Inaugural ‘Influential Women of MedTech’ Awards Celebrate Healthcare’s Powerful Female Leaders

The exclusive gathering recognized the founders, executives, and leaders shaping the next era of medical technology.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, UNITED STATES, November 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The inaugural Influential Women of MedTech Awards took center stage in Scottsdale, gathering the region’s top medical technology pioneers to celebrate the future of healthcare innovation. Held recently at the Cattle Track Arts Compound, the vibrant reception officially recognized a powerhouse cohort of Arizona women who are actively reshaping the MedTech landscape.

These founders, executives, and clinicians are driving an Arizona bioscience sector that reached 41,519 jobs in 2025, growing at nearly twice the national rate, and attracted nearly $1.5 billion in venture capital over the last five years. But for many of the honorees, the drive to innovate is born from a desire to eliminate the disconnect between what healthcare can do and what patients actually experience.

The 2026 honorees encompass a broad spectrum of medical technology, from AI and precision medicine to diagnostics, regenerative science, and women’s health. Leaders like Dr. Mitzi Krockover, Founder and CEO of Woman Centered, LLC, and co-founder of FemTech AZ, are tackling systemic medical gaps, such as the fact that only four percent of medical research is specifically focused on women. Meanwhile, innovators like Marissa Fayer, CEO of DeepLook Medical, are leveraging AI-powered software to improve the detection of soft tissue tumors, ensuring that breakthrough technologies successfully make the leap from the lab into clinical use.

“We launched this series to shine a light on the real progress being made in MedTech and the women actively driving it,” said Kim Prince, founder and CEO of Proven Media. “These are the leaders in the trenches, doing the heavy lifting to improve the industry. Seeing that level of brilliance gathered in one room was a profoundly powerful moment.”

Industry veterans curated the honorees, with support from prominent connectors who helped identify the region’s most formidable female talent.

“The real magic of the evening was in the conversations,” added Anne Mazet, Chief of Staff at JETFUEL for Xcellerant Ventures. “When you bring this many driven women into one room, you spark the relationships that will ultimately accelerate healthcare for all of us.” Presented by Proven Media in collaboration with AZ Business Magazine, the exclusive, invitation-only event was sponsored by Lauren Strait of Proof Real Estate Partners and Bianchi & Brandt.

The 2026 Influential Women of MedTech Honorees:

*Elsa Abruzzo, CEO & President, Anuncia Medical
*Azin Adsan Van Alabeek, Co-Founder & General Partner, Emmeline Venture
*Mara Aspinall, Partner, Illumina Ventures (not shown)
*Jasmine Bhatti, Founder, Navi Nurses (not shown)
*Tess Burleson, M.B.A., C.P.A., President & CEO, TGen Health Ventures
*Mia Chorney, DNP, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, The Pause Technologies
*Imen Maaroufi Clark, Founder, Prickly Pear Health
*Rebecca Clyde, Co-Founder & CEO, Botco.ai
*Marissa Fayer, CEO, DeepLook Medical
*Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD, Professor, Basic Medical Sciences & Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix
*Sharon Jackson, Founder, Integrative Medicine Chamber of Commerce
*Tirza Jova, Founder & CEO, Milk by Mom
*Joan Koerber-Walker, President & CEO, Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio)
*Mitzi K. Krockover, MD, Founder & CEO, Woman Centered, LLC
*Nineveh Madsen, CEO & Co-Founder, Supra Human
*Barbara “Barb” Marusiak, DHSc, Assistant Dean, Health Professions, Arizona State University’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation
*Inga Rose, Founder & CEO, Reference Medicine
*Mel Schottenstein, NMD, MBE, MScN, FICT, FSCT, Founder, Mitogenesis
*Whitney Slightham, Co-Founder & CEO, Ateleva
*Susan Sly, Co-Founder & CEO, The Pause Technologies
*Stacey Stevens, Founder and CEO, Simbiosys (not shown)
*Courtney Williams, Co-Founder & CEO, Emagine Solutions Technology (not shown)

If you know a woman advancing the field of MedTech and would like to learn more about nominating her for the 2027 awards, contact Proven Media at hello@provenmedia.com.

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About Proven Media
Proven Media is a full-service, national public relations firm serving highly regulated industries. Founded by Kim Pravlis-Prince in 2014, the firm provides strategic PR and marketing services to guide new and emerging companies, brands, and executives as they grow and succeed in a rapidly changing market. Called Star Makers by NV Magazine, named a Top PR Firm by the Business Journal, and recognized as a Top 5 Most Powerful PR Firm by the Observer, Proven Media is committed to elevating the voices of rising leaders nationwide. To learn more, visit provenmedia.com.

Ashley Feagins
Proven Media
+1 209-814-2689

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