Oxehealth Voices on International Women’s Day
At Oxehealth, we know we are only as good as the people who work with us. That's why we strive to be a company that people love working for. One that embraces a supportive culture that enables everyone to be their best. On International Women’s Day, we’re sharing the voices of some of the fabulous women who choose to work with us.
Jade-Yi Ewart | Data Annotator and Research Assistant
1. Can you provide a brief overview of your role
As a data annotator and research assistant at Oxehealth, my primary responsibility involves reviewing research data and labelling it, what we call “ground truthing” for the development and evaluation of algorithms. I also contribute to studies on patient safety incidents, system testing and am contributing to our current FDA application process for our new Sleep product.
2. What’s important for you in your work?
In my work I find preparation is the most important element. If I can prepare elements of a project in advance or pre-emptively stop a problem from occurring, it makes things a lot easier. Also, I feel that aligns with the ethos of Oxehealth that first interested me in working here. I believe prevention is better than cure and I feel that is our aim as a company: preventing negative outcomes by providing an assistive tool to healthcare workers.
3. What challenges do you/have you faced?
I do not come from a computer science background, so some of my most frustrating issues have been with tech issues that I don't know how to fix myself. Luckily, I work with a great group of people who are much more tech-savvy than me and have been able to help me out!
Any challenge I face though is a learning opportunity, that I can improve on for the next time.
4. What has helped you succeed in your role?
Organisation, effective communication, preparation and adaptability in the face of change. I always like a good plan, it helps me focus and prioritise, but I'm well aware that new issues can arise from day to day, so that means being flexible, having back up plans, and making sure it's clear what the next steps are.
5. What advice would you give to other women thinking about working in health tech?
Company culture is important. The tech world is more of a boy's club, so don't settle for working in a company that makes you feel like an outcast or under appreciated. Let your work speak for itself. Don't hesitate to seek help when needed and try to be an indispensable asset to your team.
6. What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Outside of work, I unwind by indulging in TV series like "Modern Family" but I love a lawyer, cop or medical drama! I enjoy trips to cinema, visiting a good farm shop, cooking, annoying my cats with cuddles, playing board games, and occasionally building 3D models.
Charlotte Wood | UK Managing Director
1. Can you provide a brief overview of your role
I lead a team who support our healthcare providers across the country. We help them to get the most value out of using of our technology.
2. What’s important for you in your work?
I’m most happy at work when I feel I am making a positive difference to people’s lives. Like lots of people that work here, serious mental illness has affected my own family and it drives me to want to help improve mental health care for other families. I get a lot of energy from speaking to people and hearing how our technologies help, and I can personally relate to the problems we are helping to solve.
I've had the privilege to build a team at Oxehealth over the last six years. What matters most to me is finding people with the right attitude who resonate with our mission and really want to grow themselves (which means getting out of your comfort zone! With the right support, of course!). I've brought together a group of people from diverse backgrounds and I'm constantly seeking ways to support their development by playing to strengths.
3. What challenges do you/have you faced?
This year has been a new one for me. I’m navigating my way back into work and figuring out how to be a working mum for the first time. It’s made me rethink everything! My maternity leave experience was very different to what I expected. I’ve learnt how to be fully present when I am at home and that I need to feel like I have enough one on one time with my daughter in order to be my best self at work.
4. What has helped you succeed in your role?
I’ve had incredible women mentor me throughout my career and am surrounded by an amazing group of girlfriends. I take joy in “paying it forward” and can hand on heart say that I would not be where I am today without their advice and unconditional friendship.
5. What advice would you give to other women thinking about working in health tech?
The best advice I can give to women starting out: if you come across someone you want to learn from, pluck up the courage to introduce yourself and start building a relationship with them. If it clicks, don’t hesitate to ask them to mentor you!
6. What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Charlotte was unavailable to answer this question as she was dropping her daughter with grandparents to enjoy her first child-free weekend in 18 months!
Bindia Venugopal | Clinical Research Analyst
1. Can you provide a brief overview of your role
As a Clinical Research Analyst at Oxehealth I have had the unique opportunity to engage in a variety of different roles, from setting up and coordinating studies, analysing data, working with internal and external collaborators, researchers, clinicians, and academics; I often find that I wear many hats in my day-to-day role! A rewarding and positive experience that has led to growth in my technical and communication skills. Another personal favourite aspect of working in research in health tech is being able to disseminate novel findings through publications and conferences.
2. What’s important for you in your work?
Identifying issues and being honest about what works and what doesn’t work is key in research and is a very important part of my work. Looking at things from an objective lens helps in finding the best solutions to work together on a shared goal.
3. What challenges do you / have you faced
Acting as an intermediary between stakeholders and bringing people together on the same page is challenging at times. It can require lots of patience, and in some cases may need creative thinking to ensure people are engaged and aligned. Being receptive to people’s needs and understanding where they could be coming from has really helped me to face challenges such as these.
4. What has helped you succeed in your role?
I believe that being able to adapt to changing environments by showing versatility and flexibility has immensely helped me to succeed in my role. Moreover, having an approachable and friendly attitude has helped to build more successful relationships with my colleagues and external stakeholders.
5. What advice would you give to other women thinking about working in health tech?
At Oxehealth, I’ve had the pleasure of working in a wholesome and collaborative environment. However, working in health tech and start-ups often means managing a fast-paced environment. I would advise women to be vocal and not to shy away from seeking help from others where necessary. In my experience, I have found that my team members and other collaborators are resourceful and very supportive. I would encourage women working to find role models who they may be inspired by in health tech and who are willing to share experiences and guide each other.
6. What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Outside of work, my main passion is dance - it’s been a constant hobby of mine for as long as I can remember! I am trained in Indian classical and Bollywood dance; this is something I like to do when I need to unwind and re-energise. I thoroughly enjoy playing board games with my friends, both at work and outside work. I also like to paint landscapes with acrylics in my spare time, though I’m certainly no expert at this!
