Changing the Narrative Around Menopause
About Us
MPowered Menopause was born out of a deep need: to address the silence, stigma, and lack of support surrounding a life stage that affects more than half the population.
Through advocacy, research funding, and bold community engagement, we’re not just raising awareness — we’re demanding progress. Our work is powered by personal experience, professional insight, and a shared belief that menopause deserves more.
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Lauren Jones founded Mpowered Menopause after recognizing a serious void in information, visibility, and empathy around the menopausal experience. Through conversations with countless women, she discovered a common thread: silence.
Too many women were suffering through hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, libido loss and sleep disorders without guidance or support — and they didn’t feel comfortable talking about it. That realization fueled her vision: to create a platform where menopause was no longer a taboo, but a topic of empowerment and scientific investment.
With a background in women’s advocacy and a passion for health equity, Lauren leads the charge in shifting the narrative from shame to support.
Lauren Jones
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Erica Phillips is a strategic business development leader with over 20 years of experience driving growth through partnerships, sponsorships, and communications. She currently serves as Strategic Advisor and Business Development Lead for the Mpowered Foundation and its event subsidiary, Mpowered Menopause guiding fundraising and organizational strategy.
A passionate advocate for social impact, Erica has led initiatives in Nigeria that helped young people launch aquaculture enterprises and supported women transitioning from sex work into entrepreneurship. She also serves on the boards of Northstar of GIS and Black Arts Los Angeles.
Across her work, Erica is driven by a single goal: building partnerships that create lasting value for people and communities.
G. Erica Phillips
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Erin Ryan brings over four decades of experience in Health Information Technology to her role as Strategic Advisor at Mpowered Menopause, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing women’s health research and raising awareness about the critical need for menopause research funding.
Before retiring from her distinguished career in Health IT, Erin led strategic initiatives supporting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through leadership positions at global technology and consulting firms including Oracle, IBM, and Gartner. Her expertise spans enterprise health systems development, public health data modernization, and digital transformation efforts aimed at improving the accessibility and quality of healthcare across the nation.
Now, Erin is channeling her passion and experience toward addressing one of the most underfunded areas in women’s health: menopause research. In her advisory role, she helps guide Mpowered Menopause’s strategic direction, partnerships, and technology-driven approaches to fundraising and awareness.
Her goal is to bridge the gap between technology, healthcare, and advocacy — empowering women through better data, research, and visibility in midlife and beyond.
Erin Ryan
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Cynthia Wong is a seasoned social impact leader with more than two decades of experience in transformative change, nonprofit strategy, and purpose-driven partnerships. Throughout her career, she has helped mission-driven organizations strengthen capacity, build collaborative networks, and drive impact in service of a more just and abundant society for all. Driven by a deep commitment to advancing health and workplace equity, Cynthia joined Mpowered Menopause to support its mission of breaking silence and stigma around menopause and advancing research, education, and support for women everywhere. She advises on strategy, engagement, and mission amplification — helping ensure women are seen, heard, and equipped to thrive through midlife and beyond
Cynthia WongMPowered Menopause is guided by a diverse Advisory Board comprised of:Advisory Board
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As a board-certified OB-GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, Dr. Berg has spent more than a decade helping women navigate every stage of life — especially menopause. Her mission is simple but powerful: make sure every woman gets real, evidence-based answers and feels seen, supported, and informed. She founded Selfority and Menopause, Explained to do just that — and now she’s bringing that same passion to Millions for Menopause!
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Dr. Sherry Ladha is a highly accomplished and experienced pharmaceutical executive with over two decades of expertise spanning Medical Affairs, Clinical Strategy, and Medical Science Liaison roles. With a foundation in pharmacy and a doctorate from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Dr. Ladha brings deep scientific acumen and strategic insight across therapeutic areas including hematology/oncology, nephrology, neurology, transplant, and rare genetic diseases.
Currently serving as Medical Science Director, Northeast Region at Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Ladha leads medical strategy and scientific engagement for approved products including Tavalisse, Rezlidhia, and Gavreto, as well as Rigel's oncology pipeline. Her responsibilities include developing tactical medical plans, leading cross-functional initiatives, supporting investigator-sponsored research, and serving as a peer-to-peer resource for KOLs and healthcare professionals.
Previously, as Senior Medical Science Liaison at Rigel, Mallinckrodt, Raptor, and Genzyme (Sanofi), she built and maintained robust KOL networks, supported multiple product launches, and educated stakeholders on complex therapeutic landscapes including ITP, MS, IS, Cystinosis, and transplant-related conditions.
Dr. Ladha also held significant leadership roles in training and development as Manager of International Training at Genzyme, where she designed and implemented global MSL onboarding and therapeutic education programs across JAPAC, EU, and LATAM markets.
Known for her strategic thinking, scientific rigor, and effective communication, she has presented at national and international congresses including ASH, ASCO, NKF, and ASN, and served as a key resource for managed care and payer presentations. Her career is marked by a consistent focus on advancing scientific understanding, improving patient outcomes, and collaborating across commercial and clinical teams.
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Julia Mandeville is a doctoral (PhD) candidate in Public Health at George Mason University, specializing in Social and Behavioral Sciences. She holds a Master of Public Health in Global Health from the University of Manchester and a Bachelor of Science in Biology with Microbiology from the University of the West Indies. Julia brings deep expertise in public health, focusing on life course outcomes and how disorders such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, adenomyosis, and uterine fibroids affect the quality of life of the women who have these conditions. As a co-founder of the Barbados Association of Endometriosis and PCOS, she leverages both personal experience with severe endometriosis and professional research skills to advance health equity for women living with complex chronic conditions. Her work employs rigorous mixed methods and community-engaged research approaches, centering and working with marginalized and underserved populations. Julia’s research seeks to interrogate and address structural barriers to quality care, integrating psychosocial factors like stigma, depression, and minority stress that critically affect psychosocial health outcomes for women through their life. She is skilled in epidemiologic methods, qualitative analysis, and health disparities frameworks relevant to menopause. She is committed to advocacy and translating evidence into policy and practice that can improve healthcare services for girls and women.
Everyday women across all stages of menopause.Together, this diverse group shapes our strategy, informs our research priorities, and keeps our work rooted in the lived realities of the women we serve. Their collective insight ensures that our initiatives — from research funding to education campaigns and partnerships — are as meaningful as they are impactful.
Are you a medical professional, policy expert, researcher, or advocate passionate about rewriting the menopause narrative?
Let’s Work Together
We’re building a movement, and we’re looking for mission-aligned sponsors, collaborators, and advisors who believe that menopause deserves more than silence.