photographer: julia powalacz© | make-up artist: miriam zinhagel from art of colors agency
charlotte poot(she/her)
mede-oprichter en onderzoeker at stichting hospital hero
about
i am passionate about creating a direct, positive impact on the healthcare experience of children and their families. with my background as a digital health researcher, i co-founded hospital hero together with pediatric nurse nicole donkel. hospital hero uses playful, digital solutions to support children before and during medical procedures. seeing how it empowers children, gives them and their parents a sense of control, and creates small moments of distraction and joy gives me the energy to keep going. throughout my academic career in digital health, i have always been motivated by creating impact that truly matters for people—by understanding their needs, co-creating solutions, and bridging research and practice. i love connecting people, turning needs into ideas, and ideas into reality.
why do you think it is important that role models need to be visible?
in my work, i have seen that the most successful healthcare innovations start with empathy—truly understanding the needs of patients, families, and everyone affected. skills like listening, empathy, openness, and collaboration, often associated with our feminine side, are essential for driving healthcare forward. i believe that by demonstrating how these strengths are powerful drivers of innovation, female role models help broaden the definition of what leadership and success in health tech can look like. in doing so, they open doors for others and inspire people, especially young people, to take steps they might not have taken otherwise.
stichting hospital hero
hospital hero is a non-profit organisation, founded by nicole donkel, paediatric nurse, and charlotte poot, postdoctoral researcher in ehealth. by combining expertise in healthcare, technology, and research, we develop a scalable digital solution that supports children before and during their hospital visit.
with the app, children can prepare at home by taking a sneak peek inside the examination room. the app also offers interactive games that provide distraction, helping children feel more at ease. from the very beginning, hospital hero has been developed in co-creation with children, parents, and healthcare professionals.
for us, innovation is not only about technology, but first and foremost about people. it is precisely the collaboration between healthcare, research, and technology that makes hospital hero impactful. that’s why we are proud role models for equals, as we believe that different perspectives and backgrounds drive impactful innovations forward.
powered by gemeente leiden
de gemeente leiden maakt samen met inwoners, ondernemers en andere partijen een steeds mooiere plek van leiden en de leidse regio. het stimuleren van ondernemerschap is belangrijk voor gemeente leiden. we werken daarvoor onder andere samen met unlock_ van plnt leiden. om het belang van ondernemerschap en het leiden bio science park verder uit te dragen heeft gemeente leiden een aantal onderneemsters vanuit dit incubatorprogramma genomineerd voor de rolmodellencampagne.