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Entrepreneur
‘It’s about showing empathy’: the woman behind the DEI software of the future
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are essential elements of a thriving workplace, but how do we ensure these policies are not built on empty promises? This founder proposes empathy.
Thorey Proppe is not your average businesswoman.
A self-described adventurer, she became a female activist at a young age and was a board member of the National Committee for UN Women Iceland, fighting for gender equality.
She got into politics but found her true purpose when she started working in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for a consulting firm.
“I knew that was what I wanted to do,” she tells me when we meet on Zoom.
We are here to talk about Alda, Proppe’s latest venture, or – as she cheekily describes it – a “DEI software that actually works”.
Founded in collaboration with Sigyn Jónsdóttir, Alda provides employers with DEI metrics, action plans and gamified micro-learning content to foster a positive work environment. The aim? To dismantle toxic work culture and build spaces where everyone can thrive.
In an era of transformational changes across the landscape of work, having an intentional focus on DEI has emerged as one of the most important things that a company can do to succeed.
This is a long overdue development since the research has been overwhelmingly clear that companies that prioritise DEI perform better financially and have more engaged employees.
The question is, what is good DEI? A full suite of inclusive company policies sounds promising, but how do we ensure meaningful progress is made?
“When discussing DEI, it can be challenging to talk about changing the culture in a work environment,” says Proppe.
“The results are often upsetting and revealing, especially for marginalised groups who often don’t feel comfortable to openly discuss the obstacles they face.”
Good DEI, she says, doesn’t just mean having a set of policies in place. Rather, it refers to inviting everybody into a conversation where they can openly talk about different issues without feeling uncomfortable.
“It’s about showing empathy, I think. If we all had 100 per cent empathy, we wouldn’t need a platform like Alda – everybody would put themselves in each other’s shoes and see their perspectives. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
“That’s why we strive for helping everybody thrive at work. In order for that to happen, it’s important that those with privilege are able to see their biases and make fair decisions.”
A critical aspect of DEI is the connection between DEI and mental health. Proppe says understanding and addressing the intersection of these two crucial dimensions is pivotal for building a truly inclusive and supportive work environment.
“A lot of people, especially those from marginalised groups, feel like they can’t be who they are in the workplace,” she explains.
“However, pretending to be someone else for other people can be very detrimental to your health. Putting a mask on every time you go into the workplace is not just hard and exhausting but can have a real impact on your wellbeing.
“Research shows that women, especially those in positions of power, have much more obstacles than men. This gets worse around menopause, when women are more likely to quit their jobs or reduce their number of hours due to a lack of support. The consequences are of course even more severe for those with intersecting marginalised identities.”
So, what advice would she give to employers looking to improve their DEI policies?
“Get Alda,” she laughs. “We’ve done the research and it’s all you need.” More generally, however, collecting data that reflects the culture would be a great place to start, she adds.
“Data is queen. A lot of people who don’t belong to marginalised groups don’t believe there is a problem. Collecting data helps them recognise the issues and see them for what they are.
“Plus, how are you going to set goals if you don’t know where you’re at?”
Kindbody has launched a fertility platform integrating AI with clinical care and patient support for employers and health plans.
The platform will enter a pilot with select Kindbody employer clients in 2026, covering over three million lives, ahead of wider availability in 2027.
Building on the company’s clinical model, the platform aims to improve outcomes and cost efficiency across family-building journeys. It connects Kindbody-owned clinics, partner clinics and an integrated clinical app.
The app offers virtual care across conception, pregnancy and reproductive health, extending through the menopause transition.
Launch features include updates in medication management, third-party reproduction, adoption, pregnancy, men’s health and global programme design.
David Stern, chief executive of Kindbody, said: “With our next-generation fertility platform, Kindbody is redefining what comprehensive, intelligent and affordable family-building care looks like for employers, health plans and patients.
“By unifying best-in-class clinical care, AI-driven intelligence and whole-person support, we are making it easier and more cost-effective for more people to build the families they envision.”
Kindbody has expanded access via its national network of IVF centres, including IVIRMA, Inception Fertility and Ivy Fertility.
A new Fertility Medication Portal is designed to streamline authorisations so medicines can be dispensed on time, giving patients visibility from prescription to coverage, pharmacy fulfilment and delivery tracking.
Through KindMan, men’s health education, digital resources and integrated clinical care are expanding, including hormone management programmes.
Services cover andropause (age-related testosterone decline), erectile dysfunction, low testosterone and other male reproductive conditions.
Specialist fertility care includes semen analysis, diagnostic testing, male hormone panels, genetic testing, surgical sperm extraction and sperm cryopreservation.
