FemSTEM 2026 Kickoff Event & Panel
Join us on Tuesday, January 13th as we kickoff
the FemSTEM 2026 event series!
This year’s Kickoff will feature both a panel, and an interactive discussion and networking session. The panel will feature three incredible entrepreneurs: Mary Aglipay, Ibukun Elebute and Dr. Alexia Kirby.
We invite you to join us and hear about their journeys and experiences commercializing in the health care sector. We’ll dive into their entrepreneurial beginnings and answer questions from the audience!
All are welcome to join: students, faculty, alumni, founders, aspiring innovators & members of the H2i community!
Mary Aglipay is the co-founder and COO of Pippen AI and Vivo Family Medicine, a family medicine clinic in Toronto. A PhD candidate at the University of Toronto and CIHR Patient-Oriented Research Scholar, she brings deep expertise in health data science and real-world clinic operations. At Pippen, she leads strategy, operations, and AI development—driving the company’s mission to solve the paperwork problem for family doctors.
Ibukun Elebute is the Co-Founder and COO of CELLECT, a pioneering startup dedicated to advancing women’s health through innovative DNA collection technology. With over a decade of experience in healthcare technology and a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering, Ibukun is passionate about integrating STEM education into real-world solutions. She is also the founder of The STEMite Zone Fair, a not-for-profit organization focused on nurturing the next generation of African innovators. Ibukun’s work centers on empowering young minds through STEM, ensuring that education translates into meaningful impact, especially in underserved communities.
Dr. Alexia Kirby is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Yellowbird Diagnostics, where she transforms scientific breakthroughs into clinic-ready solutions. Leveraging her PhD in Biology from the University of Ottawa and expertise in molecular imaging, she helped transition her groundbreaking doctoral project into a venture focused on dramatically improving healthcare.
Yellowbird Diagnostics is pioneering the next generation of molecular imaging agents. Their flagship product, NeuCaVis™, is a breakthrough PET radiotracer that visualizes inflammation—the silent driver of many major diseases—which is otherwise invisible to standard imaging.
Dr. Kirby has authored or co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles and is a co-inventor on multiple biotech patents. Her work has been recognized internationally, including being awarded the Young Investigator of the Year at the World Molecular Imaging Conference (WMIC) in 2022 and the Women in Molecular Imaging Scholar Award. Most recently, she was the winner of the 2025 ECHO pitch competition. She is committed to a future where earlier, clearer diagnosis leads to significantly better patient outcomes.
What is FemSTEM?
Started in 2017, H2i’s FemSTEM program looks to inspire, engage, and celebrate women-identifying entrepreneurs.
Our goal at H2i is to grow the infrastructure, practice, and local culture to translate discoveries and ideas into problem solving designs, services and product. We do this through building connections, linking people with mentors, resources, researchers, key opinion leaders, and professionals to help them translate, defuse, and scale discoveries.
FemSTEM is our dedicated program focused on fostering an increasingly diverse and inclusive community. We are committed to supporting women and building valuable, diverse connections, uplifting women in STEM who are looking to create their own business. The FemSTEM event series runs each year with panels, fireside talks, and a pitch competition.
FemSTEM 2026 Programming
- FemSTEM Kickoff: Tuesday January 13th | 3:30-5 PM ET (Virtual)
- FemSTEM Pitch Competition Applications Open: Friday January 16th
- Fireside at FemSTEM: Wednesday February 4th | 4-5 PM ET (Virtual)
- Fireside at FemSTEM: Wednesday February 18th | 4-5 PM ET (Virtual)
- Fireside at FemSTEM: Tuesday March 3rd | 4-5 PM ET (In-Person)
- 2026 FemSTEM Pitch Competition: April 22nd (In-Person)