Alyssa Mack-Lee spent started her career in film and television production, managing chaos on set, solving problems in real-time, and coordinating million-dollar productions. It was chaotic and demanding and exactly where she thrived.

Then she was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, and suddenly, everything made sense. Then shortly after, she became pregnant.

That’s when she hit a wall. The tools that had supported her ADHD management were no longer an option. The healthcare system had solutions for men and for non-pregnant women, but nothing designed for women going through major hormonal and cognitive transitions.

“I just remember feeling like I had fallen into a gap in the healthcare system,” she said.

So instead of asking “Why doesn’t this exist?” she started asking “What would it take to build that?”

The Research Gap That Nobody Talks About

One of society’s great uncomfortable truths is that women’s health has been chronically under-researched.

ADHD research was done almost exclusively on men in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, and for decades, when women showed signs of ADHD, it was written off as “hormonal” or “just puberty.” It wasn’t until recently that studies started looking at how ADHD presents differently in women, and the numbers shocked everyone; diagnosis in women surged 300% in recent years. This wasn’t because ADHD suddenly became more common, but because we finally started looking for it.

Pregnancy, postpartum and perimenopause are by no means niche experiences. They affect more than half the population, yet women are told their symptoms are something to “push through.”

Alyssa saw this gap and decided to fill it.

Blissminds: Science-Backed Cognitive Wellness for Women

Blissminds is building cognitive wellness products specifically designed for women going through major life transitions. The goal is to build products designed with the understanding that hormones, sleep, stress, and life changes affect cognitive function in ways that modern healthcare mostly ignores.

The approach is rigorous. Alyssa has secured Health Canada approvals, partnered with clinical researchers to validate outcomes, and she’s sourcing bioavailable ingredients: Iron, B vitamins, DHA and EPA directly from microalgae (rather than fish-based sources), inulin for gut-brain connection, high-extract chamomile and magnesium for nervous system regulation.

But the real differentiator is the clinical validation. While most supplement companies skip the hard work, Alyssa is running clinical trials to measure neurological outcomes in women using her products. That data will change the conversation around women’s cognitive wellness.

The Ecosystem Strategy: Building Credibility Before Scaling

What’s maybe most impressive about Alyssa’s approach is that she didn’t chase venture capital immediately. Instead, she built credibility through the ecosystem.

She participated in League of Innovators, WeVC’s InvestorSpeak program, The Innovation Governance program, Forum Mentorship Program and Natural Products Canada, to name just a few of the organizations in her network. Each one added a layer of validation and opened doors to new relationships. 

“I pride myself in not being the smartest in the room,” she said. “But surrounding myself with those that are; that’s one of the biggest assets you can do as a founder.”

This ecosystem-first strategy is generating real momentum. Blissminds just got nominated for a Trailblazer Small Business Award by the Canadian Food & Health Association, all before even launching their first official product.

The Non-Dilutive Funding Strategy: SR&ED and Beyond 

Like many early-stage biotech and supplement founders, Alyssa is being strategic about capital. She’s bootstrapped with self-funding and friends and family support, but she’s also pursuing non-dilutive funding—grants, innovation programs, and importantly, R&D tax credits.

With the 2026 SR&ED enhancements now law, companies can claim up to $6 million in annual eligible expenditures, with $2.1 million in maximum refundable federal credits. For a company running clinical trials and developing proprietary formulations, that’s meaningful capital to reinvest into research.

Alyssa’s strategy is textbook smart: build credibility through the ecosystem, pursue non-dilutive funding to validate the science before raising venture capital, and only dilute equity when you have proof of concept and investor alignment on mission.

What’s Next

Blissminds is preparing for their official product launch. They’re continuing clinical validation and participant acquisition, while expanding partnerships with midwives, doulas, naturopaths; that is, practitioners who can confidently recommend their products to women who can’t or won’t use pharmaceuticals.

They’re heading to CHFA (Canadian Health Food Association) in Toronto to expand retail and distribution partnerships.

But what drives Alyssa is not the awards or the revenue targets, but messages from women who say, “I finally feel seen. I feel heard.”

“If 10 years from now, Blissminds helped change the conversation around women’s cognitive wellness,” she said, “I’ll consider that a success.”

That’s the difference between a company and a movement. Listen to the full episode to hear Alyssa’s complete story, from the healthcare gap she discovered, to the ecosystem that supported her, to the mission that keeps her going.

 

About What the Tech from Boast

What the Tech features conversations with brilliant minds building transformative solutions. Hosted by Paul Davenport, Boast’s Head of Content.