Launching in the second quarter, a pregnancy support app will act as a digital companion for expecting and new parents, with resources, interactive tools and clinical assessments to identify social drivers of health and mental health needs during pregnancy and beyond.
Kindbody’s physician-led menopause programme provides consultations with board-certified obstetricians and gynaecologists to diagnose, treat and manage menopausal symptoms, including hormone replacement therapy where appropriate, with support from nutritionists, mental health therapists and pelvic floor specialists.
AI and analytics will be embedded across the care journey. An AI care navigator will guide employees from benefit activation through intake, triage and scheduling.
Tools will track benefits and treatment plans, showing coverage and expected out-of-pocket costs at each step.
AI-supported scribing will assist clinicians with documentation, and a predictor tool will estimate a patient’s likelihood of having a baby across different treatment paths.
In 2027, Kindbody plans a savings model for eligible large employers that it says will guarantee lower total fertility spend while improving clinical efficiency and patient experience.
Women’s Health Week USA 2026 has unveiled its first populated agenda, anchored by an opening keynote from Kate Ryder, Founder and CEO of Maven Clinic, and featuring a cross-sector lineup shaping the next phase of scale in women’s health.
You can view the full agenda here.
Taking place May 13–14, 2026, at the New York Academy of Medicine, Women’s Health Week USA brings together the full women’s health ecosystem to focus on one central question: what does it take to move women’s health from innovation to institutional scale?
Kate Ryder will open Day 1 with a keynote drawing on her experience building Maven Clinic into the world’s largest virtual clinic for women’s and family health.
Under her leadership, Maven has partnered with employers and health plans to deliver care across fertility, maternity, postpartum, paediatrics, and menopause at scale.
Her perspective sets the tone for a program centered on commercialisation, partnership, and sustainable growth.
Beyond the opening keynote, the newly released agenda reflects the sector’s growing maturity.
Across two days, the program features 70+ speakers, with representation from leading organizations including the FDA, Planned Parenthood, CVS Health Ventures, Samsung Next, NIH, WHO, and Maven Clinic.
Sessions span investment and deal flow, clinical innovation, regulation, data and technology, and market expansion, alongside dedicated pitch sessions and curated 1:1 matchmaking designed to turn insight into action.
The agenda has been built to facilitate meaningful connections across the ecosystem, with partnerships positioned as the primary driver of scale.
As women’s health continues to attract institutional capital and global attention, Women’s Health Week USA 2026 offers a clear snapshot of where the market is heading, and who is shaping it.
The full agenda is now live, with additional speakers and partners to be announced in the coming months.
View the full programme here.
Calla Lily Clinical Care has partnered with Merck to support the intravaginal drug delivery platform Callavid in an effort to improve how vaginal medicines are given.
The collaboration will continue development of Callavid, described as a leak-resistant device that addresses challenges with self-administered vaginal therapies.
Callavid uses a small, tampon-shaped device with an integrated absorbent liner. It is inserted, remains in place during drug absorption, then is removed.
The platform is intended for use with medicines in fertility treatment, oncology and hormone therapy. Administration via the vaginal route can prompt patient anxiety about positioning, dosing accuracy and leakage.
The partnership is the first industry collaboration for the Callavid technology, which was developed by Calla Lily Clinical Care.
Thang Vo-Ta, co-founder and chief executive of Calla Lily Clinical Care, said: “This collaboration with Merck marks an important milestone in the development of Callavid, our novel vaginal drug delivery platform.
“Merck’s scientific heritage and forward-looking approach to innovation make them an ideal partner as we work to address long-standing unmet needs in women’s health.
“By improving how vaginal therapeutics are delivered and experienced, Callavid has the potential to enhance both patient outcomes and quality of life.
“We see this collaboration as a meaningful step towards translating our technology into real-world clinical and patient impact.”
Calla Lily Clinical Care is seeking to develop what it describes as the world’s first drug-device combination product to prevent threatened miscarriage and for IVF luteal phase support, the phase after ovulation when the body produces progesterone to support early pregnancy.
The device is also being developed to deliver therapeutics for oncology, menopause, infectious diseases and live biotherapeutics to reduce repeated antibiotic use.
Dr Lara Zibners, co-founder and chairman of Calla Lily Clinical Care, said: “Our initial engagement with Merck through the Merck Innovation Challenge in October 2024 was an important moment of alignment around the need for more patient-centric innovation in women’s health.
“As both a clinician and a patient, I have seen how profoundly drug delivery can shape treatment experience.
“This collaboration builds on that early dialogue and reflects a shared interest in rigorously exploring new approaches that may improve how therapies are delivered and experienced by patients.”
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