Milken Institute Women’s Health Network Expands Steering Committee to Drive Women’s Health Forward

The 2026 Steering Committee will strengthen the Network's efforts to close gaps in women's health investment, research, and innovation

Washington, DC (September 29, 2026)-The Milken Institute's Women's Health Network today announced its 2026 Steering Committee, building on the diverse, multisector group of leaders who will guide the Network's strategy and priorities for the year ahead. The Women's Health Network is a global collaborative uniting more than 170 members to accelerate progress in women's health, dismantle systemic barriers, and mobilize the investment, research, and innovation needed to deliver solutions for women worldwide.

This expansion reflects the Network's efforts to translate critical cross-sector collaboration into collective action to improve the health and well-being of all women. The 2026 Steering Committee includes several new members alongside returning leadership, representing academia, research, advocacy, business, finance, health systems, pharma and life sciences, and technology.

2026 Steering Committee Members (*indicates new member):

• Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, President, National Academy of Medicine*
• Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer, American Heart Association
• Stephanie S. Faubion, MD, Medical Director, The Menopause Society*
• Juan Camilo Arjona Ferreira, MD, Head of Research & Development & Chief Medical Officer, Organon
• Janet Foutty, Former Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte; Board Director and Consultant, Technology and Women's Health Ventures; Senior Advisor, Women's Health Access Matters
• Ruth Gimeno, PhD, Group Vice President for Diabetes and Metabolic Research, Eli Lilly and Company*
• Jyoti Gupta, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Breast & Skeletal Health Solutions, Hologic
• Shane Jacobson, Chief Executive Officer, American Cancer Society
• Sabrina Martucci Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Daré Bioscience
• Ponda Motsepe-Ditshego, MD, Vice President and Head, Inclusive Global Health & Impact, Amgen; Member, Amgen Foundation Board of Directors*
• Sara Rico, PharmD, AI Transformation Business Lead, Microsoft
• Stacey E. Rosen, MD, Executive Director, Katz Institute for Women's Health, Northwell Health; Volunteer President, 2025-2026, American Heart Association
• Randi Seigel, JD, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
• Trish Stroman, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group
• Kalahn Taylor-Clark, PhD, Vice President and Head of Social Impact & Sustainability, Merck

Launched in May 2025, the Women's Health Network is chaired by Jill Biden, EdD, former first lady of the United States, who noted, "The possibilities in women's health feel so much greater than they did even one year ago. These leaders will help us broaden the reach and impact of this work."

"Women's health outcomes don't improve because of research or funding alone; they improve when the people who set policy, allocate capital, and deliver care are working on the same team," said Esther Krofah, executive vice president, Milken Institute Health. "Our Steering Committee has the skills, knowledge, and capacity to influence the dialogue and facilitate action, turning the Network's priorities into measurable results that reach women who need them."

The Steering Committee will help shape the Women's Health Network's 2027 priorities, including:

• scaling the Women's Health Network's Catalytic Philanthropic Fund and Elevate Investment Initiative to direct new capital toward under-resourced women's health research, care delivery models, and innovation;
• convening working groups that translate the Network's recommendations into implementation-ready action across health systems and government; and
• exploring opportunities to advance women's health around the world through effective strategies and partnerships.
  

Women's Health Network FAQ

What is the Women's Health Network?

The Women's Health Network is a global collaborative advancing research, innovation, and investment to improve women's health.

What is the scope of women's health issues that the Network advances?

The Women's Health Network focuses on health areas that have struggled to gain attention yet negatively impact women worldwide, including a range of conditions, such as heart disease and endometriosis, that impact women uniquely, disproportionately, and differently. It is vital to support women's health, which directly affects how half the population receives care, services, and products, and indirectly affects their families, colleagues, and communities.

Who participates in the Women's Health Network?
The Women's Health Network comprises representatives across the women's health ecosystem, including academic research, advocacy organizations, finance/investors, health systems, life sciences, and technology.

Why is the Women's Health Network important now?
Research has shown that if women, who spend 25 percent more time in poor health and disability than men, had their health needs addressed, it could result in economic improvement of nearly $1 trillion. Yet only 2 percent of venture capital funding in healthcare goes to women's health. The Milken Institute established the Women's Health Network to garner and sustain interest, attention, and momentum in this critical area of health research, which has been significantly underfunded for decades.

What is the funding initiative the Milken Institute launched on women's health?
The Women's Health Network launched two distinct initiatives to advance a net-new $1 billion investment in women's health:

The $50-100 million Catalytic Philanthropic Fund is raised from philanthropic dollars, managed directly by the Milken Institute. The Fund will deploy flexible, low-cost capital to help growth- and later-stage companies bridge the gap to commercialization. It is an evergreen fund with a mandate to increase innovation and expand market access across the women's health life cycle.

The Elevate Investment Initiative leverages the Milken Institute's platform to provide fund managers opportunities to participate in flagship convenings and engage with our network of institutional investors, family offices, and asset managers to channel new, diverse capital to women's health.

Where can I go for more information?
To learn more about the Women's Health Network, please visit https://thewomenshealthnetwork.org/.

About the Milken Institute
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path to a meaningful life. With a focus on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health, we bring together the best ideas and innovative resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of our most critical global issues through the lens of what's pressing now and what's coming next. For more information, visit https://milkeninstitute.org/.

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