Health tech: dr jennifer hintzsche of pherdal on how their technology can make an important impact

AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID LEICHNER > Hurt people hurt people. You’re going to have people laugh at you. > They’re going to make fun of you. They are going to say and do > hurtful 

things. Try to experience as much hatred and rejection > upfront as you can. The quicker you learn this lesson, the more > empowered you become. Go fail — publicly. You’ll get through 

it > stronger and be able to help more people. In_ recent years, Big Tech has gotten a bad rep. But of course, many tech companies are doing important work making monumental positive

changes to society, health, and the environment. To highlight these, we started a new interview series about “Technology Making An Important Positive Social Impact”. We are interviewing

leaders of tech companies who are creating or have created a tech product that is helping to make a positive change in people’s lives or the environment. As a part of this series, I had the

pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jennifer Hintzsche, Ph.D._ _Refusing to take the word “infertile” as her diagnosis, __Dr. Jennifer Hintzsche__, Ph.D. is on a mission to provide every person

with the first safe, over the counter, fertility option to build their family. After 16 months of infertility, Dr. Jenn invented a medical device that conceived her daughter in just the

second month of use. She is the founder of PherDal Fertility Science, which is developing the first-ever FDA-cleared assisted reproduction kit that will be offered over the counter, thanks

to its patented sterile technology._ THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US IN THIS INTERVIEW SERIES. BEFORE WE DIVE IN, OUR READERS WOULD LOVE TO LEARN A BIT MORE ABOUT YOU. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT

ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD BACKSTORY AND HOW YOU GREW UP? I grew up on a farm in the small town of Hinckley, Illinois, with my parents & older brother. My dad was the second-generation

president of an agriculture business that his dad and uncle started. My mom was breaking glass ceilings before we recognized glass ceilings were a thing. She was the only woman not just

working at a car dealership but running it by the time she was 40. I was a tomboy and grew up playing sports like soccer on the boy’s team and loved riding my 4-wheeler. CAN YOU SHARE THE

MOST INTERESTING STORY THAT HAPPENED TO YOU SINCE YOU BEGAN YOUR CAREER? The most interesting thing that happened to me was getting kicked out of grad school when I was 75% finished with my

master’s degree. “You’re not smart enough to be here.” That sentence is what my professor said to me as they physically took my lab notebook filled with 18 months of my experiments out of my

hands, then asked me to hand over the key to their laboratory. Then, they kicked me out with only one semester left to earn my master’s degree. I sat in my graduate advisor’s office, not

knowing what was next in my life. Then, finally, he said, “well, you’re good with computers. There is a new emerging field called bioinformatics where you write code to analyze DNA

sequencing.” He was right. After my first coding class, I fell in love with writing code. On the day of my Ph.D. graduation, I was excited to see one specific professor in the front row, the

person who told me I didn’t belong on that stage. That professor now had a front-row seat to witness one of my earliest lessons in resilience. I never broke eye contact with them as the

professors who did believe in me, taught, and led me toward my goal, placed my doctoral hood over my head. Most of us entrepreneurs have a story like this. We find a way to turn “failure”

into an opportunity to learn and adapt. I knew I had a goal to obtain my Ph.D. I didn’t know how I’d get there, but my motivation to reach my goal never wavered. NONE OF US ARE ABLE TO

ACHIEVE SUCCESS WITHOUT SOME HELP ALONG THE WAY. IS THERE A PARTICULAR PERSON WHO YOU ARE GRATEFUL TOWARDS WHO HELPED GET YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE? CAN YOU SHARE A STORY ABOUT THAT? In college,

