Siera Torontow, an alumna of Imperial College Business School, discusses the glaring gap in workplace health education. Her platform, GirlYouNeedToKnowThis, addresses the urgent need for better health communication in the workplace. She also shares insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, and the value of diverse perspectives gained from her Weekend MBA experience.
Workplace health education should be a necessity, not a privilege. Siera Torontow, an Imperial College Business School alumna, is working towards making this a reality for everyone.
She is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of GirlYouNeedtoKnowThis (GYNTKT). GYNTKT is a purpose-driven organization that highlights taboo health topics to address employee well-being and workplace health promotion.
Siera decided to co-found GYNTKT for a variety of important reasons. The skills she gained during her MBA aided her efforts in putting her business plan into action.
Siera was initially drawn to Imperial College Business School due to her background in commercial healthcare. The school has a highly regarded medical faculty. She says, “I knew that Imperial led in that space.” (00:33)
On the other hand, she wanted to pursue an MBA that could offer her in-depth business knowledge. She wanted to network with people outside of her industry and gain insights from a diverse and international cohort. “I really wanted that mix,” Siera notes. (00:30)
She highlights, “I really thought about innovation just in the healthcare aspect. And then suddenly I was discussing policy, climate change, [and] global finance with people who saw problems through entirely different lenses. It really forced me to step back and ask, ‘How are we framing certain problems?’” (01:19)
The diverse and inclusive learning environment at Imperial College Business School offered a productive space for peer learning.
Additionally, the Weekend MBA offered a part-time study format that suited her learning goals and lifestyle. The combination of these factors made it the right choice for her.
The flexible, part-time format of the Weekend MBA was pivotal to Siera.
She reflects, “I chose the weekend format because that was crucial for me…back in 2018 when I was looking for a program, I wasn’t at the executive level yet but I knew I was heading there. I needed something that would challenge me while allowing me to gain experience too.” (00:43)
This way she could continue growing in her career while developing her business knowledge and entrepreneurship skills. This combination offered the right foundation for the next steps in her career journey.
A defining moment in Siera’s MBA experience was the Entrepreneurial Journey module. When she first started the Weekend MBA, she was unsure if she wanted to launch her own business. This module’s focus on entrepreneurship and innovation offered further insights into this potential career path.
The module explored what it takes to become an entrepreneur. It explored topics such as validating your business ideas, dealing with failure, spotting niche market gaps, and problem-solving.
She emphasizes, “It really did change the way I think. I realized entrepreneurship isn’t just about building a business, it’s about spotting gaps and being relentless in solving these. I think that module was really impactful for me.” (02:17)
The business know-how, entrepreneurial skills, and leadership skills Siera gained during the MBA were crucial when creating her own business.
She contemplates, “The MBA trained me to zoom out and connect dots better. Understanding what drives different parts of the business isn’t just helpful, it’s essential when you’re building a company.” (06:29)
Siera co-founded the organization together with Clara Ali Ghalib. Based in London, UK, they offer interactive webinars that leverage gamified learning. GYNTKT offers a platform that empowers companies and organizations to address difficult conversations inclusively. Ultimately, this boosts work productivity and brings teams closer together.
Now more than ever companies and organizations are grappling with ever-changing language around mental health. Well-being and healthy company culture are becoming increasingly important to employees. Employee well-being matters at all organizational levels. It directly impacts employee job satisfaction, talent attraction and retention, productivity, and employee engagement.
She stresses, “One of the biggest challenges in women’s health is that people still see it as a niche issue. It’s absolutely not. It’s tied to workforce productivity, economic growth, [and] retention rates at companies.” (06:16)
However, there is still a huge gap between what we know to be true and what is taking place in workspaces. That is precisely why Siera co-founded GYNTKT. Their mission is to tackle these topics surrounding workplace health education head-on.
GYNTKT takes an inclusive approach. The platform isn’t only for people with lived experience. To create lasting change, everyone needs to get involved.
Siera emphasizes, “It’s not just for people with lived experience. We believe that everybody should have foundational knowledge when it comes to crucial health topics.” (04:37)
GYNTKT addresses a broad range of topics such as menstrual health, fertility, menopause, nutrition, sleep, and stress. They work with a comprehensive 12-session format.
These sessions take place as webinars and make use of gamified learning. Employees actively participate in the sessions, making the sessions interactive, relatable, and engaging. They have a 93% engagement rate.
Their sessions help leaders and managers tap into the right information and tools to manage diverse teams effectively. (10:19)
Her hope for the future is that leaders will move beyond awareness and representation towards tangible action.
Siera’s story serves as an example that no dream is too big if you utilize the right skills and continue to challenge yourself.
Her meaningful work with GirlYouNeedToKnowThis underscores the importance of empathy, communication, and proactive measures in fostering inclusive and supportive work environments. It is initiatives like these that continue to move us forward toward a more equitable and inclusive society for all.
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