Visionary entrepreneur. Healthcare innovator. Environmental advocate. Champion for women redefining age. Victoria Reade, founder of N E D – No Expiration Date, embodies all these identities and more. With a career spanning clinical care, executive leadership, MedTech innovation, and global social reform, she stands at the intersection of some of the most transformative movements of our time. In this exclusive feature, we explore the journey, philosophy, and mission of a woman reshaping conversations around health, equity, and ageing on a global scale.`
A Journey Without a Roadmap
“My path was never linear. But every step prepared me for entrepreneurship.” Victoria Reade’s career began in the clinical trenches of healthcare. She worked directly with patients, witnessing the realities of care delivery long before she stepped into corporate boardrooms or innovation labs. Over the years, she would hold leadership roles across health plans, physician groups, hospitals, management services organizations (MSO), and consulting firms. Unlike many professionals who remain within a single track, Victoria’s trajectory was marked by bold pivots and a willingness to step into the unknown.
While she never followed a master plan, the skills she collected at every stage became the building blocks of her entrepreneurial identity.
Early exposure to start up environments revealed her affinity for building something out of nothing. “Working in emerging companies taught me resilience and self -initiative,” she reflects. “When resources are limited, you learn what you are truly capable of.”
This grounding later propelled her transition into founder life, a path that demanded courage, conviction, and a commitment to shaping her own future.
A Mission that Transcends Industries
Victoria’s ventures today span oncology, MedTech/AI, women’s health, environmental technologies, and social transformation. While the breadth may appear vast, she sees a clear thread connecting them: societal wellbeing.
Her broader worldview was shaped early by her family, who championed civic engagement and service. Her father often reminded her of a powerful principle inspired by legal pioneer Charles Hamilton Houston (mentor to US Supreme Court Justice Judge, Thurgood Marshall), “A person is either a social engineer contributing to the betterment of society or a parasite.”
This ethos guides her cross disciplinary ventures today. Her work is grounded in the belief that healthcare influences every dimension of human life economy, education, social equality, and the environment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the
fundamental rights of every human being.” I have combined my passion for health with other mission driven causes including overcoming ageism and treatment inequities particularly in women through my social
media platform N.E.D. (No Expiration Date). My approach is to look for common threads among seemingly disparate disciplines and align them towards a unified goal.
N E D: Challenging Ageism and Rewriting the Story for Women Everywhere
Approaching her forties, Victoria became increasingly aware of how deeply age shaped
perceptions of women’s value. She began noticing overt and subtle signals -fewer
opportunities for advancement, diminished visibility, and cultural messages suggesting
a woman’s worth declines over time.
The United Nations (UN) recognizes ageism as a “global challenge” which leads to
poorer health outcomes, social isolation, and significant economic costs launching
SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) to address it.
Her personal experience paired with global data from the UN and WHO sparked the
creation of N E D – No Expiration Date.
N E D is more than a platform. It is a movement.
Through educational content, conversations, podcasts, and partnerships, N E D dismantles stereotypes and fosters intergenerational connection. Victoria found that ageism affects women universally at either end of the age spectrum. Yet she also discovered that bringing generations together unlocks powerful solidarity and
collaborative potential. “Through meaningful discourse with women and men from all ages, I was impressed by the universality of these themes.” Her vision for N E D is global: a world where age does not carry stigma and is not weaponized to devalue people depriving them of basic rights to health, dignity, social inclusion, employment, education, and access to essential services.
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The Fellowship That Amplified Her Mission
Becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA) marked a major milestone in Victoria’s journey. Since it was founded in 1754, the RSA has a legacy of championing social change through innovation and global collaboration.
Now based primarily in London, she plans to take an active role in building initiatives across healthcare, technology, the environment, and community centred reform.
“The RSA brings together changemakers from every corner of the world. It is an extraordinary space to envision what the future can be.”
