On a mission to smash the menopause taboo by empowering women with telemedicine care, education & community
Our Philosophy
50 million women are currently navigating menopause in the US. While this transition is a universal female experience, it’s shrouded in stigma, shame, and secrecy. We believe it’s time to change this outdated narrative.
Elektra is built around one simple mission: smashing the menopause taboo. We’re creating a movement to reimagine menopause as the beginning of a new chapter, one that is powerful & transformative.
Our approach is comprehensive, combining telemedicine care education, community, and support from Elektra Guides (aka "menopause doulas).
We believe women deserve better. Join our movement to ensure every woman lives a bold, fearless, healthy & thriving menopause, and beyond.
Meet the Team
For our female-founded team, menopause is personal. We’re committed to empowering women with honest, science-backed expertise & solutions that we want for ourselves.
Jannine Versi
Co-founder & CEOJannine Versi has spent her career in healthcare, tech, and government, including roles at Google, in the Obama Administration, and White House. She was on the founding team of Cityblock Health and was an early hire at Valera Health. She's an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Business School, and was a Fulbright Scholar and a Blavatnik Fellow at HBS. In her spare time, she can be found researching new restaurants to try in the neighborhood or hanging out with her husband, twin son and daughter, and extended family.
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Anna Barbieri
MD, FACOG, MSCP | Founding PhysicianDr. Barbieri is a board-certified gynecologist, integrative medicine physician, and a specialist in menopause certified by the North American Menopause Society. She is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at Mount Sinai Health System and is a member of the Mount Sinai Excellence in Gynecology menopause program.
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Nora Lansen
MA, MD, MSCP | Chief Medical OfficerNora Lansen is a Menopause Society-certified primary care physician with a breadth of experience in healthcare and leadership. After completing her family medicine residency at the Institute for Family Health / Beth Israel (NY), Nora joined One Medical, where she focused on primary care, people leadership, and the design and implementation of reproductive health services. Nora then moved on to lead the digital clinical team at Galileo Health, overseeing the growth of the team from five to one hundred fifty clinicians, with a focus on delivering high quality, accessible healthcare in the virtual space. Nora earned her BA from Johns Hopkins and MD from New York Medical College. Previously a lifelong New Yorker, she moved to Seattle with her three kids (and rescue dog, Luke) in 2022 and is still adjusting to the overwhelming beauty and soundtrack of the Pacific Northwest (silence, not sirens).
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Jacqueline Giannelli
FNP-BC, MSCP | Founding Nurse Practitioner & Director of Clinical PracticeJackie Giannelli is a board-certified family nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health with a focus in menopause, urogynecology, cardiometabolic health and women's sexual health. Jacqueline is a Menopause Society-certified practitioner on the founding clinical team at Elektra Health. She earned her nursing degrees at NYU and San Francisco State University, and BA from Georgetown University. When not at work, Jacqueline enjoys tennis, hiking, cooking for her family, and hunting for treasures in New York City.
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Rachel Amalfitano
Chief Financial OfficerRachel Amalfitano is a distinguished finance and operations professional with over 25 years of experience. A Certified Public Accountant with a Master's in Business Administration specializing in Finance, Rachel began her career in Deloitte's Audit and Assurance practice. This experience paved the way for Rachel's proficiency in S.E.C. reporting, leading to a transition into the healthcare sector, where Rachel led the financial reporting for Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Initial Public Offering. Since then, Rachel has held various leadership roles within major managed care and provider organizations. She holds a BA from Colorado State University and MBA from Hofstra. Outside of work, she loves to spend time at the beach on her paddle board or fishing.
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Ioana Calcev
Strategy & OperationsIoana Calcev started her career as a strategy and finance consultant first at BCG and later the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. More recently, Ioana has supported a number of health tech startups; a recent example being Springtide Child Development, where she helped build a 65-person clinical and strategic operations team. Ioana graduated from Harvard with a BA degree in economics and Wharton with an MBA degree in entrepreneurial management. She grew up dancing (for 15 years!), and English is her third language.
