Building Canada's Femtech Advantage

Catherine has a recognized expertise and leadership with more than 15 years of experience in health economics and outcomes research. She is a partner at PeriPharm, a consulting company specialized in health economics and market access in Canada. In that role, she is fully dedicated to the success of her clients’ market access initiatives. In addition, Catherine is an adjunct professor at the University of Montreal and a lecturer at the University of Sherbrooke. Using her academic experience and profound understanding of the industry needs, she recently cofounded the PROxy Network, an innovative RWE initiative generating patient-centered evidence. She is committed to developing robust evidence and establishing strategic planning to optimize the market for innovative drugs and technologies for Canadian patients.

Christine advises and advocates for a variety of organizations and professionals in the health and pharmaceutical sector. Her experience spans from advising start-up entities to major corporation on a wide range of federal and provincial health related regulations across Canada, assisting with establishing operations and compliance.

As a woman, mom of two daughters and a self-professed health nerd, she is passionate about assisting organizations focused on women’s health.

Dr. Angela Kaida is the Scientific Director of the Institute of Gender and Health (IGH) at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). As one of 13 CIHR institutes, the Institute of Gender and Health’s mandate is to foster research excellence regarding the influence of sex and gender on health and to apply these findings to identify and address pressing health challenges facing men, women, girls, boys and gender-diverse people. Dr. Kaida is a Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University (Vancouver), where she holds the Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Equity.

Dr. Lori Brotto is internationally recognized as a leader in sexual health research. She has mentored 149 trainees and evaluated psychological interventions for sexual dysfunction and genital pain, which collectively impact 1/3 of women. Her work influences practice internationally, with mindfulness now implemented in sexual medicine centres and recommended as front line care in international guidelines. In recognition of her contributions, she holds a Canada Research Chair in women’s sexual health, has received recent awards in mentoring junior faculty, excellent public education through media, book awards, and is listed among the top 2% cited scientists by Stanford/Elsevier (SCOPUS citations).

Heather is the Vice-President, Brand, Strategy & Marketing at the IWK Foundation and works closely with IWK Foundation President & CEO, Jennifer Gillivan on the Women’s Health and Research Strategy.

Heather’s passion for advocating systemic change in women’s healthcare, particularly for those experiencing menopause, stems from her personal experiences. She is dedicated to ensuring that every woman has the opportunity to live a long and healthy life and is channeling this stage of her life into becoming a catalyst for meaningful change.

With a 30-year career in developing and leading brand campaigns, Heather has extensive expertise in strategy, writing, public relations, marketing, and communications. For the past 13 years, she has focused on the health sector within the not-for-profit space, working with the Canadian Cancer Society and the IWK Foundation in Halifax, Nova Scotia—the largest hospital on Canada’s East Coast, specializing in pediatric and women’s healthcare.

Hilary Kilgour is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Audaxa Ventures, a seed stage investment fund that invests early stage capital in the most promising tech solutions in climate and health. 

Hilary is deeply embedded in Canada’s innovation ecosystem. She has built cutting edge accelerators and innovation programs and has guided hundreds of founders through the complexities of the capital landscape, helping them harness the country’s competitive edge. Hilary is an Entrepreneur in Residence focused on Climate and Health at MaRS Discovery District, Canada’s largest innovation hub, and a Founder Services Advisor at ventureLAB, a leading tech hub that helps Canadian startups build, grow, and scale their businesses. She was Director of Investment for Spring and Director of Future Capital (formerly Female Funders) at Highline Beta.

Previously, Hilary led sustainability and innovation for global organizations for more than a decade. Having worked across government, philanthropic, social enterprise and corporate leadership roles, she specializes in working with bold leaders at the intersection of strategy, leadership, culture, and systems change. Her 15+ years of leadership experience spans Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies, startups, and leading high growth, global brands in diverse sectors. Hilary has been recognized by Clean50, Corporate Knights and YWCA for her leadership in scaling impact for global organizations. With an MBA in Sustainable Systems from Presidio Graduate School, she completed her undergraduate degree from Queen’s University where she was an All-Canadian athlete.

Jennifer Gillivan is President and CEO of the IWK Foundation. The Foundation is the primary fundraising and outreach partner of the IWK Health Centre in the East Coast of Canada.

Jennifer is a passionate champion for the rights and wellbeing of Children and Women and is Co-Founder and Past Chair of the Board of Directors of Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations (CCHF), one of the largest funders of children’s health in Canada. Jennifer has led her team to historic fundraising results and has also led the organization to become a member of The Women’s Health Collective. Jennifer is a seasoned executive leader, passionate and motivational speaker and contributor to her community and country.

In addition to being appointed to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Advisory Board on Gender and Health, Jennifer has received both regional and national recognition for her work, she was awarded by Waterstone Capital as the “Most Admired CEO in a Social Profit Organization” in Canada. Jennifer was inducted into the Atlantic Business Magazine Business Hall of Fame, and she was recognized as one of the most powerful Atlantic Canadian Businesswomen. Jennifer received the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant award, Halifax Chamber Business Person of the Year and many other national and regional awards. Jennifer is a board member of the Frank H Sobey for Excellence in Business Awards Board of Trustees and is past Co-Chair of the Sobey national mental health partnership, a board member of the Women’s Health Collective, and past Chair of Governance & Nominations for the CCHF Board of Directors. Jennifer was appointed in 2016 – 2018 by the Prime Minister of Canada to serve on the Independent Advisory Board for Senate appointments representing Nova Scotia and she has served on many local and national boards over the years.

