I. An Influential Gathering at the Intersection of Business Leadership and Women’s Health Innovation

On November 8, 2025, Harvard Business School hosted the Women’s Health Summit 2025, a major gathering that brought together leaders across business, healthcare, biotechnology, digital innovation, and investment. Over the years, the Summit has positioned itself as one of the nation’s most important forums for deep examinations of women’s health as both a social imperative and a rapidly emerging sector of economic opportunity. This year’s event strengthened that reputation, hosting founders, executives, policymakers, clinicians, global health advocates, and graduate scholars who share the ambition of redefining the future of women’s health.

Faces of Impact was proudly represented by Honorary President, Dr. Priyanka Chahal, whose presence placed young leadership and purpose-driven youth engagement at the forefront of discussions typically dominated by senior executives and investors. Her participation affirmed the organization’s commitment to ensuring that the voices of emerging leaders are both present and influential in conversations shaping the future of healthcare, business innovation, and gender equity.

The summit opened with a bold keynote from Cindy Eckert, whose entrepreneurial journey has reshaped the conversation about innovation in women’s health. Her keynote challenged the audience to consider the extraordinary opportunity, and responsibility, within the women’s health sector. She highlighted the persistent gaps in healthcare delivery, the chronic underfunding of women-centered research and solutions, and the powerful market forces that, when properly mobilized, can expand access and transform lives. Her remarks set a tone of ambition, courage, and structural challenge that carried through the day’s sessions.

II. Deep Conversations on Market Dynamics, Innovation Pathways, and Transformational Leadership

The Summit unfolded through a series of in-depth conversations, panels, and fireside dialogues that explored the rapidly evolving landscape of women’s health from multiple angles—economic, technological, regulatory, and experiential. The conversations reflected the fast-paced, analytical style characteristic of Harvard Business School: a blend of strategic thinking, real-world pragmatism, and future-oriented vision.

One of the most substantive discussions of the day examined how digital health solutions for women are conceptualized, validated, and brought to market. Leaders such as Aagya Mathur of Aavia, Amanda Ducach of Ema, Monica Cepak of Wisp, and Veronica Adamson of Philips shared candid reflections about navigating consumer expectations, designing solutions grounded in trust and transparency, and addressing the complexities of scaling digital platforms in an increasingly competitive and regulated health technology environment. They emphasized that digital health cannot be reduced to apps or automated systems; it must be built upon behavioral science, human-centered design, and a commitment to meeting women where they are, whether managing hormonal health, reproductive needs, or chronic conditions.

The investment landscape was another central theme. Executives and investors from organizations including J.P. Morgan, Pillar VC, Optum Ventures, and Flare Capital offered a deeply analytical view of how capital flows, or fails to flow, into women’s health innovation. They drew attention to the gap between women’s enormous influence over health spending decisions and the relatively modest levels of investment directed toward solutions designed for them. They spoke to the need for evidence-driven business cases, leadership diversity within investment firms, stronger corporate prioritization of women’s health, and long-term strategies capable of supporting breakthrough innovations through development, validation, and large-scale implementation.

The afternoon sessions focused heavily on scientific and technological advancements in women’s health, shedding light on new diagnostic tools, medical devices, and models of care. Executives from companies such as Midi Health, Tia, Maven Clinic, Kindbody, Eleven, and Mae discussed how they are building more comprehensive and integrated care systems that reflect the complexities of women’s health across the lifespan. Their reflections highlighted both the breakthroughs and the challenges inherent in developing products that must simultaneously satisfy regulatory standards, clinical expectations, investor requirements, and the everyday realities of women’s lives.

The fireside sessions were among the most powerful, featuring insights from leaders such as Dr. Neel Shah and Joanna Strober, whose work spans clinical practice, organizational leadership, policy influence, and strategic innovation. Their reflections centered on the structural design of healthcare systems and the reality that many women’s health challenges arise not from lack of knowledge or technology, but from systems that were not originally designed with women’s experiences in mind. They discussed the fragmentation of maternal care, the invisibility of menopausal health in mainstream healthcare systems, and the urgent need to redesign primary care and workplace policies to accommodate the full spectrum of women’s needs.

