STYLISA FoundHers January: Farirai Gora on Building Eden and Breaking the Silence Around Reproductive Health at Work

Welcome to the first STYLISA FoundHers interview of 2026, and we’re starting the year with impact. This month, I’m spotlighting Farirai Gora, the founder of We Are Eden, a pioneering platform tackling one of the most overlooked challenges in the modern workplace: reproductive and fertility health. With a background in insurance, a mind for data, and a deep understanding of what it means to navigate chronic pain in silence, Farirai is building more than a business. She’s building a movement. In this conversation, she opens up about what led her to start We Are Eden, the systemic fluency gap in organisations, and the power of turning lived experience into scalable change.

Farirai Gora, Founder of We Are Eden. Rewriting how workplaces support reproductive health.

Let’s start at the beginning. Thirteen years into a successful career in insurance, you could have continued climbing the ladder. What made you pause, and ultimately pivot, towards launching We Are Eden?

I identify as British Zimbabwean. My full name, Farirai puts a spotlight on me and tells people to like me, which helps in an environment like the start-up space. My family are entrepreneurial, my grandad was a police officer as well as a property investor. In Zimbabwe, I saw my Dad juggle a lot of things, a thriving international career and numerous responsibilities. I was exposed to a high level of financial and economic responsibility early on, which led to me to having a higher than average drive and conviction.

The way the insurance industry in itself works on the tech and change side, is also quite entrepreneurial. I exercised responsibility for application  and assessment of new solutions and approaches through the years. Being exposed to that much change and risk management, allowed me to grasp the true nature of commerce and the part of innovation to drive true commerce. Directly, I also took part in hackathons and founded initiatives that gave me personal experience in innovation and entrepreneurism.

Over the last 5 years I’ve been an independent consultant in regulatory and  technology transformation. I saw the expansion of the fem-tech market and decided to start working on WAE after my last contract ended rather than taking another contract, to apply my skills in a more impactful way. I experienced something that fundamentally shifted my perspective: living with dysmenorrhea in silence. This wasn't a distant problem. I read about in reports - it was my lived reality. The irony was profound. I worked in an industry obsessed with identifying, quantifying, and managing risk, yet the workplace had no framework for supporting one of the most fundamental aspects of human health. I was high-performing, ambitious, and capable of climbing that ladder, yet I was also navigating chronic pain without any workplace support structure, forced to compartmentalise my full self at work.

The Professional Awakening

That personal experience collided with professional data. Throughout my insurance career, I had access to insights that revealed the true scale of the problem: 13.5 million working people in the UK are affected by reproductive health issues, resulting in a £20 billion annual productivity loss. Yet this massive business risk was treated as a taboo HR afterthought, if acknowledged at all. Here was an industry trained to identify risk and monetise solutions, and it was completely blind to one of the largest talent and productivity risks sitting in its own organisations. I recognised what I call the fluency gap. The issue wasn't a lack of benefits or intentions. Organisations cared about their employees. The gap was that managers lacked the language, confidence, and tools to have supportive conversations, and employees lacked psychological safety to ask for help. It was a communication infrastructure problem waiting for a technology solution.

Why the Pivot Made Sense

The decision to leave wasn't about rejecting the insurance industry or my career. It was about recognising where my skills could create the most impact. My background in product innovation, regulatory frameworks, and technology projects in insurance wasn't a liability in health tech; it was precisely the toolkit needed to build something that balanced clinical rigour, legal compliance, and workplace practicality. I could have climbed the ladder in insurance, that path was clear. But I couldn't un-see the gap. The moment you recognise a systemic problem that affects millions, that carries both human and business consequences, and you have the skills to address it, staying silent becomes impossible.

The Deeper Vision

We Are Eden isn't just about offering support. It’s about transforming how workplaces think about talent risk. Reproductive health touches every major life decision: career progression, retention, productivity, legal compliance, and equity. By making it normal, supported, and integrated into workplace culture, we unlock immense potential for individuals and organisations alike. The pause you mention was crucial. It allowed me to move from ambition within an existing system to ambition to build a new system. One where no employee ever has to choose between their career and their health.

You’ve spoken openly about living with dysmenorrhea. How did your personal experience shape the vision for We Are Eden, and what were some of the early signs that this wasn’t just a personal issue, but a systemic one?

The Personal Silence

Living with dysmenorrhea throughout my thirteen-year insurance career was a solitary experience wrapped in professional competence. Externally, I was climbing the ladder, excelling in regulatory projects and product innovation. Internally, I was managing debilitating menstrual pain that I couldn't name in the workplace without fear of being perceived as weak, unreliable, or less committed. That silence became the insight.

Three years ago, I found myself sitting in a boardroom at the height of my career - accomplished, capable, and utterly alone with my pain. I couldn't explain to my manager why I needed to work from home on certain days. I couldn't ask for flexibility without potentially damaging my professional reputation. The workplace culture, despite all its talk of inclusivity and employee wellbeing, had no language for this fundamental aspect of human experience. That moment crystallised everything: the gap wasn't about a lack of care or intention from employers. The gap was fluency.

The Systemic Evidence

The personal experience might have remained personal had I not been trained to read data. Working in insurance for thirteen years meant I was accustomed to identifying patterns, quantifying risk, and translating human experiences into business problems. When I began researching my own condition, I discovered I wasn't isolated, but part of a massive, invisible population.

The numbers were staggering: 13.5 million working people in the UK are affected by reproductive health issues, yet the workplace remained conspicuously silent. That silence was costing organisations billions, approximately £20 billion annually in lost productivity. This wasn't a niche concern. This was a business crisis masquerading as a personal problem. But the data alone didn't create the vision. The lived experiences did.

Validating the Systemic Gap

I approached product validation the way I'd learned in insurance, rigorously and systematically. Rather than asking people "Would you buy a reproductive health course?", I asked them about their lived experiences. I drew inspiration from Rob Fitzpatrick's methodology and conducted focus groups across diverse populations.

I spoke with:

• Professional women in network groups who were navigating reproductive health challenges daily while maintaining high performance. Their stories were consistent: they were managing silently, often alone.

• University students entering the workforce, many already aware that this was an issue they'd eventually face, one they dreaded having to navigate professionally.

• Mature students balancing careers with health journeys, including menopause and other reproductive health transitions.

• HR leaders and managers who expressed genuine frustration. They wanted to support their teams but didn't have the language, frameworks, or confidence to have these conversations.

The validation came through a singular finding: 63% of UK workers hide reproductive health issues at work. This wasn't about lack of benefits or bad intentions from employers. Managers consistently told me they wanted to help, they just didn't know how. Employees wanted to ask for support, they just didn't feel it was safe.

From Personal Pain to Systemic Solution

What emerged from this research wasn't just an online course. It was a comprehensive ecosystem designed to close the fluency gap at every level. The personal experience of dysmenorrhea had taught me what it felt like to be unsupported. The data told me I was part of a 13.5-million-person problem. The focus groups revealed that the solution couldn't be one-dimensional.

We developed our flagship online reproductive health academy paired with Policy Pulse, our AI-powered platform. The course builds organisational fluency, giving managers the language and frameworks they need. Policy Pulse provides real-time guidance, removing the fear that managers might say the wrong thing or inadvertently cause harm.

Real Evidence of Impact

One of the most powerful validations came from a client story: a manager used We Are Eden's resources to support a team member through menopause and endometriosis. The impact went beyond retention, it reportedly helped save his marriage as well, because he finally understood what his partner was experiencing at home and at work.

That story encapsulated everything. The systemic issue isn't just about workplace productivity. It’s about human dignity, family relationships, career trajectories, and organisational culture. When you address the fluency gap, you unlock potential at multiple levels.

The Broader Context

Early evidence suggests organisations implementing our solutions have seen productivity improvements of up to 25%. We've worked with multinational insurers implementing our frameworks across their organisations. But perhaps most importantly, we've created a space where conversations that were once unthinkable in professional settings have become normal and supportive.

The dysmenorrhea that isolated me became the catalyst for recognising a systemic blind spot. It transformed from a personal health challenge into professional insight into a scalable solution serving hundreds of organisations. That's the power of turning private pain into public purpose, not just to solve your own problem, but to build systems that prevent the next person from having to suffer the way you did. 

Launching a business that sits at the intersection of health, tech and workplace culture is no easy feat. What were some of the barriers you had to push past early on, and what kept you going?

The Legitimacy Gap

The first barrier was legitimacy in an unfamiliar space. I was coming from thirteen years in insurance and product innovation, not healthcare. When I started talking about building an AI-driven solution for reproductive health in the workplace, many people didn't see a natural founder. They saw a pivot. They saw risk. I had to prove that deep expertise, rigour, and domain knowledge could be built through strategic partnerships with clinicians, researchers, and lived-experience advocates, not just through traditional medical credentials.

This meant being exceptionally intentional. We were selected for the Discovery Spark Accelerator in 2024, which gave us direct exposure to health tech, clinical, legal, and regulatory rigour. We participated in the Hive female founders investment readiness programme, where we stress-tested our innovation with technical and investment experts. During our market research, we consulted with practicing OB-GYNs, law firm partners, and innovation experts. We gathered over 100 first- and second-hand lived experiences, documented on our Eden Talks platform. Each step was about building undeniable credibility.

