Phyllis Mugadza

Phyllis Mugadza, is the Founder and CEO of Sprxng, a menstrual health company developing Ori, a reusable menstrual disc designed to make sustainable menstrual care easier to adopt while providing drug-free menstrual pain relief. 

At the heart of Ori is a question that reimagines menstrual care: What if your menstrual product could also be your therapy for menstrual pain? Ori expands the role of the menstrual product beyond managing bleeding by integrating menstrual management with drug-free pain relief in a single reusable product. The technology underlying Ori has been granted a utility patent. 

Phyllis’s work on Sprxng is informed by her research and experience in menstrual health. Her doctoral research examines chemical exposures from menstrual products and their potential implications for health. She has also conducted extensive user research with menstruators from diverse communities to better understand barriers to existing products. Earlier in her career, she developed menstrual health education materials and research instruments and designed a biodegradable menstrual pad for underserved communities. Her work has been recognized by MIT Solve, Schmidt Futures, and other social innovation programs. Phyllis’s interdisciplinary background in engineering and public health shapes her approach to menstrual health innovation, combining rigorous scientific research with human-centered product design.

Phyllis is a PhD candidate in Population Health Sciences at Harvard University. Trained as both a mechanical engineer and public health researcher, her work sits at the intersection of product design, environmental health, and menstrual health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Public Health in Health Care Management from Yale University.