Announcing the speaker lineup for the third annual Femtech Canada Forum in Toronto, Ontario
October 21, 2026 | Femtech Canada announced the speaker lineup for the 2026 Femtech Canada Forum, where the focus is on Turning Strategy into Impact. The event takes place on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at Artscape Daniels Spectrum in Toronto, Ontario, and brings together leaders from across Canada’s growing femtech ecosystem to explore opportunities within the rapidly expanding $1 trillion global femtech market.
Now in its third year, the Forum centers on translating Canada’s growing femtech momentum into strategic action. The day will begin with a state of the nation address on where Canada’s femtech ecosystem stands today. From there, sessions will dig into three of the sector’s biggest levers for growth: building the population and health data foundation femtech innovators need to validate and scale their solutions, unlocking procurement pathways so proven femtech innovations can reach hospitals and health systems, and turning shared ecosystem priorities into real policy influence. Together, the day is designed to give founders, funders, researchers, and policymakers actionable next steps.
Reflecting on this year’s Forum, Rachel Bartholomew, Founder and Lead Advisor of Femtech Canada, said, “We know where the gaps in women’s health are, and we know what they cost. What founders need now is data they can build on, procurement pathways they can actually enter, and policy that keeps up with them.”
The Femtech Canada Forum has become a key gathering point for Canada’s women’s health technology ecosystem, bringing together corporate, academic, clinical, and founder voices that don’t always share a room. This year’s event is backed by sponsors including Santis Health, BD-Canada, Deloitte Canada, and PTL Solutions Ltd., and continues Femtech Canada’s work advocating to close the longstanding gaps in women’s health research, funding, and care.
Featured speakers include:
- Rachel Bartholomew, Founder and Lead Advisor at Femtech Canada, CEO at Hyivy
- Parnian Majd, Founder and CEO at Fibra Inc.
- Dr. Diane Francoeur, CEO at the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), Associate Professor at the University of Montréal
- Meagan Furnivall, Founder & CEO at Revara Care
- Karen Brunet, Founder and CEO at Cntrl+ Inc.
- Amy Flood, Executive Director at Women’s Health Collective Canada
- Skaidra Puodžiūnas, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Council of Canadian Innovators
- Dr. Liisa Galea, Senior Scientist, Chair in Women’s Mental Health, and Lead for the Women’s Health Research Cluster at CAMH
- Jovan Matic, Director at the Ontario Ministry of Health
- Renee Kokts-Porietis, Co-Founder at My Normitive
- Dr. Aline Talhouk, Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Director of Data Science and Informatics at OVCARE, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
- Avvey Peters, President at North Guide
- Baljit Sidhu, Founder, Women, Health & Innovation (WHI)
About Femtech Canada
Femtech Canada is a national network dedicated to advancing women’s health technology by connecting femtech companies with essential resources and visibility. Through strategic networking, business advisory support, mentorship, and a dynamic online community, Femtech Canada inspires entrepreneurs and researchers to pioneer technologies that improve the lives of women and end-users across the country. Operated by Innovation Factory, Femtech Canada is committed to fostering intentional, intersectional, and inclusive growth in the sector by advocating to close the longstanding gaps in women’s health—a field historically under-served, under-researched, and under-funded.
femtech.ca
About Innovation Factory
Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator, serving as the catalyst for technology innovation in Ontario since 2010. Innovation Factory provides business services, training, mentorship, and strategic connections to drive market adoption, leverage intellectual property, and increase revenues, investment, and jobs. Innovators can also access sector-specific resources, including exclusive smart transportation test environments and data, and a formal life science and health innovation ecosystem.
innovationfactory.ca