My journey in life sciences began in academia, moving between Portugal, Italy, and finally Sweden, a path shaped by curiosity, collaboration, and a search for purpose. Over the past 20 years, I have worked at the intersection of science, diagnostics, and innovation, witnessing both the challenges and the remarkable evolution of women’s roles in these fields. A few years ago, I began focusing on women’s health innovation, inspired by companies determined to listen to and address women’s unmet needs. Through these encounters, I discovered my purpose in one of the most overlooked areas: breast cancer reconstruction. That turning point led me to join Akira Science as a co‑founder, embracing its mission to deliver an end‑to‑end solution for breast cancer reconstruction, so that full recovery becomes not a privilege but a standard for millions of women. This talk reflects on two decades of navigating science, culture, and leadership as a woman in MedTech, and argues that true healthcare innovation begins when women are recognized as 50% of the population, and therefore 50% of the patients, deserving equal representation in healthcare priorities and solutions. Women’s health is not a niche, but a compass for the future of medicine, where success should not be measured only by the diseases we conquer, but by how fully and meaningfully we restore what has been lost.In this talk, Ana Catarina Silva shares her journey through academia, diagnostics, and MedTech across Portugal, Italy, and Sweden, and how it ultimately led her to women’s health innovation and Akira Science. Reflecting on two decades at the intersection of science, culture, and leadership, she explores how purpose emerged through addressing one of the most overlooked areas in healthcare: breast cancer reconstruction. Her talk argues that women’s health is not a niche, but a compass for the future of medicine.