for VectorPoint Ventures, a seed through early growth stage purpose-driven impact venture firm and advisory team. VectorPoint’s team launched VectorPoint Impact Partners L.P. (VIP) to fund and accelerate impact companies. Ms. Anderson served as advisor for Kineta Bio, Investor Relations for a public company, Chapter President for Keiretsu Forum NW/Idaho, investor/advisor/senior wellness director for Inmedix, Inc. and advisor/mentor to life science, material science and clean tech companies in North America. She is a current Board member of the Evergreen Bioscience Innovation Cluster appointed by Washington State Commerce, member of the ACA Life Science committee, Co-Chair for ACA Impact Syndication Committee, Keiretsu Forum Northwest Life Science Screening Committee, and speaker at Life Science Innovation NW. A participant on investor panels at global health and FemAging events, she is a pioneer in the spa/wellness industry and founder of one of the first corporate wellness education companies. She has three decades of experience working with thought leaders in longevity medicine and East West medicine. A decades long commitment to cancer prevention and cures, she participated in the Celebration on the Hill in Washington, D.C. and lobby days in WA state to support funding for cancer research. An active participant in ACS events she was appointed to the Leadership Advisory Board for American Cancer Society NW Region in 2014 for a 2 year term. A former Board member for the St. Alphonsus Hospital Foundation, advisor for the Chris Elliott Fund for Brain Tumor Research, and former Board MIT Enterprise Forum NW, she is a tireless advocate for global health and education on healthy communities.

Mia Farnham

Investor,
SteelSky Ventures.

See Bio

Mia Farnham

Investor, SteelSky Ventures,

Mia Farnham is an investor at SteelSky Ventures, one of the largest women’s health funds in the world with $73M in AUM and the mission to increase access, care and outcomes for women. Prior to SteelSky, Mia was an operator at Attn: Grace, the first skin-safe personal care brand for women 50+ and started her venture career between Precursor Ventures and Anthem in their Emerging Business Group. Before the world of startups and venture capital, Mia worked in M&A consulting supporting Life Sciences and Healthcare Fortune 100 companies through transactions across the entire deal life cycle. She earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and received her MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Maeesha Merchant

TIE Women’s Fund - Investment Committee

Colburn School - Chief Financial Officer and VP of Business Development

See Bio

Maeesha Merchant

TIE Women’s Fund - Investment Committee
Colburn School - Chief Financial Officer and VP of Business Development

Maeesha Merchant is an experienced C-level executive, an angel and real estate investor, and a startup board advisor. She has over 17 years of strategy, financial and operational management experience and currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer and VP of Business Development at the Colburn School, a leading performing arts educational institution. In addition to managing the School, she is also responsible for the development of Colburn School’s historic Frank-Gehry-designed performance hall and dance school in Downtown Los Angeles, and the management of the School’s investment pool and endowment funds.

Prior to Colburn, Maeesha was the SVP of Finance and Operations, CFO and Chief Innovation Officer at California Institute of the Arts, CalArts. In her role as CFO|SVP she oversaw global initiatives, finance and accounting, analytics and IT, operations, facilities and HR. In addition, she was responsible for strategic planning and innovating new business models.

Prior to CalArts, Maeesha was a management consultant and innovator. She has experience across multiple states, countries and industries. At Deloitte, she led successful business transformation efforts for higher education and state governments. Prior to Deloitte, Maeesha worked for (Mercer) Oliver Wyman as a financial services strategy consultant across Asia, Europe, and America.

Maeesha is passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship and founded her own education technology startup and served clients in Asia. She has also worked with the XPRIZE Foundation.

Maeesha graduated Magna Cum Laude from the prestigious Jerome Fisher Management and Technology Program at the University of Pennsylvania with three degrees in Finance, Biomedical Science & International Relations.

HOSTS

Connie Harrell

President
Keiretsu Forum SoCal

See Bio

Connie Harrell

President
Keiretsu Forum SoCal

Connie’s unique business sense and creative vision is the blueprint for her proven successes in various industries as both a serial entrepreneur with retail, telecommunications, printing, graphics and forms design, technology, Internet community development, and CEO/COO over companies in publications, telecommunications, technology with enterprise management systems, public relations, and private equity fundraising. With a belief that people and relationships are the most vital part of life, along with her pioneering attitude and an insatiable desire for new experiences, Connie supports the growth of innovative entrepreneurial opportunities.

Denise Pines

Co Founder
FemAging Project

See Bio

Denise Pines

Co Founder
FemAging Project

Co-producer of the FemAging 2023 report, and longtime community health advocate and media pioneer, Denise is a trusted resource for women as they pursue midlife wellness. She’s the founder of WisePause Wellness (www.wisepause.com), an event and membership platform for women’s health leading up to and including menopause.

Denise is the immediate past president of the Medical Board of California and serves on the Federation of State Medical Boards and the National Minority Health Association. A recognized global leader in femtech, an award-winning marketer and serial entrepreneur, Denise has participated in 10 start-ups in entertainment, publishing and consumer package goods. A legendary event planner, Denise has directed over 300 nationwide events and designed marketing strategies that put three books on The New York Times Best Sellers list in one year.

Fard Johnmar

Co Founder
FemAging Project

See Bio

Fard Johnmar

Co Founder
FemAging Project

Fard Johnmar, co-producer of the FemAging 2023 report, is the global best-selling co-author of ePatient 2015: 15 Surprising Trends Changing Health Care. Since 2005, he has helped to research, document and lead the evolution of the digital health industry. Fard regularly works with leading companies, start-ups, investors and others seeking to understand, document and chart the many ways emerging technologies are transforming health and well-being globally, with a special focus on women’s health and aging.

DAY OF JUDGING GUIDELINES

  • Concept & Revenue
    Business concept and revenue model are clearly articulated and meet customers' needs
  • Competitive Advantage
    Company's solution is better than anything offered by competitors and is defensible
  • Team Members
    Existing or planned team can credibly implement the business plan
  • Financial Plan
    Reasonable financial plan with supporting documents
DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM

Copyright © 2023 FemAging. All Rights Reserved

SHARE THE PAGE