Meet Jill Angelo, Founder of Gennev
Atta Girl Interview Series
Jill is the founder of Gennev, a telemedicine service for integrated menopause care where women can get relief with evidence-based treatments from board-certified physicians and coaches for every stage of menopause.
What gave you the idea for Gennev?
While on a brief sabbatical during my career in the tech industry, I met a woman who opened my eyes to how underserved women in menopause are. She was a former executive from Neutrogena, and she had developed a product for women in menopause. After a few back-and-forth discussions, we decided to start Gennev as an ecommerce company that sold the product we now call Comfort, while publishing medically backed education for women in menopause. After years of learning and testing, in 2019, we launched a national telehealth clinic that specializes in menopause treatments and products. That brings us to today, where we’re serving patients in 50 states with a team of 40 menopause-trained doctors and dietitians.
How does Gennev work?
Come to Gennev.com, book an appointment with the provider of your choice based on your schedule, and then attend the virtual appointment from the comfort and discretion of your home. It’s really that simple.
When researching menopause what surprised you the most?
Every time I brought up the topic of menopause and what I was doing with other women, they openly shared with me their menopause experience. It became apparent that women just want to be heard. It surprised me – and still does – how willing women are to share their experience hoping that you will understand them and just let them know that they’re not alone.
How do the UK and US differ with their approaches to menopause?
The UK is further along in its open dialogue and support of menopause. They have implemented menopause-supportive policies at the government level, influencing and enforcing workplace education, program support, and health services for women. The US has a lot to learn from the UK, especially in how we view women in the workforce who are aged 40+. Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are at the pinnacle of their careers and bring immense leadership and experience to their roles and teams. The workforce in the US is changing – in fact, in 2021, the average age of female workers in the US was 42. Supporting women with specialty menopause benefits is not only the right thing to do to improve productivity, but it will also retain senior leaders which is good for the bottom line.
As a hard-working multi-tasking woman, how do you relax or unwind?
I love to run, cook, eat what I cook (😊), and hang out with my family and friends. When I need alone time, I run or find time to be on the lake (I’ve come to really love wake-surfing in beautiful Lake Washington). When I need to be fed by people, you’ll usually see me connecting over food in someone’s home or a fabulous restaurant.
For fun, what would be your dream concert? (artist can be dead or alive).
I’d love to see U2 in Buenos Aires. They’re iconic, and observing another culture respond to them with insane passion would light me up.
