IWD 2025: Bold Innovations to Advance Women’s Health
We are excited to announce a series of events celebrating International Women’s Day in March 2025!
Our virtual event on March 20, 2025, at noon CST, will focus on advancing women’s health equity through innovation. Join us for an engaging discussion with global leaders and innovators driving change in women’s health.
Then, connect in person at a special event hosted by the St. Louis Park Rotary Club in March. Stay tuned for more details and registration information for the in-person event, which will be available in January.
Register now for the virtual event and join us in celebrating innovation and advancing equity for women everywhere!
Speakers
This event will be moderated by CGHSR Director of Global Women's Health Rahel Nardos, MD, MCR
Rashmi Kandwal
Rashmi, PhD, MBA, works in the healthcare innovation space in Minnesota. As the Executive Director of HealthcareMN, she drives strategy, fosters collaboration, and builds impactful programs that empower healthcare entrepreneurs and innovators across the state. Passionate about bridging connections and amplifying voices in the industry, she also co-hosts the Patient Innovations podcast and serves on the board of RoundtableRx.
Madelyn Weiland
Maddie graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2021 and 2022 with a bachelor's and then a master's degree in mechanical engineering. During her graduate school program, she participated in a yearlong course around new product development during which she worked with Dr. Nardos and the team to design a new surgical tool to treat pelvic organ prolapse in places where medical access is limited.
After graduating, Maddie began working at Boston Scientific as a manufacturing engineer in the cardiology space, working specifically on the manufacture of a Nitinol implant called the WATCHMAN.
Iyadunni Olubode
Iyadunni Olubode has over 20 years of experience across the private and development sectors in Nigeria. She is a fierce advocate for women and youth as key contributors to the economy. She has led MSD for Mothers programs in Nigeria since 2018 and recently took up similar responsibility for programs in Kenya.
Prior to MSD for Mothers, Iyadunni was Executive Director of LEAP Africa, a nonprofit focused on leadership development for youth and entrepreneurs. In this role, she oversaw the development and implementation of several capacity development programs in collaboration with private and public-sector stakeholders and development partners.