How listening to a patient led me to innovate in biomedicine

What would you do if your own experience inspired you to change the lives of others? In this talk, I share the real story that took me from vulnerability to innovation, and how that personal journey led to the creation of Ostofix, a device designed to improve the quality of life of people living with an ostomy.

Ana Ye Zhang is a biomedical engineer, nurse, and entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Ownmed Innovation, a health-tech spin-off focused on developing medical solutions, particularly for people with ostomies. Her flagship innovation, Ostofix, is a patented anti-reflux device designed to restore continence control and significantly improve patients’ quality of life.

With a background in Nursing, Biomedical Engineering, and an MBA, Ana combines clinical insight with technological innovation. Under her leadership, Ownmed has received multiple awards, secured international patents, closed its first investment round, and advanced to the preclinical stage with biocompatible prototypes.

She was selected for the VI Women and Engineering Excellence Program by the Royal Academy of Engineering and has received recognitions such as the UC3M TFM Emprende Award and the Female Founders Award 2024. In 2024, she was also the second runner-up in the Princess of Girona Awards in the CreaEmpresa category.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format, but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx