Femtech isn’t a niche; it’s the future of workforce sustainability. By designing solutions through a private-sector lens, we’re showing companies how menstrual health, mental well-being, and preventive care reduce absenteeism, boost productivity, and align with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Every contract we secure, every skeptical executive we win over, chips away at the myth that marginalised founders don’t belong in leadership.
From a convention space at the New York Westin to a mission-driven femtech venture, my journey with Sanicle.Cloud began as a scrappy, self-funded hustle. I maxed out my savings and leaned on the generosity of friends, while cold-calling potential clients under aliases — adopting accents, inventing fictional team members like “Sarah in Finance,” and doing whatever it took to keep the dream alive. It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught me resilience.
A year in, life threw curveballs: I enrolled in an inclusive Executive MBA programme at the University of Washington, only to undergo emergency gallbladder surgery shortly after. Recovery forced me to slow down — a challenge for someone who once defined himself by speed. For years, I hid this chapter, fearing professional judgment. But owning it became part of my growth. Not long after, I was laid off from my product management role at a payroll software company. I walked away with nothing but determination, a pile of debt, and a darkly humorous nickname: “the Monk who Sells Pads,” a nod to my relentless, grind despite empty bank accounts.
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The Private Sector as a Catalyst for Change
My turning point came when I shifted focus to partnering with corporations. I realised workplace wellness wasn’t just a perk — it was a strategic lever for sustainability. By aligning Sanicle.Cloud’s offerings with ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) goals, we positioned employee well-being as a bridge between profit and purpose. Today, our collaborations with partners like Procter and Gamble, CF Industries, and the Tulsa Remote Program validate this approach, proving that investing in inclusive health solutions drives both equity and ROI.
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Confronting Bias — and Redefining “Belonging”
As an African immigrant in many rooms, I’ve navigated invisible barriers. At my last corporate job, vendors handed business cards to every white colleague — but skipped me, assuming I was “the help.” My accent, my appearance, even the elevator floor I worked on (second floor for people of colour, third for my all-white team) became reminders of systemic exclusion. But Sanicle.Cloud became my answer to that erasure. Now, when I walk into a boardroom, I don’t just occupy space — I reshape it.
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Femtech isn’t a niche; it’s the future of workforce sustainability. By designing solutions through a private-sector lens, we’re showing companies how menstrual health, mental well-being, and preventive care reduce absenteeism, boost productivity, and align with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Every contract we secure, every skeptical executive we win over, chips away at the myth that marginalised founders don’t belong in leadership.
The journey isn’t over. I still fight the urge to overcompensate, to prove Sanicle.Cloud isn’t “just” a diversity checkbox. But when imposter syndrome creeps in, I remember: My lived experience — the hustle, the setbacks, the audacity to build something from nothing — is our competitive edge.
This isn’t just a company. It’s proof that the future of work is inclusive, sustainable, and unapologetically led by those who’ve been underestimated. And I’m just getting started.
P.S. To every outsider forging your own path: The room needs your voice. Press the elevator button to the top floor.
Chaste Inegbedion, a femtech founder, writes from the US.
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