Insider Insight
The Ethical Innovator: The advice column for femtech founders with Planned Parenthood
In a new monthly column, Planned Parenthood’s innovation team helps you answer the big questions to create an ethical future for femtech.
As we find ourselves at a crucial point in defining the future role of tech in women’s health, Femtech World has teamed up with Planned Parenthood’s national director of innovation, Ambreen Molitor, to answer the big questions that can help shape the sector for the better. Got a question for Ambreen? Email us at: sarah@femtechworld.co.uk
Words by Ambreen Molitor
Sitting squarely at the intersection of tech and reproductive care and rights, I often get asked questions about what we all, as investors, enthusiasts, and makers in this space, can do to keep femtech innovative, relevant, and, most importantly, ethical.
This is especially true now, as we’re on the precipice of AI and tech. Our choices today will define the future of GenAI and tech tomorrow.
That’s why, in collaboration with Femtech World’s editorial team, we’re proud to launch this monthly column, where we answer some of your most pressing questions from our perspective.
Starting off with the most critical question of all:
As someone working in digital health technology, what responsibilities and best practices should I focus on during this period of significant change?
The FemTech space is vast! And the needs, as we all know, are grand. To stay grounded on three foundational principles, I’d suggest we all:
- Find ways to respect the patient’s rights to their data and privacy.
We know at Planned Parenthood data and privacy is top of mind for much of our community. Think twice before integrating with a third party (e.g., a payment system or social media for login). What access are you giving to other platforms about your users? Also, consider whether these features are necessary or if you’re doing them simply because of traditional standards already established by bad ethics. Sometimes, it’s our responsibility to set new standards and find more straightforward ways to decrease clicks without relying on other platforms to do the work. - Work with a committee of diverse humans to eliminate bias if you’re considering incorporating GenAI into your product. (Who isn’t?!)
Think about people from different backgrounds and the identities they bring to the table, like profession, race, gender spectrum, political affiliation, and religion especially, as it often comes into play with decision-making on sexual and reproductive rights. - Welcome men in.
If reproductive rights are at stake for women, turn to men. Thinking outside of clear gender lines can bring male partners to solutions they might otherwise not be paying attention to, like their role in contraception and fertility. This might be an avenue for growth to double the market for your existing solutions, or a lens to approach new sexual and reproductive health innovations with a more inclusive and partner-focused strategy.
So, what are your thoughts? How can I help – one ethical technologist to another?
Let us know if you have any other burning questions you’d like to ask Planned Parenthood’s Innovation team!
Ambreen
Got a question for Ambreen? Email: sarah@femtechworld.co.uk

Ambreen Molitor, National Director, Innovation, Planned Parenthood.
Entrepreneur
Tech exec launches programme to address women’s leadership gap in technology sector
A new 12-week executive programme aimed at tackling burnout and stalled career growth among senior women in technology will launch next month, amid ongoing concerns about gender representation in the industry.
Padmasini Dayananda, a tech executive with 24 years’ experience, created the initiative to support women leaders in reshaping their careers and raising their profiles in the sector.
The programme is based on what Dayananda describes as a “Triple-E Framework,” drawing on concepts from Stanford’s Career Design Lab and the Uncertainty Experts initiative.
“Women now have a seat at the table—but they want more,” says Dayananda. “They’re ready to explore untapped potential and redefine their path. What got them here won’t take them to the next level. This program is designed to create extraordinary breakthroughs by helping them drop old baggage, build strategic agility, and grow with purpose.
Opening for registration on 2 June 2025, the course is designed to help participants overcome self-limiting beliefs, plan their next career steps, and recover from professional burnout.
Figures from Women in Tech UK show that while women make up 42 per cent of the tech workforce, they hold just 31.7 per cent of leadership roles. Many exit senior positions due to limited advancement opportunities, lack of visibility, or chronic stress.
Called HER Circle of Influence, the programme combines executive mentoring and strategic coaching. Enrollment will be selective, with places offered through an application process.
Dayananda was ranked fourth in Information Age’s Top 10 Diverse Leaders in UK Tech and is an alumna of Windsor Leadership. See more on the programme here
Diagnosis
European healthcare professionals react to new ultrasound technology
European ultrasound specialists have responded to the launch of an advanced ultrasound system by international health technology provider Mindray.
The Resona A20, unveiled in Naples late last year at the 35th congress of the European Federation of Ultrasound Societies in Medicine and Biology, was developed by Mindray to allow healthcare professionals to have a “deeper comprehension of the human body”, and to enable early detection of illness with new levels of confidence.
It is the first premium ultrasound system to be developed by the company.
‘The highest level of confidence for complex cases’
Professor Vito Cantisani, president of the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, remarked he was “positively impressed” with the new technology as one of the world’s first users. “I found this new equipment very useful to evaluate deeply complicated cases,” he said. “The Resona A20 brings the best image quality for the highest level of confidence.”
Professor Cantisani, who is also chairman of integrated advanced imaging at University Sapienza, Rome, remarked how software in the Resona A20 supported multi-parametric evaluation, helping to deliver “a comprehensive evaluation of my patients”. “We are entering a new era,” he said.
He pointed out that one significant improvement is the multi-parametric liver study, helping to comprehensively study any pathology. He added that the technology enables all requested information to be displayed in real-time in one shot.
“The A20 smart thyroid tool gives automatic real-time lesion detection, which helps to be fast and precise,” Professor Cantisani added.
“HD Scope+is very useful because it increases the level of confidence, enhancing the border delineation, the eco-structures, the presence of calcification of the lesion that I study, such as breast and thyroid lesions, where it is really important to depict clearly and properly any of those features.”
