EVENT RECAP | Build Her Way: From Vision to Venture with First Women's Bank and Women In Medicine | 4.29.2026

May 1

Women in Medicine® and First Women’s Bank convened physicians, entrepreneurs, investors, and allies in Chicago on April 29 for a focused discussion on ownership, innovation, and women’s leadership in health care. The conversation explored how clinicians can translate frontline insights into entrepreneurship, equity-building, and new care models. The fireside chat led by WIM’s Executive Director, Morgan Collier, with Dr. Paula S. Malhotra, MD, Founder of SKN Institute, grounded the discussion in real experience, highlighting the shift from clinical practice to ownership and the structural and personal factors that shape that transition.

Key Takeaways

Ownership expands the physician's role beyond clinical care
Moving from employee to owner shifts responsibility from patient care alone to culture, team performance, and long-term business value. As Dr. Malhotra shared, “As a physician, you are focused on the patient. As an owner, your responsibility expands far beyond that.”
Entrepreneurship requires a mindset shift from income to equity
Physicians must transition from predictable earnings to building long-term value, often with delayed financial return and higher uncertainty. “I had to shift my mindset from earning income to building equity and long-term value,” she noted.
Networks and trusted advisors are critical enablers
Access to accountants, legal experts, and experienced operators plays a central role in navigating startup complexity and reducing risk. Dr. Malhotra emphasized, “At the end of the day, I decided to surround myself with people who knew what they were doing.”
Barriers for women persist, especially in capital and access
Limited exposure to financial systems, smaller networks, and structural inequities continue to constrain pathways to ownership. “There are still real barriers for women, especially around access to capital, networks, and opportunity,” she said, reinforcing the importance of peer support and proactive engagement. “We should not wait to be invited to the table. We should sit down and ask the questions.”

Learn more about Dr. Malhotra’s SKN Institute here.