Mel Strong, founding partner of Next Ventures and ex-Nike Women VP, joins Gabby Reece, Amber Taylor, and Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan on why women’s health is the smartest bet in tech and the research and tools finally putting women first.
WHAT WE EXPLORE
Women-led companies deliver stronger returns
Decision frameworks for major career changes
Evidence-backed women’s health claims
Why AI trained on old data misleads women
Hormone monitoring technology for women
GLP-1 dosing and female metabolism
The women’s health gap
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
05:52 Women’s Broken Relationship With Money
09:54 Why Women-Led Companies Return More
15:08 The Autonomy Access Investing Framework
19:45 Spotting Gaps in Women’s Health
22:57 Why Startups Skip Funding the Science
27:21 How VCs Evaluate Health Startups
33:00 Why Women’s Health Data Is Broken
38:03 GLP-1 Dosing and Wearables for Women
42:28 Why Simple Health Advice Sells
47:30 The Growth Trap Killing Startups
50:16 The Women’s Health Funding Fight
53:08 How to Start Angel Investing
About Mel Strong:
Mel Strong is co-founder of Next Ventures, the health and wellness fund she launched after 17 years at Nike. She invests in evidence-backed women’s health companies and has advocated for women’s health equity on Capitol Hill.
Connect with Mel Strong:
Website: https://www.nextventures.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniestrong
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-strong
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ABOUT THE PROOF OF PRACTICE
The Proof of Practice: Where Science Meets Practice
Women have been understudied, undertreated, and given advice built for men. This show exists to change that.
Hosted by five of the most respected names in women’s health — Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, Amber Taylor, Gabby Reece, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, and Dr. Stacy Sims — every episode brings evidence-based, experience-backed conversations on strength, metabolism, hormones, longevity, and performance. No trends. No shortcuts. Just the proof that practice works.
YOUR HOSTS
Gabby Reece
One of the most iconic athletes in American sports history, Gabby Reece is a former professional beach volleyball player, Nike’s first female spokesperson, New York Times bestselling author, and lifelong advocate for how women should train, eat, and live. She co-founded the Hamilton House Experience wellness program with her husband Laird Hamilton and hosts The Reecet women’s wellness retreat. Gabby brings decades of real-world performance experience to every conversation.
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
🌐 http://gabbyreece.com
Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD, CSCS*D, FACSM, FNSCA
Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory, Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan has published over 190 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is one of the leading researchers in female physiology, metabolism, and sports nutrition. A three-time NSCA award winner — including Outstanding Sports Scientist of the Year (2022) — she translates cutting-edge lab science into practical strategies that actually work for women across every life stage.
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmithryan/
🌐 http://asmithryan.com
Amber Taylor
Amber Taylor is a New Zealand–based digital health and product leader who builds evidence‑based fitness platforms designed to better support women’s physiology, safety, and long‑term wellbeing. Drawing on two decades in technology and digital roles at Amazon, Nike, and Les Mills, she uses AI, behavioral insights, and omnichannel delivery to create inclusive training experiences that help women move consistently, recover smarter, and integrate exercise into real life.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, DO
Board-certified in family medicine and fellowship-trained in nutritional science and geriatrics, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is the founder of muscle-centric medicine — a framework that positions skeletal muscle as the cornerstone of metabolic health, longevity, and disease prevention. She is the author of the bestselling book Forever Strong and one of the most sought-after voices in functional medicine and women’s performance.
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon/
🌐 http://drgabriellelyon.com
Dr. Stacy Sims, PhD
Exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims has spent her career closing the research gap on women in sport — making the case that women are not small men and should not be trained or fueled as such. She is the author of ROAR and Next Level, a two-time TEDx speaker, and the go-to expert on how hormones, training, and nutrition interact across the female lifespan, from athletic peak to perimenopause and beyond.
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstacysims/
🌐 http://drstacysims.com💌 Some things deserve more space than an episode allows. Join us on Substack for deeper dives, exclusive resources, and the nuance that actually helps you make sense of your health.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit proofpractice.substack.com
