Event: Women's Health Tech Wednesdays | Alexia Priest from HITLAB
Host: Nina Joshi from HITLAB
Speaker: Alexia Priest from HITLAB
Alexia Priest
Alexia has done it all! She obtained her BBA in Economics from the University of Miami and MBA in Economics from the University of New Haven Graduate School of Business. For the last 15 years, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as the Senior Associate Director, Business Development & Licensing/ Strategic Transactions.
Platform: Zoom
Date: April 27th, 2022
Event Review:
EWIH is here to empower women so they can become leaders and part of that includes learning from the experiences of the women who have worked their way to the top. There were many events that I had in my mind to attend but then I came across HITLAB, an organization that that brings together two aspects of the health industry that attract a lot of new, innovative people - technology and health care.
Every Wednesday, HITLAB features women in health technology who share their experiences and expertise in this growing field. Alexia Priest was the guest for the week that I decided to cover, and she shared her extensive knowledge of the area and provided advice for women in healthcare (and even in general as well). Her long and impactful career in digital health truly makes her a role model to us all!
The panel began with Nina Joshi, the host, introducing Alexia Priest and discussing her journey, with some interesting followup questions! A few of these questions included:
How did being an athlete shape your career in the health space?
Priest started off by stating the importance of women supporting each other instead of looking at one another as competition. She encouraged women to celebrate our successes so that we succeed together. Priest went on to discuss her experiences while starting Women in Electronics and how the organization was able to reward the top 3 to 5 graduates each year with a scholarship that helped to pave their way into the field of electronics! Every the year there would be a celebration for the women that had won the scholarships, bringing together other women and men from different companies to celebrate their success! Celebrating the success of these women has provided immense support for women and led to more engagement by men as well.
What are the benefits of women's support groups in different organizations and what improvements can be made?
Priest stated that from her perspective, the groups are helpful for women to talk openly about their issues. However, she built upon that statement, noting that gaining the perspectives of men and understanding one another can be beneficial to women attempting to navigate a male-dominated industry. When more women are able to connect with their male counterparts, then the real changes can be made.
The conversation soon focused on women in the health space and Priest provided some insight and her perspective on the future of this space.
Do you notice any future trends in the women's healthcare space?
Priest emphasized the growth of the digital health sphere. She explained that women's involvement in research, data collection, and even creating new products for digital solutions to health care issues and innovations is crucial as it introduces perspectives that are often overlooked. Women that are passionate about the health industry and work hard are equipped to succeed in the digital health space - and as Priest noted, to have fun along the way!
Alexia Priest truly is a leader. In this interview, she provided substantial insight into her experiences and perspectives as a woman leader in the healthcare industry. To hear more of the thought-provoking questions that she answered during this event, we encourage readers to click on the link below!
Watch the video on YouTube here: