In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Veroniek Vermeulen, founder of Silatha, about why women's health is still expected to be left at the office door. Veroniek trained as an engineer in a field where 80 percent of her peers were men, and spent years trying to fit into a workplace that wasn’t suited for women. She founded Silatha to replace that silence with psychological safety, backed by real numbers on engagement and retention.
This episode is for female founders and health tech leaders building company culture, women in leadership deciding what to share about their own health at work, and anyone curious what changes once women's health is on the agenda.
What you'll learn in this episode
- Why fitting in at work can mean adapting so well you lose track of what you would build differently
- How psychological safety becomes measurable: Silatha's programs report 93 percent higher engagement and 92 percent better psychological safety among participants
- Why cycle-related symptoms only seem unpredictable, and what changes once people track them
- What staying silent about women's health costs at work: stress, isolation, absenteeism, and disengagement
- Why policy should follow the 80 to 99 percent of people acting in good faith
- Her three-part advice for founders in perimenopause: learn your own patterns, find a qualified specialist, and be intentional about what you share with your team
Chapters:
00:00 — Introduction: Women’s Health, Psychological Safety & Silatha
02:11 — Meet Veroniek Vermeulen and Silatha
02:42 — From Corporate Engineer to Founder
05:03 — Fitting In vs. Adapting at Work
06:41 — Burnout, Belonging & Being Valued
07:53 — Purpose, Viktor Frankl & Letting Go of Control
13:38 — How Silatha Evolved from Wellbeing to Women’s Health
17:41 — Why Psychological Safety Matters for Health at Work
19:59 — Breaking the Taboo Around Women’s Health
25:59 — How Organizations Build Lasting Support
27:02 — Nura: Private, Always-On Health Support
32:15 — Privacy, Trust & Responsible Health AI
38:10 — Men’s Mental Health and Inclusive Health Conversations
41:00 — The Cultural and Business Impact of Support
43:50 — Women’s Health at Work: Regional Perspectives
46:14 — How Founders Can Build Psychologically Safe Startups
55:15 — Advice for Founders Navigating Perimenopause
56:47 — Priorities, Pressure & Getting Important Work Done
1:01:26 — Finding Purpose Through the Work
1:01:58 — Designing Safer Founder Communities
1:04:06 — Where to Connect with Veroniek Vermeulen and Silatha
1:04:40 — Closing and Episode Outro
Show notes:Blog: https://womendisruptingtech.blog/2026/10/08/episode-172/
Substack: https://womendisruptingtech.substack.com/p/episode-172?r=2v0lts&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Books discussed in the episode
Man’s Search for Meaning: https://amzn.eu/d/07Dj5X9M
Four Thousand Weeks: https://amzn.eu/d/0fyR6E7E
Connect with Veroniek Vermeulen and Silatha
Veroniek on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veroniek/
Silatha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/silatha/
Silatha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SilathaJourney/
Silatha Middle East website: https://silathajourney.com/
Silatha Europe website: https://silatha.com/
Silatha on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMEvuobvsmkMqGlv8ndZucQ
Connect with host Dirkjan Hupkes
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkjan-hupkes/
Substack: https://womendisruptingtech.substack.com/
FundingCoach: https://fundingcoach.ai/
About Women Disrupting Tech
Every week, Women Disrupting Tech covers the decisions, patterns, and structural realities that female founders and investors rarely discuss in public but run into every time they meet. Follow to get it in your feed.
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