Meet Dr. Woganee Filate, Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss, Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw, and Lindsay Stollery Jephcott, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Ones to Watch Recipients

Dr. Woganee Filate, Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss, Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw, and Lindsay Stollery Jephcott are 2025 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards finalists, the leaders behind Lume Women + Health, a next-generation healthcare destination founded by women, for women. As a team, they are redefining midlife care, empowering women with preventive, personalized, and holistic approaches to healthy aging.

Dr. Woganee Filate is an adult respirologist and sleep medicine physician with a focus on evidence-based, patient-centred care. She is particularly passionate about helping women optimize sleep during the menopause transition.

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss brings nearly 20 years of experience as an emergency medicine physician to Lume, with additional specialization in menopause care. She advocates for women’s healthy aging, emphasizing self-agency and disease prevention.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw co-founded Lume after 15 years running a family medicine practice and serving as Chair of the Board of Directors at Taddle Creek Family Health Team. With a background in social work and a doctorate from Harvard University in Human Development and Psychology, she is dedicated to improving menopause care and raising awareness for women’s health during midlife.

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott, founding partner and board chair of Lume, combines her expertise in business leadership with a deep commitment to women’s health. She serves on multiple boards, co-chairs major philanthropic initiatives, and holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management as well as ICD.D and IOD designations.

Meet Dr. Filate, Dr. Louis-Bayliss, Dr. Shaw, and Lindsay and discover how they are transforming women’s healthcare in Canada.

I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur when… 

Dr. Woganee Filate: I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur when, as a sleep physician, I realized I didn’t have the time to truly explore the complexity of women’s sleep, especially how it changes during perimenopause and menopause. I wanted to be in control of the kind of medicine being delivered: unrushed, evidence-based, and deeply rooted in the unique health needs of women. That vision led my co-founders and I to create Lume Women + Health, where patient appointment times are extended and all the care providers have additional training in women’s health and menopause. This ensures that patients are seen and heard. 

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: I don’t know that I ever “knew” I wanted to be an entrepreneur. As a woman in her 40s, I saw the lack of care available to me and my friends that truly met our needs. I felt rushed at my doctor’s appointments. As a physician, I felt inadequate to support the patients I saw in my clinical practice. I realized I wanted to be part of the solution, and in pursuing this, I took the brave leap into entrepreneurship.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: I received my first loan to start a business at the age of 17. I repaid my loan and paid my tuition for the first year of university with the proceeds from a summer business. My life then took many turns, as I ran a nonprofit, trained as a psychologist, and ultimately became a physician.  

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: I think I always wanted to be one, but it took me a long time to find the courage to go out on my own, realizing that I wanted to cut my own path. My dad was a serial entrepreneur, so I watched him build and grow multiple companies throughout my life, and I loved the energy around it.

Entrepreneurship is made for me because… 

Dr. Woganee Filate: Initially, I never thought that entrepreneurship was for me. But now that it’s been over a year, I enjoy the freedom to think boldly and execute a vision that challenges the status quo. I thrive when I can build something from the ground up, something that reflects my values and addresses real gaps in care. With Lume, I’ve been able to reimagine what women’s health can look like where women are firmly in the center. 

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: There are days when I am literally bursting with gratitude that this is where life has taken me. I am fulfilled in my role as a clinician, and I am also excited about the new opportunity as a businesswoman. I have loved the thought leadership and the ability to innovate in the healthcare space.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: Entrepreneurship allows me to engage my creative side and lean into out-of-the-box thinking. I love the freedom and imperative of innovation, as well as fulsome engagement and independence. 

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: I love building, growing, facing challenges and addressing them as they come. I love being nimble and small enough that the DNA and culture of the founders is oozing throughout the organization. I love the early company daydreams of growth and the magical feeling that comes with achieving those goals, when the team starts to grow and the phone begins to ring. I love meeting champions who buy into your dream in the early days. I love finding people who believe in you and start to build your business just by believing in your dream. 

The impact I hope to make through my work is… 

Dr. Woganee Filate: I hope to create a new model of care for women’s health, one where patients are never rushed and where they feel truly seen, heard, and supported. Through Lume, we’re redefining what evidence-based, compassionate care looks like, and our goal is to bring this model to women across Canada and worldwide.

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: On an individual level, I hope to continue empowering women to have agency over their health in a way that ensures they are seen and heard. As a founder and CEO, I hope to build a business with a strong culture, values and ethos. As an innovator, I hope to blaze a new trail in healthcare for women.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: To inspire women to recognize that their power to help their family, community and workplace begins with personal health and wellness.  