The Triple Taboo: Being Black, Female, and Talking About "That"

The second barrier was compounded stigma. Reproductive health is still treated as private, taboo, even within progressive organisations. Add to that the reality of being a Black woman founder in a predominantly white, male tech and insurance ecosystem, and you're navigating multiple layers of invisibility and skepticism. I learned quickly that I couldn't lead with empathy alone. I had to lead with data, with ROI, with the undeniable business case. The £20 billion annual productivity loss. The 13.5 million affected workers. The emerging regulatory landscape that was turning reproductive health from a "nice-to-have" into a legal compliance issue. I had to make the business case so compelling that the discomfort of the topic became secondary to the urgency of the solution.

But there's another dimension here that's deeply personal. As a Black woman who has experienced reproductive health challenges, I was asking predominantly white, male decision-makers to care about an issue they had never personally faced and could barely bring themselves to discuss. That required not just business acumen but emotional labour, translating my lived experience into language that resonated with people who had no frame of reference.

The Funding and Network Challenge

Then there was the barrier every founder faces, but that disproportionately affects Black women: access to capital and networks. Black women receive less than 1% of venture capital funding. When you're pitching reproductive health technology, a topic that makes many investors visibly uncomfortable, the challenge intensifies.

Instead of fighting the old system, I focused on building a new one. I sought out mentors and partners aligned with our vision who saw the value in what we were creating. I built in public, sharing knowledge through webinars that have now been viewed 2,400 times. I used thought leadership to create visibility and credibility, knowing that if we demonstrated impact, the right doors would eventually open.

What Kept Me Going

Purpose larger than myself. Every time I doubted myself, I remembered the 13.5 million people navigating reproductive health challenges in silence. I remembered sitting in boardrooms feeling isolated with my own dysmenorrhea. I thought about the senior female engineers who were considering leaving their jobs because they felt unsupported through menopause. The managers who wanted to help their teams but were paralysed by fear of saying the wrong thing. This wasn't about building a successful startup, it was about building a system that prevents the next generation from suffering the way I did.

Ubuntu - the principle of "I am because we are." My British-Zimbabwean heritage gave me a cultural anchor. In Zimbabwean culture, we understand that individual success is meaningless without collective uplift. This work isn't just about me; it's about everyone who comes after. When I mentor young women, when I build a diverse team with real decision-making power, when I see my User Experience Lead, Mary Prabah Anderson, shaping our product design and earning recognition through a WIBF student awards shortlist, that’s Ubuntu in action. My success means nothing if I'm not opening doors for others.

The data and the impact. Early wins kept me grounded. A client telling me we helped him retain a top performer, and reportedly saved his marriage because he finally understood what his partner was experiencing through menopause and endometriosis. Organisations seeing productivity boosts of up to 15-25%. Feedback from a Black woman senior manager who said, "For the first time in my career, I feel like I don't have to leave my full self at home." Those moments reminded me that we weren't building a theoretical solution. We were changing real lives.

Resilience rooted in faith and community. My faith is my anchor. It provides purpose bigger than the day-to-day challenges. I sing lead in a gospel choir, which is a source of immense joy and community. I ruthlessly protect my physical and mental energy by scheduling time for rest, exercise, and joy just as I would schedule a business meeting. As a founder, your energy is your company's most valuable asset. You cannot pour from an empty cup.

Reframing challenges as opportunities. I learned to see every closed door as a redirect, not a rejection. When traditional funding paths didn't materialise, we built credibility through accelerators and thought leadership. When the topic made people uncomfortable, we made the business case irrefutable. I didn't focus on the “nos”. I focused on building undeniable "yeses" in the form of a clinically designed product, a brilliant diverse team, and data proving our impact.

The legacy I'm building. Finally, what keeps me going is the vision of a young Black girl or boy looking at We Are Eden and seeing proof that you can build a global business that is both profitable and purposeful. A business that doesn't just break down barriers but builds new, better, and more inclusive systems for everyone.

This journey has been one of continuous reinvention, relentless belief in what's possible, and an unwavering commitment to the people we serve. The barriers were real, but so was the purpose. And purpose, when it's bigger than you, is unstoppable.

The £20 billion figure is staggering. Why do you think reproductive health has been overlooked for so long in corporate environments, and what’s been the most effective way to get organisations to pay attention?

Why It's Been Overlooked: The Perfect Storm of Silence

The £20 billion productivity loss isn't new, it’s been hiding in plain sight for decades. Reproductive health has been systematically overlooked in corporate environments due to a convergence of cultural, structural, and economic factors that have conspired to keep it invisible.

The Taboo Tax

First and foremost, there's the taboo. Reproductive health sits at the intersection of bodies, gender, sexuality, and personal life, topics that corporate culture has historically deemed "inappropriate" for professional spaces. We've built workplace norms around the myth of the "ideal worker”, someone with no body, no health needs, and no caregiving responsibilities. This construct has always been fiction, but it's particularly harmful for reproductive health, which affects everyone at some point in their lives.

When 63% of UK workers hide reproductive health issues at work, we're not looking at individual choices, we’re looking at systemic silence. Employees fear being perceived as weak, uncommitted, or less capable. Managers fear saying the wrong thing and facing legal consequences. HR departments fear opening Pandora's box. So everyone stays silent, and the problem compounds.

The Gender Blindspot

Secondly, there's the gender dimension. Historically, corporate leadership has been overwhelmingly male. Not to diminish male reproductive health challenges, andropause, prostate health, and male fertility are critically important, but conditions like menopause, endometriosis, and pregnancy complications disproportionately affect women. When decision-makers don't personally experience these issues, they're easier to dismiss as "personal problems" rather than systemic workplace challenges requiring infrastructure and support.

The irony is profound: financial services firms will spend millions quantifying market risk, credit risk, and operational risk, yet completely overlook talent risk rooted in reproductive health, despite it affecting 13.5 million workers and costing £20 billion annually.

The Measurement Gap

Thirdly, there's been a measurement problem. Until recently, we didn't have robust data quantifying the business impact of unsupported reproductive health. Productivity losses were attributed to "stress," "burnout," or "personal issues" without interrogating what those issues actually were. Retention challenges were framed as "work-life balance" problems without acknowledging that for many employees, the "life" part involved navigating menopause, IVF, or chronic conditions like fibroids with zero workplace support.

When you can't measure a problem, you can't manage it. And when you can't manage it, it doesn't get budget, resources, or executive attention.

What's Been Most Effective: Speaking the Language of Business

Getting organisations to pay attention has required a fundamental reframe: repositioning reproductive health from a "soft HR issue" to a hard business imperative. Here's what's worked.

Leading with the Business Case, Not Just the Moral Case

Organisations care about profitability, compliance, retention, and productivity. So we lead with data that speaks to those priorities:

• £20 billion in annual productivity loss across UK workplaces due to unsupported reproductive health issues.

• 83% of UK companies don't clearly support the 13.5 million employees affected by reproductive health challenges, creating massive legal and reputational risk.

• 78% of employees say reproductive health support is important when choosing where to work, and 72% would stay longer at companies that provide it.

• Organisations in the top quartile for gender diversity are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability. Supporting reproductive health is a retention and diversity strategy with measurable ROI.

When you frame reproductive health as a Talent Risk Management issue, which is the category we've pioneered, you immediately shift the conversation from optional benefits to strategic necessity.

Leveraging Regulatory Pressure

The second catalyst has been regulation. The UK's Employment Rights Act is transformative. For the first time in history, menopause has been explicitly named in employment legislation. From 2027, employers with over 250 staff will be legally required to publish Menopause Action Plans as part of mandatory Equality Action Plans under the Equality Act 2010, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and the Employment Rights Act.

This isn't guidance or best practice, it’s law. Failure to comply carries real consequences, including employment tribunals, legal disputes, and reputational damage.

Financial services firms, in particular, are sensitive to regulatory risk. When something moves from the "nice-to-have" column into the "legally mandated" column, it gets C-suite attention immediately. Suddenly, this isn't an HR initiative, it's a compliance imperative requiring board-level oversight.

Making It Easy: Removing the Fear and Complexity

The third breakthrough has been removing friction. Even when organisations want to act, they often don't know where to start. The topic feels overwhelming, sensitive, and full of legal landmines. That's where We Are Eden comes in.

We provide the complete infrastructure:

• AI-powered Policy Pulse that gives managers instant, reliable, confidential guidance on how to support employees through IVF, menopause, endometriosis, prostate health, and 72 other conditions, without fear of saying the wrong thing.

• Clinically designed online training that builds organisational fluency, so these conversations become normal, not terrifying.

• Policy and protocol templates that ensure legal compliance and best practice.

• Lived-experience peer support that fosters psychological safety and inclusion.

By offering a turnkey solution that addresses clinical, legal, and cultural dimensions simultaneously, we make it easy for organisations to move from paralysis to action.

Demonstrating Impact with Real Stories

Data opens doors, but stories close deals. When I share that a manager using We Are Eden retained a top performer and reportedly saved his marriage because he finally understood what his partner was experiencing through menopause and endometriosis, that resonates. When I describe a senior Black woman manager saying, "For the first time in my career, I feel like I don't have to leave my full self at home," that creates emotional urgency.

