Lida Tohidi

Most companies spend millions on productivity tools — but ignore the one upgrade that costs nothing and delivers the biggest ROI: training the mind. New research from UCSF just proved what we've known at Unplug for years. A study of 1,458 employees found that just 10 minutes of daily digital meditation reduced workplace stress by 85% in 8 weeks. Not 8%. Not 18%. Eighty-five percent. The same study showed improvements in work engagement, mindfulness, and overall well-being — benefits that lasted four months after the program ended. This isn't about sitting cross-legged for hours. It's about giving your brain the reset it needs to think clearer, respond better, and show up fully. What's one small daily practice that's made the biggest difference in how you handle workplace pressure?

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We’ve gone from ‘brawn to brain’. When I spoke with Katty Kay on the SaaSyAF (From Hurree Labs, Inc.) podcast, she explained how the #MeToo movement reshaped the skills we value at work - empathy, communication, adaptability. At Hurree, we’ve seen that first-hand. No one should have to choose between being a parent and having a career. Our Chief of Staff, Laura Greenhill, is proof of that. As Katty put it, the best leaders don’t just hire talent - they nurture it. Read the full piece on the blog. https://lnkd.in/ex2Yz6V9 #Leadership #Diversity #WorkplaceCulture #SaaSyAF

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Women’s Health remains one of the most underfunded areas in modern medicine — despite affecting half the world’s population. In our latest 'Pulse' episode, I spoke with Laura Minquini, founder of Athena Bio (formerly Athena DAO), about why conditions like endometriosis, menopause-related diseases, and PCOS still receive only a fraction of global biomedical research funding. We explored the “Valley of Death” in biotech — the critical gap between scientific discovery and real treatments — and how decentralized science (DeSci) could help fund the translational research needed to turn lab breakthroughs into therapies that actually reach patients. Laura also shares why women’s health is still treated as a “frontier market” by investors, and why the opportunity for innovation is far bigger than most people realize. If we want better healthcare outcomes, we need better funding models — and long-term commitment to research that has been overlooked for decades. A new 'Pulse' Episode is here - hope you'll like it. Do let us know what you think! Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ebemH-Hz Youtube: https://lnkd.in/egakVJSy Amazon: https://lnkd.in/ew2rDfei Apple: https://lnkd.in/e6QH9tsx #WomensHealth #Biotech #DeSci #Innovation #Healthcare #ResearchFunding

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Innovation in the "Femtech" Space: How Women-Led Startups are Solving Neglected Health Issues. View My Portfolio. For decades, significant aspects of women's health were sidelined as "niche" concerns. No longer. The rise of Femtech—technology-driven health solutions focused on women's needs—is a powerful market correction, and it's being led by women. At V For Vibes, we are inspired by the founders who are turning personal frustration into global innovation. They are building companies that address long-ignored areas, from reproductive health and menstrual care to menopause and sexual wellness. Why does this matter for business? Market Opportunity: Women make 80% of healthcare decisions. This isn't a niche; it's a powerhouse economic engine. Diverse Leadership: Women-led startups bring essential lived experience to the table, creating products that truly resonate. Investment in Impact: Supporting Femtech isn't just good ethics; it's smart economics, funding solutions for half the world's population. The success of Femtech proves that when we diversify leadership, we unlock innovation that changes lives and dominates new markets. #Femtech #WomenInTech #WomenFounders #HealthTech #Innovation #SexualWellness #InvestInWomen #BusinessStrategy #Startups #VForVibes #DigitalHealth

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If you’re building a health tech startup, here’s a useful perspective from the accelerator side. At ViVE, I spoke with Keith Camhi, Managing Director of the Techstars Healthcare Accelerator powered by Permanente Medicine Mid-Atlantic States. The program invests in early-stage startups and helps founders run pilots with physicians in the Kaiser Permanente ecosystem. Some interesting takeaways: • Techstars still prioritizes “Team, team, team” above everything else; • Founders in the program are interviewed by physicians before acceptance; • The goal isn’t just mentorship — it’s getting real pilots with providers; • AI startups dominate applications, but the focus remains on real clinical problems. Applications for the next cohort open soon, so founders may want to keep an eye on it. Short interview from #ViVE 👇 🎥 Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gNN_5628 #Vive2026 #digitalhealthinsideout #health2tech #digitalhealth

