From Biomedical Engineer to Baby-Feeding Startup CEO

SheVentures

Becoming a parent is a seismic pivot in itself. Add the societal pressure to breastfeed — with virtually no support and sleepless nights — and you have a rocky six months. But it doesn’t need to be this way. Andrea Ippolito, CEO of SimpliFed, created a community to help women navigate everything from finding an insurance-covered lactation consultant to exploring different formulas to scoring the best-quality breast pump. Ippolito offers free classes and directories of allies and providers and works with workplaces and insurers to help parents get the support they need.

As a mom herself, Ippolito knows firsthand the paucity of resources for parents who need support to do what’s best for their new baby and her nutrition. With her background working with the Department of Veteran Affairs and launching and selling her first product (an AI-driven health appointment scheduler), Ippolito has the track record to make a difference.

Show highlights

• How Ippolito pivoted from biomedical engineering to creating her first product, an AI-driven scheduler, which she successfully sold to a healthcare company
• The arc of Ippolito’s entrepreneurial journey and how engineering and healthcare intersect Ipollito recalls her experience as a new mother and how it informed her decision to create SimpliFed.
• Ippolito’s crusade for workplace support for parents and breastfeeding working moms
• Why it’s essential to challenge gender biases that stand in the way of women providing nutrients to their babies. Yes, really!
• How her past experiences in healthcare and understanding systems helped Ippolito conceive SimpliFed
• Why support should start well before the baby is born
• What challenges breastfeeding working mothers continue to face
• Why access to networks and supportive infrastructures are essential for women entrepreneurs
• Ippolito on motherhood: “Moms are often discarded as the wrapper and moms deserve more help and care.” How the SimpliFed platform helps individuals, companies, and insurers work together.
• Why it matters to not only be a visionary but also a doer, one willing to execute tedious tasks integral to startup success.
• Why should every family educate themselves about their rights under the Affordable Healthcare Act?
• How to find out what your insurance covers in terms of postpartum care and baby-feeding assistance
• Telehealth can play a key role in supporting new parents and/or those seeking treatment for mental health.
• Ippolito suggests everyone stay informed about healthcare innovation and transformation efforts by following the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the General Services Administration.
• Why it is essential for healthcare to continue to innovate — and our role as consumers.
• How to find out more about Ippolito and SimpliFed