M51 Community Spotlight: Brenda Ahenkorah from My Well Self

Discover Brenda Ahenkorah’s journey from being a researcher to founding a company optimizing benefits resources for wellbeing. Learn more inside.

Brenda Ahenkorah: The Entrepreneurial Innovator Behind My Well Self

Meet Brenda Ahenkorah: The driven CEO and Founder of My Well Self, a company dedicated to optimizing health benefits resources for well-being and revolutionizing how health goals are navigated and achieved.

Working alongside a network of professional and experienced health advocates, Brenda is redefining the landscape of the healthcare space with an AI-powered digital wellness advisor, personalizing and optimizing how consumers allocate their Health Spending Account (HSA) dollars on services that impact general wellbeing.

Her Remarkable Journey: From the World of Academia to CEO

Brenda has always been curious about science and technology. A self-described “health geek,” Brenda wove her passion for health into her career by starting out doing laboratory work. Realizing she wanted more avenues to express her vibrant and enthusiastic personality, Brenda soon pivoted to academic research in hospital settings. Not wanting to remain stagnant, Brenda then found herself working for large, private firms in Big Pharma, many of which offered ample health benefits to support employee wellbeing. However, it was during her stint at Big Pharma that Brenda faced a critical health challenge of her own, thereby helping her realize the many unmet needs people face regarding their healthcare navigation and well-being.

It became clear to Brenda that although she had many health benefits and resources at her disposal, there was a gap in the market as she did not know how to use them properly and wisely- like so many of us, Brenda addressed her health and well-being reactively instead of proactively. After taking over a year of leave to focus on her own health, Brenda was re-energized and ready to embark on an entrepreneurial journey to help people curate their own personalized health plans based on specific goals, making efficient use of HSA and other wellness program benefits, and ensuring that wellbeing is a proactive, ongoing process.

Brenda founded My Well Self in July 2022, launching its revolutionary digital wellbeing advisor, Abby, named after Brenda’s daughter Abigail: “[I wanted to take] loving what I do as a Mom and put it into the business that I love as well.”

Expanding Horizons: What’s Next for My Well Self?

My Well Self currently partners with HSA providers, offering integrations and seamless logins, which allow users to assess which HSA eligible healthcare providers would meet their needs most efficiently, given their HSA budget. Looking ahead, My Well Self will be looking to expand its network of HSA providers, thereby making the platform more accessible to various users with different corporate insurance plans.

My Well Self also offers appointments and consultations with registered nurses and health advocates to dive deeper into a patient’s medical history for a more in-depth conversation. However, this can be time-consuming for people juggling busy schedules. Moving forward, by mid-Q3, My Well Self aims to launch the second part of Abby, allowing users to have more conversational interactions with users, as opposed to the current questionnaire system.

Brenda also hopes to scale her business, looking to expand beyond Canada and into the United States by Q3 2025, which will be a significant shift in clientele as Americans are more accustomed to paying for healthcare than Canadians.

Reflections on her Career and Advice for Women Entrepreneurs

Looking back at her illustrious career, Brenda emphasizes the importance of being ambitious with no apologies and not hesitating when working for your dreams.

Brenda wishes she had been more confident earlier in her venture into building a digital health company; she recalls wasting countless hours looking for advice and validation from different people who were sometimes less knowledgeable than she was in the healthcare space. Entrepreneurs need to break the cycle of self-doubt and overcome Imposter Syndrome to succeed.

Brenda also stresses the importance of growing a company at a comfortable pace, especially as a bootstrapped company: be proud of your achievements and celebrate the wins along the way. Brenda hopes that by sharing her story, she can inspire other women looking to start businesses.

Connect with Brenda and My Well Self

Discover more about My Well Self and their innovative approach to personalized health and wellness solutions by visiting their website or connect further with Brenda here .

Follow My Well Self (LinkedIn, Instagram) for updates on their latest developments and see how they are transforming the healthcare experience. Dive into the My Well Self journey and explore the future of personalized wellness!