Sónia Ferreira

Sónia Ferreira, MBA (CEO), is a leading expert on healthcare solutions. She has over 10 years of experience in small business management.

Born in Guimarães (PT), she is an ostomate from a very early age due to a bladder malformation. The fact that Sónia started working from an early age in her family businesses, together with her condition, provided the opportunity to develop a very dynamic skill set. In 2006, she moved to Lisbon to pursue higher education in Biomedical Engineering and completed an MBA in Health Services. This critical learning period provided her with the tools to develop a solution for the pains she felt as an ostomate. Later, she specialized in medical device regulations and worked in the healthcare and medical fields for over seven years. She has over 12 years of experience in health solutions-focused entrepreneurship. In 2022, Sónia was invited by the Portuguese Minister of the Economy and Maritime Affairs to represent nearly 300 health’ Portuguese start-ups in the "Economy and Health Working Group" promoted by the Portuguese government. She relies on her skills to make partnerships, innovate, and improve biomedical devices and materials to drive her company forward and make a difference in patient's health and quality of life. Her experience and skills in company management, business vision, active thinking, and being a mother-daughter of 7 years old make her the ideal leader to motivate the team and closely monitor the link between product value and market needs, always patient-centric.

As an ostomy patient and an engineer, Sónia is uniquely equipped to support and empower ostomy patients, especially young women. Ostomies can often impact one's self-esteem and confidence, and for young women, these effects can be particularly challenging. Sónia's focus on young women is especially important because she understands their difficulties. Her goal as a speaker is to raise awareness about ostomies and to encourage young women to feel confident, beautiful, and capable, regardless of their circumstances. Sónia knows that the challenge of motherhood can make it even more difficult to keep a positive outlook, so she works tirelessly to provide young women with the support and resources they need.