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: Lume can be a trailblazer, closing the gap for women’s health. Through research, fellowships and education, Lume can create lasting change for women’s health in Canada and the world. Through Lume University, Lume plans to train public health physicians to deliver integrated disease prevention and hormonal care for women. There is very little research on women’s bodies, presenting a significant opportunity for Lume to establish a research arm to conduct studies on women’s health.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey is… 

Dr. Woganee Filate: To not to be afraid to pivot. Just because an idea isn’t working the way you envisioned doesn’t mean you’ve failed; it means you’re learning. What I’ve come to know is that some of the most powerful growth comes from having the courage to say, “This isn’t working, it’s time to try something different.”

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: The ability to be flexible. Knowing when to pivot and make moves is crucial for success. At the same time, building a strong foundation with respect to your team and care pathways is also imperative for growth.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: To identify problems in need of solutions. Businesses are an opportunity to solve real-world problems.  

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: Culture is often overlooked in a start-up and deprioritized, but I believe culture is essential in a start-up and should be considered from day one. When Lume launched, we had a very small and mighty team, and there were a million fast-paced priorities. It’s hard to find the moments to work ON the business. I wish I had taken more time to slow down and think about the path ahead. 

My proudest accomplishment is… 

Dr. Woganee Filate: Hearing a patient leave Lume and say it was the most transformative experience of their life. It’s in those moments that I know we’re not just delivering care, we’re changing lives. We’re helping women feel empowered in a healthcare system that has too often overlooked them. That kind of impact is why I started this journey in the first place.

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: Taking the risk. As a physician, pivoting from your career is almost unheard of. It felt brave to leave my clinical practice and start again. I had to pursue a change of scope of practice to retrain in women’s health. As a mother, I hope I have inspired my children that taking risks is worth it.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: Not one accomplishment, but a series of junctures where I decided to do what resonated with my passions—even when it scared me. As an undergraduate, I switched from the conventional job safety choice of an Economics major to Philosophy and Women’s Studies. Upon completing my doctorate in Developmental Psychology, I applied to medical school. I went to medical school without ever taking a high school science class, and taught myself science using online textbooks. Determined to have a family, despite the explicit advice of mentors, I had two children during residency training and then two more during my early years of practice.  

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: In August 2024, four months before our clinic opened, we received a phone call from one of the major banks stating that they would approve our proposal and become a client of Lume. It was a moment I will never forget. Watching companies and women trust and support us has been one of the greatest joys of starting this business. Another accomplishment I am very proud of is the team we have created and cultivated.

The biggest risk I took that paid off was… 

Dr. Woganee Filate: Walking away from a 12-year career in sleep medicine to create Lume. It meant leaving the security and familiarity of clinical practice to pursue something none of my colleagues were doing: becoming a physician entrepreneur. However, taking that leap enabled me to develop a model of care that reflects my deepest values and addresses a critical gap in women’s health.

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: Leaving my physician salary, a very comfortable job, and personal time to pursue Lume with 3 other founders whom I met through this business.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: I stepped away from a 16-year family medicine practice to co-found Lume Women + Health. I left 1,200 patients I cheered for and walked beside during moments of intense vulnerability. Alongside the richness of these patient-doctor relationships was a deep recognition of the constraints of the public health care system.  Constraints that limited my ability to offer fulsome preventative care that honours the whole person. Lume brings a new vision of women’s health to life. 

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: Before Lume, I had a career in the investment world. I decided it wasn’t enough for me, so I took a major leap of faith and started from the beginning, investing in myself and embarking on something new. I had no idea of the financial, emotional and stress-related toll it would take on me, but I genuinely believe that this experience has changed my life, and elevated me as a person immensely. 

My biggest setback has been…

Dr. Woganee Filate: I came into this journey with no formal background in business, finance or entrepreneurship. As a physician, I was trained to care for patients, not to build a company, analyze financials, or lead a growing team. This lack of experience meant a steep learning curve in virtually every area, except for clinical care. I’ve had to learn how to make decisions with incomplete information, build and manage a team, and think strategically about growth, all while staying grounded in Lume’s mission and values.

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: There have been many! As a business owner, it is very challenging to manage boundaries; the work never seems to end. Setting boundaries around family and time management has been a skill I have had to work on. As a physician, I have no prior business experience, and this has led to numerous lessons along the way.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: The moments I doubt myself. 

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: I have had to sacrifice time with my family, friends, and other endeavours to invest and be fully present with Lume. I own several other businesses, and I have had to reduce my time in those organizations to make sure this one thrives. 

