Melissa Antal Iftimie

About Melissa Antal Iftimie

I build what should have existed.Over the past decade, I’ve launched and scaled femtech and maternal health companies serving tens of thousands of families. I co-founded Villie and previously founded Fooblie Nutrition, a digital health + nutrition platform acquired by Willow.But after years inside women’s health, I kept running into the same structural issue:The research base is thin.Many of the everyday experiences women are told to “just live with” — painful periods, fertility confusion, morning sickness, perimenopause — trace back to decades of underinvestment in female biology.So I shifted upstream.I am the Co-Founder & CEO of Eve’s Ark, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving, safeguarding, and responsibly activating women’s health research and biological data — building the infrastructure that makes breakthrough science, AI innovation, and scalable care possible.I’ve built solutions for women. Now I’m working to strengthen the scientific infrastructure those solutions depend on.What I bring:• 0→1 product and brand building, including a successful exit• Deep expertise across women’s and maternal health — from global policy to digital platforms• Experience translating complex science into accessible, trusted solutions• Founder endurance — I understand the long arc required to build in underfunded categoriesWomen’s health is not a niche market. It is infrastructure.And infrastructure determines what becomes possible — for women, for men, and for future generations.

Experience

1. Co-founder

   Villie

   Jan 2024 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   Villie’s purpose is to make every new mom on the planet feel supported and celebrated, period.We’re a platform where moms rally their people — for milestones, for gifts, for support — because community is the greatest predictor of maternal health and wellbeing.Highlights- Co-founded and scaled Villie as a venture-backed momtech platform, serving families- Built community + gifting features designed to boost connection and reduce maternal isolation- Led go-to-market strategy across SEO, content, and partnerships, growing early adoption organically- Translated mom insights into product strategy: what sticks is tight-knit circles, milestone-driven engagement, and gifting hooks — not just “another social app.”- Positioned Villie as the logical next layer beyond registries — the social fabric that supports moms well past the baby shower.Villie Studio (B2B arm):Through Villie Studio, I mentor and advise early-stage women’s health and family-focused startups on business models, community building, content strategy, and growth marketing. This work extends Villie’s mission into the broader ecosystem, helping founders bring innovative solutions to market faster.

Education

• The George Washington University

  Master of Public Health ( M.P.H.), Global Health Strategy and Policy

  2007 — 2009

• UC San Diego Extended Studies

  Certified Lactation Educator, Breastfeeding

• University of Michigan

  BA, Psychology, Bio-Anthropology

  2003 — 2007

• Georgetown University McDonough School of Business

  Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

  2016 — 2019

Skills

• Focus Groups
• Program Management
• Behavior Change Communication
• Qualitative Research
• Ict4d
• Food Security
• Relationship-Builder with Unsurpassed Interpersonal Skills
• Grants
• Humanitarian Assistance
• International Organizations
• Policy
• Nutrition
• Humanitarian
• Civil Society
• Hiv Prevention
• Policy Analysis
• Program Development
• Asia
• Nonprofits
• Capacity Building
• Public Health
• Reproductive Health
• Agriculture
• Fundraising
• Community Development
• Visual Communication
• Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos)
• Grant Writing
• Intercultural Communication
• Africa
• Ngos
• Research
• Program Evaluation
• Nonprofit Organizations
• International Development
• Social Change
• Case Studies
• Proposal Writing
• Strategic Partnerships
• Strategic Communications