The disease itself surely makes no such distinctions – nor should a company that’s developed a product to treat it.

Diabetes can threaten the life of men and women alike. It is a complex disease with destructive side effects. Male or female, diabetics must deal not only with blood sugar imbalances, but poor blood circulation, possible loss of sensation in the extremities (called peripheral neuropathy), and complications like foot ulcers and even amputation.

A company that wants to tackle those issues head on must have a strong commitment and a comprehensive long term vision so it can overcome any number of medical, technical and financial challenges.

So why should gender complicate things? An early stage Canadian medtech company has a great solution to offer to diabetics and PN sufferers; the fact that the CEO is a woman under 30 should not be an issue.

That’s how Dr. Breanne Everett sees it.

Her company has developed a unique health care technology platform that provides direct feedback to a patient, telling him or her about the health and status of their feet.

The SurroSenseRx system from Orpyx Medical Technologies brings high tech power to footwear: it includes pressure-sensing shoe inserts, a wirelessly connected smart watch, and a unique software program that measures pressure and other influencers so the user can be notified about possible negative impacts, change their behaviour and avoid more serious consequences.

The system also tracks data over time through a web-based portal so the patient and health care provider can monitor their progress and improve metrics.

“It is important to be aware of any potential differences, but it’s my belief that gender should not play a role. It has nothing to do with my abilities,” she says plainly. “I know there’s a historical context, and traditionally medicine and technology have been male-dominated, but at the end of the day, gender should be irrelevant at the office. It’s about your skill set, and the contribution you make to the company, regardless of gender.”

Encouraged from a young age by her parents to follow both creative and entrepreneurial impulses, Everett was selling her own handmade jewellery at age eight. In high school, Everett’s interests encompassed art, science and medicine, and later they framed her career path as ideas that were to become Orpyx led her to leave her surgical residency at university in order to co-found the company; that in turn led her to further her career with formal business and management studies.

All along, she has done what she wanted and loved to do: her path has not been limited because she’s a woman; it’s been followed because that’s her desire and her plan. “Girls, young women, should choose a career based on desire and ability,” she says plainly. “They should not be limited by gender. Twenty years ago, maybe it was a big deal and some women were making a statement (with their career choices). That was a precedent. Today, well, the precedent shows women can do anything.”

Her company shows it, too.

Over the past year or so, Orpyx has moved forward incredibly quickly – the staff size has almost tripled, a comprehensive beta roll-out of SurroSenseRx system is underway in the U.S. (and Health Canada approvals are expected soon so the product will be available in Canada this year, Everett added), and some exciting new products are in the pipeline for subsequent release.

And while Everett is surely on the right track as far as a gender neutral business vision is concerned, she is the first to note some real differences on the personal side, certain biological ones.

There’s a five-week-old baby boy happily gurgling in the background as we speak: Everett is balancing two powerful life forces at the same time, a start-up family and a start-up business!

The balancing of personal and professional life is a challenge, but one she has planned and made adjustments for: while the amount of actual time that she is in the office may have lessened somewhat, her connectivity – “I’m Skype-ing in for all regular meetings” – has not.

Knowing some personal and professional adjustments would have to be made to effectively balance home and office life, she also stresses the value of a supportive staff and flexible work environment. There’s a new company President, for example, well suited to manage in her absence; there’s a free flow of ideas at the office that encourages everyone to get involved and share ideas no matter what their specific role.

Everett sees the life-work balance as not only necessary, not only manageable, but rewarding in many ways: “We’re all the better for it,” she says of the ways in which she, her family and her company have grown as a result.

No one wants to be frustrated or limited or resentful of a conflict between life and work, she says, and everyone should be able to pursue their dreams and realize their potential, personally and professionally.

Everett knows full well there are enough roadblocks in starting up a company, and in working with technology, that extra challenges are just not needed.

Her approach is to run her company in as flat or flexible a fashion as possible, giving everyone a chance to contribute to the company, growing the business and developing professionally, while balancing their own needs and thriving personally, as well.

“It’s not about running a company like a robot,” she says. “It’s about living out your dream.”

That’s the distinction Everett likes to make.

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