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Laura Stratte
RN, BSN | Head of Clinical OperationsLaura Stratte is a registered nurse with over a decade of experience in breast cancer care before joining Elektra in 2020. As an oncology navigator, she guided patients through treatment and developed a survivorship program focused on health and wellness during and after treatment. As a cancer survivor and advocate, she’s worked with organizations on education and outreach covering sexual health, cancer and the environment, and more. She earned a BFA from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and a BSN from Cardinal Stritch University. Currently navigating perimenopause herself, Laura loves power walks, 80s music, and her husband and two teenagers — especially when they vacuum without prompting. She lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Grace Veras Sealy
HHC (IIN), Holistic Perinatal Doula | Elektra Guide & Member Experience AssociateGrace Veras Sealy is a perinatal and holistic health counselor, with many years of experience as a postpartum doula and lactation counselor. She’s passionate about women’s health in general and helping people understand the process of perimenopause and menopause in particular. Grace was born in the Dominican Republic and has lived in New York City since the mid-80s. She now lives with her husband and 2 daughters in Brooklyn, NY. She loves warm weather, hiking in nature, and trying out new crafts.
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Beth Braun
RN, BSN, WHNP-BC | Elektra GuideBeth Braun has over 30 years of experience working in women’s health, including gynecology, prenatal care, and midlife services. She’s taught teen sex education in schools and worked as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, birth doula, and practitioner in an LGBTQ clinic in the 90s. Beth has resided in Wisconsin and California and currently lives in Madison, WI with her family. When not working, she enjoys the outdoors (especially recreational sports like pickleball!), her E-bike, walk and talks with friends, and anything having to do with water.
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Alissa Yarkony
PT | Elektra GuideAlissa Yarkony is a Pelvic Health Physical Therapist and a certified Women’s Health Coach. She has been working in women’s health for the last 25 years. She graduated in 1996 from Hunter College with a degree in Physical Therapy and returned to school in 2001 for a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University. Her work in public health included working with women with disabilities and survivors of abuse. In 2013, she returned full-time to physical therapy and shifted her practice to specialize in pelvic floor and women’s health. In 2021, she completed a Women’s health coaching certification program and more recently completed a Perimenopause/Menopause Certificate Program through the Integrative Women’s Health Institute. Alissa loves cooking and entertaining — and she is very grateful that she has a husband that does all the post-cooking cleanup. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family, quiet time with a good novel, yoga, and she recently took up weight training to help her perimenopausal bones stay strong. Alissa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and three kids.
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Wade Testa
Head of Business OperationsWade Testa is a startup finance and operations specialist based out of Portland, Oregon. Wade became interested in start-ups while earning his BS in business administration with an emphasis in finance from the University of Colorado. He has spent his career growing early stage start-ups from zero to one, sometimes in actual basements and sometimes just in metaphorical ones. A big believer that business is one of the best tools to create long-term change, Wade loves the possibilities (and craziness) that startups bring. Wade likes to spend time outside camping, hiking and climbing and every other activity the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
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Caitlin Klauer
Product ManagerCaitlin Klauer has worked on design and branding for a number of startups ranging from skincare to sports news to sparkling water. However, her true passion lies in women’s health where she feels there is the most potential for innovation. Caitlin graduated from Stanford University in 2021 with a BS in Product Design and is a former synchronized swimmer who competed for Team USA and on Stanford’s Varsity Synchronized Swimming team. She now brings that competitive spirit to triathlons and hopes to one day compete in an Ironman.
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Jacqueline Parisi
Head of MarketingJacqueline Parisi kicked off her career at HelloFresh as the first US copywriter before transitioning to Journy, an early-stage startup out of R/GA Ventures, where she led all things content (SEO, email marketing, long-form writing, content partnerships, copywriting…you name it). She has consulted for various startups in the health tech space, including Ophelia, Tend, and Local Infusion. Jacqueline holds a BA in English and French from Boston College and MA in French Studies from NYU. When not working, she can usually be found doing yoga, watching French Netflix, or reading for the one-too-many book clubs she’s a part of.
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Erin O'Connor
Senior Marketing AssociateErin O'Connor began her career in the health space at Progyny, and specializes in marketing and content development. She is passionate about improving health equity, and reproductive health justice. She holds a BA in English from the University of Vermont and is a trained doula. In her spare time, Erin can be found reading, cooking for friends, or writing.
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Julie Paulino
Medical AssistantJulie Paulino has worked at Mount Sinai as a Patient Coordinator and Medical Secretary, where she helped open a Primary Care Medical Practice. She also spent time at Seleni Institute as an Office Manager before joining Elektra. She was trained as a Medical Assistant at the Allen School of Health Science, and is in the process of studying at Southern New Hampshire University for a degree in Business and Healthcare Administration. During her free time, Julie likes to take long walks or just relax at home with a good movie or show.
