Catalytic Impact Foundation

❗The #1 killer of women isn’t what you think it is. And in order to get taken seriously sometimes women have to say certain words in the ER. While research is happening to change it, medical data and education on differences in presentation and the risks shaped by sex and ethnicity are lacking. This is what we learned at the May 8 event: “She Beats: Stories, Science, and Solutions in Women's Heart Health” during #PhillyTechWeek #PTW2026. ❤️ Heart disease is taking the lives of far too many of us—304,970 women, or about 1 in 5 female deaths in 2023—and we could have better prevention and fewer fatalities with greater awareness and understanding applied to research and medical care. ❤️ Women are 2x as likely to die following an ER visit related to their heart because the symptoms are missed. Brave patients shared their stories of presenting in the ambulance and ER with arm or back pain and no other symptoms and being gaslit. Many are sent home in the middle of a heart attack when they direly need stents put in! Saying I feel a heavy weight on my chest or it is hard to breathe or I think I am having a heart attack can make all the difference. Those are the “traditional” aka male symptoms that are the standard signs that doctors are trained to look for, esp if the patient is younger than their 50s. ❤️ This is just the first of many events and policy and advocacy work we will be doing to close these gaps. Stay tuned! 🏛️ 🔊 Join us in advocacy and raising awareness about women and heart health: https://lnkd.in/eCJ5tSAm 🫶 Thank you sponsors and leaders in advancing heart health: Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Lowenstein Sandler LLP, Chariot Solutions, Oughta, Women's Health Advocates, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, International Heart Spasms Alliance (IHSA), Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Temple Health – Temple University Health System, Lucentia, Cartio, GenKardia, Angiomedix 🫶 Thank you speakers: Sahar Jalal, Deborah Crabbe, MD, Catherine "Katie" Vanchiere, MD, MA, Rose DeRosa, MS, PA-C, Robin Olson, Annette Pompa, Jean Kim, Mellie Chow 🫶 Special thanks to volunteers: Annette Pompa, Cathy Unruh, Tracey Welson-Rossman, Archna Sahay, Julie Parana, Jean Kim, Mellie Chow Wonderful to see so many leaders and changemakers: Lata Setty Stephanie Vogel Elaine Cheong Chris C. Leslie Darling Madison Hackman Kathie Jordan Maureen Rinkunas Kerry Semle Blessy Thomas David C. Zebrowski, Ph.D. Sydney Couval Jake Baker and many more! #PhillyFemTech #WomensHealthInnovation #WHAPhilly #HeartHealth

The Executive Insights series is a thought-leadership component of the broader Milken Institute Employer Action Exchange platform, featuring brief, meaningful insights captured through interviews with executives from a variety of industries and sectors. In 2026, Executive Insights focuses on how employers can make informed investments to mitigate risk and build resilience, yielding tangible outcomes. These employer insights and actions are relatable across industry, sector, and size of the employer. Click here for Sabrina Spitaletta Johar's interview with Carin-Isabel Knoop, executive director, case research and writing group, Harvard Business School.

❤️ What an amazing Women Heart Health Summit last week thanks to the team at Hello Heart led by Wendy Nguyen and Jayne Morgan, M.D. and many more who worked tirelessly to ensure this came together so beautifully. ❤️ This event included a range of experts in health with some of the most compelling speakers I've ever heard, including Jewell who shared her journey that touched on everything from mental health to heart health and closed with her singing some of her most moving songs. ❤️ More than an event, it was a community coming together to launch a movement to advance heart health for women. I can't imagine any of us left the same person we were when we arrived. ❤️ With heart disease the #1 killer of women and distinct factors shaping how this strikes women, this summit is a powerful way to bring together key decision-makers in healthcare benefits and access to educate and drive forward ways to improve outcomes. I was honored to share insights on women's health policy and the power of advocacy in changing outcomes--and loved all our pink and red suits! 🙏 Thank you to all who organized, all who spoke, all who came and all who are part of this movement! #WomensHeartHealth #WomensHealth

Proud moment for Catalytic Impact Foundation: Two of our leaders have been honored as part of #Innovate100. Please join us in congratulating Robert Wolk and Melindah Sharma on this well-deserved recognition. Rob's leadership across #CIF and #PrincetonAlumniAngels has helped accelerate early-stage innovation and support founders building transformative companies. Melindah’s work across life sciences, healthcare, patient advocacy, and children’s health reflects the kind of cross-sector leadership needed to move bold ideas from possibility to impact. Their recognition is also a reminder of what drives #CIF every day: using catalytic capital, collaboration, and deep healthcare expertise to help innovations reach patients and families facing unmet medical needs. Congratulations, Robert and Melindah. We are grateful for your leadership and inspired by your impact! #Innovate100 #Innovation #Leadership #HealthcareInnovation #LifeSciences #ImpactInvesting #CIFImpact

**2 days left: Children's Health Challenge 2026** The Catalytic Impact Foundation, in partnership with Charles Hood Foundation, is offering a $100K to $200K+ equity investment to startups tackling pediatric diseases, including rare diseases. Eligibility: Pre-Seed through Series A, C-Corp or B-Corp, focused on children's health. If you know a founder building for kids' health, please share. Deadline is Thursday! See below for the link to apply. Krista Hager Rachel Butler Richard Lipkin