Client Spotlight: Thiv Paramsothy, CEO and Founder of Hera Fertility

Thiv Paramsothy couldn’t help but take note of all the people in his life who were struggling to get pregnant. Family and friends were opening up to Thiv, a healthcare professional in the telehealth space, not only about the emotional toll it was taking on them but about how difficult it was to get the diagnosis and treatment they needed in a timely manner. After starting and successfully operating his own telehealth software company, Thiv felt a nudge to help provide more direct care to patients—specifically fertility care.

In 2019, Thiv met April Rutter, Executive Director of a fertility clinic in Missouri, who had a burning desire to see people on fertility journeys obtain more options, faster answers, and more humanizing care.

“Our core goal from the start has been to establish ourselves as the more human option for building a family. Fertility journeys have become so clinical in many cases, leaving individuals and couples feeling alone, silently suffering. In the midst of the emotional toll this kind of journey takes, oftentimes what patients need more than anything is someone who is checking in on them simply to ask ‘How are you doing?’”

One-stop fertility services

In 2022, Thiv and April founded Hera Fertility, a virtual fertility clinic that offers consultations, testing, diagnosis, treatment plans, and medication all in one place. Available at all hours of the day and night, Hera gives patients who are experiencing the anxieties and questions a fertility journey often brings unmatched accessibility and convenience for treatment options, instant answers to their nagging questions, and more affordable medication.

Hera meets a desperate need for North America, where physical fertility clinics often come with lengthy travel and wait times, especially in rural areas.

“It’s very empowering to provide fertility services to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to them because of their location. And it’s not just any care—at the core is that it’s compassionate care. We ensure that each client’s journey is personalized, collaborative, and holistic. Oftentimes when couples first come to the clinic, they’ve been trying to get pregnant for months if not years, and they just want to know why it hasn’t happened yet. The last thing they need is more stress and confusion brought on by their practitioners. At Hera, we provide patients with emotional support and education on their options from the very start, so they can begin the process more at ease.”

From concept to reality

Thiv and April joined our AC:Incubate program when Hera was still just an idea. From there, they built a strong foundation for a thriving business, starting with providing basic IVF support for patients and ensuring that the virtual customer experience was exceptional. The growing Hera team steadily gained more clients, bringing deeper insights into patients’ needs and how to improve their services and treatment plans.

“The hours of mentorship at the AC have been so helpful for us. It was incredible to have access to experts in every facet of business, from accounting to marketing and messaging, to ensure we were setting the company up correctly. They’ve taught me that, while speed is important, it’s really velocity that counts: moving at a fast pace in the right direction. And that’s exactly what the AC has helped us do.”

A proactive path to parenthood for many

Vanessa Green is one of the many people who has successfully gotten pregnant with the help of Hera Fertility. After 6 months of trying to conceive their second child, Vanessa and her partner were referred to a fertility clinic by her doctor.

“I remember just feeling very overwhelmed at that clinic,” Vanessa says. “There wasn’t a lot of compassion or emotional support. Everything was confusing: the fees, the testing, the process. It all just felt very clinical. Appointments and testing took forever, and there was no clarity on timelines for anything. And then our conversation with the doctor was a generic group call with other people on a fertility journey about how IVF works. I felt like a number rather than an individual person.”

Vanessa’s experience at Hera was completely different. “The care I received from the team at Hera was exceptional. They truly are fertility experts. The virtual nature of the service meant I got my questions answered quickly without having to wait days or weeks to see a specialist in person. There was a real sense of trust and support when I engaged with the team, which was important during such an emotional and challenging journey. I am so grateful for the guidance, patience, and compassion I received from Hera—and highly recommend them to anyone experiencing infertility.”

A brighter future for fertility

Thiv and the Hera team envision a world where everyone struggling with infertility has access to the kind of compassionate, individualized care that Hera Fertility offers. Through their comprehensive virtual care center, they’re already making that possible.