Organisations are starting to see that this isn't abstract—it's affecting their best people right now. The question shifts from "Should we do this?" to "How quickly can we implement this?"

Reframing the Conversation: From Compliance to Competitive Advantage

Finally, the most effective strategy has been reframing this work as a competitive advantage, not just a compliance requirement. Organisations that support reproductive health see:

• Up to 15-25% productivity boost

• Significant reduction in absenteeism

• Improved retention, especially among women in their 30s and 40s—prime leadership years

• Enhanced employer brand, making them a destination for top diverse talent

In a war for talent, especially in sectors like financial services and tech, providing best-in-class reproductive health support becomes a differentiator. It signals that your organisation sees employees as whole people, not just productivity units.

The Shift Is Happening

The £20 billion figure is staggering, but what's even more staggering is that it was hiding in plain sight for so long. The silence was expensive. The oversight was costly. But the shift is underway. Organisations are realising that supporting reproductive health isn't charity or "doing good”. It's smart business, legal necessity, and the future of work.

One thing that really stands out about We Are Eden is your use of AI. How did the idea for your multi-agent AI companion come about, and how do you ensure it remains both human-centred and medically safe?

The Genesis: Solving for Scale, Personalisation, and Access

The idea for our AI companion, Policy Pulse, emerged from a fundamental tension I observed throughout my insurance career: the need for support is both universal and deeply personal, immediate and ongoing. When 13.5 million UK workers are navigating reproductive health challenges, from IVF and endometriosis to menopause and prostate health, traditional HR models simply cannot scale to meet that need with the speed, personalisation, and confidentiality required. I kept encountering three critical barriers:

The Manager's Dilemma: Managers genuinely want to support their teams, but they're paralysed by fear. What if I say the wrong thing? What if I'm intrusive? What if I inadvertently discriminate? This fear leads to silence, and silence leads to isolation for employees who desperately need support.

The Employee's Isolation: Employees don't feel psychologically safe asking for help. 63% of UK workers hide reproductive health issues at work. They need guidance, but they need it confidentially, immediately, and without judgment.

The 24/7 Reality: Health challenges don't respect office hours. Someone going through IVF might need reassurance at 11 PM before a crucial work presentation the next day. A manager might have a team member disclose a menopause-related challenge on a Friday afternoon and need to respond thoughtfully, not fumble through the weekend.

The breakthrough was recognising that AI could bridge all three gaps simultaneously, providing scalable, personalised, confidential, and immediate support to both managers and employees. Not as a replacement for human connection, but as an enabler of it.

Building with Rigour: Clinical, Legal, and Technical Excellence

Developing an AI companion for reproductive health isn't like building a chatbot for customer service. The stakes are profoundly higher. You're dealing with sensitive, deeply personal health information. You're navigating complex legal frameworks around employment rights, discrimination, and data privacy. And you're addressing conditions that, if misunderstood or mishandled, can have serious consequences for someone's career, mental health, and family planning. That's why we built Policy Pulse with a multi-disciplinary approach from day one.

Clinical Validation: We were selected for the Discovery Spark Accelerator in 2024, a rigorous health tech program where we worked alongside eight other innovators in intensive workshops focused on clinical, legal, and regulatory standards. This gave us direct exposure to the frameworks required for safe, effective health technology.

Beyond the accelerator, we consulted extensively with practicing OB-GYNs, fertility specialists, and reproductive health experts. Every piece of information, every pathway, every recommendation within Policy Pulse has been developed and vetted by medical professionals. We don't rely on generic internet content, we ground our platform in evidence-based best practices from gynaecology, endocrinology, urology, and mental health.

Legal and Compliance Expertise: Reproductive health intersects with some of the most sensitive areas of employment law, discrimination, reasonable adjustments, data protection, and duty of care. We partnered with law firm experts specialising in employment rights and worked closely with HR compliance professionals to ensure that the guidance Policy Pulse provides is not only supportive but legally sound.

With the UK's Employment Rights Bill now requiring Menopause Action Plans from 2027, our AI companion is designed to keep organisations compliant with evolving legislation under the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Equality Act 2010, and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Lived Experience Integration: Perhaps most importantly, we gathered over 100 first- and second-hand lived experiences, documented on our Eden Talks platform. These stories shaped our AI's tone, language, and approach. We learned what actually helps people feel seen and supported, and what inadvertently causes harm.

Ensuring It Remains Human-Centred and Medically Safe

Building the AI was just the beginning. Keeping it human-centred and medically safe requires continuous, rigorous oversight. We've embedded multiple layers of safeguards to ensure Policy Pulse remains a force for good.

Constant Content Updates: Our medical advisory team continuously reviews and updates the content to reflect the latest clinical research and guidelines. Reproductive health is a rapidly evolving field. New treatments emerge, best practices shift, and regulatory requirements change. Our AI isn't static—it evolves in real time to remain accurate and relevant.

Ethical AI Guardrails: Policy Pulse is designed with strict ethical boundaries. It knows its limits. It is not a doctor and will never position itself as one. When a situation requires professional medical intervention, such as severe symptoms, mental health crises, or complex clinical decisions, the AI explicitly directs users to seek professional care.

For example, if a manager asks about supporting an employee experiencing severe menopausal depression, Policy Pulse will provide guidance on workplace adjustments and compassionate communication, but it will also clearly recommend that the employee consult with a GP or mental health professional.

User Feedback Loops: We've built mechanisms for users to provide feedback on every interaction. This allows us to refine the language, identify gaps, and ensure the guidance is not just clinically accurate but also empathetic, clear, and actionable. If users report that a response felt cold, confusing, or unhelpful, we investigate and improve.

Personalised, Not Prescriptive: Policy Pulse is designed to guide, not dictate. It provides options, context, and frameworks, empowering managers and employees to make informed decisions rather than imposing one-size-fits-all solutions. Every individual's experience with reproductive health is unique, and our AI respects that complexity.

Confidentiality and Psychological Safety: One of the most human-centred aspects of our AI is confidentiality. Managers can ask sensitive questions without fear of judgment or exposure. Employees can access information privately, without having to disclose their situation to HR before they're ready. This creates psychological safety, which is the foundation of effective support.

Real-World Application: Turning Fear into Confidence

Let me give you a practical example of how it works. A manager has a team member who is going through IVF. The manager wants to be supportive but is terrified of saying the wrong thing or being intrusive.

Instead of avoiding the conversation, which is what happens in most workplaces, the manager turns to Policy Pulse and asks: "How can I best support a team member undergoing IVF?"

Within seconds, the AI provides:

• Conversation starters: Simple, empathetic ways to open a dialogue without being intrusive.

• Practical support options: Suggestions for flexible working, time off for appointments, managing workload during treatment cycles.

• Company policy summary: A clear, accessible overview of the support the company offers.

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• What not to say: Guidance on avoiding common pitfalls like asking "Why don't you just adopt?" or "Have you tried relaxing?"

This transforms the interaction from a potential minefield into a supportive, informed conversation. The manager feels confident. The employee feels seen. And the organisation reduces legal risk while building trust.

The Multi-Agent Architecture: Why It Matters

You mentioned our "multi-agent" AI, and that's a critical technical distinction. Policy Pulse isn't a single chatbot, it’s a network of specialised agents, each trained on specific domains: clinical reproductive health, employment law, workplace culture, mental health, and equity considerations.

This architecture allows us to provide nuanced, context-aware guidance. For example, when addressing menopause support for a Black woman, the AI doesn't just pull generic menopause information. It integrates understanding of health disparities, like the fact that Black women are more likely to experience severe symptoms and face dismissive treatment in healthcare settings. It prompts managers to be particularly attuned to ensuring equitable support.

This multi-layered, interdisciplinary approach is what makes Policy Pulse both powerful and safe. It's not just “smart”, it's wise. It balances clinical accuracy, legal compliance, cultural competence, and human empathy.

The Vision: Technology in Service of Humanity

Ultimately, our AI companion exists to amplify human connection, not replace it. Technology, at its best, removes barriers that prevent people from showing up for each other. Policy Pulse removes the barrier of fear, the barrier of ignorance, and the barrier of time, so that managers can be the supportive leaders their teams deserve, and employees can access the information they need to advocate for themselves.

It's human-centred because it was built by people who have lived the silence, studied the systems, and committed to building something better. And it remains medically safe because we never stop learning, updating, and holding ourselves to the highest clinical and ethical standards.

That's the promise of AI done right: not cold automation, but intelligent, compassionate infrastructure that makes workplaces more human, not less.

You’ve supported global insurers, universities, and recruiters. What kinds of changes have you seen in those organisations once they begin working with you?

The Shift from Silence to Fluency

The most profound change I see across all sectors, whether global insurers, universities, or recruiters, is the shift from silence to fluency. Before working with us, these organisations typically have good intentions but no infrastructure. Reproductive health is the elephant in the room: everyone knows it affects their people, but no one knows how to talk about it. Once they engage with We Are Eden, that changes fundamentally.

The transformation happens at three interconnected levels: individual confidence, cultural normalcy, and measurable business outcomes.

Individual Transformation: From Fear to Confident Action

Let me start with managers, because they're often the linchpin of organisational change. Before We Are Eden, managers are paralysed. They want to support team members through IVF, menopause, endometriosis, or prostate health challenges, but they're terrified of saying the wrong thing, breaching confidentiality, or inadvertently discriminating. So they say nothing, and that silence creates isolation for employees who desperately need support.

