Announcing the speaker lineup for the annual Femtech Canada Forum in Vancouver, B.C.
November 7, 2025 // Femtech Canada is proud to announce the speaker lineup for the 2025 Femtech Canada Forum, featuring leaders from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Deloitte Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The event, taking place on Thursday, November 13, 2025, in Vancouver, B.C., brings industry leaders together for a strategic discussion on building Canada’s advantage in the high-growth femtech sector.
The speaker lineup includes policymakers, key opinion leaders, and innovators such as Mallorie Brongman-Thomas (Equity 2030 Alliance, UNFPA), Dr. Angela Kaida (Scientific Director, CIHR), Zahra Jivan (Healthcare Transformation Leader, Deloitte Canada), Laura Maxwell (Director, Sustainability Strategy, Sun Life), Dr. Lori Brotto (Executive Director, Women’s Health Research Institute, Founder eSense), Hilary Kilgour (Co-Founder, Audaxa Ventures), Jessica Chalk (Founder, MyStoria), Heather Creighton (Vice President, Brand, Strategy & Marketing of the IWK Foundation), Jennifer Gillivan ICD.D (President and CEO, IWK Foundation), Stephanie Gan (Director of Governance and Partnerships, Health Emergency Readiness Canada), Catherine Beauchemin and Maggie Dong (PeriPharm), and Rachel Bartholomew (Founder, Femtech Canada).
The Forum centers on building Canada’s competitive advantage in the global femtech industry. Speakers will explore opportunities from multiple angles to align the ecosystem, helping enable Canada to capitalize on the estimated $37 billion economic opportunity created by closing the gender health gap. The Forum’s discussions will be grounded in actionable steps to advance women’s health in Canada, including unveiling exclusive research on market access barriers for women’s health products. Attendees will also gain practical guidance for entrepreneurs and investors on navigating the commercialization pipeline for bringing scientifically-backed femtech innovations from the lab to the market.
Reflecting on the impact of this unprecedented assembly, Andrea Guest, Senior Manager at Femtech Canada said, “This isn’t just a meeting; it’s the critical mass of corporate, academic, and global authority and front-line innovators coming together. When leaders with this influence align, systemic change in women’s health is possible, and that is how Canada builds its global advantage.”
The Femtech Canada Forum has served as the platform for Canada’s women’s health technology ecosystem, bringing together often siloed operators to think systematically about how Canada establishes a flourishing femtech industry that contributes to closing the country’s gender health gap. This year’s event marks a pivotal moment as the convergence of global mandates, data-driven insights, and national policy leadership, backed by title sponsor Sun Life, ensures the 2025 Forum will not only help to define Canada’s position but also accelerate its leadership in delivering equitable health outcomes worldwide.
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.
Media Contact
Jennifer Gauvreau, Director of Marketing
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