Tired Isn’t a Personality: Women, Sleep, and the Midlife Wake-Up Call
Why sleep disorders in women are so often missed, and what women in midlife, and the clinicians who care for them, can do about it.
Speaker · Sleep health · Midlife wellness
Kate Willis
Making sleep health accessible, for women, veterans, and everyone who’s been told to just live with it.
VP, Government & Provider Strategy at Daybreak. Medtech commercialization leader. Based in Cincinnati, speaking nationwide.
- CES 2025AgeTech Collaborative stage
- US Rep of the YearNevro, 2018
- President’s Club4× honoree
- VA & governmentsleep health access
About Kate
Sleep is foundational. Getting care for it shouldn’t be complicated.
Kate Willis has spent her career bringing medical technology to the people who need it, and making sure the systems around care actually let them reach it. As VP, Government & Provider Strategy at Daybreak, she works to expand access to home-based sleep apnea diagnosis and oral appliance therapy, including for veterans through VA and government channels.
Before Daybreak, Kate was VP of Commercialization at Neurovalens, bringing Modius Sleep, a non-drug device for chronic insomnia, to market. Earlier, at Nevro, she was named US Rep of the Year. Her expertise spans market access, health policy, reimbursement, and go-to-market strategy.
Off stage, Kate is a mom, a proud daughter and granddaughter of U.S. military veterans, and a devoted Lagree enthusiast who likes to say, “At 44, I’m in better shape than I was at 24.” She brings that same energy to every room: warm, direct, and focused on what helps people sleep, recover, and live better.
Speaking topics
Talks for conferences, health systems, and wellness audiences
Each talk can be tailored as a keynote, fireside chat, or panel for clinical, policy, industry, or consumer audiences.
No Lab, No Long Wait: Rethinking Access to Sleep Apnea Care
How home-based diagnosis and oral appliance therapy can open new paths to treatment for the millions who are undiagnosed or have walked away from CPAP.
The Rest They’ve Earned: Veterans, Sleep, and Government Health Partnerships
What it takes to bring innovation into the VA and federal health systems, and why sleep is a mission-critical part of veteran care.
Sleep, Strength, Recovery: The High Performer’s Unfair Advantage
Practical lessons from medtech and the Lagree studio on treating sleep and recovery as the foundation of performance at any age.
Where Kate has spoken & in the press
Stages, podcasts, and interviews
Stages
- Oct 2026Carolina Sleep SocietyTalk, Myrtle Beach, SC
- Jan 2025CESAgeTech Collaborative stage, sleep tech
Podcasts
- Mar 2026Chase MedSearch Podcast“From Broadway to Breakthroughs: Kate Willis on Building MedTech Markets, Trust, and Leadership”
- Nov 2024Mollie Eastman’s sleep podcastGuest appearance
Press
- Jul 2026HME News“Daybreak expands access to oral appliance therapy for veterans”
- Jun 2026AJMCVideo interview series on sleep apnea access, women’s risk, and the cost of delayed diagnosis
- 2026PR NewswireDaybreak announcement of Kate’s appointment
[ADD TESTIMONIAL] — a short quote from an event organizer or host.
Honors
Recognized for results
- US Rep of the Year, Nevro (2018)
- President’s Club, 4× honoree
- Rookie of the Year
Boards
Serving the community
- Lighthouse Youth & Family Services Foundation, Board
- Children’s Law Center, Board of Directors
Brand partnerships
For brands that help people sleep, move, and recover better
Kate blends clinical credibility with modern luxury. With a background as a MedTech executive, she brings a science-first approach to longevity, movement, skincare, sleep, and high performance living, and partners with elevated brands to connect trusted products with health-conscious women who value intention, results, and authenticity.
She works with a small number of wellness, sleep, and fitness brands whose values match her own: evidence over hype, real access, and helping people feel strong at every age. Think content collaborations, event appearances, and campaigns aimed at women in midlife and high performers.
- 48KFollowers
- 72%Female
- 60KWeekly reach
- 3.5%Engagement rate
Instagram @therealkatewillis, per Kate’s media kit.
All partnerships are subject to review under her employer’s policies.
Start a conversation
Contact
Book Kate to speak
Conferences, grand rounds, association meetings, podcasts, corporate wellness events, and brand collaborations. Based in Cincinnati, OH, and available to travel nationally.
Prefer email? Write to kate@therealkatewillis.com