Power to Change Stories

By Heather Booth

While I was still in college in the 1960s, a friend of mine was raped at knifepoint, in her bed in off-campus housing. We went with her to Student Health to get her a gynecological exam. Student Health said they “didn’t cover gynecological exams.” She was given a lecture on her promiscuity.

Another friend contacted me and said his sister was pregnant and nearly suicidal, not ready to have a child. And she wanted an abortion. I hadn’t really thought about the issue before. It was a more innocent time, and in some ways, I was a more innocent person.

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By Nicole Anderson Cobb

Earlier this year, I was awarded an artist-in-residency at Allerton Park & Retreat Center where a colleague and I examined the history of the park and 19th century setter-Native American relations. I am deeply grateful to my Auburn Colloquium Colleagues and Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center educators for gently reminding me to make room for Native communities themselves in my work— spurring me to deeper allyship between African American and Native American educators.

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By Lian Pham

This philanthropic vision, and ‘pay it forward’ mentality, was inspired by my background. My parents fled Vietnam to the U.S. in 1975, sponsored by Jewish immigrants, who had themselves been sponsored decades prior, escaping to the US to start a new life. This ‘pay it forward’ of sponsorships changed the
trajectory of my life and influenced how I am as a person.

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By Cara Peterson

Effortless Perfection tends to create environments where people are so set on making it seem like they have all things put together at all points in time that when they do inevitably struggle, they look around at their seemingly flawless peers and think they are the only ones struggling, causing them feel very isolated and alone.

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By Josephine Atluri

It is my hope that aspiring parents have the tools and resources to care for their mental and emotional well-being as they traverse through the oftentimes challenging journey to becoming a parent.

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By Holly Bell

The fight for justice is worth it at every level, and I might be the first to lead that fight here, but I will not be the last woman to carry my title as proudly as I do. The great news is that in the end, the law always wins when the fight for justice is relentless.

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By Nina Simons.

When I first realized how my own internalized gender biases and beliefs were limiting my choices, behavior and leadership, I was shocked, then enlivened. Excited to embark on altering them. I began exploring inwardly, excavating how unconscious cultural conditioning had contributed to the story about what I was capable of visioning or achieving in my life. 

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By Sharla Toller. There’s a significant difference between an organization saying, “We value Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace,” and adequately holding its leaders in their organization accountable for upholding that reality and driving meaningful change. But it’s the accountability that really matters. That is what leads to sustainable and impactful change within an organization.

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By Emefa Boamah. So, I will rest, and you know what? The world will go on and it’s ok. I will try again tomorrow.

The onset of the pandemic. A personal near-death experience from COVID and it’s aftereffects for six months. Civil Unrest. Gun shootings. And most recently, living in a post Roe v. Wade country. Is this still the land of the free and home of the brave?

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By Bethany Corbin, JD. I began getting involved with femtech around 2018-2019 when I was teaching at Wake Forest University School of Law. I finished my healthcare LL.M. at Loyola University of Chicago and my thesis focused on liability for the internet of medical things (IoMT).

When I was at Wake Forest, I became interested in the intersection of connected health devices/IoMT and women’s health. As I researched this area, I realized there was a gap in the femtech discussion from the legal community.

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By Rania Nasis, MD, MBA. While in medical school, I met countless doctors who wanted to help patients but who were thwarted from doing just that. In particular, I saw how doctors weren’t empowered by technology; they were held hostage by it. This didn’t sit well with me. I knew tech could be a transformative force. So, I set off to find innovative approaches outside of traditional healthcare to make a real difference in the lives of real people.

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By Susan Salenger. As I was wheeled into the cold operating room, attached to various tubes, I felt angry at myself for agreeing to have surgery I was convinced I didn't need. It turned out I was right—and to this day, many years later, I still feel bad that I had been so passive. But after talking with other women about their healthcare decisions, I found that many of them had acquiesced in the same way and felt similar regrets. These experiences forced me to wonder what makes women agree to do something to our bodies that we fundamentally think is wrong.

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By Kari Pearce. I set my attention on creating a program that could provide a full workout, in a limited time. All of the results, without the countless hours at the gym. I have now created over 24 programs in a way to get the most out of your time.

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By Dr. Tara Lalvani. I wasn’t from a business background and I am a testament that your past should never define your future. It has been a joy to see the impact Beautifect has made globally already and my wish is for more women to go after their dreams and fulfil their potential. It’s never too late to make a change.

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By Julie Danis. My reinvention journey gave me the power to be who I am in my 60s and beyond: a writer and storyteller working on a play I believe will make others realize they’re not alone in what they experience and feel. My words do matter and my happiness and success is linked to being me.

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By Kim Hunt. Though the ACA came too late for Rhonda, her story gives me the power to change the narrative for those who face similar challenges and ensure access to quality affordable health care. Her story inspires my advocacy for the current HB4430/SB3209 legislation, which increases access to two highly effective methods of HIV preventative healthcare, and my efforts to support marginalized and underrepresented individuals.

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By Danielle Dao. My passion to work outside the box has strongly driven the last few decades of my career in cannabis. As this industry continues to evolve and adapt to increasing regulation, we’re seeing exciting steps forward, but we’re also seeing areas where we can still improve.

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By Jasmine Beverley. The start of a year is a new beginning. My baby would be due in a few weeks, and I could not continue to cry and suffer in silence. I had to make the decision to be happy, to choose life and happiness. I wrote this book, The Unseen Veil, to help women who have never had a voice, women who have been silent, and those who have stayed silent.

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By Samantha Smith. My philosophy on hiring is straightforward: hire the best. But upon reflection, did I have access to the best? Was I spending enough time looking at candidates who didn't use keywords that would appear on candidate searches? Did I widen my scope enough to attract a diverse candidate pool for my team?

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By Asha Dahya. I focus on reproductive rights, gender equality, and the representation of women in media. I am passionate about empowering women, girls and femmes to take up space, raise their voice and share their story with the world.

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