Women's Health Symposium | Kisaco Research

Women's Health Symposium

Women's Health Symposium

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Fitness spaces are evolving into full-service health hubs, blending movement, recovery, diagnostics, and mental wellness under one roof. This session explores how forward-thinking operators are integrating with healthcare, insurers, and digital health platforms to deliver measurable outcomes and extend healthspan. Walk away with the strategy to reposition your offering as essential infrastructure in the new well-care economy.

Preventative Health
Longevity
Science-Backed Trends

Author:

Dr. Gloria Winters

Chief Health Officer
YMCA
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Dr. Gloria Winters

Chief Health Officer
YMCA

Author:

Dr. Gil Spitz

Exercise Physiologist
Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center
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Dr. Gil Spitz

Exercise Physiologist
Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center

Author:

Dr. Jessica Ruff

Section Head, Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine
Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Jessica Ruff is a triple board-certified physician in Clinical Informatics, Preventive Medicine & Public Health, and Lifestyle Medicine. She serves as IT Medical Director for Patient Journey at Cleveland Clinic, where she leads digital health innovation to enhance patient engagement and optimize clinical workflows. Her work spans MyChart optimization, population health tools, and enterprise access initiatives—integrating clinical insight with informatics strategy to deliver meaningful, tech-enabled care.

Dr. Jessica Ruff is a triple board-certified physician in Clinical Informatics, Preventive Medicine & Public Health, and Lifestyle Medicine. She serves as IT Medical Director for Patient Journey at Cleveland Clinic, where she leads digital health innovation to enhance patient engagement and optimize clinical workflows. Her work spans MyChart optimization, population health tools, and enterprise access initiatives—integrating clinical insight with informatics strategy to deliver meaningful, tech-enabled care.

As Section Head for the Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Ruff leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to helping patients prevent and reverse chronic disease through evidence-based lifestyle and integrative therapies. She is deeply committed to advancing whole-person care and is constantly exploring how connected technologies can expand access, personalize treatment, and drive sustained behavior change.

A recognized educator and thought leader, Dr. Ruff enjoys speaks on the convergence of digital health, clinical operations, and lifestyle-driven care models—bringing a unique lens that blends medical, ethical, and public health perspectives to the future of healthcare.

 

... read more

Dr. Jessica Ruff

Section Head, Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine
Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Jessica Ruff is a triple board-certified physician in Clinical Informatics, Preventive Medicine & Public Health, and Lifestyle Medicine. She serves as IT Medical Director for Patient Journey at Cleveland Clinic, where she leads digital health innovation to enhance patient engagement and optimize clinical workflows. Her work spans MyChart optimization, population health tools, and enterprise access initiatives—integrating clinical insight with informatics strategy to deliver meaningful, tech-enabled care.

Dr. Jessica Ruff is a triple board-certified physician in Clinical Informatics, Preventive Medicine & Public Health, and Lifestyle Medicine. She serves as IT Medical Director for Patient Journey at Cleveland Clinic, where she leads digital health innovation to enhance patient engagement and optimize clinical workflows. Her work spans MyChart optimization, population health tools, and enterprise access initiatives—integrating clinical insight with informatics strategy to deliver meaningful, tech-enabled care.

As Section Head for the Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Ruff leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to helping patients prevent and reverse chronic disease through evidence-based lifestyle and integrative therapies. She is deeply committed to advancing whole-person care and is constantly exploring how connected technologies can expand access, personalize treatment, and drive sustained behavior change.

A recognized educator and thought leader, Dr. Ruff enjoys speaks on the convergence of digital health, clinical operations, and lifestyle-driven care models—bringing a unique lens that blends medical, ethical, and public health perspectives to the future of healthcare.

 

What happens when Olympic-level performance science filters into everyday fitness? We’ll explore how recovery tech, nervous system training, and mindset tools from elite athletics are being adapted for broader wellness markets and where the line should be drawn. Walk away with insights on what drives results, what’s scalable, and how to differentiate your brand using tactics once reserved for the top 1%.

Women's Health
Science-Backed Trends

Author:

Amanda Phillips

Chief Performance Innovation Officer
EXOS

Amanda Phillips is the Chief Performance Innovation Officer (CPIO) at Exos. She’s responsible for leading the performance innovation team to evolve Exos products, services, and practitioners while establishing Exos’ long-term innovation strategy. A 22-year Exos veteran, before taking the CPIO role, Amanda established Exos' nutrition, research & business insights function and played a leadership role across strategic partnerships and industry relations.

