Could you pitch investors for millions while caring for a newborn? In today’s episode, host Marcus Arredondo chats with Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, who shares her incredible journey of building a life-saving biotech company while navigating pregnancy, fundraising, and the chaos of startup life. From pitching investors with a newborn to securing millions in funding, she opens up about the challenges, sacrifices, and lessons learned. Oriana also reveals the harsh realities of raising capital in a changing market, the struggles of scaling a team, and why ovarian cancer detection is overdue for innovation. If you’ve ever felt stretched between your ambitions and personal life, this conversation will leave you inspired and thinking differently about resilience, leadership, and making bold moves.

Oriana Papin-Zoghbi is the CEO and Co-Founder of AOA Dx, leading the charge in early ovarian cancer detection. With a background in global healthcare innovation, she has launched life-saving diagnostics in maternal-fetal medicine, oncology, and infectious diseases. Oriana successfully raised millions while balancing new motherhood, proving resilience is key in both startups and life. Recognized as a Top 100 Female Founder by Inc., she continues to drive groundbreaking advancements in women’s health.

Episode highlights:
[0:00] Intro
[2:03] Startup while pregnant, fundraising with newborn
[5:57] Founder and Mom challenges
[11:10] Creating a maternity transition plan
[14:30] Y Combinator: Preparing for a high-stakes pitch
[19:24] Lessons from raising capital
[22:30] Fundraising in 2021 Vs. 2023
[27:10] Scaling a startup and hiring lessons
[30:08] AOA Dx’s mission: Early detection of ovarian cancer
[34:56] Challenges in healthcare innovation
[38:22] Strong boards, smart hires: Lessons in leadership
[44:08] How Oriana’s multicultural background shaped her resilience
[47:52] Outro