Welcome to the latest edition of Re-Humanizing HealthTech, where we amplify and connect voices bringing humans back into healthcare.

I’m releasing this issue following a blockbuster week in NYC filled with events, quality time with old friends, and inviting liminal spaces for new ones. It’s always good to be back — and the city is just as vibrant (and as unexpectedly cold) as always.

The nursing shortage is no joke. We’re looking at a future where the demand for care (mainly based on our aging population) is rising every year and the people willing and able to provide care are increasingly difficult to find.

Economic rationale suggests that the market rate should adjust to encompass this supply/demand dynamic, and indeed, we have seen this to some extent over the last few years in travel nursing and agency staffing. Given the constraints across the system, however, we know it’s not sustainable.

Separately, educational outcomes are declining. Substantially. Whether it’s because we’re measuring the wrong thing, that educators are struggling to maintain effectiveness, or that students are less interested, prepared, or able — or something else entirely — our educational system doesn’t reflect today’s cultural and technological realities.

Today’s world is online. It’s interactive, dopamine-fueled, and it’s a sensory overload. Contrast that to education and learning, which feels little-changed from monks writing scrolls in temples centuries ago. We’re not equipping our educational system to train today’s generation of learners.

Let’s add another layer of complexity. What happens when you need to educate nurses to assist in specialized, high-risk, life-saving surgical procedures?

They watch over someone’s shoulder.

Or at least, they did until now. Our featured founder is shifting the goalposts and creating the future of education for nurses in the operating room. Read more below.

In optimism,

Katie

Meet Angela. She’s building Conquer Experiences, starting with PeriopSim, the world's leading AI-accelerated simulation and assessment platform for nurses.

Why did you choose this path?

I saw an unsustainable path where nurses are left to prove themselves in high-stakes surgical environments without the ability to practice beforehand. I felt their pain when they were thrown into the deep end and expected to sink or swim. That’s not an environment designed for optimal healthcare outcomes.

My vision was to empower nurses with the preparation and confidence they need before entering an unfamiliar procedure for the first time. My background in interactive software design allowed me to create the world’s first procedure-based simulator designed specifically for surgical nurses.

In our design phase, we specifically collaborated with surgery department heads from major health systems, as well as the pioneering team behind the world’s first brain surgery simulator to create a solution that makes sense for practitioners. They’re our early investors and advisors, and they’ve helped us bring this vision to life.

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare, yet, they’re not prioritized when it comes to the application of technology. We’re scaling to change that.

What are the missing pieces for you right now?

💸 Investors that have a thesis in the nursing workforce. It takes a village!

🚀 I’m hiring! I’m looking for GTM experience in Health Systems, and I have roles across:

What gives you hope?

It’s been a huge October! I’m so grateful for the opportunity and the space to meet up with people in real life. Engaging, collaborating, and committing to support future growth alongside each other makes magic — this is how we foster change in our lived reality.

Individuals aren’t averages. When we acknowledge this, we better tailor our healthcare services to people as their own distinct, unique selves. People deserve better healthcare outcomes, and this group of people is making it happen.

Women’s health isn’t just breast cancer (though still important!), it encompasses conditions where women are exclusively (ovarian cancer), differently (cardiovascular disease), or disproportionately (Alzheimers) impacted.

I’m honored to be a recipient of this year’s Women We Admire’s Top 50 Women Leaders in Technology. At this year’s Summit conversation ranged from building and motivating teams in the age of AI, addressing hesitation from creatives in adopting AI, to not throwing tools at the problem (as always, please understand your users).

Biggest laugh from the audience: People don’t read anymore. Particularly poignant as I pen a newsletter.

A powerhouse convention of people building and investing in what the future of women’s health looks like. Hint: It’s based on understanding, prevention, and on applying technology and scientific discovery to make measurable differences.

One consistent message is that the status quo isn’t good enough, and it’s beyond time to change that.

What happens when you pilot a pop-up happy hour, and you extend an offer to catch up last minute? People make it happen.

Grateful for new connections, puzzle nights, the benefits of neck fans, and sommelier aspirations!

An amazing group of people showed up to investigate and create solutions in AgeTech. Leading with empathy and insight, the collaboration brought forth some incredible solutions in a very short few hours. So happy to have found this group.

Alongside my fantastic teammates, I was thrilled to take home third place for a solution for remote caregivers!

I help Seed & Series A healthtech startups design and build human-centric, investor-grade revenue engines.