Joy Rios

In a digital-first healthcare world, who gets left behind? The answer is often the same communities that have always been marginalized. But what if the solution wasn't just to build better apps, but to empower the very people from these communities to become the navigators, the mentors, and the doctors of tomorrow? In this inspiring and urgent episode of HIT Like a Girl, recorded at HLTH 2025, Joy...

In a world where healthcare is simultaneously global and deeply local, how do we build technology that truly serves humanity? From the conference floors of HLTH 2025 to the cobblestone streets of Paris, Dr. Aditi Joshi has been on the front lines of this question for over a decade. A pioneer who helped architect the very framework of American telemedicine, she now reveals why the biggest innovatio...

What does it really take to rebuild a life after addiction? For Hilary Phelps, the journey wasn't a linear path to a happy ending — it was a daily practice of peeling back layers, navigating severe depression, and redefining self-care as a single mother. In a world quick to judge and glamorize, she argues that the heart of recovery lies in the messy middle. In this deeply personal episode of HIT L...

What if we’ve been missing a fundamental piece of human biology? Dr. Leigh Vinocur, one of the first physicians with a master’s in Cannabis Science, pulls back the curtain on the endocannabinoid system — the "bliss molecule" network that regulates everything from pain to stress. She reveals why this science is ignored in medical schools, how it could have helped her own mother, and why "stress tri...

We celebrate athletes as superheroes, but what happens when the pressure to perform ignores their basic humanity? From social media noise to the dangerous myth of the "normal" missing period, Dr. Marcia “Marcy” Faustin reveals the systemic gaps in sports care — and how a "Fuel Your Soul" model could revolutionize athlete health. In this compelling episode of HIT Like A Girl, guest host Dana Trampa...

In a post-Roe America, the attacks on reproductive healthcare are becoming more insidious. Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson reveals how a recent "big, beautiful" bill contains a provision designed to bankrupt providers — and why she sees this moment not as a defeat, but as a call to build an "infrastructure of hope." In this powerful and essential episode of HIT Like a Girl, guest host...

Gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children. Millions have been plunged back into poverty. A top anti-vaccine activist runs Health and Human Services. Pediatrician Dr. Annie Andrews argues that this isn't a political issue — it's a moral failure. So she left the hospital to run for the U.S. Senate, aiming to become its first pediatrician. In this urgent and inspiring episode o...

What if a tampon could diagnose infections—not just absorb them? In this fiery episode of HIT Like A Girl, guest host Demi Radeva sits down with Valentina Milanova, founder and CEO of Daye, live from HLTH Europe. Valentina’s mission? To smash the gender care gap with biotech breakthroughs—starting with diagnostic tampons that could rewrite women’s healthcare. From CBD-infused tampons to cutting-ed...

What if women could track their hormones as easily as blood sugar? In this electrifying episode of HIT Like A Girl, guest host Demi Radeva sits down with Anna Luisa Schaffgotsch, founder & CEO of Impli, to discuss a game-changing innovation: real-time, continuous hormone monitoring. From IVF and menopause to PCOS and beyond, Anna Luisa’s work is bridging the gap between data and precision care—fin...

Despite decades of progress, women’s health remains narrowly defined by reproduction, research still overlooks gender disparities, and harmful norms continue shaping health outcomes worldwide. So how do we build a future where global health truly serves everyone? In this powerful episode of HIT Like A Girl, guest host Demi Radeva sits down with Anna Coates, the Senior Gender Technical Lead at the ...