Jennifer is dedicated to ending the unconscious bias towards women’s healthcare and research and making real and sustainable change for women and for future generations.

Jessica Chalk brings a rare combination of lived experience and entrepreneurial expertise to the fertility and reproductive health space. After six years of trying to conceive, navigating complex treatments, and spending over $100,000 out of pocket, she founded myStoria to solve the systemic gaps she faced firsthand. As both a patient and founder, Jessica understands the emotional, clinical, and logistical challenges that most platforms overlook.

Before myStoria, she built and successfully exited a digital marketing company, was named Entrepreneur of the Year and Young Alumna of the Year, and completed the Entrepreneurial Masters Program at MIT with EO. She currently serves on several boards, including the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Lazaridis School of Business.

Jessica is on a mission to redesign fertility and reproductive healthcare — creating solutions that support patients earlier, improve outcomes, and hold the system accountable.

Laura Maxwell is the Director of Sustainability Strategy at Sun Life. She is passionate about creating programs that address important social issues while also helping businesses succeed. At Sun Life, Laura works across the business to bring the company’s purpose to life by reimagining the design and delivery of products and services so that they work for everyone – starting with women’s health and financial security. Before joining Sun Life, Laura helped lead Deloitte’s social impact efforts. In that role, she worked on global maternal and child health initiatives with several United Nations agencies and Global Affairs Canada.

Maggie joined the PeriPharm team in 2021 after completing her Ph.D. and brought with her a solid analytical competency. In her role as a senior manager, Maggie leads a team that develops and synthesizes robust clinical evidence to help clients achieve successful market access initiatives. Notably, she has played this leading role in multiple medications for women’s health.

Mallorie brings a decade of experience across strategy, partnerships and program management focused on gender equality, sustainable finance and development. Through the UNFPA Equalizer Accelerator Fund, which scales women’s health innovations globally, she manages the Equity 2030 Alliance to mobilize capital and partnerships that advance gender equity in science, technology and finance. Her work spans engagements with Fortune 500s, top-tier consultancies, major foundations, social enterprises and grassroots organizations, from the Maasai Mara in Kenya to the bustling streets of Mumbai. Mallorie holds an MSc in Gender, Peace and Security from the London School of Economics, with a focus on gender lens investing, and a BA from McGill University in International Development, Psychology, and African Studies.

Peter grew up in Calgary, Alberta and moved to Vancouver in 2016. He has over fifteen years experience of public affairs and government relations experience across many economic sectors.

Rachel Bartholomew is a 2 time entrepreneur who is now working on her second company, Hyivy Health, created after her recent fight with cervical cancer. Hyivy Health is creating a medical device for the 1 in 3 women worldwide who will experience a gynecological complication in their lifetime. Rachel is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and has been working in various roles in the entrepreneurship ecosystem for over 15 years, including the Founder of Femtech Canada and Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University in Biotech Innovation.

Stephanie Gan is the Director of Governance and Partnerships and on the senior management team at Health Emergency Readiness Canada (HERC) focused on engaging industry, government, and ecosystem partners to shape policy and support the long-term growth of Canada’s biomanufacturing and life sciences sector. Stephanie has held senior roles across the Treasury Board Secretariat, Canada Revenue Agency, and the Privy Council Office, managing a wide range of economic and fiscal portfolios. Her work has spanned results-based management, tax gap estimation, and government-wide spending reviews, bringing a strategic lens to public sector performance and accountability.

Yishel Khan is an Industrial Technology Advisor with the National Research Council of Canada’s Industry and Innovation Division, where she leads national initiatives focused on advancing women’s access to capital, health innovation, and aging-in-place technologies. Her work includes co-developing and delivering wHealth MedPath with Femtech Canada to accelerate commercialization in women’s health, and supporting women-led ventures through investment readiness programs like SheBoot.

Before joining NRC, Yishel founded and scaled health tech companies focused on AI-powered diagnostics in mental health and sleep medicine, one of which was acquired following international growth and clinical success. Her career bridges engineering, entrepreneurship, and healthcare innovation.

A committed advocate for equity in innovation, Yishel continues to mentor founders and support Canadian SMEs working at the intersection of advanced technologies, clinical applications and commercial strategy.

Zahra Jivan is a passionate advocate for women’s health and an accomplished leader in healthcare transformation. With extensive experience advising public sector organizations and health systems across Canada, Zahra specializes in driving innovative solutions that advance equitable access to care and improve health outcomes. She has worked closely with stakeholders at all levels to modernize health programs, implement digital health solutions, and inform public health policy.

Zahra’s expertise spans program design, data strategy, and the integration of technology to address pressing gaps in the health system. She is deeply committed to championing a national call to action to update and strengthen women’s health initiatives in Canada. Zahra brings a collaborative and evidence-based approach to every conversation, inspiring action and fostering partnerships across the health ecosystem.

She is honored to join Femtech Canada’s upcoming conference to share insights and drive dialogue on the future of women’s health in Canada.