Discover all that the WBL Fellows Program has to offer! See below for program eligibility, FAQs, timelines, mission, and more.
The WBL Fellows Program cohort is open for women founders, co-founders, or CEOs of healthcare start-ups. The WBL Fellows Program is the next stage for your business after incubation, initial funding rounds, and early-stage, more “traditional” business accelerators.
Priority will be given to current WBL members who apply.
Applicant Review and Interviews
Fellows Cohort Selected and Announced
Virtual Program Kickoff, In-Person Orientation and HLTH Reception (Las Vegas, NV)
Mentoring and Advising Begins
Virtual Spotlight Series
WBL Summit (Orlando, FL)
Program Concludes
The WBL Fellows Program is for women-led startups, running innovative and scalable ventures.
It is structured as a natural “next step” after business incubation, initial funding rounds, early-stage business accelerators, or for those who are in the process of commercializing and need a relationship boost.
Companies should be solving a current challenge in the health care or life sciences industry. These are companies that are improving our industry and changing the lives of patients or customers.
To be eligible, the company must be privately owned, and no later than Series B. Your company must have been founded within the last 5 years and feature a woman as founder, co-founder, or CEO.
Products should be on the market or ready for market and solve a current challenge in the healthcare industry. Considerations will be made for pharma and life sciences companies founded more than 5 years ago that are still no later than Series B.
We anticipate having 8-10 Fellows in our third program cohort.
Applications will be reviewed and scored by a Selection Committee who are current WBL members and represent a variety of areas within the startup and healthcare industry.
Our timeline looks like this:
Application Opens – April 29, 2025
Application Deadline – May 20, 2025
Applicant Review – May and June 2025
Cohort Decision and Announcement – Early July 2025
There is no application fee or participation fee. Fellows are responsible for their travel/hotel costs related to attending the 2 mandatory in-person events (2025 orientation/reception and 2026 WBL Summit).
To invest WBL’s most powerful asset — relationship capital — into organizations with talented, innovative, and diverse women leaders at the helm to increase their likelihood of success.
We will facilitate warm, enthusiastic introductions and create powerful business relationships resulting in:
revenue-generating opportunities,
enhanced leadership skills,
increased access to capital, and
expanded networks with access to customers and talent.
This program will increase the influence and power of women in our healthcare system and prepare extraordinary women to break barriers and tackle the most complex healthcare challenges.
We envision a healthcare industry where the abnormally low investment funding gap for women founders is closed.
We want more women to have access to capital and to relationships that further their missions. More women in healthcare leadership results in a more resilient, innovative healthcare industry and a healthier world.
Authenticity. Supportive, enthusiastic relationships that create revenue-generating impact, trusted mentorship, honest feedback, wisdom, and connections that last a lifetime.
Boldness. We must work together to solve the biggest, baddest problems in healthcare.
Inclusivity. By valuing and respecting a wide variety of perspectives, we attract the best and brightest to create better business outcomes and competitive advantages.
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WBL Mission:
To connect and convene senior executive women from across the health care industry to create meaningful cross-sector relationships, expand their presence in board and C-level roles, and harness their collective power to improve the industry.