In this episode of Collected, we sit down with Maria Haugen, CEO & Founder of FoXX Health—a women’s health advocacy app designed to help patients be heard, understood, and better supported in the health care system.

Maria’s mission began with a frightening personal health experience: recurring heart-attack–like symptoms that were repeatedly dismissed as anxiety. After months of uncertainty, she finally received a diagnosis—costochondritis, a condition that mimics heart attack symptoms and is frequently overlooked, especially in women. That gap between fear and care sparked a new purpose: building tools that help women show up prepared, confident, and taken seriously in medical conversations.

Maria shares how Fox Health is:

• reshaping doctor-patient communication through more accurate symptom tracking
• using women-specific data (not generic health research rooted in male-dominant studies)
• empowering patients without villainizing providers
• building community through anonymous support dens focused on different health journeys
• co-created with patient voices from day one

This episode dives into what it means to change the system not by fighting it, but by showing up ready to navigate it. It’s an inspiring look at how lived experience can fuel impactful health care innovation, and why advocacy tools matter for every patient, not just experts.

🎧 Listen in to learn how FoXX Health is helping women do what the system hasn’t always made space for: be heard.

Download FoXX Health here: https://www.foxxhealth.com/

Collected by Unum Co. is a podcast about the power of lived experience, and how stories can shape more human-centred systems, services, and spaces.

Created by Unum Co., a patient-experience consultancy and creative studio helping health care organizations connect with people through storytelling, strategy, and digital engagement.

🔗 Learn more at unumco.ca

💌 Connect with us on LinkedIn
and Instagram

Subscribe, rate, and share the show. Your support helps more people discover these stories.

In this episode, we’re taking you behind the scenes of how Unum Co. came to be.

Megan shares how navigating her own health journey led to peer support, advocacy work, and a career in health care communications. Farah reflects on 15 years in pharma, the push to listen to real patient experiences, and the moment she stumbled upon a small but growing online community called The Gut Gazette.

From patient storytelling to corporate decision-making, blogging to brand building, and from two separate careers to a shared mission, this is the origin story of Unum Co. It is also the beginning of Collected, a podcast created to share stories that move health care forward.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

- The power of patient stories to spark change
- Why digital communities have reshaped health care conversations
- How two different career paths merged into one mission
- What you can expect from future episodes of Collected

This is where storytelling meets impact, and where our journey with you begins.

Collected by Unum Co. is a podcast about the power of lived experience, and how stories can shape more human-centred systems, services, and spaces.

Created by Unum Co., a patient-experience consultancy and creative studio helping health care organizations connect with people through storytelling, strategy, and digital engagement.

🔗 Learn more at unumco.ca

💌 Connect with us on LinkedIn
and Instagram

Subscribe, rate, and share the show. Your support helps more people discover these stories.

In this episode we sit down with Wendy Smith—entrepreneur, creative, and community-builder—to explore what it means to lead with empathy and intention. From handwritten notes to community events that bring people together, Wendy shows how small, thoughtful gestures can create lasting impact.

She shares her journey of evolution (across industries, identities, and roles) and how consistency and care have shaped the way she connects with others. Together, we unpack what it means to build spaces that feel human and where collaboration and kindness are as essential as strategy and success.

This conversation is a reminder that thoughtful connection isn’t just a skill, but an art.

Follow Wendy at @matter_homes

Collected by Unum Co. is a podcast about the power of lived experience, and how stories can shape more human-centred systems, services, and spaces.

Created by Unum Co., a patient-experience consultancy and creative studio helping health care organizations connect with people through storytelling, strategy, and digital engagement.

🔗 Learn more at unumco.ca

💌 Connect with us on LinkedIn
and Instagram

Subscribe, rate, and share the show. Your support helps more people discover these stories.