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MacKayla Larios
Medical AssistantPrior to Elektra, MacKayla Larios worked as an Office Manager at a busy Chiropractic clinic in Pasadena, where she was responsible for supporting daily operations, managing patient relations, and helping to create a welcoming, organized environment for a primarily female patient base. Originally from Orlando, MacKayla moved to California to attend Pepperdine University, where she earned a degree in Art History. She currently lives in Newhall, CA, with her husband, José, and their Yorkshire Terrier, Loki. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new creative outlets, staying active, and spending time with family and friends.
Click for full bioSelect Advisors & Experts
Alessandra Henderson
Co-Founder, Board Member & AdvisorAlessandra Henderson kicked off her career in tech as the sixth employee at Artsy, where she built the content partner business from the ground up. From there, she went on to found and serve as Executive Director of the MIT NYC Startup Studio and VP of Network at Human Ventures. She holds a BA from Vanderbilt University and MBA from Sloan MIT. Her work has been covered by The NY Times, Fast Company, Techcrunch, and the Financial Times. Alessandra is passionate about community, Mexican cuisine, and all things art.
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Lila Nachtigall
MD, NCMPDr. Nachtigall is one of the world’s leading reproductive endocrinologists, widely recognized for pioneering medical research on hormone therapy, estrogen, and menopause. She has authored over 500 articles in medical journals and 3 books, and is currently a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Medical School where she also completed her training. Previously, Dr. Nachtigall served as President of the North American Menopause Society.
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Chitra Akileswaran
MD, MBADr. Akileswaran is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, and is concurrently Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Cleo, a venture-backed digital health platform that supports working parents to grow their families and their careers, as well as serving as the Vice Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Alameda Health System in Oakland, California. She also holds a Lecturer appointment at Harvard Medical School.
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Tina Opie
PhDDr. Opie is an Associate Professor of Management at Babson College, and an award-winning teacher, researcher, speaker, and author of the 2022 book, Shared Sisterhood: How to Take Collective Action for Racial and Gender Equity at Work. Dr. Opie provides organizations with strategic direction on how to create more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces. Her research has appeared in such outlets as O Magazine, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and Harvard Business Review.
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Wulf Utian
MD, PhD DScDr. Utian is Executive Director Emeritus and Founder of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). Dr. Utian is considered to be one of the most significant authorities on menopause and women’s health issues. He has written over 250 papers related to women’s health, and has authored five books on menopause. His latest is CHANGE-YOUR-MENOPAUSE. He is the Editor Emeritus of Menopause, NAMS’ official scientific journal. He is one of the three original Founders in 1976 of the International Menopause Society.
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Omisade Burney-Scott
Omisade is a social justice advocate focused on reproductive, gender, and healing justice. She is the founder of the multidisciplinary culture and narrative shift project, Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause (BGG2SM). They engage in culture and narrative shift work through centering the menopause stories and realities of Black women, women-identified, and gender-expansive people. She is a founding member of the cultural organizing and healing justice organization SpiritHouse South and currently serves on the Wisdom Circle of the Acorn Center for Restoration and Freedom.
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Sarah Ahmad
Sarah Ahmad has worked in healthcare for over 25 years, most recently as Senior Vice President, Health & Wellness at Shoppers Drug Mart. Previously, Sarah worked as the Chief Innovation Officer at Magellan Health and SVP, Innovation & Transformation Strategy at Highmark Health. She also held various leadership roles in product development, clinical operations, network development, and innovation at Humana across a 22-year tenure. Along with her husband, Sarah has a full house with 2 teenagers and 3 dogs. As someone navigating her own menopause journey, she's uniquely passionate (both professionally and personally) about the work Elektra is doing.
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A. Mark Fendrick
MDDr. A. Mark Fendrick directs the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design and is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Health Management & Policy at the University of Michigan, where he remains clinically active in the practice of internal medicine. His research and policy activities focus on how clinician payment and consumer engagement initiatives impact access to care, quality, and health care costs, with specific attention to underserved populations. Dr. Fendrick has fostered collaborations with numerous government agencies, health plans, professional societies, and health care companies, is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, and is the co-editor in chief of the American Journal of Managed Care.
