Daily Inspiration: Meet Gillian Henker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gillian Henker.

Hi Gillian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
In 2014, Gillian Henker co-founded Sisu Global, leading the company’s products and technical strategy. Henker is the primary inventor of Hemafuse and has directed Hemafuse’s development from an idea to a fully manufactured, injection-molded device.

The idea of Hemafuse started when Gillian sketched the device in a notebook that soon cultivated into a 3D concept development in Michigan. Shortly after, Henker and Hemafuse moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where Hemafuse underwent regulatory testing. Hemafuse is manufactured at Harbor Design and Manufacturing in Baltimore and is available in five countries: Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Ukraine.

Gillian has been published in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, has presented at the Midwest Biomedical Engineering Career Conference and Appropriate Healthcare Technologies for Developing Countries Seminar in London, and was named Baltimore’s Technologist of the Year.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Sisu Global has the reputation of turning a nickel into a dollar. Our team is small, and Sisu Global is tenacious and pursues large goals, knocking them out time and time again. For instance, when COVID-19 began, we faced many obstacles being a global business. Our team must stay safe while continuing to implement Hemafuse in hospitals and use Hemafuse in surgeries. Our team navigated many virtual meetings and training sessions to ensure the proper use of Hemafuse in the operating room while continuing to work diligently to expand our product’s reach. Despite the adversities we’ve overcome as a company, we are gracious to our partners and community members and their never-ending support to export Hemafuse globally to those in need.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
From a young age, Gillian has wanted to pursue impact as a key indicator of a successful career. With her parents and sister being nurses, Gillian was inspired to pursue a career in Global Health Engineering. She was one of the first students at the University of Michigan to be a part of the Global Health Engineering program that Professor Sienko created. Following graduation, Gillian and fellow engineers created DIIME, Design Innovations for Infants and Mothers Everywhere, a design firm to create new medical devices to improve maternal and infant health in developing countries. Shortly after, in 2014, Henker teamed up with co-founders Carolyn Yarina and Katie Kirsch to launch Sisu Global to change the paradigm shift and provide access to healthcare in global markets. This brings us to the present-day with Gillian serving as President & Co-Founder of Sisu Global, working to secure resources for the company through investments, partnership sales calls, and representing Sisu, globally.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those just starting.
Gillian’s advice for those working from the ground up is:

1. Don’t try and jump ahead too soon.
2. First and foremost, be conscious of your current funding and let that serve as leverage to get your next round of funding.
3. Don’t jump to manufacturing until you have your design controls in place.

It’s important to remember that in this stage, you’re not only designing a product but also setting a design intent for your product.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sisuglobal.health/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sisuglobalhealth/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sisuglobalhealth
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SisuGlobal