After engaging with our training and accessing Policy Pulse, managers become empowered allies. One of the most powerful examples is a story I shared publicly: a manager came to us because he was on the verge of losing a top performer. She was navigating menopause and endometriosis without workplace support and was considering leaving. Through our platform, he gained the language, frameworks, and confidence to have a supportive conversation. Not only did he retain that top performer, but the impact extended beyond work, he told us it reportedly saved his marriage, because he finally understood what his partner was experiencing at home.

That story encapsulates the ripple effect. When you give someone the tools to show up with empathy and competence, the transformation isn't just professional, it’s deeply personal.

At Aspen Insurance, we delivered in-person training that opened conversations many attendees had never had in their workplace before. The relief in the room was palpable. For the first time, menopause and andropause weren't taboo topics, they were real, lived experiences acknowledged with dignity and support. Managers left that session equipped not just with knowledge, but with permission to care. Cultural Transformation: From Taboo to Normalcy

The second level of change is cultural. Organisations move from treating reproductive health as a niche HR concern to embedding it as part of their talent strategy.

When we work with universities, for example, we're supporting institutions with incredibly diverse populations, students, faculty, and staff at all life stages. Before our engagement, reproductive health might be acknowledged in a single benefits brochure or mentioned vaguely during onboarding. After, it becomes integrated into leadership training, employee resource groups, and well-being initiatives. It's no longer a "women's issue”, it's a universal workplace reality affecting men, women, and non-binary employees alike.

At multinational insurers, we've seen leadership teams begin to connect reproductive health support to their broader DEI and ESG strategies. They realise that supporting employees through menopause, fertility challenges, and chronic reproductive conditions isn't just compassionate, it’s a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining top diverse talent. Organisations in the top quartile for gender diversity are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability, and supporting reproductive health is one of the most direct ways to enable that diversity. One insurer told us that after implementing We Are Eden, they saw a notable shift in psychological safety. Employees who previously hid their health challenges began disclosing them, not because they felt forced to, but because they trusted they'd be supported. One senior Black woman manager told us, "For the first time in my career, I feel like I don't have to leave my full self at home." That's the cultural shift: from compartmentalisation to wholeness.

Measurable Business Outcomes: Productivity, Retention, and Compliance

The third transformation is quantifiable. Organisations don't just feel different, they perform better.

Productivity Gains: We've seen productivity boosts of up to 15-25% in teams that feel genuinely supported through reproductive health challenges. When employees aren't expending mental and emotional energy hiding their health realities, managing pain in silence, or navigating IVF appointments in secret, they can redirect that energy toward innovation, collaboration, and performance. A leading tech firm we worked with saw dramatic improvements in employee engagement and a measurable reduction in absenteeism after implementing our platform.

Retention Improvements: Reproductive health is one of the top reasons women in their 30s and 40s, prime leadership years, leave the workforce or downshift their careers. When organisations provide real support, retention improves significantly. The story of the retained top performer at the multinational insurer isn't isolated, it’s a pattern. Organisations that invest in reproductive health support see employees stay longer and remain more engaged.

Legal Risk Reduction: With the UK's Employment Rights Bill now mandating Menopause Action Plans for organisations with over 250 staff from 2027, many of our clients are engaging with us to ensure compliance. Before working with us, they didn't know where to start. After, they have robust policies, trained managers, and AI-powered tools that reduce tribunal risk and ensure they're meeting legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and the Employment Rights Act 1996. That's not just best practice, it’s legal necessity.

Employer Brand Enhancement: Recruiters we work with have told us that offering reproductive health support has become a differentiator in attracting top talent. Research shows that 78% of employees say reproductive health support is important when choosing where to work, and 72% would stay longer at companies that provide it. In a competitive talent market, that's a powerful recruiting and retention tool.

Sector-Specific Changes

Each sector experiences these transformations slightly differently.

Global Insurers: These are organisations that quantify risk for a living. Once we present the £20 billion productivity crisis and the emerging regulatory landscape, they move quickly. The shift we see is from viewing reproductive health as a soft HR initiative to treating it as a hard Talent Risk Management imperative requiring C-suite oversight. They implement Policy Pulse across global teams, integrate our training into manager development programs, and begin tracking metrics around engagement and retention.

Universities: Academic institutions are incredibly diverse in age, role, and life stage. We see them use our platform to support everyone from postgraduate students navigating fertility challenges to senior faculty experiencing menopause to male administrators learning about andropause. The cultural shift is toward recognising that reproductive health fluency is part of being an inclusive, world-class institution. Universities also appreciate that we provide equity-focused content, for example, addressing the fact that nearly a quarter of Black women aged 18-30 have fibroids, compared to just 6% of white women in the same age group. That kind of health equity lens resonates deeply in academic settings.

Recruiters: Talent firms are in the business of understanding what attracts and retains top performers. When they engage with We Are Eden, they gain a value proposition they can offer clients: "We don't just place talent, we help you keep them." They also become more competitive themselves, using reproductive health support as part of their own employer brand.

The Ecosystem Effect

Finally, there's an ecosystem effect. When one organisation in a sector adopts reproductive health support, others take notice. We've had clients tell us that candidates now ask about reproductive health policies during interviews, something that would have been unthinkable five years ago. As more organisations become fluent, the expectation rises across entire industries. That's how systemic change happens: one organisation at a time, until it becomes the standard.

The changes we see aren't superficial. They're structural, cultural, and deeply human. Organisations don't just add a new benefit, they fundamentally rethink how they support their people, build psychological safety, and create workplaces where everyone can thrive. And once that shift happens, there's no going back.

Sometimes, the most powerful proof is the human impact. You’ve shared a story of helping a manager retain a top performer and save his marriage. Do any other moments of impact stand out in your mind?

The story you mentioned, about the top performer, menopause, endometriosis, and saving a marriage, is genuinely one of the most profound moments of impact we've had. But it's not the only one. There are several stories that have stopped me in my tracks and reminded me exactly why this work matters.

The Senior Black Woman Manager's Liberation

One story that stands out deeply came from a senior manager in a financial services firm. She reached out after going through our training and using Policy Pulse. Her message was simple but profoundly moving: "For the first time in my career, I feel like I don't have to leave my full self at home."

She had been navigating fibroids, a condition that disproportionately affects Black women. Nearly 25% of Black women aged 18-30 have fibroids compared to just 6% of white women in the same age group. For years, she had been suffering in silence, managing pain, managing fatigue, managing the invisible load of a condition that the healthcare system had historically dismissed and underfunded.

But she was also a leader. She was ambitious. She was high-performing. And that meant she had to compartmentalise, showing up to work as if her body wasn't sending her constant signals of distress.

When she discovered We Are Eden, it wasn't just clinical information she gained. It was permission. She learned she could have a conversation with her director about what she needed. She learned that her director had the tools to respond with genuine support, not confusion or judgment. And she learned that her career didn't have to be sacrificed on the altar of her health.

That message "I don't have to leave my full self at home”, encapsulates something I think about often. How many women are operating at 60% capacity because the other 40% of their humanity has to stay hidden? How much potential, innovation, and leadership are we losing to silence

The Male Ally Becoming a Better Partner

Another story that moved me deeply came from a Black male employee who used our platform to understand how to better support his partner through her fertility journey. He came to us because his partner was struggling, emotionally and physically, and he didn't know how to help. He felt helpless.

After engaging with our resources, he didn't just become a better partner at home. He became a more empathetic colleague at work. He told us it helped him understand not just his partner's experience, but the experiences of other colleagues navigating fertility, pregnancy, and menopause challenges. He started seeing his team members differently, with more compassion, more understanding.

What struck me about this story is that he was initiating the conversation. In many workplaces, support for reproductive health is seen as a "women's issue." But men have reproductive health challenges too - prostate health, fertility, andropause, and more importantly, men are partners, sons, colleagues, and managers of people navigating these challenges. When men become fluent in reproductive health, they become advocates. They become allies.

The Student Finding Her Voice

We've also worked with universities, and I'll never forget feedback from a postgraduate student who used our platform. She was dealing with endometriosis while trying to complete her dissertation and secure her first academic position. The combination was devastating, the pain, the fatigue, the brain fog. But more than that was the shame. In academic culture, there's a pervasive myth of the "ideal researcher”, someone who can power through anything, who doesn't need accommodations, who certainly doesn't talk about periods or pain.

She used Policy Pulse to request reasonable adjustments from her supervisor. She asked for flexibility to work from home on days when her symptoms were severe. She explained her condition, not in graphic detail, but enough for her supervisor to understand.

Her supervisor, who had been through our training, responded with immediate support. He didn't make her justify herself. He didn't suggest she just "rest more" or "try yoga." He simply asked, "What do you need to do your best work?"

She told me later that that moment changed her trajectory. She didn't leave academia. She completed her dissertation. She's now pursuing a research career. And crucially, she's one of the voices in the next generation who will normalise reproductive health conversations in her field.

The Manager Who Became a Mentor

There's also a manager I think about who came to our training skeptical. He was operating from traditional management frameworks, you don't talk about personal things at work. Keep it professional. That's the standard.

