Where Science Meets Purpose: Dr. Poorva Dharkar’s Mission in Health Tech

In the fast-paced and typically male-centric field of life sciences and health technology, Dr. Poorva Dharkar is a refreshing force of innovation, empathy, and change. With 15+ years of experience across drug development, biotech strategy, and leading a nonprofit, Dr. Dharkar is not simply a scientist but a bridge-builder spanning research, strategy, and real-world health.

She founded Ziva Consulting, where she helps health-focused startups accelerate innovation, improve brand visibility, and engage their audiences through strategic guidance. As a student, she earned top awards such as the NIH Director’s Award. In a short time since then, she has served as a leader in academia, academia-related business, federal government and now the non-governmental sector (where she directed the COVID-19 Open Data Portal), demonstrating her generalist competence.

But at the root of the accolades is a woman who has dedicated herself to health equity, women’s wellness, and entrepreneurial empathy.

Demystifying Health Tech

Broadly defined, health technology (health-tech) is any tech-driven tool that improves patient care or the work of the health care providers who serve those patients, from a simple app to a complex device to a digital platform. Consider a fitness tracker, a wearable heart rate monitor, or an app that reminds patients to take their pills. It is science at the intersection with daily life — and it is this very intersection that Dr. Dharkar finds most compelling.

From Bench to Boardroom

Dr. Dharkar started off her career conventionally, with a BSc, MSc, PhD, and postdoc work at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She was a specialist in oncology, neuroscience, and infectious diseases. But a craving for wider impact inspired her to pivot — soon an MBA in data science and entrepreneurship enabled her to transition into strategic roles and to explore the business side of innovation.

But at the root of the accolades is a woman who has dedicated herself to health equity, women’s wellness, and entrepreneurial empathy.

Demystifying Health Tech

Broadly defined, health technology (health-tech) is any tech-driven tool that improves patient care or the work of the health care providers who serve those patients, from a simple app to a complex device to a digital platform. Consider a fitness tracker, a wearable heart rate monitor, or an app that reminds patients to take their pills. It is science at the intersection with daily life — and it is this very intersection that Dr. Dharkar finds most compelling.

From Bench to Boardroom

Dr. Dharkar started off her career conventionally, with a BSc, MSc, PhD, and postdoc work at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She was a specialist in oncology, neuroscience, and infectious diseases. But a craving for wider impact inspired her to pivot — soon an MBA in data science and entrepreneurship enabled her to transition into strategic roles and to explore the business side of innovation.

Ziva Consulting doesn’t advise startups; it enables them. Focusing on non-dilutive funding (like grants as opposed to equity investment), market research, and storytelling, Ziva helps health tech founders go from idea to impact. “You could have the best product in the world, but if it doesn’t get to the right audience that wants to use it and knows how to use it, it doesn’t change lives,” she says.

The Entrepreneurial Mindset

Even with her impressive background, Dr. Dharkar makes no secret about the rollercoaster of being an entrepreneur. The unpredictability is scary but also thrilling,” she says.

Her anchor is a profound sense of purpose: supporting other people. “We might not be the doctors in the hospital, but our work is improving the health outcomes. That mission keeps me going.”

Her advice to fellow entrepreneurs? “Find your tribe. Your support system does not need to resemble you. It might very well be anybody — family, friends, mentors, even your kids. Just make sure you’re around people who bring you up.”

And, it’s important to “Slow down. Reflect. Don’t chase speed at the cost of your well-being”

Driving change in women’s health

Dr. Dharkar already has a seat at the table of a major issue he hopes to work with: women’s health equity. From the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials to limited diagnostic tools for diseases such as autoimmune disorders and female-specific cancers, she sees an opportunity and a wide gap.

Through Ziva, she has started Witty High Women on the U.S. East Coast, an ecosystem initiative that gathers communities to address consumers’ unmet needs. It’s a twofer: It’s a social responsibility and an economic and scientific opportunity,” she says.

A Nonlinear Path to Success

Dr. Dharkar’s journey is a tale of the power of embracing nonlinear growth. “After my PhD and postdoc, I took a leap into business school — which isn’t typical for most scientists,” she says. “People questioned it. But I did what got me going.”

She urges women — particularly students — to reject the conventional path. “India in particular has all these creative academic marriages. Don’t feel that you need to stick to one set of interests.”

Words of Wisdom for The Next Generation

For people who are keen to learn more about health tech, there is, she says:

• Get a head start: “I contacted people who became mentors as early as 10th grade. It’s never too early.”
• Journaling: “Three-point journaling — what went well, what was okay, and what could be better — builds clarity.”
• Self-affirmation: “Stop waiting for applause. Learn to cheer yourself on.”
• Never stop learning: “Read papers. Connect the dots. Drive into the ‘why’ of the data.”

She also decodes terms like biotech, life sciences, and MedTech:

“Medtech is about devices. Apps and software are a part of health tech. Biotech itself is the use of biological processes to create products. The cover term is life sciences. It doesn’t matter what you call it — focus on the impact.”

Final Word

In Dr. Dharkar’s universe, the world of wonder meets a world of meaning, and science serves society. The story of her journey is not one merely of founding a consulting firm, or even winning awards — it is a story about building bridges: between data and decisions, between innovation and inclusion, and, most of all, between humans.

Her advice to aspiring changemakers?

“It’s okay to pivot. It’s okay to pause. But don’t stop looking for ways your skills may be useful. You bring a special piece into the world that no one else can do.”