In an exclusive interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Dr. Michelle Jacobson, OBGYN and Co-Founder of Coven Women’s Health, shares how her frontline clinical experience and passion for evidence-based care led to the creation of a new model for women’s hormonal health. She offers insight into the gaps women face, the innovations driving Coven’s virtual care approach, and the mission fueling her work to make menopause and hormonal support more accessible across Canada.
Interview By Maheen Bari
Dr. Michelle Jacobson is a menopause specialist in Toronto and cofounder of Coven Women’s Health. She is an obstetrician and gynaecologist with a fellowship in Menopause from the University of Toronto, followed by a Masters of Health Science in translational research. She is the creator and director of the Society of OBGYNs of Canada’s community of practice in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer and the primary author of the Canadian guidelines on the Gynaecologic Management of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer and Breast Cancer and Menopause. She is on the board of directors for the Canadian Menopause Society and Menopause Foundation of Canada
Coven Women’s Health was built on a deeply personal mission to transform women’s hormonal care. Can you share the moment that sparked the decision to create Coven Women’s Health, and how your personal and professional experiences shaped its foundation?
Coven Women’s Health was born from years of watching women struggle to access the multidisciplinary care they deserved. The turning point for me was a series of clinical encounters where I saw highly capable, health-literate women arrive in my office after years of waiting and suffering. As a menopause specialist, I saw how fragmented care, long waits, and stigma around hormonal symptoms created unnecessary suffering. I also experienced this personally as friends and colleagues sought my guidance because they couldn’t find reliable, patient-centred support. I realized that if women inside the healthcare world couldn’t access good care, the situation for everyone else was even worse. Coven Women’s Health was created to bridge that gap: evidence-based, collaborative, clinical care paired with compassionate, accessible, bespoke support. It’s the care I believe all women deserve.
Many women still struggle to access credible, supportive care for hormonal health issues. How is Coven Women’s Health addressing the gaps in Canada’s healthcare system and making hormonal care more accessible for women?
Canadian women face long wait times, limited specialist access, and inconsistent hormonal health education—especially in perimenopause and menopause. Coven Women’s Health was designed to close these gaps by offering timely, virtual, physician-led care grounded in clear clinical pathways. Our model ensures that every woman receives comprehensive assessment, evidence-based treatment options, and ongoing follow-up—not rushed, transactional visits. We’re also expanding access by removing geographical barriers; women across Canada will be able to connect with menopause experts who traditionally would only be available in major urban centres. Beyond direct care, we focus on education: clear, science-driven content that empowers women to understand their symptoms and treatment choices. By combining specialty expertise with virtual delivery, Coven Women’s Health helps women access the right care sooner—avoiding years of misinformation, unnecessary suffering, and preventable health decline.
You’ve emphasized that Coven Women’s Health’s model merges clinical expertise with thoughtful design and virtual accessibility. What innovations or practices have been most impactful in delivering compassionate, evidence-based care through a virtual platform?
Our virtual model was intentionally designed to feel personal, safe, and clinically robust. One of our most impactful innovations is the structured intake process, which allows women to share their symptoms, medical history, and goals in detail before their appointment—something traditional clinics rarely offer. It helps us make the visit more meaningful and ensures nothing important is overlooked. We also use evidence-based care pathways so women receive consistent, high-quality treatment aligned with current guidelines. Thoughtful design plays a big role: clear educational materials, accessible follow-up summaries, and personalized health plans help women feel informed rather than overwhelmed. Virtual care also allows for continuity—women can access their clinician without the barriers of travel, work disruption, or childcare. The result is care that is clinically excellent but also deeply human.
Misinformation around women’s health is widespread, especially online. As both a clinician and entrepreneur, how do you balance medical credibility with relatable communication to earn women’s trust in a crowded wellness landscape?
Women are inundated with conflicting information—some well-intended, much of it inaccurate. My goal is to cut through that noise by offering evidence-based guidance in a way that feels warm, non-judgmental, and practical. Medical expertise matters, but so does meeting women where they are. I avoid jargon, explain the “why” behind recommendations, and validate women’s lived experiences—a crucial step that is often missing in clinical settings. At Coven Women’s Health, we use transparent, guideline-aligned messaging, but we deliver it with empathy. Trust is built through consistency: when women see that we are both scientifically rigorous and genuinely invested in their wellbeing, they feel safe. In a crowded landscape, credibility isn’t just about being correct—it’s about being consistent, relatable, and clear.
As Coven Women’s Health continues to grow and reach more women, what message or advice would you like to leave with other small business leaders—especially those driven by purpose—to help them create impact while staying true to their mission?
Purpose-driven work requires resilience, clarity, and a willingness to evolve without losing sight of your mission. My advice in design thinking is to stay deeply connected to the problem you set out to solve—keep listening to the people you serve. Their needs will guide your decisions far more effectively than trends or external pressure. Surround yourself with collaborators who share your values and challenge you thoughtfully. Pick every member of your team thoughtfully. And remember that impact takes time: building something meaningful is not linear. There will be seasons of doubt, but if your mission is rooted in making people’s lives better, it’s worth pushing forward. Lead with integrity, iterate, stay evidence-informed, and let purpose drive your growth.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Our platform is dedicated to fostering dialogue and sharing insights that inspire and empower small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.