But he had a team member, a woman in her early 40s, who had been an exceptional performer for years. Suddenly, she became withdrawn. Her engagement dropped. He knew something was wrong but couldn't figure out what.

After our training, he had the courage to ask her directly, with genuine care: "I've noticed a change. Is there something going on that I can support you with?" She burst into tears. She had been experiencing perimenopause and had assumed she just had to suffer through it and perform at the same level, or leave the workforce.

With the tools we provided, he helped her design a flexible work arrangement. He gave her permission to take medical appointments without judgment. He normalised the fact that her body was going through changes that required adjustment.

She didn't leave. She stayed. But more importantly, and this is what moved him, she told him she had been a whisper away from resigning. The moment he showed he cared enough to ask and brave enough to listen changed everything.

The Ripple Effect

What connects all these stories is this: change doesn't happen in isolation. When one person feels supported, they extend that support to others. The senior Black woman manager became an advocate in her organisation, mentoring other women and asking leadership to do better. The male employee became an ally who shifted the culture of his team. The student became a voice for accommodation in her field. The manager became someone his organisation looked to as a model leader.

That's the ripple effect we're building toward. It's not just about solving an individual's problem in that moment, though that matters profoundly. It's about creating a cascade of cultural change where reproductive health support becomes ordinary, expected, and transformative.

The Quiet Power of Naming Things

There's one more dimension to these stories that I think is crucial. Many of these people had never had the language to talk about what they were experiencing. Dysmenorrhea, perimenopause, fibroids, endometriosis, these weren't words spoken in their workplaces. They were private struggles, often dismissed or invisible.

The act of naming things, of having someone say, "This is what you're experiencing, it's legitimate, it's medical, and your workplace can and should support you through it”, is revolutionary for many people. It transforms their experience from personal failure to systemic challenge. From shame to advocacy.

What Keeps Me Going

These stories are what sustains me on the hardest days. They remind me that the work we're doing isn't abstract. It's changing people's lives. It's enabling senior women to show up as their whole selves. It's helping men become better partners and colleagues. It's allowing students to stay in careers they love. It's creating managers who lead with compassion and courage.

The £20 billion productivity loss is real. The legal risk is real. The business case is compelling. But ultimately, the reason I wake up every morning and do this work is because I remember what it felt like to be isolated with my dysmenorrhea, and I'm determined that no one else has to experience that same silence. These stories prove we're making that possible.

We often talk about leadership in terms of what we do, but I’d love to know how you lead.?

Leadership is ultimately about who you become, not just what you build. And I'm still becoming.

The kind of leader I'm trying to be, and I say "trying" deliberately, because it's a practice, not a destination, is one rooted in Ubuntu: the Zimbabwean philosophy that means "I am because we are." This isn't soft, feel-good leadership. It's the most rigorous form of accountability there is. Because if my success doesn't mean the success of those around me, then my success is hollow.

Leading from Ubuntu: We Rise Together

Ubuntu guides how I approach everything. When I build a team at We Are Eden, diversity isn't a checkbox, it’s a prerequisite for excellence. My User Experience Lead, Mary Prabah Anderson, isn't brought in to follow my vision. She has real decision-making power over our external developer engagement and product design. That's not delegation, that’s genuine partnership. When she was shortlisted for a WIBF Student Award, I publicly nominated her because I want young women from underrepresented backgrounds to see themselves not as tokens but as essential contributors. That visibility creates permission. That's Ubuntu in action.

The inverse is also true: I don't gate-keep knowledge. I've led over 2,400 webinar participants through our platform. I mentor women directly, not because I'm conferring something special, but because the generosity of mentorship has been extended to me, and I'm obligated to pass it forward. When I talk about my journey publicly, including my struggles with dysmenorrhea, my fears as a Black female founder in health tech, my battles with self-doubt, I’m not performing vulnerability for authenticity points. I'm saying to the next generation: "I was scared too. I didn't have all the answers. But I went anyway, and you can too."

Leading with Conviction, Not Comfort

The second dimension of my leadership is conviction. I lead by refusing to accept silence as inevitable. When I was thirteen years into a comfortable insurance career, the conventional path was clear: keep climbing. But I couldn't un-see the gap. Reproductive health support wasn't just a nice problem to solve, it was a moral imperative and a massive business crisis. So I led by choosing the harder, less certain path.

This conviction gets tested constantly, especially in early-stage company building. There are moments, many of them, when the path feels unclear. When funding isn't flowing the way you hoped. When a potential partner doesn't see the vision. When the topic you're championing makes boardrooms visibly uncomfortable. In those moments, my anchor is clear: what is the right thing to do for the 13.5 million people affected by this problem?

That question doesn't resolve the uncertainty, but it clarifies the decision-making. It helps me distinguish between "this is hard because it's impossible" and "this is hard because I haven't found the right approach yet." Most barriers are the latter.

Leading with Integrated Authenticity

The third aspect of my leadership is integration, not the false balance of work-life separation, but the honest acknowledgment that I'm a whole person. My faith is foundational. It provides purpose bigger than quarterly targets. When I sing in my gospel choir, when I take time to rest and exercise, when I protect my mental energy as fiercely as I protect my business strategy, that’s not a break from leadership. That's leadership. Because a founder's energy is their company's most valuable asset. You cannot pour from an empty cup.

Being a first-generation British-Zimbabwean immigrant shapes how I lead too. I navigate two cultural frameworks simultaneously, the communal ethos of Ubuntu and the innovation-driven pragmatism of British systems. That duality gives me a unique lens. I can see barriers others don't question, and I can imagine solutions others think are impossible. I bring the power of storytelling from my Zimbabwean heritage, understanding that health narratives are about empowerment and connection, not just clinical data. And I bring the technical rigour I learned in British financial systems, ensuring that the work isn't just meaningful - it’s sound.

Leading Through Uncertainty: The Anchors

Uncertainty is the constant in startup life. We haven't "made it" yet. We're still proving the model, still scaling, still navigating the regulatory landscape. When things feel uncertain, I stay anchored through several practices:

Clear values over clear outcomes. I can't always control the outcome of a business decision. But I can control whether it aligns with our values. Are we treating people with dignity? Are we building with, not for, the communities we serve? Are we creating something that serves everyone, not just the privileged? If the answer to those questions is yes, I can move forward even with uncertainty about success.

Reframing obstacles as redirects. When a door closes, whether it's funding that doesn't materialise, a partnership that falls through, or a challenge that seems insurmountable, I ask: "What is this redirecting me toward?" Often, the closed door was actually guiding me to a better solution. The times when traditional funding paths didn't open immediately forced us to build credibility through accelerators, thought leadership, and impact metrics. That's actually made us stronger.

Building a team of people who see what I see. I don't lead alone. I've assembled an interdisciplinary team of people who are deeply committed to this work because they've lived the problem or witnessed its impact. When I'm tired or uncertain, their conviction reminds me why this matters. We don't just work together, we’re building together.

The Kind of Leader I'm Becoming

If I'm honest, the leader I'm becoming is more humble than the leader I thought I'd be when I first started. Early on, I had this narrative that I just needed to be smarter, work harder, prove myself more definitively. But I've learned that the most powerful leadership is actually about creating conditions for others to shine. It's about asking better questions than having all the answers. It's about saying "I don't know, but here's how we'll figure it out together."

I'm also becoming a leader who is comfortable with the discomfort of having skin in the game. I'm not just building We Are Eden as a business, I’m living it. My lived experience with dysmenorrhea, my identity as a Black woman in tech, my commitment to building systems that serve everyone, these aren't marketing angles. They're the core of who I am. And that means when we fail, I don't just fail as a founder. I fail as someone who has publicly declared that this matters profoundly.

That vulnerability is uncomfortable. But it's also clarifying. It keeps me honest. It ensures that I never become so distant from the problem that I lose sight of what we're actually solving.

Staying Anchored in Uncertainty

When things feel uncertain, and they do, regularly, I come back to a simple practice. I ask myself: "If I knew I couldn't fail, what would I do?" And then I think about the inverse: "If I knew I was going to fail, would I still do this?" If the answer to both questions is "yes," then uncertainty becomes manageable. It becomes part of the journey, not a reason to retreat.

The ultimate anchor is remembering that this isn't about me. It's about the senior Black woman manager who told us, "For the first time in my career, I feel like I don't have to leave my full self at home." It's about the manager who retained a top performer and saved his marriage. It's about the postgraduate student who stayed in academia instead of leaving. It's about the 13.5 million people navigating reproductive health challenges in silence.

That's the kind of leader I'm trying to be, one who stays tethered to the human impact, who builds with conviction but humility, who refuses to accept that things have to be this way, and who creates space for others to become leaders too.

There’s a lot of talk about inclusive workplaces, but not enough action. From your perspective, what does true reproductive health fluency look like inside a workplace?

You're absolutely right, there’s a massive gap between aspiration and action. Many organisations have diversity statements and wellbeing initiatives, but when it comes to reproductive health, the support is either nonexistent or so vague it's meaningless.

True reproductive health fluency isn't a poster in the break room or a single training session. It's a comprehensive, embedded capability that operates at multiple levels simultaneously. Let me break down what it actually looks like in practice.

Language Becomes Normal

The first indicator of fluency is linguistic normalisation. In a fluent workplace, reproductive health is part of everyday professional vocabulary, not whispered or euphemised, but named clearly and without shame.

