Ex-Snapchat APAC GM tackles menopause stigma with new solution
Snapchat’s former APAC GM Kathryn Carter has created a menopause support solution named My Pause.
The announcement:
New research reveals women would rather turn to AI than talk to their partners, GPs or mothers about menopause – Kathryn Carter, former Snapchat Asia Pacific GM, is changing that.
After leading the billion-dollar tech platform and navigating seven rounds of IVF, Kathryn hit an unexpected hurdle: early perimenopause at 39. Stunned at the lack of support, knowledge and products, Kathryn, now 42, is tackling it head on with MyPause Health.
She’s personally bootstrapped the business and partnered with leading supplement giant Tropeaka and a team of naturopaths, nutritionists, and physiologists to offer a range of science-backed TGA-approved products and personalised support.
“ALL women go through menopause, yet it’s a minefield for this stage of life,” says mum-of-one Kathryn – who fell pregnant with son Henry on her last round of IVF. “When I was in perimenopause, I didn’t know where to start. There’s such a lack of awareness.”
She’s not alone. The new national MyPause study paints a stark picture: silence, shame, and isolation still dominate the menopause experience for Australian women.
Key findings include:
- Generational silence: 1 in 3 women never discussed menopause with their mothers
- AI over intimacy: 1 in 4 women would rather talk to AI like ChatGPT than a real human about menopause symptoms
- Partners in the dark: Nearly 20% believe their partner wouldn’t understand what they’re going through
- Punchline fears: 16.1% avoid talking to their partner due to fear of becoming the butt of a joke
- Loss of desire: 14.9% fear their partner will no longer find them attractive once they open up
- The loneliness epidemic: 46% say they wish they had a stronger support network
- Digital support over real life: 29% turn to online communities over workplaces or in-person groups
- Community crisis: 36% say they have no menopause support system at all
- Dismissed by doctors: 1 in 4 blame male GPs for not recognising or understanding their symptoms
Disrupting the health industry
Having experienced Snap Inc’s rounds of redundancies and determined to avoid them in the future, Kathryn has designed MyPause around AI platforms, global agency partners and fractional talent spanning Brazil to Utah to London.
“I have experienced the human impact and business disruption of having to reduce overheads,” she says. “It’s an interesting example of how you can launch a global business with an internationally skilled workforce whilst having a lean overhead in terms of full-time staff.
“Whether it’s systems helping with customer service, creating content, optimising trends and functionalities, improving logistics, or workflow processes – there are so many options, and it ensures we’re able to be fluid with how we scale up or down various roles and requirements.
“It goes back to coming from a place of never wanting to make anyone redundant again.”
Global focus
Whilst the MyPause range is formulated and made in Australia, Kathryn has global ambition.
“The potential of the opportunity in markets such as North America is staggering. The growth of this category on Amazon in the US, where my ambitions are squarely focused, is wild with increases of up to 335% for menopause products and perimenopause supplements up 219% in the last two years.
“We have the benefit of being part of the broader momentum behind the menopause conversation – where celebrities, influencers, doctors speak openly about their experience and the need for change.”
Tick of approval
MyPause is the first Aussie supplement brand to achieve GenM’s accreditation — the trusted symbol and certification for menopause-friendly shopping, meeting the overwhelming demand of over 1 billion globally.
It’s successfully influencing UK retailers, pharmacies and supermarkets to have dedicated menopause sections, which Kathryn is determined to replicate here.
“In Australia, we have sections for cold and flu, period or pregnancy care, and often a medical section – but menopause isn’t really addressed.
“GenM has done a fantastic job of challenging retailers to have dedicated menopause sections within their stores. Now in the UK, you can walk into Boots or Tesco and find a ‘Menopause’ aisle, which drives sales for those businesses.
“We recognise the power of being on shelf and want to ensure women can find us as easily at their preferred store, as they can through an ad on Instagram. It doesn’t exist in Australia yet – but we’re going to change that.”
Source: Special Group
Editor’s note: Mumbrella has changed the way it deals with company names. House style is now to use standard proper noun capitalisation on all names regardless of brand typography. Brand typography may be retained in direct quotes from releases.
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