I overcame it by…

Dr. Woganee Filate: Leaning into my familiarity with being a lifelong learner, something that’s deeply ingrained in me from my training as a physician. In medicine, we’re constantly adapting to new evidence, technologies, and evolving standards of care, so I leaned into that mindset and applied it to entrepreneurship. As part of my journey, I read voraciously. I’ve read books on leadership, finance, startup strategy, and team dynamics, so much so that it’s become a part of my daily routine. I also sought out mentors and advisors with deep business experience, and I wasn’t afraid to ask questions, even when I didn’t fully know what I was asking yet. 

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: I am constantly learning. I listen to podcasts, read books and ask questions. I have also had the privilege of mentorship, which I am so grateful for. I have had to become very clear about my priorities and pause other areas of my life, such as participating in social engagements.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: I manage self-doubt with intense preparation, learning from those who came before me, and trying to take my inevitable mistakes in stride. 

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: I recognized that to build this company properly, it requires the founders’ DNA all over it. In these early days, I believe you can’t hire people to run the business; you have to roll up your sleeves. It was very hard to shift my life, especially as a mom of 4, but I see it as a chapter of my story, not the rest of my story. Lume will evolve, and so will my role within it. I just have to lean into these hard years.

The best advice I’ve received as an entrepreneur was… 

Dr. Woganee Filate: To continually return to your “why,” especially when things feel like they’re falling apart. There have been moments when nothing seemed to be working and when the weight of building something from scratch felt overwhelming. In those moments, reconnecting with the reason we started Lume became the anchor. It’s what keeps us going when everything else feels hard. Also, hearing from patients that we have made a difference in their lives is the best propeller forward. 

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: You will overestimate what you can do in one year, but underestimate what you can do in 10 years. It takes time to grow a business and have patience!

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: From my husband, his full-fledged support to go for it, to embrace ambition. 

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: The first ten hires can make or break you as a start-up. Hire well and move fast; if it’s not a fit, you can’t afford to settle. Difficult conversations are also a constant part of being a business owner. Master this art, master your emotions and don’t let issues with people fester. 

I surprise people when I tell them… 

Dr. Woganee Filate: That I left a successful 12-year career as a sleep physician to chart an entirely new course: opening a women’s health clinic, with no prior experience in business or entrepreneurship. It was a leap into the unknown, but one driven by a deep conviction that women deserved better.

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: I am an introvert. I love time to myself. This has become increasingly apparent as I have grown older.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: As a teen, I imagined I would be an activist, travelling the world with my child as a single parent.  

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: I have four kids and four businesses.

If I had an extra hour in the day, I would use it to…

Dr. Woganee Filate: Try to get in 10,000 steps or hit the gym!

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: Read with a cup of tea, or spend time with my family.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: Oh, so many things I would do! To begin, I would start each morning with a latte and reading a great novel in bed, followed by a run. I would end every day at the family dinner table, surrounded by my four sons and my husband, soaking it all in as they laughed and teased one another. 

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: Spend more time with my family.

If you Googled me, you still wouldn’t know…

Dr. Woganee Filate: That I love nothing more than curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. 

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: I LOVE to travel. I am constantly thinking about my next trip. The more adventurous, the better.

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: That while I am driven to speak up and out about women’s health and other issues I am passionate about, by nature, I am incredibly shy. I feel most myself in one-on-one interactions. Developing relationships of deep trust with patients was a foundational reason why I chose medicine as a career and continues to be profoundly meaningful to me. 

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: I secretly love writing poetry and children’s books.

The future excites me because… 

Dr. Woganee Filate: Anything is possible. We’re at the beginning of a movement that has the power to transform not only the lives of individual women, but the entire field of women’s health. The opportunity to drive real, lasting change, on both a personal and systemic level, is what fuels me every day.

Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss: Change is coming! I see how care for women’s health is being prioritized, and I see the growth potential that Lume has; it brings me incredible joy!

Dr. Sarah Naomi Shaw: The field of health-span medicine is developing rapidly. There is an opportunity to see tremendous growth in healthcare diagnostics, advanced longevity biomarkers, and new offerings for the prevention and early intervention of chronic diseases. I am thrilled that, as a physician entrepreneur, I will be able to offer my patients a meaningful and high-quality of life change.

Lindsay Stollery Jephcott: Lume is just at the beginning and has so much opportunity to grow and expand, and I can’t wait to be part of the journey.

Connect with Lume Women + Health on LinkedIn and Instagram.