Good morning, Broadsheet readers! House Democrats plan to introduce a bill to codify reproductive rights, Citibank expands its paid parental leave offerings, and Guild founder Rachel Romer shares more about her recovery from a stroke at 34. Have a reflective Wednesday.
– More to the story. In April, I wrote in the Broadsheet about Rachel Romer, the founder of the $4.4 billion education startup Guild, who had a stroke at 34 years old. For a refresher: Romer was sitting on her patio on an August evening last year, when she fell to the ground. Her right side was immobilized; she couldn’t yell loud enough to get help and waited all night until her aunt, who lived nearby, found her during her morning walk. She was rushed to the hospital, where she spent the next three months; her recovery has included three brain surgeries and working to regain use of her right side.
I was blown away by the response to that piece. Readers gravitated toward Romer’s story—more so than I’ve seen in a while. People celebrated all that she achieved, building a startup valued at $4.4 billion with customers including Walmart and Disney by her mid-30s. People sent their support to Romer and the rest of Guild’s team, appreciating that the startup had put a strong leadership bench in place so that a founder’s serious personal setback didn’t risk the business. And some took the opportunity to talk about founder health and well-being and the controversial b-word: burnout (more on that later).
So I was glad to have the opportunity to visit Romer and Guild’s new CEO Bijal Shah in Denver last month for an expanded version of the story published in the most recent issue of Fortune. In person, we talked more about Romer’s personal experience, from what was going through her mind as she waited for someone to find her on that warm August night to the strength required for her recovery. Her goals are to walk again, and to do her twin daughters’ hair for ballet.
I also got to delve deeper into Romer’s journey founding Guild—the problems she saw in the American vocational education system and the need for workforce upskilling—and what’s next for Guild under new leadership. Guild is reckoning with some of its own challenges, from the advent of ChatGPT and its impact on knowledge workers to its own layoffs (after this story went to press, Guild laid off 25% of its workforce.) Romer’s personal experience has reinforced her belief in the need for change in the health care training system, which she’s brought back to Guild.
Romer also wanted to set the record straight on “burnout” assumptions; she says burnout wasn’t a factor in her stroke and that the idea has only been raised by those who don’t know her. She viewed Guild as her “other child” and felt strongly about ensuring its continuity in her absence.
Read the full story here.
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
The Broadsheet is Fortune’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Today’s edition was curated by Joseph Abrams. Subscribe here.
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
- Electorate's watching. House Democrats announced that they will propose a bill that would codify reproductive rights at the federal level. The bill likely won’t pass due to Republican dissent, though Democrats hope that publicly airing the vote could earn voter support. New York Times
- Swayed leave. Jane Fraser's Citibank will now allow new parents in the U.S. to take up to 16 weeks of paid leave in an effort to compete with other banks for new talent. Those who give birth receive up to eight additional weeks in time off, and employees can also take up to two weeks of paid leave a year to take care of a family member. Bloomberg
- Gutsy move. A lawsuit was filed last week against Poppi, the soda brand cofounded by Allison Ellsworth, for overexaggerating the drink’s positive impact on gut health. The lawsuit claims that Poppi cans contain an insignificant amount of prebiotic fiber and drinking enough to have any impact would necessitate an excess of sugar. The company has since called the allegations “baseless” and claims it will “vigorously defend against” them. AP
- Freeze future. Venture capitalist Laura Deming launched Cradle Healthcare, her reversible cryonics company, on Monday after three years in stealth development. The company is developing technology to freeze people with illnesses and revive them in the future when those illnesses are curable. Bloomberg
- Verge of something new. In a new guest essay for Fortune, Verge Genomics CEO Alice Zhang described the advantages of creating a culture where employees are encouraged to be vulnerable and open about their anxieties. The head of the AI-powered drug discovery company said that doing so has led to a “low-drama” environment, engaged employees, and material success. Fortune
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Braze appointed Yvonne Wassenaar to its board of directors. Roku hired Sarah Harms as vice president of advertising marketing. BritBox International named Diana Pessin chief marketing officer. Morningstar named Laura Lutton head of manager research.
ON MY RADAR
How Midas lister Annie Lamont became a health tech heavy hitter Forbes
Meloni and Le Pen: The relationship at the heart of European politics Financial Times
We're getting women's ambition all wrong The Cut
PARTING WORDS
“It’s about them. It’s about when they were younger and they experienced me...I'm not allowed to age, because what does that do to them? It makes them exponentially that much older.”
— Actor Brooke Shields on her response to comments like “you're still beautiful!” She has a new beauty brand for women over 40.
