From Trauma to Purpose: FemTech, Healing & Leadership with Roswitha Verwer

Some conversations stay with you long after the headphones come off. Our episode with Roswitha Verwer, Founder and CEO of YON E, is one of those. We moved beyond headlines and buzzwords to the real, human work of turning difficult experiences into deliberate momentum-building companies, cultures, and communities that honor the whole person. Below, I’ve captured the throughlines that stuck with me: practical, compassionate, and sharpened by lived experience.

Resilience and focus in action: everyday moments of leadership and purpose echo the themes Roswitha Verwer shares in her journey with YON E.

First: experienced trauma does not have to write the rest of your story. Trauma reshapes a life, yes, but it does not have to define its limits. When people find supports that fit, whether that’s therapeutic work, faith communities, trusted friends, or professional counseling, the fierce energy once spent surviving can be redirected toward creating. For many founders and changemakers, that redirection becomes fuel for mission-driven work: the same determination that once kept someone alive now powers thoughtful products, services, and workplaces that serve others.

Choosing the right advisors is a strategic act of self-care and mission alignment. Business growth without alignment is like driving a car with two steering wheels—one for the founder and one for the board. Roswitha’s message is clear: values-aligned advisors accelerate progress because they remove friction. They bring expertise, yes, but they also respect the organization’s core purpose and the founder’s personal compass. Vetting for alignment up front makes decision-making smoother, preserves cultural integrity, and protects scarce emotional and strategic energy.

One of the most energizing parts of our conversation was how FemTech is moving from niche to necessity. Women today are learning more about their bodies and asking better questions, and the market is responding. Innovations that address menstrual health, fertility, vaginal wellness, and beyond are doing more than producing products; they’re making previously private topics part of the public conversation. That shift matters because health is not static. Our bodies evolve through cycles, pregnancy, parenting, and aging—and having tools and education that reflect that continuum changes outcomes for individuals and families.

FemTech’s promise goes further: it’s not an industry only for women to consume. Its true potential is educational and societal. These technologies and platforms give everyone, partners, clinicians, and employers the vocabulary and data to understand bodily changes and make informed choices. When education becomes central to FemTech, it reduces stigma and creates spaces where meaningful conversations about fertility, contraception, menopause, and intimate health can happen without shame or silence.

Culture is where strategy meets heart, and trust is the bridge between them. Building trusting teams requires more than HR policies; it requires modeled transparency. When leaders share honestly about needing time, support, or space, they normalize the full range of human experience at work. That normalization stops performative cheerfulness and creates psychological safety: employees stop pretending to be invulnerable and start bringing whole selves to work. In practice, this means leaders set clear expectations about commitment and performance while also being explicit about boundaries and care. That combination of clarity plus compassion builds a team that’s durable and humane.

High expectations and deep support are not opposing forces; they are complementary levers that, when used together, amplify progress. Ambitious goals inspire focus and stretch capability; real support, training, resources, feedback, and time keep people from burning out on the way there. Leadership that consistently holds both lines sends a powerful message: we believe in your potential, and we will give you what you need to reach it. That balance produces momentum, confidence, and sustainable performance.

Roswitha’s journey and the work of YON E remind us of one simple principle: purposeful innovation is rooted in honest human experience. When founders use their insight to meet unmet needs, when advisors share values not just resumes, when technology educates rather than obscures, and when leaders lead with both rigor and empathy, progress follows. It’s not magic. It’s deliberate practice.

If this resonated, listen to the full episode for the deeper stories and practical moments we couldn’t fit here. You’ll hear how those choices played out in Roswitha’s path and the concrete ways she’s building a movement around intimate health, education, and trust. Subscribe to Productive Passions for conversations that connect lived experience with practical steps you can use, whether you’re building a company, leading a team, or simply trying to live with more intention.