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Women Disrupting TechAuthor: Dirkjan Hupkes
Women Disrupting Tech features female founders, tech leaders, and women in tech building the next generation of technology companies. Each week, host Dirkjan Hupkes talks with a founder about how she's scaling a startup, navigating funding, building resilient teams, and tackling challenges from AI ethics to healthcare innovation to climate tech. Whether you're a female tech entrepreneur, aspiring founder, startup leader, or advocate for more women in technology, this show gives you actionable strategies and proven frameworks from women reshaping tech. New episodes every Thursday. Language: en-us Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Building Psychological Safety for Better Women’s Health at Work with Veroniek Vermeulen
Episode 172
Wednesday, 7 October, 2026
In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Veroniek Vermeulen, founder of Silatha, about why women's health is still expected to be left at the office door. Veroniek trained as an engineer in a field where 80 percent of her peers were men, and spent years trying to fit into a workplace that wasn’t suited for women. She founded Silatha to replace that silence with psychological safety, backed by real numbers on engagement and retention.This episode is for female founders and health tech leaders building company culture, women in leadership deciding what to share about their own health at work, and anyone curious what changes once women's health is on the agenda.What you'll learn in this episodeWhy fitting in at work can mean adapting so well you lose track of what you would build differentlyHow psychological safety becomes measurable: Silatha's programs report 93 percent higher engagement and 92 percent better psychological safety among participantsWhy cycle-related symptoms only seem unpredictable, and what changes once people track themWhat staying silent about women's health costs at work: stress, isolation, absenteeism, and disengagementWhy policy should follow the 80 to 99 percent of people acting in good faithHer three-part advice for founders in perimenopause: learn your own patterns, find a qualified specialist, and be intentional about what you share with your teamChapters:00:00 — Introduction: Women’s Health, Psychological Safety & Silatha02:11 — Meet Veroniek Vermeulen and Silatha02:42 — From Corporate Engineer to Founder05:03 — Fitting In vs. Adapting at Work06:41 — Burnout, Belonging & Being Valued07:53 — Purpose, Viktor Frankl & Letting Go of Control13:38 — How Silatha Evolved from Wellbeing to Women’s Health17:41 — Why Psychological Safety Matters for Health at Work19:59 — Breaking the Taboo Around Women’s Health25:59 — How Organizations Build Lasting Support27:02 — Nura: Private, Always-On Health Support32:15 — Privacy, Trust & Responsible Health AI38:10 — Men’s Mental Health and Inclusive Health Conversations41:00 — The Cultural and Business Impact of Support43:50 — Women’s Health at Work: Regional Perspectives46:14 — How Founders Can Build Psychologically Safe Startups55:15 — Advice for Founders Navigating Perimenopause56:47 — Priorities, Pressure & Getting Important Work Done1:01:26 — Finding Purpose Through the Work1:01:58 — Designing Safer Founder Communities1:04:06 — Where to Connect with Veroniek Vermeulen and Silatha1:04:40 — Closing and Episode OutroShow notes:Blog: https://womendisruptingtech.blog/2026/10/08/episode-172/Substack: https://womendisruptingtech.substack.com/p/episode-172?r=2v0lts&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueBooks discussed in the episodeMan’s Search for Meaning: https://amzn.eu/d/07Dj5X9MFour Thousand Weeks: https://amzn.eu/d/0fyR6E7EConnect with Veroniek Vermeulen and SilathaVeroniek on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veroniek/Silatha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/silatha/Silatha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SilathaJourney/Silatha Middle East website: https://silathajourney.com/Silatha Europe website: https://silatha.com/Silatha on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMEvuobvsmkMqGlv8ndZucQConnect with host Dirkjan HupkesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkjan-hupkes/Substack: https://womendisruptingtech.substack.com/FundingCoach: https://fundingcoach.ai/About Women Disrupting TechEvery week, Women Disrupting Tech covers the decisions, patterns, and structural realities that female founders and investors rarely discuss in public but run into every time they meet. Follow to get it in your feed.🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.👉 Subscribe for more conversations with founders building healthier, more honest workplaces.
