Audrey Sherman: Leading with Invention and Intention

Challenges I’ve overcome – and what I’ve learned

"As a woman innovator, it takes a strong self-worth to be assertive enough to get my ideas across, and I have learned to be patient yet bold enough to stand up for my work once its value is understood."

My tips for women in healthcare

"Be bold, be assertive and be patient. No one sees what you are seeing, and no one can think about it like you do as well. Communication can be your friend."

Why networks are important

"I love any of them that encourage kids in STEM and Innovation. The patent agencies are getting into this effort to foster the next generation of inventors."

How I see the future of the healthcare industry

"I see an era where human and machine work together to bring more precision and better decision to the industry."

Qualities I call essential for success in the healthcare industry

"I think collaboration is the most important quality for success in healthcare and in the future, it could include machine tools as well, but I like grit as well. Because science will never show you that you got the right answer… that only comes after you know what is right. Before then, you face a lot of nos and it takes real grit to work past them to get to that final yes."

My advice for building a strong professional network

"Never assume that a connection cannot help you or that you cannot help them – that two-way street should always be kept open for the future."

The best advice I ever received

"No one knows what you know, because no one has experienced it like you have, so that knowledge is uniquely yours. It’s your choice how to use it."