Anna loves to use technology for good while solving people’s unmet needs or desires. For more than 4 years, she has been working in Innovation Management, mostly as part of Bayer’s #G4A Digital Health team. She spent time in New York City as a #G4A Program Coordinator to launch the first U.S. based Startup Accelerator. Later she joined the newly created Ventures team, based in San Francisco. After some time on Digital Health Strategy for Bayer in Berlin, she is now an MBA candidate at the i.e. Business School in Madrid. Being a German citizen of Dutch descent with a never-ending love for NYC and 18 moves behind her, she considers herself a bit of a nomad.
Anna, welcome onboard the team as our Digital Health Today Ambassador!
- Tell us a bit more about yourself, your background and what you’re doing now.
I studied International Business without fixating on a special industry at all. So it was when I joined Bayer to write my graduation dissertation on Business Model Innovation that I realized I enjoyed the health arena. There I worked on different innovation topics, from IT Innovation to cultural change projects, to creating and leading digitalization programs, and at some point, I found myself in the Digital Health team. Over the course of 2 years I worked on our Startup Programs, in the Venture Creation Team and on Digital Health Strategy. It feels like Digital Health has been part of my life for so long already, it’s hard to imagine leaving it. I am now off to pursue an MBA, working on Digital Health projects on the side.
- How did you get involved with digital health?
It was purely by chance, as I just found myself in this space within my journey at Bayer. Quickly, I realized how much I like it and how much I enjoy telling friends and family about all the exciting advances. It’s also a pretty hard and slow-moving area but I suppose, it wouldn’t be half as fun if it weren’t a constant uphill battle. I grew up in a family where we avoided medicines and doctor’s visits as much as possible with a focus on “natural” solutions. Therefore, solving health problems or keeping people healthier without them having to take a pill fit well into my worldview. When I see Digital Health tools in the hands of consumers that help them along their health journey, that’s the reward that keeps me here.
- Tell us about where you come from and some of the health and technology innovation that’s happening there.
I am a true nomad and haven’t lived in the same city for more than 10 months in years. As such, it’s hard to answer this question. I think what excites me is the global reach it has now. Whether you live in Berlin, Barcelona, New York, San Francisco or Tel Aviv, there are countless entrepreneurs driving their visions. The most promising is the collaboration we see between Digital Health entrepreneurs, Pharma companies, Medical Device companies, Insurance players and and and. It’s not until we transform the entire industry with all its players that we can truly see change. With the collaborative efforts we see with Digital Therapeutics now (think Pharma and DTx deals plus regulatory bodies opening their doors to design pathways together, etc.) I am very hopeful for many more transformative innovations to come – from all kinds of locations.
- What are some of your top interests and what should people contact you about?
Honestly, it’s not one technology that I am either especially skilled or interested in, it’s how we put it to use. Having spent some time with the Venture Design team that creates products through human-centered design, I love finding solutions that address real unmet needs or desires, integrating into people’s beliefs and routines and therefore drive use and outcomes. Digital Therapeutics, naturally, is one of my key interests. I am focusing my MBA on Digital Transformation and am mentoring and advising early-stage Digital Health Startups, always happy to support and even happier to learn from all these amazing entrepreneurial journeys. I am a passionate Yogi, who occasionally drifts off into Pilates or Barre territory. Besides that, I enjoy running, a good coffee and delicious food with a solid red wine.
- Tell us a bit more about yourself, your background and what you’re doing now.
