You are on a journey, maybe even a life or death one for you or someone you love. You see a large gap, something missing that you thought would be on the path to help you out. Or your guidebook is messy with missing pages, and the map is outdated. Do you fall in that hole? Do you jump over it and keep pressing on? Or do you build a bridge, creating a better path forward?
For some women showcasing their innovative creations at the second Women, Health, Innovation Conference: The Future of Healthcare for Women on May 8, 2025, the answer is: Build a better path.
Patient Support 24 hours a Day
Showcase Innovator Ellyn Winters-Robinson was a popular speaker at last year’s Women, Health, Innovation Conference, and she returns this year to share her progress. Her health innovation story started when she received her breast cancer diagnosis three years ago. That news transformed her life in ways she could never expect. During her diagnosis and treatment, she saw first-hand the need for better emotional support for women diagnosed and their families. Leaning into her experience as a marketer and storyteller, Ellyn wrote her best-selling book FLAT PLEASE, HOLD THE SHAME during chemotherapy, to share her story and knowledge with others who would follow in her footsteps.
“When you are told you have breast cancer, your world as you knew it is forever shattered. You are bewildered, afraid and feel so alone,” Ellyn reflects. “I remember longing for a comforting hand to hold to get me through this. I wrote Flat Please to bottle up the wisdom and knowledge I had gained, so others would feel less alone.”
A chance meeting with Pat Belliveau, Managing Director of AI platform and solution creator Gambit Co., led to the creation of AskEllyn.ai, the world’s first lifestyle brand and AI companion for women and their caregivers. AskEllyn is non-medical, private, free and available in 40+ languages.
Since her launch in October 2023, AskEllyn has been used in over 50 countries, was handpicked by the Geneva-based City Cancer Challenge (C/CAN) as one of 11 “gold standard” digital patient navigation tools to be deployed to cities in low to middle income countries around the world. In addition to the transformations around breast cancer care, other changemakers, inspired by AskEllyn, are now stepping forward to help Ellyn realize her vision for “conversational care.” There is now an AskShan for Parkinson’s, AskAshleigh for dementia care, AskEve for menstruation and HiEddy for eating disorders.
Confidential At Home Medical Tests
Another Showcase Innovator is Serina Ahmad, the co-founder and CEO of trusti, a Canadian startup working to make sexually transmitted testing (STI) testing faster, easier and more accessible. Like Ellyn, Serina Ahmad likes to build. She spent years working in product management at ZoomerMedia, a Canadian media agency, going on to run the Digital Department by the age of 24. Then she saw a need.
“trusti, was born out of a conversation with girlfriends over dinner about how miserable it is to get an STI test in this country,” she says. “Long wait times, overburdened and insensitive practitioners, not getting a call back if you receive a negative result. It’s a stressful process that most people avoid unless absolutely necessary, which is contrary to public health recommendations of how much a sexually active person is supposed to get tested. In the post-Covid era, where everyone knows how to self-test and at-home diagnostic technology is advancing so quickly, it felt like the right time to create a solution that empowers people to get tested by making the process private and convenient.”
Today, Serina and her team are building at-home rapid testing solutions for sexually transmitted infections. The tests are convenient and stigma-free; more importantly, they put people in control of their sexual health. Customers can test from the comfort of their home, receive results in minutes (no more lab visits) and can consult with medical professionals virtually through the trusti portal; all included in the price of the kit.
If someone can check their STI status easily and without shame, then they can better protect themselves and others, without judgement, Serina says. She believes that improved access can lead to a change in mindset, shifting the testing process from reactive to a habit that is proactive.
trusti is launching its first inaugural HIV self testing kit the week of May 1, and has plans to roll out tests for additional conditions over the next few months. Information on the latest updates can be found on their website and social media channels.
Both Ellyn Winters-Robinson and Serina Ahmad will be featured during Showcase Innovations sessions at the 2025 Women, Health, Innovation Conference: The Future of Healthcare for Women on May 8, 2025, in Burlington, Ontario. We have two other featured innovators and entrepreneurs in the spotlight at the conference: Ibukun Elebute, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of CELLECT and Amanda Bradley, founder of MEDWELLCV.
Come be inspired! Learn about building paths, make connections with like-minded women, and create better paths and roadmaps for all. Get your tickets now.
Author: Seanna-Lin Brodie-Keys