40 Minute Mentor

May 1, 2024

Deirdre O’Neill: Breaking taboos and transforming women’s health with Hertility

Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Deirdre O’Neill, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial & Legal Officer at women’s health startup, Hertility.

With a background in corporate law and VC law, Deirdre took the leap into entrepreneurship in 2019, alongside twin sister Dr Helen O’Neill and Dr Natalie Getreu.

Since then, the three Co-Founders and their team have been revolutionising the future of reproductive healthcare, by pioneering unique diagnostic testing.

In this episode, we get a full behind-the-scenes look into their build so far and where the future might take them…

“Entrepreneurship feels like a process of torture sometimes because no matter how hard you try and how much you work and how many evenings or weekends that you sacrifice, you’re still only at the very bottom of the hill.”

Deirdre O'Neill

Tune in to discover

Growing up in Cork [07:30]

Why she feels more like a lawyer now than ever before [10:33]

Hertility’s origin story [13:14]

Breaking into a heavily regulated space [18:30]

Normalising talking about fertility & women’s health [20:27]

Fundraising & why crowdfunding is a great option [23:11]

Leaning into pregnancy as a Founder [29:05]

Why the best talent is focusing on purpose [31:52]

Are you choosing a steamboat or a speedboat? [33:15]

Hertility’s team culture [35:23]

Audience Question: How do you navigate conflict with your Co-Founder and twin sister [40:13]

Listen on

Helpful links

⛳ Helpful links:

➡️ Connect with Deirdre: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deirdre-o-neill-a8bb6a14/

➡️ Check out Hertility: https://hertilityhealth.com/

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