III. Faces of Impact’s Leadership and Engagement During the Summit

Throughout the summit, Dr. Priyanka Chahal was deeply engaged in discussions with founders, corporate leaders, senior researchers, venture capitalists, and faculty. Her interactions highlighted a perspective that is essential, yet often missing, in high-level conversations: the voice of the emerging generation of global leaders.

Dr. Chahal spoke about the importance of designing health solutions that prioritize dignity, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity. She highlighted the need for leadership pipelines that support young women entering global health, innovation, and policy careers. She also emphasized the importance of involving youth in shaping the systems that will define their futures—systems that must be built not only upon clinical evidence, but upon empathy, lived experience, community understanding, and long-term vision.

Her conversations reflected an unmistakable truth: the next generation of leaders must be equipped with the ability to understand not only human health needs, but also how business models, financial structures, and innovation ecosystems shape the possibilities for progress. By representing Faces of Impact in this setting, Dr. Chahal brought visibility to the organization’s mission and its growing influence in global leadership circles.

The Summit provided her the opportunity to exchange perspectives with leaders from major corporations such as Philips, Johnson & Johnson, and BD, as well as founders and executives from cutting-edge women’s health companies. She connected with scholars and clinicians working to redesign women’s healthcare delivery systems and policymakers overseeing initiatives aimed at improving women’s health outcomes nationwide. These interactions will help shape Faces of Impact’s programs, partnerships, and leadership training initiatives in the months ahead.

IV. Strategic Insights for the Future: Strengthening Business Leadership, Advancing Innovation, and Elevating Women’s Health

The Women’s Health Summit 2025 underscored a vital truth: women’s health is not a peripheral concern, nor a subset of healthcare, it is one of the most strategically important pillars of modern economic and social development. The conversations throughout the Summit made clear that when women’s health is strengthened, entire economies become more resilient, labor forces become more productive, and communities experience greater long-term stability. The advancement of women’s health is therefore not only a moral priority, but a pragmatic investment in the future of global prosperity.

The Summit illuminated the need for leaders who can think expansively and act decisively across the interconnected spheres of science, strategy, business, and human wellbeing. To transform women’s health in a meaningful way, leaders must be able to navigate complex regulatory environments, interpret evolving market signals, identify gaps in care, and translate cutting-edge research into sustainable models of impact. This requires a sophisticated understanding of financial systems, health technology pathways, corporate partnerships, and the lived realities of the individuals whom these innovations are designed to serve.

Across the day’s discussions, whether centered on digital health pathways, investment structures, medical technologies, or care delivery models, one theme was consistent: progress in women’s health will depend on leaders and institutions willing to adopt long-term vision. It will require the willingness to challenge outdated assumptions, to build new architectures of care, and to embed women’s health at the center of business decisions, policy agendas, and innovation ecosystems. It will also demand that leaders prioritize dignity, accessibility, scientific rigor, and inclusivity as non-negotiable components of any modern health strategy.

Faces of Impact will carry these insights forward as we deepen our engagement across the health innovation landscape. The Summit’s lessons will inform our institutional collaborations, research priorities, leadership development frameworks, and broader efforts to advance equitable and future-ready models of health. We remain committed to contributing meaningfully to conversations at the intersection of global health, business innovation, and strategic systems design, ensuring that our work aligns with the evolving needs and ambitions of the sector.

Reflecting on her experience at the Summit, Dr. Priyanka Chahal shared a deeply resonant message:

“Women’s health is not a secondary agenda, it is a strategic cornerstone of economic progress and collective wellbeing. The Summit demonstrated how urgently the world needs bold thinking, informed leadership, and purposeful collaboration. The future of women’s health will be built by those who combine evidence with empathy, innovation with integrity, and vision with disciplined action.”