Neelam Heera, a TEDx speaker and award-winning advocate, founded Cysters after navigating her own challenges in receiving diagnoses and care for PCOS, Endometriosis, and PMDD. Witnessing first-hand the disparities in healthcare for people of color and other marginalized groups, Neelam was inspired to create Cysters, a charity dedicated to addressing menstrual, maternal and mental health inequities. She recognized that reproductive health issues are often trivialized by healthcare professionals and sexualized within racialized communities due to outdated cultural norms, male-dominated spaces, and patriarchal structures.

Neelam is passionate about ensuring that marginalized communities, often excluded from health conversations, research, and solution development, have a seat at the table. Her work has earned recognition through the Pride of Britain and Point of Light awards, and she was named one of Birmingham’s 30 under 30. In addition, she serves as Birmingham’s Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships lead, continuing her advocacy for equitable healthcare.