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Scott Honken, PharmD
Commercial Executive AdvisorScott Honken is an executive healthcare leader with 20 years of experience driving scaled access to clinical products and programs. He currently serves as a Commercial Advisor at Elektra Health along with his role as President & Chief Commercial Officer at Calibrate. Prior to joining Calibrate, Scott held leadership roles at Rightway and Livongo (acquired by Teladoc) where he and his team were responsible for acquiring and growing multimillion-dollar partnerships. Scott previously led the health plan sales team at Omada Health, the Clinical Consulting team at Catamaran (now Optum Rx), and was a clinical pharmacy specialist at Mayo Clinic Health Solutions. He holds Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Business Administration degrees from Creighton University and a BA in Chemistry from Central College. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, water sports, golf, and coaching/attending sports along with his wife and four (very active) kids.
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Molly McCullough
Commercial AdvisorMolly McCullough has spent her career in healthcare focused on growth and sales strategy within a variety of care organizations, from established national pharmacy benefit managers to rapidly-growing digital health organizations. She currently serves as Chief of Staff at Calibrate. At Elektra, Molly is focused on commercial growth, including sales operations and working with employers, payers, and strategic partners. Prior to Calibrate, Molly worked at CVS Caremark, Rightway, and Livongo where she focused on account management and scaling strategic partnerships. Molly holds a degree from Millikin University where she studied audio engineering and communications. When she is not thinking about healthcare, Molly can be found at hot yoga, taking bike rides with her fiance, and cheering on the OSU Buckeyes.
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Emily Boschwitz
Marketing AdvisorEmily Boschwitz is a senior marketing executive and advisor. Most recently, she served as CMO at Cameo, partnering with tens of thousands of the world's top actors, athletes, and influencers to create the most authentic and personalized fan experiences in the world. Previously, Emily led the marketing team at hims & hers, pioneering the direct-to-consumer telehealth industry and bringing the business from launch to IPO (NYSE: HIMS). She has also held marketing positions at Nest, Google, Boosted, Invoice2Go (Bill.com), and Dropcam. In her free time, Emily enjoys adventures with her pack of mythical beasts, Griffin (👦), Otto (👦), and Monster ( 🐶).
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Elizabeth Poynor
MD, PhDDr. Poynor is a gynecologic oncologist and advanced pelvic surgeon with over 20 years of experience in menopause, sexual health, and cancer. She is a graduate of Princeton University and UPenn, and holds a PhD in cell biology and genetics from Cornell. Previously, she served as Director of Translational Research for the Gynecology Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where she also completed her fellowship training. Dr. Poynor enjoys rock music, creative cooking, and experiencing nature through dressage.
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Tessa Gould
Content, Brand & StrategyTessa Gould is a mission-driven wellness enthusiast who helps businesses grow, scale, and succeed. She brings over a decade of strategy, ops, and monetization leadership experience to her current role as SVP of Growth at Kinship. Previously, she worked at the likes of SoulCycle, mindbodygreen, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and Verizon Media Group.
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Alison Moore
Content, Brand & StrategyAlison Moore is an executive with extensive media, tech, and consumer experience. Currently CEO of Comic Relief, Alison was previously the Chief Business Officer of the Beauty Collection at Condé Nast, where she oversaw brand strategy, monetization, and operations for women-focused publications such as Glamour and Allure. Earlier in her career, she held senior positions in tech (Soundcloud) and media (NBC Universal, HBO).
Click for full bioOur Values
We are committed to provide women with the latest information from trusted sources with the best care available, and changing the culture around menopause.
Celebrate growth and (The) Change
We proactively seek continuous growth and learning. We embrace change with open arms, even when it's uncomfortable.
Elevate women
We believe in a world where every woman has the agency and empathy she deserves. Our community and its needs are at the center of everything we do.
Embrace dialogue
We strive to build a safe, supportive space where stories are shared and honest, open conversations flourish.
Value science and evidence
We believe in expertise and evidence, and we work tirelessly to bring this truth to light.
Challenge the status quo
We’re reimagining an outdated model of menopause. We thrive by coloring outside the lines and proactively seeking new ideas & perspectives in pursuit of a better tomorrow.
Join Us
We're transforming the future of menopause. Sound exciting? We think so, too.
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