I had lost 3 of 4 grandparents to cancer. I wanted to do something to help people and had a passion to understand cancer at the molecular level. However, I had received a “C” in physical

chemistry, and I thought that dream was now gone. I sat in Dr. Dara Wegman-Geedy’s office at Augustana College and told her I was upset that I wouldn’t be able to get into grad school. She

asked me, “Why?”. When I explained my recent C wasn’t good enough to get in, she smiled and said I got C’s in college and my name on the door still says Dr. on it. A light bulb clicked. I

had a role model in my life who had been through where I was and still achieved what I didn’t think was possible. I still talk to Dara today and thank her often for showing me how amazing

women scientists are! CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE US YOUR FAVORITE “LIFE LESSON QUOTE”? CAN YOU SHARE HOW THAT WAS RELEVANT TO YOU IN YOUR LIFE? Be brave, awkward, and kind on purpose. It’s a

combination of Brene’ Brown and Dr. Phil’s quotes. I put that on my daily planner so that I remember to lean into my vulnerability and be the best and therefore most authentic version of

myself I can be, every day. YOU ARE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS LEADER. WHICH THREE CHARACTER TRAITS DO YOU THINK WERE MOST INSTRUMENTAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE A STORY OR EXAMPLE

FOR EACH? Authenticity: Sharing my own story was what made me realize I wasn’t alone. In fact, it’s how I knew I could help others too. Strategic planning: My next three goals are going to

happen. If I must take 30 different ways than I thought to achieve them, I’ll still achieve them. Planning how to fail small and quickly allows me to learn and get closer to achieving the

goal. Trusting myself: I’ve learned to trust my gut, my values, and my ability to solve problems. This allows me to be nimble and navigate tough situations using past experiences as data

points so that I will successfully be able to handle the next phase, problem, or situation that comes. OK SUPER. LET’S NOW SHIFT TO THE MAIN PART OF OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY OR

MEDICAL DEVICES THAT YOU ARE HELPING TO CREATE THAT CAN MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR WELLNESS. TO BEGIN, WHICH PARTICULAR PROBLEMS ARE YOU AIMING TO SOLVE? One in five women will struggle

to get pregnant after 12 months of trying to conceive due in part to women waiting longer to have their first child. If women are struggling to conceive under the age of 35, they often can’t

see a specialist until they have been trying to conceive for over a year. Even then, 85% of insurance companies don’t cover the cost of treatment for infertility, only the tests to diagnose

it. There is no safe, FDA-cleared, over-the-counter fertility option that people can try in the privacy of their own homes. HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR TECHNOLOGY CAN ADDRESS THIS? Our patented

sterile medical device will be the first FDA-cleared assisted reproduction kit available over the counter and without a prescription. That is the same technology that today is only offered

in the fertility clinic. This will bring an affordable and safe way to help the 12 million people struggling in the US to conceive a child. CAN YOU TELL US THE BACKSTORY ABOUT WHAT INSPIRED

YOU TO ORIGINALLY FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS CAUSE? I went through 16 months of infertility and was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. I was frustrated I was only offered expensive and

invasive treatments, with a diagnosis that meant they didn’t know why I was infertile. I know firsthand the frustration and pain of struggling to conceive. I have a Ph.D. in Biology and my

husband is a mechanical engineer. I dug into the science, and he helped me invent a safe and sterile way to get sperm closer to the egg. Two months later, the device we invented together,

conceived our daughter, now 4. I knew then I had to help as many people as I could have a safe and affordable way to build their family too. HOW DO YOU THINK THIS MIGHT CHANGE THE WORLD? Our

proof-of-concept kits brought more than 24 babies into this world from just 200 kits. Those babies will grow up to change the world in beautiful ways. We are grateful to be a tiny part of

their journey to change the world. KEEPING “BLACK MIRROR” AND THE “LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES” IN MIND, CAN YOU SEE ANY POTENTIAL DRAWBACKS ABOUT THIS TECHNOLOGY THAT PEOPLE SHOULD THINK

MORE DEEPLY ABOUT? This technology won’t work for everyone. Babies will still be born with birth defects and mothers will still miscarry. There are a lot of traumas that can come from

bringing a child into the world. This technology won’t make that trauma better or easier. We hope that at the very least PherDal empowers people with a tool that allows them to take control

of their journey to parenthood. HERE IS THE MAIN QUESTION FOR OUR DISCUSSION. BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS, CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE “FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SUCCESSFULLY CREATE

TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN MAKE A POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACT”? * Seek out your _real_ motivation. Motivations built on a foundation of vanity or trends might bring short-term wealth. Motivations

founded on a vision to improve big things will bring you long-term satisfaction no matter the money earned. Often people want to solve the obvious problem, the low-hanging fruit, or the

squeaky wheel. I used to encourage my college students to do experiments that focus on the root cause. What could cause all the wheels to be squeaky? What do all the low-hanging fruit have

in common? Keep digging until you find a traceable root cause. If you don’t have the patience to keep digging, this isn’t your _real_ motivation. My motivation to explain my “unexplained

infertility” drove me to read every scientific journal I could find. I was on a plane to give a speech in South Korea and printed out over 20 articles to read on the day-long plane ride. I

exited the plane with a plan for testing my own hypothesis on myself. Find something that drives you to keep digging. * Be laser-focused on doing good so you can’t possibly fail. Money and

wealth don’t matter if you’re not a nice person… If you are bringing good into the world, you can’t fail. I put together 200 proof-of-concept kits of the medical device I invented that

conceived my daughter. My sole focus, as I told my friend Makeva, was to see if I could help just _one_ person that was struggling to conceive. Just one person. I needed to know my pain and

suffering that led to this invention could do good in the world. So, I focused on helping one person. For a few months preparing our kits, that goal was my only focus. One of these kits

could bring a child into the world. One of these kits will help someone feel empowered. One of these kits will save someone from living through the trauma I experienced. To see if my kit

would work for others, I reached out to people sharing their infertility stories on social media and asked if I could send them my PherDal kit for free. As our kits sold out in 90 days, we

learned that so far, more than 24 people have been helped. If your motivations are purely to do good, then you can make mistakes, but the thread that binds your story together is to do good

in the world. If you are bringing good into the world, you can’t fail, you can only learn how to do it better. * Understand anger and hate are usually thrown from people in pain. Hurt people

hurt people. You’re going to have people laugh at you. They’re going to make fun of you. They are going to say and do hurtful things. Try to experience as much hatred and rejection upfront

as you can. The quicker you learn this lesson, the more empowered you become. Go fail — publicly. You’ll get through it stronger and be able to help more people. * Data is power. Find

patterns. I was the first Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Bioinformatics. A word I’m pretty sure everyone thought I was making up at the time. This degree combines

biology and computer science and for someone who is a very logical thinker, this turned out to be a perfect fit for me. Data is a beautiful thing because it’s 1’s and 0’s. It speaks for

itself. Find the patterns in your business, in your life and connect the dots. Data will tell you the stories and it can be your best unbiased feedback, if you use it correctly. * Ask for

help. My first lesson learned as a mother was to ask for and accept help when I needed it. The same rules have been applied to starting a business. You have your strengths, use them. People

will want to help you in exchange for your help. We all want to be connected to good things in the world. If you’re doing that, people will jump in to help you, you just have to let them

help. CAN YOU SHARE A FEW BEST PRACTICES THAT YOU RECOMMEND TO SAFEGUARD YOUR TECHNOLOGY OR MEDICAL DEVICES FROM HACKERS? Patented it. Intellectual property is one of the most valuable

aspects of your business. IF YOU COULD TELL OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE ONE THING ABOUT WHY THEY SHOULD CONSIDER MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR ENVIRONMENT OR SOCIETY, LIKE YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL

THEM? What is a pain in your life that you could help ease for someone else? Find that person and help them. Feel how good it feels. Then chase that feeling with all your passion. IS THERE A

PERSON IN THE WORLD, OR IN THE US WITH WHOM YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PRIVATE BREAKFAST OR LUNCH, AND WHY? HE OR SHE MIGHT JUST SEE THIS, ESPECIALLY IF WE TAG THEM. :-) Dr. Phil or Brene’

Brown. Both have taught me incredible things about emotional intelligence. They’ve helped me lean into who I am and to be brave and vulnerable and awkward and kind. HOW CAN OUR READERS

FURTHER FOLLOW YOUR WORK ONLINE? Our website is PherDal.com, and our social media handle is @pherdal_science. People can invest in our company too and can learn more about that on our

website. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THIS WAS VERY INSPIRATIONAL, AND WE WISH YOU CONTINUED SUCCESS IN YOUR IMPORTANT WORK. A_bout The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the

Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At __Cybellum__, a leading provider of Product Security

Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and

market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem

Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York._