CEO Lily Elsner on Jack Fertility and the F*ed-Up Questions Still Hitting Female Founders
"I always say, choose what you want to complain about."
"Usually your harshest critic is yourself. Because really, most of your closest family and supporters, they just want you to be happy."
"I was like, would you ask Nick that? How dare you ask me, who else do you ask that question? Do you know what it means?"
"I'm the only one who matters in terms of perception, because I'm the one who has to live with my choices."
Co-founder and CEO of Jack Fertility Lily Elsner shares how she pivoted from aspiring physician to corporate lawyer to health tech entrepreneur, the biases female founders face no matter how qualified they are, and the one crucial thing you need to do to move ahead in your life.
What you'll learn
- How Lily navigated career changes from medicine to law to entrepreneurship
- The importance of mentorship at each stage of a career transition
- The biases female founders face regardless of their qualifications
- Strategies for staying motivated amidst rejection
- What the one crucial thing is that you need to do to jump ahead in life
- What are VCs REALLY asking female founders?
- When to walk away and when to GO TO WAR!?
Key moments from the conversation
From aspiring physician to corporate lawyer to health tech founder
Lily's career arc is a masterclass in self-directed pivoting: she trained as a biologist and philosopher at Wellesley College aiming to be a physician, worked at the US Department of Health and Human Services, pivoted to a big law firm in New York doing M&A, moved to Capital One to work with their board of directors, came to the UK for an MBA at Oxford, worked as Head of Strategy at an AI drug discovery startup, and then co-founded Jack Fertility. Each step taught her something she would not have learned staying on a single ladder.
The mission behind Jack Fertility: male fertility testing at home
Jack Fertility was born when Lily's co-founder Nick tried to get a semen analysis during COVID and could not, the barriers were too high. Sperm counts have declined almost 60% over the last 50 years. One in six couples experience infertility. Yet via the NHS you have to actively try to conceive for a year before you can get on a waiting list for a semen analysis, and then wait three to four more months. Jack Fertility allows men to test from home with lab-grade results, removing the clinic, the embarrassment, and the delay.
Biases faced by female founders: 'So, Lily, why are you here?'
At a final investor committee, someone looked at Lily's male co-founder and said, 'I get why you're here.' Then looked at Lily and said, 'So Lily, why are you here?' In another meeting, an investor asked her repeatedly if she knew basic acronyms. CAC, LTV, that any first-year MBA would know. This happened in the context of a meeting that was already condescending throughout. Lily's response: she built a personal 'board of directors' of trusted friends and mentors she could call after difficult meetings to reality-check whether bias was at play.
The lowest point: pitching to a brick wall
Jack Fertility launched in 2022, right as the inflation shock hit and early-stage capital dried up. After hundreds of pitches, strong feedback, and clear market validation, they still could not raise because funds had no capital for early-stage consumer health hardware. Lily describes realising that 'your best not being good enough' is not a reflection of quality, sometimes it is just timing. The experience clarified that the gaslighting of unconscious bias, being left to wonder 'was that bias, or am I being too sensitive?', is the most exhausting part.
The personal board of directors: how to navigate bias
Lily's most actionable tool for female founders facing bias: build a personal board of directors. Identify a small group of trusted people, she includes her mother, close MBA friends, and a few male friends who can reality-check whether something is normal, and bring the same question to each member separately. The process of articulating what happened, hearing different perspectives, and then either actioning or releasing it is what has kept her mentally well through the hardest periods of building Jack Fertility.
Frequently asked questions
What is Jack Fertility?
Jack Fertility is a health tech company co-founded by Lily Elsner focused on male fertility, the world's first at-home, lab-grade semen analysis kit that allows men to test without visiting a clinic. It addresses the fact that sperm counts have fallen almost 60% over the last 50 years, yet NHS access to testing is slow and barrier-heavy.
How did Lily Elsner transition from law to entrepreneurship?
Lily's career went from aspiring physician to corporate lawyer to crossing the Atlantic to build Jack Fertility. She shares the specific role mentorship played at each stage, particularly a mentor at her New York law firm who told her, 'You are not going to like being a lawyer. But you will run a company someday.'
What biases do female founders face in health tech?
Lily discusses the biases female founders encounter regardless of their qualifications, including scepticism, different standards of scrutiny, and the specific challenges of building in a domain (male fertility) that might seem counterintuitive for a female-led company. She shares that the most pernicious form is unintentional bias, which forces founders to spiral on whether the slight was deliberate.
What does Lily recommend for mental health?
Lily recommends consistency in whatever practice you choose, whether journaling, exercise, or talking things through, and finding exercise that brings you genuine joy rather than obligation. She is a rowing coach outside of work and says the mix of endorphins and something you actually look forward to is the key.
Who is Lily Elsner?
Lily Elsner
Co-founder and CEO · Jack Fertility
Lily Elsner is the co-founder and CEO of Jack Fertility, a health tech company focused on male fertility. Her career has spanned aspiring physician, corporate lawyer, and entrepreneur, a path that took her across the Atlantic and into one of health tech's least-explored spaces.
Jack Fertility →Continue listening
More episodes
2026-06-07
Eileen Wada Willett of East Asian Girl Gang: A Third Culture Take on Identity, Fashion and Community
Listen →
2026-05-24
Dhritiman Mitra Investment Banker and Political Strategist: Insights on Harnessing AI for India's Future
Listen →
2026-05-10