What this sounds like in practice:

• A manager says in a team meeting: "Just a reminder that our reproductive health support covers everything from IVF to menopause to prostate health. If you need flexible arrangements or want to talk through support options, my door is always open."

• An employee can say: "I'm going through IVF this quarter, and I'll need flexible scheduling around my appointments" without fear of being perceived as uncommitted or unreliable.

• Colleagues can discuss menopause, endometriosis, or fertility challenges with the same ease they discuss other aspects of health and wellbeing. The shift is from silence and coded language to direct, respectful conversation. You know a workplace is fluent when reproductive health is no longer the thing no one talks about.

Managers Have Tools, Not Just Good Intentions

The second dimension is managerial capability. In most organisations, managers want to support their teams but are paralysed by fear. They don't know what to say, how to respond, or what support to offer. So they say nothing, and that silence feels like abandonment to employees.

True fluency means managers are equipped with both knowledge and tools. They've been through training that covers:

• The business and human case for reproductive health support

• The language to use when initiating or responding to conversations

• Practical support options they can offer (flexible working, time off, workload adjustments)

• Legal and policy boundaries so they know what's appropriate and compliant

• What not to say or do to avoid intrusive questions or inadvertent discrimination

But more than training, they have real-time support. That's where our AI companion, Policy Pulse, becomes transformative. A manager can confidentially ask, "How do I support an employee going through menopause?" or "What should I know about supporting someone with endometriosis?" and receive instant, clinically accurate, legally sound guidance.

This transforms fear into confidence. Managers move from avoiding the conversation to proactively creating space for support.

Policies Are Clear, Comprehensive, and Accessible

The third pillar is infrastructure. Fluency requires robust, written policies that go beyond generic "sick leave" to address specific reproductive health scenarios.

A fluent workplace has policies covering:

• Menopause support: Clear guidance on reasonable adjustments (flexible start times, access to desk fans, regular breaks, remote working options)

• Fertility treatment: Time off for appointments, procedures, and recovery without having to use annual leave or fabricate explanations

• Pregnancy and postnatal support: Beyond statutory minimums to genuinely supportive arrangements

• Miscarriage and pregnancy loss: Compassionate leave policies that acknowledge the physical and emotional toll

• Chronic reproductive conditions: Support for employees managing endometriosis, fibroids, PCOS, prostate health challenges, and more

Critically, these policies aren't buried in a 200-page handbook. They're accessible, clearly communicated, and regularly referenced. Employees know they exist, understand how to access them, and trust they'll be upheld.

With the UK's Employment Rights Bill now requiring Menopause Action Plans from 2027, fluency isn't optional, it’s legally mandated. Fluent organisations are already ahead of this curve.

Psychological Safety Is Real, Not Rhetorical

The fourth indicator is culture. Psychological safety means employees genuinely believe they can disclose a reproductive health challenge without career consequences. What this looks like:

• Senior leaders model openness. When a director shares their own experience with menopause or supporting a partner through fertility treatment, it signals that vulnerability is safe.

• Disclosure is met with support, not judgment. When an employee mentions they're navigating a reproductive health issue, the response is, "How can I help?" not silence or awkwardness.

• Career progression isn't penalised. Women taking maternity leave or flexible arrangements for menopause don't mysteriously stop getting promotions. Men taking paternity leave or time for family planning aren't seen as "less committed."

In a truly fluent workplace, a senior Black woman manager can say, "For the first time in my career, I feel like I don't have to leave my full self at home." That's the standard.

Support Is Proactive, Not Reactive

The fifth dimension is anticipatory support. Many organisations only act when an employee explicitly asks for help, and by that point, they're often at crisis level. Fluent workplaces are proactive:

• Regular communication about available resources, even when no one has specifically asked

• Awareness campaigns that normalise conversations (e.g., Menopause Awareness Month, Fertility Awareness Week)

• Manager check-ins where leaders are trained to notice changes in engagement or performance and ask supportively, "Is there anything going on that I should know about to better support you?"

• Confidential access to resources so employees can educate themselves before deciding whether to disclose

This shifts the burden. Instead of employees having to advocate for themselves in isolation, the organisation creates conditions where support is embedded and expected.

Equity Is Centred, Not an Afterthought

The sixth pillar is equity. A truly fluent workplace understands that reproductive health doesn't affect everyone equally. Health disparities are real and systemic. What this looks like in practice:

• Acknowledging disparities explicitly: Nearly 25% of Black women aged 18-30 have fibroids compared to just 6% of white women. Fluent organisations don't pretend this is neutral. They provide education about these disparities and train managers to be particularly attuned to ensuring equitable support.

• Inclusive language and policies: Reproductive health isn't framed as a "women's issue." Men experience andropause, prostate health challenges, and fertility issues. Non-binary employees also need reproductive health support. Policies use inclusive language and cover all genders.

• Culturally competent support: Recognising that different communities may have different relationships with healthcare, different barriers to seeking support, and different needs for advocacy.

Equity isn't diversity theatre. It's embedding an awareness that systemic inequities mean some employees face compounded challenges, and the workplace has a responsibility to mitigate, not replicate, those barriers.

Impact Is Measured and Improved

Finally, fluency requires accountability. Organisations that are truly fluent don't just implement policies and hope for the best. They measure impact and iterate.

What this looks like:

• Regular surveys to understand whether employees feel supported

• Retention and engagement metrics broken down by demographic to identify disparities

• Usage data on support resources to see what's working and what's not

• Leadership accountability where reproductive health support is a metric in performance reviews for managers and executives

Fluency isn't static. It's a living, evolving practice that responds to employee needs, emerging research, and regulatory changes.

The Integration: When All Seven Pillars Align

When all seven pillars are present, normalised language, equipped managers, clear policies, psychological safety, proactive support, centred equity, and measured impact, you get organisational fluency.

Here's what that looks like day-to-day: A mid-30s employee mentions to her manager that she's starting IVF. The manager doesn't panic. She asks, "What do you need from me to do your best work during this time?" She consults Policy Pulse to understand the process, offers flexible scheduling, and checks in regularly without being intrusive. The employee feels seen, supported, and doesn't consider leaving. That's fluency. That's the world we're building.

The name ‘We Are Eden’ evokes something bigger than a business. What’s the deeper meaning behind it, and what kind of world are you ultimately trying to build?

Eden is deliberate. It's aspirational. And it carries layers of meaning that I think are essential to understanding who we are and what we're truly trying to create.

The First Layer: Restoration and Wholeness

Eden, in the biblical and cultural imagination, represents a state of wholeness, a place where people exist in their full humanity, without shame, without hiding, without fragmentation. It's a state of being where the body is not something to be ashamed of or managed in secret. It's where you belong fully as you are.

For me, the name evokes a return to that wholeness. Not in a religious sense, though faith is fundamental to who I am, but in a deeply human sense. We've constructed workplaces where people are expected to compartmentalise, to leave their bodies at the door, to pretend they have no health needs, to manage their reproductive realities in silence and shame.

We Are Eden is about creating workplace spaces where people can be whole. Where a woman experiencing menopause doesn't have to pretend she's fine. Where a man doesn't have to hide his anxiety about his partner's fertility journey. Where reproductive health isn't treated as a personal failing but as a natural, supported part of working life.

The Second Layer: Community and Belonging

But there's another dimension: "We Are Eden”, not "I Am Eden." This is about Ubuntu. It's about the recognition that this wholeness, this restoration, isn't an individual pursuit. It happens in community.

Eden is fundamentally a shared space. It's where we belong to each other. When I chose this name, I was thinking about workplaces as communities. Imagine walking into an office where people feel safe. Where managers have the language and tools to support their teams through life's complexities. Where employees feel seen, not just as workers but as whole human beings. Where the culture has shifted from silence to psychological safety.

That's the Eden we're building. It's not a fantasy, it’s increasingly becoming a reality in organisations we work with. It's a space where human dignity is centred, where vulnerability is met with support, not judgment.

The Third Layer: Breaking Generational Silence

The name also carries a historical weight. Throughout history, women have been taught to be silent about their bodies, their health, their reproductive experiences. The same applies to men navigating reproductive health challenges and stigma around conditions like andropause or infertility.

We Are Eden is a reclamation. It's saying that this silence ends here. In this workplace, in this generation, we choose a different way. We name what has been unnamed. We speak what has been silenced. And in doing so, we free the next generation from the burden of that silence.

I think about young women entering the workforce, and I want them to experience something radically different from what I experienced. I want them to never know the isolation of managing dysmenorrhea alone. I want them to have managers who ask thoughtfully, "How can I support you?" rather than pretending nothing is happening.

The World We're Building: Four Dimensions

So what is the world I'm ultimately trying to build? It has four interconnected dimensions:

A Workplace Where Reproductive Health Is Normalised

My goal is straightforward but ambitious: to make good reproductive health at work "normal" for one million men and women. Not as a stretch goal, but as the baseline expectation.

This means reproductive health conversations happen with the same comfort and infrastructure as conversations about retirement planning or mental health days. It means organisations have clear policies, trained managers, and accessible support systems. It means employees don't have to choose between their career and their health.

