Philanthropy and Community Impact Examples

How do you turn purpose, legacy, and innovation into a single investing philosophy? In this episode, I speak with Sara Crown Star, Venture Partner at FemHealth Ventures and President of SCS Innovations. Sara shares how her experience growing up in one of America’s most prominent families shaped her values as an investor and why she believes the next trillion-dollar opportunity lies in women’s health. We discuss the evolution of FemHealth Ventures’ investment thesis, the creation of the “FemHealth Framework,” and how it’s redefining what women’s health means across drugs, devices, diagnostics, and AI-driven solutions. Sara also shares personal stories from her family’s legacy—how values like integrity, community, and purpose continue to drive generational success.

Highlights:

• How FemHealth Ventures is redefining women’s health through the “FemHealth Framework”
• How AI and data analytics are transforming fertility outcomes through Cercle, backed by Sheryl Sandberg
• Why innovation in postpartum depression could save lives—and how Reunion Neuroscience is pioneering new treatment paths
• The overlooked investment opportunity in women’s health—and how half the population remains underrepresented in clinical trials until 1993
• What the Crown family’s story teaches about values, reputation, and resilience across generations
• The founding lessons of Henry Crown during the Great Depression—and why character still compounds
• How the Henry Crown Fellows Program at the Aspen Institute turns success into significance
• Why purpose and meaning unlock the “sixth gear” for investors and founders
• Advice for future generations: raising independent thinkers, building genuine friendships, and preserving family values

Guest Bio:

Sara Crown Star is a Venture Partner with FemHealth Ventures, a top-decile VC firm with $100 million in AUM, focused on advancing innovations in women’s health. FemHealth Ventures invests in companies developing drugs, devices, diagnostics, and digital/AI-enabled solutions. Sara is also president of SCS Innovations, which connects entrepreneurs with capital to bring new technologies to market. She serves on the board of 1871 (Chicago’s entrepreneurial hub), is a life trustee of the Erikson Institute, and is President of the Colonel Henry Crown Scholarship Fund. She is also a director of Musicians on Call, the Jewish United Fund of Chicago, the Ortus Foundation, and the Crown Family Foundation. Sara graduated with a B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. She also completed the Wexner Heritage Program and received an Executive M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

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LinkedIn: David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/ Sara Crown Star: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saracrownstar/

Links FemHealth Ventures: https://www.femhealthventures.com/

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(0:00) Introduction (1:18) Sara's passion for women's health and career beginnings (2:34) Investment highlights: Gynesonics and Reunion Neuroscience (7:28) Women's exclusion in clinical trials and market potential (9:13) Future trends and family values in women's health investing (14:08) Community impact and the role of purpose in success (22:23) Challenges of prominence and wealth management in the Crown family (25:23) Closing remarks