Marissa Fayer (https://marissafayer.com/) has spent 22 years turning that argument into action. She's the CEO and founder of the global nonprofit HerHealthEQ (deploying women's health equipment across 12 countries, serving 150,000 women) and the for-profit DeepLook Medical (imaging software that sees inside dense tissue). And now, she's the author of the new book Undervalued to Unavoidable:
Women's Health as Infrastructure.
In this episode of HIT Like a Girl podcast, Marissa joins Joy Rios to make the case that women's health isn't a niche issue—it's the foundation of a functioning society.
Tune in to hear:
🔥 The Economic Argument: Why framing equity as an economic imperative moves money faster than moral arguments ever will.
💰 Move Money, Move the Needle: How consumers, investors, and philanthropists can redirect capital toward women-led companies and solutions.
📊 The Stats That Shocked a Banker: Why a top executive told Marissa, "I literally cannot unhear this."
🧠 From Data to Action: We have the data. Now what? Marissa breaks down small, actionable steps anyone can take—whether you're in a boardroom, at a clinic, or at your kitchen table.
⚠️ The 35-Minute Gap: Why it takes 35 minutes longer to diagnose a woman having a heart attack than a man—and what that means for women's health outcomes.
If you've ever wondered why we keep studying the problem without fixing it, this episode is your wake-up call.
Key Points with Timestamps
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[02:45] The Multipreneur Mission: Marissa Fayer, CEO of HerHealthEQ (nonprofit) and DeepLook Medical (for-profit), and author of Undervalued to Unavoidable, explains that her daily drive comes from impacting women's health globally through better screening, technology, and access.
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[05:30] The Numbers Don't Lie: We have the data on the massive disparities in women's health, but talking about the problem isn't enough. It’s time to move from conversation to action.
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[06:50] The New Economic Argument: To get traction, frame women's health as an economic issue, not just an equity one. Companies with women in leadership and on boards are better investments and more effective with capital, making it a smarter business decision.
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[09:20] How to "Move Money": Action includes moving capital toward women-owned brands, asking financial advisors to invest in women-led funds, and supporting healthcare companies that prioritize women.
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[13:00] What Anyone Can Do Today: You don't have to be a CEO to make a difference. Small steps include asking why there are no women in a meeting, advocating for menopause and elder care policies in the workplace, or sending a form letter to a congressperson.
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[15:00] The "I Can't Unhear It" Moment: A top bank executive told Marissa he couldn't stop thinking about how women are systematically left out of infrastructure decisions, which was the catalyst for changing his perspective.
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[16:20] The 35-Minute Gap: It takes 35 minutes longer to diagnose a woman having a heart attack than a man, leading to irreparable harm. This is because symptoms in women (like back pain and stomach issues) are often dismissed or mistaken for other conditions.
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[18:30] The High Cost of Exclusion: Women were excluded from clinical trials until 1993, and enrollment is still only at 40%. Marissa argues that it is far more costly to retrofit products than to design them with women in mind from the start.
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[22:00] Women's Health is Infrastructure: Just as we invest in repairing roads and bridges, we must invest in the health of women—because they are the foundation of a functioning society.
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[24:00] Beyond Conversation: While we still need to share the facts, the priority is action. This means voting with your money, time, and resources to support women's health and leadership.