The Ignite Health Foundation recently hosted a Golden Ticket North Texas pitch competition at Pegasus Park in Dallas, where seven female-led healthcare startups pitched before a panel of judges from McKinsey, Accenture, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and more. The event “spotlighted women-led ventures tackling some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges, from precision medicine to women’s health,” the foundation said.
Supported by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the Golden Ticket program serves as a launchpad for under-resourced female founders, offering strategic mentorship, investor access, and entry into Houston-based Ignite Health’s national venture network.
A scene from Ignite’s Golden Ticket pitch competition at Pegasus Park. [Photo: Ignite Health]
At the May 8 pitch competition, three founders were selected to advance to Ignite’s National Accelerator. All of them were selected from a competitive applicant pool and supported through Ignite’s structured mentorship and advisory program.
Those three founders are:
Margo Harrison, founder and CEO of Denver-based Wave Bye Inc., which provides medically proven products for period pain and symptoms in women.
Danguole Altman, founder and CEO of Houston-based Cx Precision Medicine, a life science company developing blood-based biomarker screening technology as well as companion diagnostics for therapeutic agents.
Lauren Gage, founder and CEO of Dallas-based Triplemoon, a digital health platform transforming family wellness by addressing critical gaps in mental, behavioral, and nutritional health.
‘Addressing critical gaps’
“These founders exemplify the talent Ignite is discovering,” Ignite Founder Ayse McCracken said in a statement. “Each is addressing critical gaps in healthcare, especially in areas that impact women’s health and wellbeing.”
Photo: Ignite Health
Finalists received real-time feedback and direct access to new partnerships. Golden Ticket winners gain exposure to investment partners, pilot opportunities, and long-term founder support. Beyond the three founders above, Ignite’s full 2025 Golden Ticket North Texas cohort also included:
Hema Mandlekar, LumosFit
Kadambari Beelwar, Truss Health
Malgorzata Jaremko, Gosia Genomics Inc
Nuria Jimenez, ClearSight Therapeutics
Judges at the event included:
Christine Spraker, Founder & Partner, co-foundHer
Ezekiel Fink, MD, Medical Director of Pain, Houston Methodist
James Springfield, President, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
Kim Schwartz, US Health Technology Lead & Managing Director, Accenture
Laura Medford-Davis, MD, Emergency Physician / Partner, McKinsey & Company
Trey Bowles, Founder, Bowles Investment Group
Wendy Smith, DSc, MHA, Managing Director, Aon
The Ignite Health Foundation is a national nonprofit dedicated to closing equity gaps in healthcare innovation by supporting diverse founders. Through accelerators, investment readiness coaching, and strategic partnerships, Ignite said it elevates high-potential entrepreneurs who have historically been Underrepresented from early-stage capital and support networks.
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