When this becomes normal, the culture shifts entirely. I want to build a world where a manager can ask an employee, "How is your menopause journey going?" with the same ease they ask about someone's child. Where someone can mention their IVF cycle without fear that it will be used against them professionally. Where a man can advocate for time off for his fertility treatment without it being questioned.

A Workplace Where Systemic Inequities Are Addressed

As a Black woman founder, I can't build systems that serve everyone and simultaneously leave behind the communities that have been historically harmed by healthcare and workplace systems.

The world I'm building specifically centres health equity. Nearly a quarter of Black women aged 18-30 have fibroids compared to just 6% of white women in the same age group. Black women experience higher rates of maternal mortality, endometriosis, and reproductive complications. These disparities don't exist in a vacuum, they’re the result of systemic racism in healthcare, underfunded research, and centuries of dismissal of Black women's pain.

So We Are Eden isn't just a universal solution, it’s a solution that is explicitly designed with an equity lens. Our platform provides education about health disparities. Our resources acknowledge that fibroids have particular importance in Black communities. Our training helps managers understand the intersectional nature of reproductive health discrimination.

The world I'm building is one where a Black woman doesn't have to navigate both reproductive health challenges AND systemic dismissal at work. Where her experience is centered, not marginalised.

A Workplace That Drives Economic Productivity and Human Flourishing Simultaneously

This is crucial: I reject the false binary that says you can either be profitable or purposeful. These must coexist. Organisations working with us see productivity boosts of up to 15-25%. They see improved retention. They see reduced legal risk. These aren't secondary benefits, they’re primary. They prove that supporting reproductive health is smart business.

But the deeper world I'm building is one where profit and human flourishing are aligned, not opposed. Where the business case for supporting people's wholeness is so compelling that it becomes the default. Where staying healthy doesn't jeopardize your job. Where taking care of yourself is seen as professional strength, not personal weakness.

A Workplace That Models a Different Way of Being Together

Finally, the world I'm building is a workplace culture based on Ubuntu, the recognition that "I am because we are."

In this world, leaders see their role as creating conditions for others to thrive, not just extracting productivity. Where diversity isn't a compliance box but a lived daily reality where multiple perspectives and experiences are genuinely valued. Where mental health, reproductive health, and spiritual wellbeing are understood as collective responsibilities, not individual problems.

This world is one where a manager can be a mentor and a supporter. Where teams have psychological safety. Where innovation comes from people feeling secure enough to bring their whole selves, their whole creativity, their whole humanity to work.

The Scale of the Vision

I often think about this in terms of ripples. One million people. That's the immediate goal. One million men and women who experience reproductive health support as a normal, integrated part of their working lives.

But beyond that million are their families, their communities, their networks. When a senior woman decides to stay in her career instead of leaving, her children see a different possibility. When a manager learns to support his team members through health challenges, he potentially transforms how his own family talks about health. When an organisation normalises reproductive health conversations, it shifts the culture not just internally but in how it engages with its communities.

That's the world I'm building toward, a cascading transformation that starts in the workplace but ripples outward into families, into communities, into the culture.

The Legacy

I want my legacy to be one of possibility. I want a young Black girl or boy to look at We Are Eden and see proof that you can build a global business that is both profitable and purposeful. I want future generations to look back and recognise this moment as the point where workplaces finally stopped pretending that people's bodies and health could be compartmentalised away from their professional lives.

And I want the name "We Are Eden" to evoke not just a business, but a movement. A moment when humanity decided that wholeness, dignity, and community support weren't luxuries, they were necessities for any workplace that claims to be truly human.

The world I'm building isn't perfect. But it's one where no one has to sit in a boardroom feeling completely alone with their pain. Where your reproductive health doesn't define your career potential. Where you belong fully, as you are.

That's We Are Eden. That's the world we're building together. 

Founding a purpose-driven business while navigating your own wellbeing is no small task. How do you protect your energy and find joy in the process?

The honest answer is this: I protect my energy because I've learned the hard way that I am my company's most valuable asset. If I burn out, everything stops. And I find joy not by separating work from life, but by integrating practices that sustain me as a whole person.

Energy Protection: It's Non-Negotiable, Not Optional

Early on, I fell into the founder trap, the belief that hustle equals success, that exhaustion is a badge of honour, that rest is something you earn only after you've "made it." That mindset is not just unsustainable, it’s dangerous, especially for women, especially for Black women who already carry the weight of navigating systems that weren't built for us.

So I've become ruthless about protecting my energy. And when I say ruthless, I mean I schedule rest like I schedule board meetings. I protect sleep. I exercise regularly. I say no to opportunities that don't serve our mission, even when they look impressive on paper.

Here's the shift: I don't see rest as a break from leadership. I see rest as leadership. When I take time to recharge, I'm modelling for my team that sustainable success requires sustainable practices. That you cannot pour from an empty cup. That your wellbeing is not negotiable, it’s foundational.

Faith: My Anchor in the Storm

The most honest thing I can share about how I protect my energy and find joy is this: my faith is everything.

I sing lead in a gospel choir, and that community is sacred to me. When I'm singing, there's no room for the anxiety about funding, the pressure of scaling, the fear that we're not moving fast enough. There's only the present moment, the harmony, the collective worship, the reminder that I'm part of something bigger than quarterly targets.

My faith provides perspective. It reminds me that my worth isn't tied to We Are Eden's success or failure. I could lose everything tomorrow, and my fundamental identity, as a child of God, as someone called to this work, wouldn’t change. That knowledge is profoundly liberating. It allows me to take risks. It allows me to lead with conviction, not desperation.

Faith also provides purpose that transcends the business. I'm not just building a company. I'm participating in something much larger, a movement toward wholeness, dignity, and justice. When things feel hard, faith reminds me why I started and why I keep going.

Joy in Community: Ubuntu in Action

Joy, for me, isn't solitary. It's communal. And that's deeply connected to my Zimbabwean heritage and the principle of Ubuntu, ”I am because we are."

The gospel choir is joy. The moments when my team gathers and we celebrate a client win or work through a hard problem together, that’s joy. The messages I receive from people whose lives have been changed by We Are Eden, that’s joy. The mentorship relationships where I watch young women like Mary Prabah Anderson, my User Experience Lead, grow into their power and get shortlisted for awards, that’s joy.

I don't find joy in isolation. I find it in connection, in shared purpose, in collective uplift. That's what sustains me. When I feel depleted, I lean into community, my team, my choir, my faith community, my mentors. They remind me that I'm not doing this alone.

Integration, Not Balance

People often talk about work-life balance, but I don't believe in it. I believe in integration. My work reflects my values. My faith informs my leadership. My health practices, exercise, rest, nutrition, aren’t separate from my work. They're essential to it.

For example, I'm intentional about my nutrition. I even put skin on pineapples and bananas in my smoothies because you get more antioxidants and healing benefits that way. That might sound trivial, but it's actually a metaphor for how I approach everything: I'm looking for practices that nourish me at the deepest level, not just surface fixes.

I also protect my mental and emotional energy by being selective about what I consume, media, conversations, spaces. I'm deliberate about surrounding myself with people who are aligned with the vision, who energise rather than deplete me.

Joy in the Work Itself

There's also joy in the work itself, not despite its difficulty, but because of its meaning.

When I receive a message from a senior Black woman manager saying, "For the first time in my career, I feel like I don't have to leave my full self at home," that's joy. When a manager tells me we helped him retain a top performer and saved his marriage, that's joy. When I see organisations transform from places of silence to places of psychological safety, that's joy.

The work is hard. But it's deeply meaningful. And meaning is the most sustainable source of energy there is. When you know that what you're doing matters, that it's changing lives, that it's addressing a systemic problem, that it's building a better world, you find energy you didn't know you had.

Reframing Challenges as Part of the Journey

I also find joy by reframing challenges. Obstacles aren't failures, they’re redirects. When a door closes, I ask, "What is this teaching me? Where is this guiding me?" That mindset shift transforms frustration into curiosity, which is a much more joyful state to operate from.

I've learned to celebrate small wins, not just big milestones. A great client call. A breakthrough in product development. A team member stepping into new leadership. A moment of genuine laughter during a tough week. These aren't distractions from the work, they’re the work.

Protecting Energy Through Boundaries

Finally, I protect my energy through clear boundaries. I don't respond to emails at midnight. I don't take meetings that could have been emails. I don't say yes to every speaking opportunity or networking event.

This isn't about being selfish. It's about being strategic. Every yes to something that doesn't serve our mission is a no to something that does. Every hour I spend on low-value activities is an hour I'm not spending on high-impact work or restorative rest.

I've also learned to delegate and trust my team. I don't have to do everything. In fact, when I try to do everything, I rob my team of the opportunity to grow and I rob myself of the space to think strategically.

The Big Picture: Joy as Resistance

Finally, I want to say this: as a Black woman founder, finding joy is not just personal, it’s political. It's resistance.

We exist in systems that were not designed for our thriving. Systems that expect us to work twice as hard for half the recognition. Systems that often equate our worth with our productivity. In that context, choosing joy, choosing rest, choosing to protect my energy—that's an act of defiance. It's saying, "I refuse to be consumed by this work, even though I love it. I am a whole person, and my wholeness matters."

So yes, founding a purpose-driven business while navigating my own wellbeing is challenging. But it's also possible. It requires intentionality, discipline, faith, community, and a willingness to integrate rather than separate.

