Before her first meetings with venture capitalists, Janica Alvarez thought she could have a professional discussion about breasts. Alvarez was trying to raise money for her startup Naya Health Inc., which makes a smart breast pump. Naya has secured approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, achieving that milestone much earlier than most young companies.
But the conversations weren’t what she expected. Investors wanted to know how she’d be able to run a startup while also raising her children. Another commented on her body and asked how a mother of three stays in such good shape. Others said they were too grossed out to touch her product or pleaded ignorance about how a breast pump works. “Investors would say, ‘Let me go talk to my sister; let me go talk to my wife,’” Alvarez said.