Join us as Adrianne Nickerson, a healthcare innovator and founder of Oula, shares her inspiring journey from co-founding a cancer support startup to revolutionizing maternity care for women across the U.S. With a data-driven passion and a knack for building community, Adrianne offers a fresh perspective on transforming a broken system into a warm, evidence-based experience,starting with her own life-changing birth story.
In this episode, Adrianne dives into creating Oula, a maternity care company blending midwifery and obstetrics, now expanding from New York to Connecticut. She reveals how patient feedback scrapped birth centers for hospital partnerships, why systemic barriers hold back better care, and how she’s raised $50 million to scale a profitable model. Whether you’re a healthcare enthusiast, entrepreneur, or parent-to-be, Adrianne’s story blends grit, insight, and a mission to rewrite the maternity narrative.
🔑 KEY HIGHLIGHTS
FROM CANCER SUPPORT TO MATERNITY REVOLUTION
Adrianne Nickerson traces her path from co-founding RobinCare for cancer patients to launching Oula, inspired by the transformative power of quarterback providers in life-
altering health journeys.
BIRTH AS A BEAUTIFUL BALLET
Hear Adrianne recount her son Logan’s birth at Oula,a seamless, evidence-based experience with doulas, hydrotherapy, and skin-to-skin care,proving maternity can be joyful, not just scary.
REBUILDING CARE FROM THE GROUND UP
Discover how lessons from RobinCare led Adrianne to make Oula the provider, not just a wraparound, integrating midwifery and obstetrics to tackle maternity holistically.
PIVOTING WITH PATIENT VOICES
Adrianne explains scrapping birth centers after patients preferred Oula’s hospital-based hybrid model,balancing safety with a human touch,shaping a scalable business.
UNWINDING A PHYSICIAN-CENTRIC SYSTEM
Learn why the U.S. lags in midwifery care (10% vs. Europe’s 80%), rooted in historical racism and training gaps, and how Oula’s partnerships with Mount Sinai and Stamford Health fight back.
FUNDRAISING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY
Adrianne shares raising $50 million across tough markets,April 2020 and late 2024,proving positive unit economics and a solid business model trump trendy tech hype.
RESOURCES & LINKS
Learn More About Oula: oulahealth.com
Connect with Adrianne Nickerson on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adriannenickerson/
Podcast Website: foundersecretspod.com
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @foundersecretspod
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🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/4h59tyer
Spotify: tinyurl.com/4wjb26v8
⚡ SPONSORED BY DASH
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