Rethinking Fundraising: Strategy Over Hype
Raising capital in MedTech is notoriously difficult. Victoria sees early stage fundraising not as a pitch but as a dialogue. She prioritizes non-dilutive funding, such as philanthropic gifts and grants, which validate innovation while giving companies the breathing room to grow. “By the time you advance to your next round of funding, you have sufficiently de-risked your venture to future investors.”
When engaging investors, she emphasizes the long game. “The first meeting is not the finish line. It is the beginning of a partnership.” Clear communication, regular updates, and continuous engagement form the core of her strategy.
A Global Honor: The Earthshot Prize Nomination
Victoria’s nomination, along with a business partner, for the Earthshot Prize one of the world’s most prestigious environmental awards – speaks to her forward-looking vision.
The proposed solution targets ocean health, renewable energy, and the often overlooked link between human and ocean health. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)
and machine learning, the initiative aims to gather vast data sets, generate actionable insights, and implement scalable environmental solutions.
For Victoria, the thrill of the nomination included the possibility of meeting Sir David Attenborough whom she greatly admires for his advocacy of the environment and actions against climate change. She hopes to meet him one day as his life’s work in preserving nature and the environment are inspiring to her.
Mastering the Regulatory Landscape
As someone who has navigated FDA and CE pathways firsthand, Victoria stresses the importance of developing and implementing a regulatory strategy early in the company’s developments. She highlights the key differences:
CE Mark (Europe): Focuses on product safety FDA (United States): Focuses on safety and effectiveness for intended use Understanding these distinctions early is essential for market access, risk
management, and funding. Investors need to be educated on the regulatory journey so
they can support the process. Her philosophy is simple: treat regulators as partners, not adversaries. Transparency
and open communication build trust and avoid costly delays.
The Future of MedTech: AI, Data, and the Democratization of Care
Victoria believes that artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics will reshape healthcare more dramatically than any other modern advancement.
From accelerating care delivery to improving diagnostics and enabling personalized medicine, AI has the power to transform both patient and physician experience.
She sees a rising global movement toward health democratization empowering people to manage their own health through digital tools, wearables, and remote diagnostics.
This necessary shift reduces strain on overburdened healthcare systems and supports healthier, more informed communities.
What Makes a Founder Exceptional?
As a mentor and advisor to accelerators and boards, Victoria has a keen eye for entrepreneurial potential. She looks for founders who demonstrate:
- Resilience
- Vision
- Adaptability
- A willingness to fail
- Communication skills
- Discipline and initiative
- Creative thinking
- The ability to inspire and build teams
“A company’s true strength lies in its leadership,” she emphasizes. “A diverse, mission driven team that is flexible and can pivot when needed is the strongest predictor of long term success.”
Legacy in the Making
Now at a pivotal point in her career, Victoria is guided by the desire to build a legacy at the intersection of healthcare, environmental reform, social justice, and media. Her goal is to empower others especially women to live boldly, challenge limitations, and recognize their own potential.
“I want people to know their age, gender, or background is never a barrier to
greatness.”
A Life Beyond the Boardroom
Behind her professional accomplishments lies a rich tapestry of personal passions. Victoria derives inspiration from: - Travel
- Cooking and food culture
- Interior design
- The arts
- Writing
- Film and theatre
- Music, particularly singing
Daily physical activity is non-negotiable. Whether running, working out, or walking ten thousand steps in London’s parks or San Francisco’s scenic trails, movement fuels her energy and clarity.
She credits male and female mentors throughout her career for shaping her values of empathy, generosity, attentive listening, and perseverance. Today, she “pays it forward” by mentoring the next generation of founders. - Advice to Her Younger Self
When asked what she would tell the younger version of herself, Victoria shares one of her favorite quotes by Rumi:
“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion. Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.”
I would be less fear driven and more courageous about exploring the world and tapping into possibilities beyond healthcare where I could cultivate collaborations and showcase my diverse abilities. Her mission, she reflects, is to use her unique skills to contribute in multiple fields globally.