Microvasculature study functionality was also described as important
A ‘slow flow’ often suggests that there might be a problem with the small blood vessels. Professor Cantisani said: “The ultra micro angiography provides a very high sensitive depiction of the slow flow.”
The new technology is expected to support daily clinical activity, research, and education, with the potential to enhance the role of ultrasound in the diagnostic imaging landscape.
Dynamic tumour information, and new pathways
The new high frame rate of the Resona A20 could make a “major difference” for healthcare professionals in delivering a correct diagnosis quickly for kidney, liver and oncology patients, and could help to transform clinical pathways, according to Prof Dirk-Andre Clevert, head of the Interdisciplinary Ultrasound Centre, Department of Radiology, University of Munich-Grosshadern Campus.
“The A20 gives us the opportunity for super resolution,” he said. “Five hundred frames a second means a very, very high resolution, and a lot of dynamic information, additional information for the tumour which doesn’t exist or can be missed in conventional contrast examination.”
New diagnostic pathways could become possible for different patient cohorts, he added. For kidney transplant patients, it was now possible to show a “tiny kidney infarction not clearly visible by a contrast enhanced ultrasound examination”.
For liver patients, the need for additional imaging, could potentially now be avoided, he added. “Around 30 per cent of my liver examination patients need to have CT or MRI, and further contrast enhanced ultrasound,” said Professor Clevert. “There might be an option for a shortcut, to start with super resolution before going to MRI or CT – to save both time and money.”
‘A huge amount of data’: A new perspective for doctors
The new ultrasound system uses an acoustic intelligence technology platform, combined with Mindray’s next-generation transducers to improve acoustic focusing, and support precise diagnosis. This helps healthcare professionals to visualise often unseen details.
Professor Clevert said that the Resona A20’s option for super resolution meant “more frames in a shorter time, with additional information like dynamic flow direction”, in addition to providing results of image analysis on the same system, preventing the need to transfer information to external computers.
“You have the option to see very tiny vessels which are not normally visible,” he said. “You can see the flow direction, you get information regarding time of arrival, so how fast the contrast has arrived. It’s not only super resolution, we have vascular information, dynamic information.”
He described the potential for a “very big power insight”. “If you can acquire 500 frames in a second, and you can store 30 seconds, this means you have around 15,000 frames. This is a huge amount of data.”
Sponsored Content
#empowHERaccess Global Prestige Awards 2025: A Global Celebration of Women in AI, Technology, and Economic Leadership
The highly anticipated #empowHERaccess Global Prestige Awards 2025 returns for its fifth year, honoring global leaders who are shaping the AI-powered economy while driving corporate ESG and UN SDG goals. Hosted in both the U.S. and India, this industry recognition platform builds upon the success of the 2024 campaign, which reached 4.5 million impressions.
Presented by Women in Cloud (WIC) in collaboration with The Mainstream (formerly CIO News), the awards celebrate women technology and business leaders, impact filmmakers, entrepreneurs, investors, donors, wellness champions, and allies who are pioneering innovation in AI, cybersecurity, film, technology, and wellness.
“The #empowHERaccess Global Prestige Award 2025 honorees represent the future of leadership in the AI-powered economy,” said Chaitra Vedullapalli, President of Women in Cloud. “These women are leading transformative initiatives within their organizations, driving innovation and measurable business outcomes. Companies with women in senior leadership roles are 30% more likely to outperform their peers, proving that visibility and recognition of these leaders are critical for building a thriving, inclusive AI-powered economy.”
Women in Cloud’s past awards have showcased groundbreaking contributions, fostering equitable economic access, industry inclusivity, and policy-driven innovation. This year, the program expands globally to honor over 200 changemakers whose leadership is shaping critical industries.
Nominations officially opened on March 25, 2025.
The #empowHERaccess 2025 Awards Gala will be a premier gathering of industry leaders, investors, policymakers, and changemakers, celebrating transformative contributions to the AI-powered economy. This year’s ceremony will introduce two new award categories:
- The Wellness Champion Award – Honoring leaders fostering corporate and community wellness initiatives.
- The Impact Film Award – Recognizing films that champion women’s experiences in AI, wellness, and sustainability.
This global recognition platform also features signature categories, including:
- Trailblazer Leadership Award – Recognizing women leaders or allies accelerating ESG and ERG efforts.
- Technologist Visionary Award – Honoring pioneers in cloud, AI, and cybersecurity innovation.
- Women Tech Entrepreneur of the Year – Celebrating B2B and B2C women-led companies making an impact.
- Mentor of the Year Award – Recognizing individuals championing women tech entrepreneurs and professionals.
- Ally of the Year Award – Honoring those who empower and support women in tech.
- Community Leadership Award – Highlighting individuals building inclusive, diverse talent ecosystems.
- Generative AI Innovation Award – Recognizing leaders advancing equitable AI solutions.
- Corporate Equality Advocate Award – Celebrating corporate champions of gender equality.
“Being recognized at the #empowHERaccess Awards was a transformative moment, amplifying our mission and opening doors to global opportunities.” – Cara South, Trailblazer Leadership Award Winner 2024.
Join the Movement: Nominate a Leader Today
The #empowHERaccess Global Prestige Awards are a catalyst for change and recognition. By honoring the leaders, innovators, and allies shaping the future of AI, technology, and inclusivity, we drive a more equitable, diverse, and sustainable industry.
Now is your chance to be part of this transformative journey.
Submit your nominations today: https://womenincloud.com/empowheraccessawards2025/
Join the conversation on social media using #empowHERaccess2025
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