 

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Amanda Phillips

Chief Performance Innovation Officer
EXOS

Amanda Phillips is the Chief Performance Innovation Officer (CPIO) at Exos. She’s responsible for leading the performance innovation team to evolve Exos products, services, and practitioners while establishing Exos’ long-term innovation strategy. A 22-year Exos veteran, before taking the CPIO role, Amanda established Exos' nutrition, research & business insights function and played a leadership role across strategic partnerships and industry relations.

 

Turning science into strategy is the next step and fitness operators are rethinking programming, coaching, and environments to meet women’s evolving needs. This session explores how to operationalize hormone-informed training, recovery protocols for perimenopause, and stress-responsive formats in real-world studio and gym settings.  

Women's Health
Science-Backed Trends
Longevity

Author:

Sadie Lincoln

Chief Executive Officer
Barre3
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Sadie Lincoln

Chief Executive Officer
Barre3

Author:

Seane Marie Faulkner

Senior Vice President of Product & Innovation
The Well NYC
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Seane Marie Faulkner

Senior Vice President of Product & Innovation
The Well NYC

The future of women’s wellness is being shaped by science, not trends. This session dives deep into the latest research on hormone-responsive training and nutrition, sarcopenia resistance training, and stress resiliance, revealing how female physiology is finally taking center stage. Walk away with a data-backed understanding of what’s changing, what’s clinically validated, and what will define the next generation of fitness solutions for women.

Women's Health
Science-Backed Trends
Longevity

Author:

Amber Taylor

Chief Digital Product Officer
Les Mills

For over 20 years I have worked in technology with a focus on improving peoples’ lives. From launching international websites and marketing for TIBCO, to leading the developer community for MuleSoft, to driving digital / live video / AI-led community shopping experiences at Amazon, to creating fitness experiences at Nike and now Les Mills that drive habit, my goal is to inspire, delight, and move people to action. My purpose is to help people live their best lives. My passion is working with high-trust teams who care and invent on behalf of customers – and have fun along the way.

Today I get to lead an amazing team of 150 who build all of the Digital and AI experiences that power Les Mills. We serve 23K gyms around the globe, 100K instructors, and hundreds of thousands of Movers in D2C experiences. I believe science supports humans in pursuing their best life and my goal is to inspire, delight, and move people literally and figuratively.

... read more

Amber Taylor

Chief Digital Product Officer
Les Mills

For over 20 years I have worked in technology with a focus on improving peoples’ lives. From launching international websites and marketing for TIBCO, to leading the developer community for MuleSoft, to driving digital / live video / AI-led community shopping experiences at Amazon, to creating fitness experiences at Nike and now Les Mills that drive habit, my goal is to inspire, delight, and move people to action. My purpose is to help people live their best lives. My passion is working with high-trust teams who care and invent on behalf of customers – and have fun along the way.

Today I get to lead an amazing team of 150 who build all of the Digital and AI experiences that power Les Mills. We serve 23K gyms around the globe, 100K instructors, and hundreds of thousands of Movers in D2C experiences. I believe science supports humans in pursuing their best life and my goal is to inspire, delight, and move people literally and figuratively.

This session will break down market growth, spotlight key players driving capital into the space, and explore where investors like Next Ventures are placing their bets. Walk away with a sharper understanding of where the money is going and why the smartest investors are already there.

Women's Health
Science-Backed Trends
Longevity

Author:

Melanie Strong

Founding Partner
Next Ventures

Mel started her career as a first-grade teacher and journalist. A chance meeting at the Boston Marathon led to an interview for an entry level job at Nike. She spent 17 years there, where she led businesses including Nike Women and Nike Skateboarding, and worked on the launch of the Nike Running and Training Club apps. In 2019 she left Nike to co-found venture capital firm NEXT VENTURES, focused on early-stage investments across health and wellness in companies like Oura ring and Outside. She serves on the boards of Cofertility, Ramble Campgrounds, Sage Hospitality, University of Oregon’s Knight Campus, Outdoor Afro and USA Cycling — and when she’s not traveling you can find her mountain biking on the trails in Hood River Oregon.

... read more

Melanie Strong

Founding Partner
Next Ventures

Mel started her career as a first-grade teacher and journalist. A chance meeting at the Boston Marathon led to an interview for an entry level job at Nike. She spent 17 years there, where she led businesses including Nike Women and Nike Skateboarding, and worked on the launch of the Nike Running and Training Club apps. In 2019 she left Nike to co-found venture capital firm NEXT VENTURES, focused on early-stage investments across health and wellness in companies like Oura ring and Outside. She serves on the boards of Cofertility, Ramble Campgrounds, Sage Hospitality, University of Oregon’s Knight Campus, Outdoor Afro and USA Cycling — and when she’s not traveling you can find her mountain biking on the trails in Hood River Oregon.