51& Launches at HLTH to Build Sustainable Funding and Infrastructure for Women's Health

New member-driven network unites voices, dollars, and influence to fund research, advocacy, and innovation to drive systemic change in women's health

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at HLTH, healthcare's #1 must-attend innovation event, 51&, a groundbreaking women's health network, officially launched with a bold mission: to create sustainable, system-wide funding for women's health through its pooled membership model. 

51& Co-Founder Jodi Neuhauser announced the launch of the company during the HLTH panel "Uniting in Women's Health" with Cindy Eckert, CEO and Founder, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Jessica Shepherd, Chief Medical Officer, Hers, Elaine Welteroth, Founder, Birth Fund, and Shelley Zalis, CEO and Founder, The Female Quotient.

"The name 51& reflects our mission: the 51% of the population whose health has been systematically underfunded, and the '&' representing the connections we're building—women and men, Democrats and Republicans, payers and providers—because there's always an 'and' in women's health," explained Neuhauser. "Being a woman is the original pre-existing condition, yet we've learned from billion-dollar membership models that collective power can reshape entire industries. We're creating the connective tissue—community, funding, and coordinated influence—so women aren't left to navigate a broken system alone."

By connecting members, institutions, organizations, and healthcare companies, 51& turns community, data, and influence into impact — funding research, advocacy, bipartisan policy, and innovation, while creating value for members through education, events, community, and shared economic power.

51& has also assembled a Medical Advisory Board comprising healthcare professionals across multiple specialties, led by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Onyemaechi Anoruo. The Medical Board includes Dr. Neel Shah, Dr. Elisabeth Potter, Dr. Serena Chen, Dr. Louise King, Dr. Karla Loken, Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, and Dr. Diana Contreras, MPH. The organization's approach centers on science, data, and evidence-based practices in women's health, with its Medical Advisory Board continuing to expand.

"As a plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction, I've seen firsthand how systemic failures—not medical limitations—prevent women from getting the care they need," said Dr. Elisabeth Potter, 51& medical board member. "I opened RedBud Surgery Center to prove we could deliver high-quality, lower-cost care, but the insurance infrastructure fought me every step of the way. That experience showed me that women's health isn't failing because of bad doctors or uninformed patients. It's failing because the system was never designed to support us. Joining 51&'s medical board means being part of the solution: building the cross-sector partnerships and infrastructure that women's health has desperately needed for decades."

51& is backed and recognized by leading institutions and innovators, and was recently named a Policy Champion in Rock Health's Top 50 in Digital Health Policy, honored with Women in Innovation's Mover and Maker Award, and accepted into the Milken Institute Women's Health Network. The effort is also supported by hundreds of executives and leaders across the women's health ecosystem, and by launch partner brands including Evvy, Allara, CONNEQT Health, Winx, Eve Wellness, Frame Fertility, Oova, Oula, Dame, Aunt Flow, Joylux, Teal Health, Sistepedia, Ohmbody, Conceive, and others shaping the next generation of women's health innovation.

51& membership is $100 a year, and members receive exclusive weekly content, discounts to leading health products and services, a monthly deep dive into issues, and invites to events with industry leaders.

To learn more or join 51& visit 51and.com.

Press Contact:
Lindsay Stevens
2132009638
[email protected]

About 51&
51& is a member-driven network that unites women's voices, dollars, and voting power to rebuild the foundation of a health system that was never designed for them. By connecting members, institutions, organizations, and healthcare companies, 51& turns community, data, and influence into impact — directly funding research, advocacy, bipartisan policy, and innovation, while creating value for members through education, events, community, and shared economic power. Through its pooled membership model, 51& creates sustainable, system-wide funding for women's health — building the infrastructure and influence needed to drive long-term change. Founded by women entrepreneurs, hundreds of healthcare leaders, and every woman with a story, 51& is built on the belief that when women unite, the system shifts.

SOURCE 51&