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Building a startup is hard. It is especially hard in a country like Nigeria, where the ecosystem is yet to mature, and there are still many challenges to navigate. It is confusing, lonely, and full of uncertain decisions. Founders, especially early-stage founders, need as much support as they can get. Not “inspire to perspire” posts, but practical support on hiring, operations, funding, customer research, and navigating the regulatory landscape. Too many founders are surrounded by noise, surface-level advice, and generic content that does not reflect their current realities. What they need is a community that understands exactly what they are going through and can offer context that is immediately useful. Sierra Collective exists to be that community. A space where founders learn from one another’s live experiences and shorten the painful trial and error that usually defines the early stages of building. At Sierra, we believe that the most valuable support comes from those who are active in the trenches, navigating the same obstacles. If you are an early-stage founder, you should join the Sierra Collective. You do not have to figure everything out alone. As the African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Join Sierra: https://lnkd.in/d-Nzmtkq

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Conventional wisdom holds that startups function as a safety net in times of layoffs. As large companies shed workers, fast-growing newcomers are expected to absorb displaced talent, whether immediately or over time. That narrative resurfaced as Big Tech layoffs extended into early 2026, with more than 26,000 employees affected across 59 companies in January. Data from an Ascend survey of startups suggests the picture is more complicated. Among the VC-backed startups in our survey, nearly nine in 10 CEOs report actively using AI in the operation or building of their companies. Many say they are planning to hire smaller teams than they would’ve needed just a few years ago. To understand how those choices are being made, Ascend surveyed ~70 CEOs of VC-funded startups that are small and overwhelmingly early stage. The average company was founded in 2022, most are pre-seed or seed, and they are typically building their first 10 to 15 roles. These companies have always represented a small share of the labor market, but they are often where new roles are created first. Amazon was once a startup, too, which is why shifts at this stage matter. Opportunities certainly still exist, even in this economy! Later-stage startups continue to hire, new companies are being formed, and early-stage founders are looking for strong talent. Many people affected by layoffs will find a great landing, and some will start companies of their own, as has happened after nearly every downturn. But at the same time, hiring dynamics are changing in quieter ways. At large companies, AI-driven efficiency gains tend to surface through layoffs that make headlines. At early-stage startups, they appear to surface earlier, through hiring plans that never materialize and roles that may never be filled. Founders remain builders and job creators, while also operating under intense pressure to extend runway and move quickly with lean teams. In many cases, they are navigating the same forces as their larger peers, just earlier in the company’s life. *Layoffs and tight job markets still suck!* I’ve seen the impact firsthand, especially on people with families, visas, and very little margin. None of this should undermine the skills and humanity of those impacted. What this survey is intended to capture is a shift in how startups are being built from the beginning. AI is shaping team design long before those changes show up in headline job numbers, influencing when new roles appear and how many emerge. Startups may still create the next wave of jobs, as they always have. The path looks different this time, though, and it’s worth being clear-eyed about that, especially for the people living through the transition. If you’re a founder who is hiring, feel free to link your job board in the comments. 👉 Swipe through the carousel for the data and breakdown.

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Excellent article by Rachel Lockett in the First Round Capital review on how to build a lasting co-founder relationship. https://lnkd.in/gdYEAF_h Co-founder relationships have three core components - "I" (how each individual founder is performing/growing), "We" (the relationship), and "It" (what stage is the business in, what are our working norms in this stage, etc.). To build a successful partnership over time, you need to cultivate each of these elements. This includes: -Noticing when you're walking on eggshells and having hard conversations to slough off resentment - "We" -Knowing when old ways of working (informal co-founder syncs and roles) need to be updated (to more fomal 1-1's, clear swim lanes, etc.) - "It" -Each founder learning over time about their individual zones of genius, weaknesses, and triggers and using this knowledge to work more effectively and joyfully - "I" I've seen numerous co-founder terms get to the brink of a breakup, then by choosing to stay in it and work on the above challenges, bounce back and report that their partnerships are now a 9 or 10 out of 10. Aweosme post, Rachel, thanks for sharing your insights.

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