Inspiration
I was inspired to create Confi when recently a close friend awkwardly told me that sex has been hurting her and she was embarrassed to talk to her boyfriend about it. She was even uncomfortable talking to me about it, and I am one of her best friends. I gave her what advice that I could, but it made me realize that there is not a go-to resource that I can recommend for her to check to get other people’s perspective. I started asking more friends about the topic to see how common of an issue it was, and I found that everyone has questions and insecurities, and people really wish that something existed to make it easier and less awkward.
Mission
Confi’s mission is to provide the most credible information in an accessible and non-judgmental way. We want to create a comfortable community where people feel empowered to learn and share. These are issues all women deal with, and we’re building a fun space to talk about it.
This space is for people of all sexualities and all gender identities.
Team
Tess Brooks
CEO
Matthew H. H. Young
Kristen Shim
Head of Marketing
Kristen is a rising junior at Harvard College studying economics. She is very passionate about women’s health, having volunteered at hospitals and completed coursework in Biology.
Qaren Quartey
Qaren is a research technician at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Her research focuses on the application of genetics to the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. She is strongly devoted to the empowerment of women, particularly in regards to health and wellness. Qaren hopes to be a physician one day. Qaren graduated from Harvard College in 2015 in Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Expert Advisors
We are building an amazing team of best-in-class professionals. Our advisors provide expert guidance and help verify content.
Kirti A. Patel, MD, MHL
Dr. Kirti Patel is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and healthcare and health tech writer and speaker. Her background includes extensive scientific research, 14 years of clinical experience in Ob/Gyn, a master’s degree in healthcare leadership, and experience writing for and speaking to media. She has been interviewed by the Boston Globe and Fox News, is currently writing for the new media site MedTech Boston, and is an active blogger and user of social media.
Dr. Patel holds a baccalaureate degree from Boston University, a doctorate from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and a master’s degree in healthcare leadership from the School of Professional Studies at Brown University.
She has a depth of knowledge about the current healthcare environment and healthcare trends, is an avid follower scientific and technology innovations in healthcare, and is a frequent advisor to healthcare investors, entrepreneurs and startups. She is also a passionate advocate for women’s health and leadership.
To learn more, follow her on Twitter at @kirtipatelmd or visit her website, www.kirtipatel.com.
Jason James, MD
Dr. Jason James is a board certified obstetrician/gynecologist who is the current chief of the department of Ob/Gyn at Baptist Hospital of Miami. As medical director at FemCare Ob-Gyn, Dr. James’ medical practice is perpetually on the cutting edge of medicine, performing over 90% of all gynecologic procedures utilizing minimally invasive techniques, including the da Vinci robot for major surgery and performing office-based procedures to minimize patient discomfort and recovery. He has spearheaded a pioneering protocol at Baptist Hospital to ensure universal screening of all new mothers for postpartum depression, and recently won the American College of Ob/Gyn’s Issue of the Year Award for postpartum depression research. Dr. James was recognized as a future leader of Baptist Hospital by being one of a select number of physicians chosen to participate in its Collaborative Leadership program, during which he helped spearhead an initiative to virtually eliminate non-medically indicated deliveries prior to 39 weeks gestational age, in accordance with recommendations by the March of Dimes and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). He helped create the visionary Medical Simulation Laboratory at Baptist, the first of its kind in South Florida. Active in community philanthropy, he serves on the Steering Committee of Young Philanthropists of Baptist Health, and chairs the Physicians Committee. He has led numerous community discussions about various topics concerning women’s health. He recently testified before the Florida Senate regarding umbilical cord blood education. Dr. James is considered a key opinion leader on various topics, including contraceptive technology, postpartum depression, umbilical cord blood banking, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, early term deliveries, and nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP). You can follow Dr. James on Twitter at @drjasonjames or learn more at https://about.me/drjjames.
Kate McCombs, MPH
Kate McCombs, MPH is a sex and relationships educator who’s geeky about empathy and connection. Her passion is facilitating communication workshops that help people build amazing relationships.
Ultimately, all of her work is about helping people feel more comfortable talking about sex and feelings. She believes that meaningful conversations and accurate information can help us create a healthier and more joy-filled world. She’s the founder of Sex Geekdom, an international community devoted to creating safe spaces for exactly these kind of conversations.
On the academic front, she has a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor’s in Anthropology from UC Berkeley. She looks at relationship communication through the lenses of both these disciplines.
To connect with Kate, read her latest articles, and stay in-the-know about her upcoming workshops, sign up for her newsletter at KateMcCombs.com.