Kate Ryder

A native Minnesotan, Kate Ryder started her career as an English teacher in Spain. She attended the London School of Economics and earned a master’s in anthropology. She then embarked on a writing career that went from writing for The Economist, the New Yorker, and the Wall Street Journal to co-authoring U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson’s memoirs. In 2012, she switched careers again, entering finance by joining VC-firm Index Ventures. Shortly after, she founded Maven Clinic in 2014. 

Why They Made the Worthy 100: As founder and CEO of the Maven Clinic, Ryder heads up a company specializing in telemedicine solutions. It’s essentially a virtual clinic focusing on women and family health. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s become a full-on startup unicorn after scoring a $1 billion valuation after a Series D financing round in 2021. But going above and beyond running a successful business, Ryder remains a vocal advocate for women’s health as a frequent speaker and a founding supporter of the Marshall Plan for Moms.