The Women’s Health Innovation Summit (WHIS), the event uniting the global  women’s health ecosystem, has just announced 18 new speakers joining the agenda for  its 2026 summit, taking place October 13–15 at Encore Boston Harbor.

The latest additions bring further depth across pharma, clinical research, health  systems, venture, and policy, reinforcing WHIS’s role as the only platform where the full women’s health ecosystem convenes under one roof.

Newly confirmed speakers include:

• Kelle Moley, MD – VP, Women’s Health Early Phase Clinical Development, Cardiometabolic Research, Eli Lilly & Company
• Justine Levin-Allerhand – Executive Partner, Chief Corporate Development Officer & COO, Flagship Labs, Flagship Pioneering
• Sebnem Yildirimoglu, MD, PMP – Executive Director, Women’s Health Strategy, Premier Research
• Terri Stewart – Head of Global Healthcare & Government Affairs, EMD Serono
• Dr. Morag Grassie – Executive Director, Blavatnik Fund for Innovation, Yale
• Sandra Butler – Director, Design Impact, Mass General Brigham
• Zhenya Lindgardt – Chief Executive Officer, Sera Prognostics
• Sadie Morahan – Head of US Revenue, Withings Health Solutions
• Angela Drew, PhD – Vice President, Regulatory Strategy, Premier Research
• Dr. Stephanie Lahr – CMIO, Aqurio
• Michelle Andrews – Contributing Writer, KFF Health News
• Charlotte Williams – CEO, My Bump Hub
• Clint Dart, MS – Director, NIH Women’s Health Data Coordinating Center, Premier Research
• Cass Sanford – US Venture Advisor, FemTech Lab
• Megan Mukuria – Founder & CEO, ZanaAfrica
• Tiffany Inglis, MD, FACOG – Chief Medical Officer, Sera Prognostics
• Angelean Hendrix, PhD – Vice President, Pharmacometrics and MIDD, Premier Research
• Amanda Ducach – CEO & Co-founder, EmaEQ

“WHIS is where the women’s health industry comes together to take action,” said Poppy Howard-Wall, Event Director at WHIS.

“This latest wave of speakers reflects exactly the kind of cross-sector expertise our attendees expect – from global pharma and clinical research leadership to venture, health systems, and grassroots innovation.

“It’s this breadth that makes WHIS the room where things actually move forward.”

Bringing the Full Ecosystem Together

These additions join a growing 2026 agenda spanning four content tracks that reflect the  full lifecycle of healthcare innovation, from early-stage research and development  through to patient delivery, system transformation, and commercial scale.

Attendees can expect over 1,000 senior decision-makers, 120+ expert speakers, four dedicated stages, and more than 10 hours of curated 1:1 meetings.

Full speaker and agenda details are available at whisusa.com/speakers-2026.

About WHIS

The Women’s Health Innovation Summit is the only platform uniting the full women’s  health ecosystem – providers, payers, employers, pharma leaders, investors, and innovators -to increase deal flow, expand reimbursement, improve access, and deliver better outcomes for women at every stage of life.

Medtech startup Peripear has won an Innovate UK award for developing a wearable designed to prevent perineal trauma during childbirth.

The Oxford-based company is developing a hands-free warm compress device for use on the perineum during the second stage of labour.

Peripear describes its product as the world’s first automated perineal thermotherapy wearable, designed to prevent perineal trauma during childbirth.

The device is intended to reduce severe tearing and episiotomies while improving maternal comfort.

Peripear has secured an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award and a £74,974 grant.

The funding will support further product development ahead of the company’s planned first-in-human study.

Nina van Schaick, co-founder and chief operating officer of Peripear and midwife, said: “I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to see this gap.

“I was incredibly lucky to meet my co-founder, Eviatar Natan, right as my frustration about the lack of translation of evidence into practice had peaked.

“There was a proven mechanism that could reduce injuries occurring in up to 90 per cent of vaginal births, and it was being left out of clinical pathways simply because no standardised tool existed to deliver it.

 “I’m a farmer’s granddaughter, and when I started practising over 14 years ago, I asked: where is the tool I need to implement this evidence? I looked around and realised we were still asking clinicians to improvise.

“Peripear is what happens when the person who has lived the problem, both personally and professionally, meets the person who can help her build the solution.”

The Women’s Health Innovation Summit (WHIS) has reminded startups that applications for its 2026  Innovation Showcase close on Tuesday, August 18.

The Showcase gives early and growth-stage companies the  opportunity to pitch live on stage to the most influential audience in women’s health, at a summit that convenes more than 1,000 senior decision-makers from across the ecosystem, including payers, providers, pharma, and  investors.

Now in its eighth year, WHIS takes place October 13–15, 2026 at Encore Boston Harbor.

The event has built a  reputation as the leading platform uniting the full women’s health ecosystem, from health systems and health  plans to pharmaceutical leaders and the investors funding the next wave of innovation in the space.

A Direct Line to Funding, Partnerships and Adoption

Companies selected for the Innovation Showcase will present directly to an audience with the capital, clinical  expertise and commercial relationships to move deals forward.

Past participants have gone on to secure investor  introductions, commercial partnerships and clinical collaborations that started as presentations on the WHIS stage  and turned into signed agreements.

Applications Reviewed by an Expert Selection Committee

Submissions are being reviewed by a selection committee of leading investors and industry operators, including:

• Parambir Bhangu, Executive Director, External Innovation & Emerging Science, Organon
• Elizabeth Bailey, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Foreground Capital
• Karla Loken, Founder, Loken and Associates
• Mané Mikayelyan, Associate Partner, DeciBio
• Anna Valcheva, Founder, Managing Director & CEO, Astra Ventures
• Azin Radsan van Alebeek, Co-founder & General Partner, Emmeline Ventures

WHIS is where the women’s health ecosystem comes together to get deals done,” said Poppy Howard-Wall,  Event Director of WHIS.

How to Apply

Early and growth-stage companies across digital health, therapeutics, diagnostics, med device and consumer  health are encouraged to apply before the August 18 deadline.

Full details and the application form are available  at whisusa.com/attend/start-ups.