| | | | SXSW has always been a place where big ideas take shape—but for the past few years, it’s also become a place where the future of women’s health is beginning to come into sharper focus.
Next week, the SHE Media Co-Lab Whole Life Health will return to Austin for its fourth year at SXSW—and we couldn’t be more excited to be part of it. Over two days, the event will bring together leading voices to push the dialogue around women’s health forward. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned from past gatherings, it’s this: progress doesn’t happen in silos. It happens when doctors, researchers, advocates, cultural leaders and media voices come together to ask better questions—and work toward better solutions.
That spirit is exactly what the Co-Lab was created to foster. Over the course of the weekend, leading voices across healthcare, media and culture will tackle some of the most pressing issues facing women today—from longevity and hormone health to sexual wellness, mental health, radical self-advocacy and access to care. The goal isn’t just to spotlight the challenges women face, but to explore what real progress looks like—and how we get there.
Alongside powerful conversations on stage, the experience will extend beyond the panels, with curated wellness activations including workout classes and a smoothie bar designed to bring the community together in meaningful ways.
And yes, the lineup is incredible this year. Speakers include everyone from orthopedic surgeon and longevity expert Dr. Vonda Wright to Peloton’s Robin Arzón and happiness expert Gretchen Rubin, along with a special conversation between Constance Zimmer and Padma Lakshmi on the power of midlife reinvention.
If you’ll be at SXSW, I hope you’ll join us. You can register for the SHE Media Co-Lab Whole Life Health here for free, and be part of the conversations shaping the future of women’s health. |
| Meet the Viral Style Icon Encouraging Women to Age Shamelessly In a culture that often treats aging as something to resist, Heidi Clements is doing the opposite: embracing it loudly, stylishly and completely on her own terms.
The writer, storyteller and viral pro-aging influencer has built a devoted following online by encouraging women to rethink everything they’ve been taught about midlife—from how they dress to how they define success.
At 65, Clements regularly shares her outfits and reflections with nearly a million followers on TikTok, many of them decades younger, proving that confidence, creativity and reinvention have no expiration date. She also co-hosts the podcast Talk Fifty To Me alongside actress Constance Zimmer, where the two dive into friendship, aging and the realities of navigating midlife today.
But Clements’ message goes far beyond fashion. Through her writing and social media presence, she encourages women to reject outdated timelines, reclaim their sense of self and approach aging not as a loss—but as an opportunity to finally live life on their own terms.
Below, Clements shares her thoughts on personal style, creativity, the freedom that comes with getting older and why the best years are still ahead. |
What’s the most liberating thing about getting older? The most liberating thing about getting older is that you finally get to know who you really are. And if you're lucky, you begin to really like that person—and eventually really love who you are so that the rest of your life is based on things that really fill your soul.
What would you say to women who feel afraid of aging? Don’t borrow trouble. You don’t know what the future holds; you don’t know how your life could change. Every moment you’re alive is a gift, and there’s nothing to be afraid of. But if you spend too much time worrying about what’s coming next, you’re going to miss all the good stuff—and there is so much good stuff.
What are you most passionate about What’s your best advice for finding your personal style at any age? I remember when I turned 50, I sort of forgot how to dress because I thought, Am I too old for this? But I realized that finding your personal style is really just about noticing what other people are wearing that you like and then making it your own. I post my outfits online so that people can say, “Oh, I have a shirt like that. I have jeans like that.” Then, they can ask themselves: How can I make that outfit feel like me? When you put something on and it feels right inside—that’s the answer.
How do you find flow—that moment, or ability, to be fully immersed and present in the moment—in your life? I think my dogs are what make me have the perfect flow, being immersed in the present, because when you're with them, you really can't think about anything else. My favorite part of the day, when I feel like I'm in flow and present, is when I'm on the beach in the morning with my dogs. |
Spotlight on Black Women’s Health—In Midlife and Beyond Black History Month may be behind us, but at Flow Space, celebrating Black women and diverse voices isn’t seasonal—it’s essential. Especially in healthcare, where inequity isn’t just a talking point; it’s a lived reality. If the gender gap in medical research is frustrating, the gap for Black women is even wider—and it shows up at every stage of life, from maternal health to midlife care.
Nowhere is that more obvious than in the booming menopause space. Menopause is finally having its cultural moment—new products, new platforms, new conversations—but many experts warn that the “mainstream” story still centers a narrow version of who menopause belongs to. Research like the long-running SWAN study underscores why that matters : Black women tend to reach menopause earlier, experience more severe and longer-lasting symptoms, and are less likely to receive adequate treatment—often because structural barriers and biased care shape what gets recognized, offered, and covered.
That’s why equity can’t be cosmetic. As Tufts professor and Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice founder Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha reminds us, “equity in midlife care is not optional”—and we can’t silo maternal health, menopause care and aging as separate issues. They’re connected by the same systems, and they demand a whole-life approach that invests in Black women’s health across the lifespan.
And it’s also why community-led work like Omisade Burney-Scott’s Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause feels so powerful right now: it expands the narrative, centers those most often pushed to the margins and treats menopause not as a punchline—or a problem to “fix”—but as a transformation that everyone deserves to move through with dignity. |
APPLAUDING Peloton and Respin Health for launching a first-of-its-kind fitness collection designed specifically for women navigating perimenopause and menopause. The new Peloton classes focus on bone density, strength, metabolic health and mindfulness, reinforcing what research increasingly shows: movement is one of the most powerful tools for managing midlife symptoms.
READING Christina Applegate’s new memoir, You With the Sad Eyes, just released earlier this week. In the darkly funny, unflinchingly honest book, the Dead to Me star reflects on her decades-long career, turbulent childhood and life after her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
EXPLORING Oura’s new AI-powered Advisor designed specifically for women’s health. The wearable company just launched a proprietary model that combines clinician-backed medical knowledge with members’ own biometric data—like sleep, cycle patterns and stress—to deliver personalized insights across every stage of reproductive health.
CELEBRATING a major milestone for women’s health biotech. Gedeon Richter has acquired the women’s health drug discovery portfolio of Celmatix—the company founded by Flow Space Advisory Council member Dr. Piraye Yurttas Beim—advancing new therapies targeting fertility, endometriosis and ovarian aging into the next stage of development.impact. |
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