7 January 2026
Reimagining Women’s Health with Ethical AI for Everyone | Amber Vodegel
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Episode Summary
In this episode of Health in Hyperdrive, Dominic James sits down with Amber Vodegel, CEO of 28X and one of the most influential innovators in women’s digital health to explore how menstrual health tracking is being reimagined through ethical design, privacy‑first technology, and scalable models that serve not just the top 1% but the global majority.
Menstrual health affects 1.8 billion people, yet 500 million still experience period poverty. This impacts education, employment, and wellbeing worldwide, with nearly two million girls in the UK missing school each year due to their periods. Digital tools can help close these gaps, but only if they are accessible, affordable, and safe.
Amber brings a rare combination of entrepreneurial experience, technical insight, and social mission. As the founder of Pregnancy+, she supported over 150 million women across more than 100 countries. Now, with 28X, she is building a new generation of women’s health technology that protects privacy, eliminates unnecessary subscriptions, and empowers users with clinically sound, culturally sensitive education.
Key Topics Covered
Why menstrual health and period poverty remain major global issues
Why many health apps collect too much sensitive data and put users at risk
How on device AI keeps women’s health information private and under their control
Why subscription health apps only serve the top 10 percent and how 28X is built for the other 80 percent
How Amber plans to reach 100 million women for free at a scale similar to major social platforms
How simple, culturally sensitive education can improve women’s health worldwide
What Amber learned scaling Pregnancy Plus to 150 million users without VC funding
The surprising value of listening closely to early customer feedback
Why this is a new commercial model that can transform health for billions of men and women globally
Links
Amber’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-vodegel-0995556/
28X website - www.my28x.com
BBC article on period tracker data risks - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmj6j3d8xjjo
UNICEF and WHO Facts on Menstrual Health - https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/10-fast-facts-menstrual-health-schools
Dominic’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicjames
Health in Hyperdrive website - https://www.healthinhyperdrive.com
Produced by Explosive Brands - https://www.explosivebrands.com/
About Amber
CEO, 28X
A pioneer in women’s health innovation and digital health strategy.
She founded Pregnancy+, the world’s most-used pregnancy app, supporting over 150 million women in 100+ countries, with 2 million daily active users.
Now, she’s driving 28X, an impact-driven venture dedicated to revolutionizing health education, accessibility, and ethical digital solutions.