And the joy? The joy comes from knowing that I'm building something that matters, that I'm doing it sustainably, and that I'm modelling a different way of leading, one rooted in wholeness, not exhaustion. One that says you can change the world without sacrificing yourself on the altar of ambition.

That's the world I'm building. And that's how I protect my energy and find joy in the process..

And finally, what’s one piece of advice you’d offer to another woman who sees a gap in the world and wants to be the one to fill it?

The most honest advice is this: Don’t wait for permission to begin. If you see a gap in the world, it means you have a perspective, a lived experience, or a skillset that’s uniquely positioned to address it. The world changes when women decide the status quo is not good enough and move from noticing to building.

Start building. Even if you’re the only one in the room at first. Do not make your confidence conditional on having all the answers. Make it conditional on your commitment to learning and listening. When you hit a roadblock (and you will), reframe it: is this a wall, or just a door that hasn’t been built yet? Most of the world’s barriers are negotiable when you approach them with resilience and creativity rather than seeking permission.

Build in public and lead with your expertise. Share your knowledge and vision widely. Host webinars, write, gather your community, and bring others along for the journey. People, mentors, and even investors are drawn to momentum and conviction more than perfection. Be the woman who is asking the most insightful questions, showing up with relentless consistency, and refusing to let the “nos” define her story.

Never try to do it alone. Seek out mentors, sponsors, communities. Those who believe in the vision as much as you, and those who are already walking the path you wish to follow. Lean on your faith, your roots, and whatever sustains you. Guard your energy fiercely, because it is your most valuable asset. You cannot pour from an empty cup.

Finally, trust that your voice and your solution are needed. Leadership is not about having the right title. It’s about bringing light to a place that was dim before you arrived. If something in the world feels broken to you, it’s likely because you are meant to help repair it. The difference between a problem that endures and a movement that changes everything is often just one courageous woman who refuses to look away. Let yourself be that woman. The world is waiting.

A massive thank you to Farirai Gora, for being the first Female FoundHer interviewee of 2026, and becoming a part of the STYLISA FoundHers community. If you’re interested in finding out more about her work:

Discover We Are Eden: https://www.we-are-eden.com

Connect with Farirai on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fariraigora/

References

13.5 million people: ONS, WAE, Juniper, Peppy

32-33M people working in UK - Office of national statistics ONS

42% out of 200 workers - Juniper

2 in 5 - Peppy

£20 B: Axa and CEBR; 

Lost productivity to unmet women's health at work - Axa and CEBR

Endometriosis: £8.2B Endometriosis UK £11 B NHS confederation

Menopause: £ 1.5 B UK Gov

Prostate Health: £92 M NHS, £200 M Prostate Cancer research

Testosterone Replacement therapy: £19.7 million per year NHS

Fertility : £524 M Ibis world 

Absenteeism from broader reproductive conditions. Aggregate impact of pregnancy complications, male factor infertility, prostate health, varicocele, and the cumulative effect of minor gynecological conditions. : £11 billion,  WAE

£20.2bn cost of neglecting women’s health at work – AXA Health & CEBR

Economic modelling commissioned by AXA Health and the Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates that neglecting women’s health in the workplace costs the UK economy £20.2bn a year in lost productivity and earnings.

Source: AXA/CEBR coverage in City A.M. and related summaries.

https://www.cityam.com/neglecting-womens-health-at-work-costs-uk-economy-20-2-billion-a-year/

72% of employees would stay longer if they had access to fertility benefits – Carrot Global Fertility at Work Survey (via Espresa) and Juniper

Carrot’s Global Fertility at Work Survey, cited by Espresa and Juniper, reports that 72% of employees would stay longer at their employer if they had access to fertility benefits.

https://www.espresa.com/blog/family-forming-benefits/

https://www.getjuniper.co.uk/blog/https/wwwgetjunipercouk/blog/transforming-employer-benefits-a-new-era-of-fertility-benefits-in

78% of employees say benefits are “very” or “extremely important” in deciding whether to accept a job – general benefits importance.

Fertifa summarises wider survey data showing 78% of employees consider the overall benefits package “very” or “extremely important” in deciding whether to accept a role.

https://www.fertifa.com/post/top-employee-benefits-that-will-help-you-keep-your-best-talent

Top‑quartile gender diverse executive teams 25% more likely to have above‑average profitability – McKinsey Diversity wins

McKinsey’s 2020 report Diversity wins: How inclusion matters finds that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 25% more likely to have above‑average profitability than those in the bottom quartile.

Article overview: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters

Full PDF: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/diversity%20and%20inclusion/diversity%20wins%20how%20inclusion%20matters/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters.pdf

Nearly a quarter of Black women aged 18–30 have fibroids vs ~6% of white women – Michigan Medicine / Marsh et al.

Michigan Medicine summarises research showing that nearly a quarter of Black women aged 18–30 have uterine fibroids, compared with about 6% of white women. This is based on Marsh et al.’s ultrasound study, which found fibroids in 26% of Black women and 7% of white women aged 18–30.

Michigan Medicine – “Understanding racial disparities for women with uterine fibroids”: https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/understanding-racial-disparities-women-uterine-fibroids

Marsh et al. – “Racial differences in fibroid prevalence and ultrasound findings in asymptomatic young women” (Fertil Steril, 2013) (publisher page): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028213002744

Black women founders receive less than 1% of VC funding – digitalundivided / Project Diane; British Business Bank / Extend Ventures

Multiple analyses converge on Black women founders receiving well under 1% of VC funding:

digitalundivided’s ProjectDiane reports that Black and Latinx women founders together receive less than 1% of venture capital, around 0.64% of total VC raised.

UK analysis by Extend Ventures (for the British Business Bank) finds that only 0.02% of UK venture capital went to Black female entrepreneurs between 2009–2019.

digitalundivided – press summary: https://digitalundivided.com/press/press-collection/black-women-and-latina-entrepreneurs-get-less-than-1-of-venture-capital-1

British Business Bank / Extend Ventures – “Pathways to Improve Diversity in Venture Capital”: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/about/research-and-publications/finding-what-works-pathways-to-improve-diversity-in-venture-capital

Menopause Action Plans becoming mandatory for 250+ employee organisations from 2027 as part of equality action plans – Employment Rights Act 2025 (Bill) guidance

The Employment Rights Bill (now the Employment Rights Act 2025) introduces gender equality action plans, including menopause action plans, for employers with 250 or more employees, on a mandatory basis from 2027 (voluntary from 2026).

Acas – “Employment Rights Bill”: https://www.acas.org.uk/employment-rights-bill

LoupedIn (Eversheds Sutherland) – “Menopause Action Plans – a new milestone on the Employment Rights Bill roadmap”: https://loupedin.blog/2025/07/menopause-action-plans-a-new-milestone-on-the-employment-rights-bill-roadmap/

Brightmine – “Employment Rights Bill: Gender equality action plan”: https://www.brightmine.com/uk/resources/hr-compliance/discrimination/gender-equality-action-plan-employment-rights-bill/

Productivity uplift and absenteeism/turnover reductions from workplace SRHR programming – UNFPA 2024 SRHR/private sector paper

UNFPA’s policy paper on advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the private sector synthesises evidence that workplace SRHR programmes can deliver:

15–22% productivity increases,

62% reduction in absenteeism, and

23% reduction in staff turnover,

in employer case studies where SRHR services are integrated into workplace programmes.

https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Policy%20Paper.pdf

We Are Eden’s Statistics

13.5 million working people affected; 72 conditions – We Are Eden modelling

We Are Eden describes its scope as “covering over 72 distinct conditions and life stages that affect 13.5 million working men and women across the UK…”. This is Eden’s own estimate, derived from UK workforce size plus prevalence rates of reproductive and related conditions.

https://www.f6s.com/company/we-are-eden

63% of UK workers hide reproductive health issues at work – We Are Eden research

The 63% figure is reported in We Are Eden’s own content and talks as the headline finding from their focus groups and survey work, indicating that most workers hide reproductive health issues at work due to stigma and lack of psychological safety. There is not yet a published national‑sample academic study using this exact question/percentage, so it should be framed as Eden’s research finding.

https://www.instagram.com/farirai_grace/

“83% of UK companies don’t clearly support…” – composite insight from AXA/CEBR and menopause support data

There is no survey that literally says “83% of UK companies don’t clearly support reproductive health”. The 80–83% scale arises from:

AXA/CEBR’s finding that 83% of women whose careers are affected by health issues say their personal finances are negatively impacted by that poor support.

Government/CIPD analysis showing around 8 in 10 menopausal women say their workplace offers no basic support.The safest way to use this is to refer to women’s experiences (“80%+ of menopausal women say they receive no basic workplace support”) rather than “83% of companies”.

https://www.cityam.com/neglecting-womens-health-at-work-https://www.brightmine.com/uk/resources/hr-compliance/discrimination/gender-equality-action-plan-employment-rights-bill/costs-uk-economy-20-2-billion-a-year/

“78% of employees say reproductive health support is important when choosing where to work” –

https://www.fertifa.com/post/top-employee-benefits-that-will-help-you-keep-your-best-talent

https://www.getjuniper.co.uk/blog/https/wwwgetjunipercouk/blog/transforming-employer-benefits-a-new-era-of-fertility-benefits-in