From Lab to Patient, Garage to Market

What does it take to build a digital health company that addresses one of medicine's most underfunded and overlooked areas — women's health? In this episode, Phil Crowley sits down with Dr. Z. Colette Edwards, founder and Chief Medical Officer of pausitive health — a holistic, one-stop digital health destination for women navigating all stages of the menopause journey. Dr. Edwards brings a rare combination of clinical expertise, corporate leadership, and entrepreneurial vision, having served as a gastroenterologist, National Medical Director at a Fortune 50 company, managing editor of the Wharton Health Care Quarterly, and author of multiple books on health and wellness. Dr. Edwards shares why women's health — and menopause specifically — remains critically underfunded despite affecting every woman who lives long enough. She breaks down how pausitive health was built as a collaborative ecosystem bringing together clinicians, mental health support, food as medicine, digital cognitive behavioral therapy, and community. She also shares her top tip for healthcare entrepreneurs: loop in your end users from day one, because the human body doesn't care about your ROI targets. Whether you're a digital health founder or an entrepreneur building for underserved communities, this episode is packed with practical, experience-driven insight.