Femtech has (rightly) seen an almighty rise over the past decade, as new technology such as period trackers, fertility solutions and things that generally make a woman’s life better are finally starting to be prioritised.
Tania Boler, winner of the GLAMOUR Women of the Year 2021 Technology Gamechanger Award, has been a pioneer in the femtech industry since she co-founded Elvie, one of the world’s leading femtech brands, in 2013.
Before this, Tania held leadership positions at various global NGOs and the United Nations. But the idea for Elvie – whose standout product is its silent breast pump – came to her while she herself was pregnant and discovering many of the unique health issues that women have been facing for centuries.
In 2019, Tania raised $42 million (£30 million) for Elvie, the largest sum ever made in femtech. Passionate about challenging taboos when it comes to women’s health, here she tells GLAMOUR why you need to have ‘skin like a rhino‘ as a woman in tech, and how she’s working to break down cultural norms that shame women’s bodies.
Q What has been the biggest gamechanging moment in your life?
A Although I worked in many countries and across various fields and have more than 15 years’ experience in women’s health, above all else, having a baby sparked the most significant ‘a-ha‘ moment for me as a woman. When I became pregnant, I realised I knew far less about my body than I ought to, especially around my pelvic floor. While spending time in France (my husband is French), I discovered that it’s normal for French women to attend pelvic floor rehabilitation classes after birth to help re-strengthen their bodies. I couldn’t believe that nothing like this existed in other countries, especially since I later found that one in three women will experience pelvic floor problems during their lifetime.
As I researched further, I learned the shocking statistics relating to incontinence and prolapse (half of all women over 50). I started conversations with researchers and physiotherapists to see what we could do to make a change. Eventually, I found that technological innovation was lacking in this area, and most of what was on the market at the time for women was simply ineffective. Giving women real-time biofeedback is the most reliable way to encourage commitment to pelvic floor training, yet this technology was only available in hospitals.
I had never planned to start a business, but with all of this information, I set out to create a smart Kegel trainer and app that gives the same real-time biofeedback that seemed so inaccessible to women, while making it fun and convenient. So, in the autumn of 2015, we launched Elvie Trainer.
Q What’s the biggest challenge you have faced personally or professionally and how did you overcome it?
A One of the earliest hurdles happened while raising funds for Elvie Trainer, and I would shy away from using the word ‘vagina‘. On one occasion, I was 15 minutes into a pitch when I realised the investor had been playing around with Elvie Trainer, but had no idea what it was! Of course, they didn’t invest. This meeting taught me always to be upfront and not skirt around the issue.
Now I still do the ‘vagina‘ test with possible investors – what is their reaction once I say the V-word? It‘s a fun test, and if the response isn’t good, then it’s a sign it won’t work between us.
For Elvie Pump, our greatest challenge was building the technology that could solve the breastfeeding problems women had been enduring for far too long. We also knew that we would have to convince investors that it was time to create a better solution for women than what’s been available to them so far. We did this by hiring world-class female designers who understood women’s needs and created a beautiful product that then spoke for itself.
Q What was a turning point for you in using and finding your own voice?
A As a sexual health researcher, I’ve always been interested in open and honest conversations surrounding women’s health and wellness. However, there are so many taboos that surround women’s bodies.
A huge turning point for me was working to dismantle these taboos on a larger scale, in order to create the technological innovations that address these issues.
Our work at Elvie encourages discussion around women’s health, shifting people’s views, and educating both women and men on important – often intimate – topics. We see this as an excellent opportunity to drive real change in our culture at large, so that one day, talking about women’s health will be like discussing a broken leg.
Q Who is your gamechanging hero?
A My father was a serial entrepreneur, and he always pushed me to believe I could do anything. He’d frequently remind me of William Pitt the Younger who became Prime Minister of the UK at 24 and say “Tania, of course, you can do this.” While this irritated me at the time, his support has always pushed me beyond my comfort zone and encouraged me to set my ambitions high.
As far as public figures go, I’ve always admired Cindy Gallop, for her candid speech and her relentlessness in her ambition to change the world. One quote that stands out from her is, “be proud of helping women on their overall wellness journey, including sexual wellness.”
Q What advice would you give to other women hoping to make change in their own pocket of the world?
A Carving out space in a male-centric world is never easy, and it can be intimidating to jump into something when you haven’t seen many examples set by other female friends or leaders. However, there is a growing network of amazing, like-minded female entrepreneurs out there who are willing to support you and help you to make important connections.
I would also say that alongside living and breathing your mission, you (sometimes) need to have skin like a rhino and try not to take anything too personally. It can be hard to hear criticism about something you’re so passionate about and have worked so hard for, but sometimes, this is what you need to hear for positive change.
Q What would be your one gamechanging piece of advice?
A Don’t be afraid to hire people who are smarter than you! My business partner encouraged this from the very beginning, and we hired top engineers from the word go. Finding the right people to build out your team is absolutely key to success. And as you scale, it’s the most important thing. You need to surround yourself with people who believe in the mission as much as you do, and are best at doing the jobs you need.
Q It’s GLAMOUR’s 20th anniversary. In that time what is the biggest development you’ve seen in your field? How much further do we still have to go?
A When I founded Elvie seven years ago, the term femtech didn’t even exist. And that stands to reason, as women’s health has historically been overlooked in the tech space, compounded by the overall male-centricity of the industry and the cultural norms which have forbidden women to talk openly about their bodies.
But, in recent years, we’ve seen the convergence of three trends: we’re all talking more openly about our bodies; innovations in sensor technology have meant that real-time body monitoring is now possible; and finally, our perceptions of health and wellness have dramatically changed from one of ‘doctor-patient’ to individuals taking personal control.
All this alongside the term ‘femtech’ – which as a category name is extremely useful, as it allows companies and female founders to have more collective power – there’s been a boom in this space, with even more exciting developments to come.
Q What is your hope for women in terms of all that you campaign for – and for women in general – in the next 20 years?
A Women have always known that they deserved more. They just needed brands, thought-leaders, and platforms to help lay the groundwork and uncover what they should be learning when it comes to their bodies. As far as what the future will hold, we’re confident that the next 20 years will bring even more relevant and life-changing femtech, while continuing to encourage women in this space to talk openly, break down barriers, and bust taboos.
The pandemic has also brought to life the issues around equitable division of labour at home, or lack thereof, and how businesses need to move forward with empathy and instigate tangible change to create workplaces that don’t work against women.