We are back with EWA’s Eight.
At EWA Capital, we believe the most interesting ideas don’t come from pitch decks or boardrooms.
They come from the questions that make us pause, reflect, and reveal what truly drives us.
EWA’s Eight is our micro-interview series designed to do exactly that.
Each edition features eight unconventional questions answered by the people shaping the future of Latin America—founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem builders we’re proud to back.
No jargon. No recycled talking points.
Just honest insights and unexpected stories that highlight the human side of venture capital in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
This month, we sat down with Valentina Agudelo, CEO at Salva Health.
We asked them eight questions about how they think, build, and see the future of Latin America.
1. What is a belief you hold about your industry of work that most people think is wrong?
Most people believe that high-end medical technology and prevention must live exclusively within large hospitals. I firmly believe that real innovation in healthcare happens when we take technology out of clinics and bring it into people's daily lives: their offices, their communities, and even rural areas. Decentralization does not mean losing clinical rigor; it means democratizing access and putting care exactly where women are.
2. What is a shift happening in Latin America that the rest of the world hasn’t noticed yet?
Latin America is shifting from being merely a consumer of foreign technology to becoming a creator of high-impact, highly efficient solutions. We are designing healthcare models (like portable AI devices) that work in fractured systems with limited resources. The rest of the world hasn't realized yet that the agile and accessible solutions we create here out of necessity will be the exact same ones they will soon need to sustain their own healthcare systems in the face of an aging population and rising costs.
3. What are the trade-offs you navigate most often in your work - and how do you think about it?
I constantly navigate the tension between the commercial speed of a startup and the scientific rigor required in human health. We want to scale quickly to save thousands of women right now, but science takes time. Waiting months to validate an algorithm, publish a clinical paper, or secure regulatory approvals can feel slow, but my philosophy is clear: speed gives you traction, but clinical evidence gives you credibility and permanence. I never sacrifice scientific rigor to rush a sale.
4. What is a questions that you wish founder/investors would ask you - but rarely do?
"How does a woman feel emotionally when she interacts with your technology?" Investors usually focus—rightfully so—on market size, algorithm sensitivity, or the B2B model. But they rarely ask about the human barrier. In Colombia, 64% of women avoid screening due to fear of pain or the results. If our technology were clinically perfect but emotionally cold or intimidating, it simply wouldn't work.
5. What have you become more curious about in the last six months?
Behavioral economics applied to prevention. We have Julieta, a tool that saves lives in 12 minutes without pain. However, I am fascinated by understanding exactly what makes a woman take the final step to schedule her check-up, or what drives a company to genuinely invest in the care of its female employees beyond what the law requires.
Understanding the psychology behind prevention is the key to scaling our impact.
6. What is something that you’ve let go of recently that made you better at what you do?
I’ve let go of the need to micromanage and to be reactive to everything. As a founder, at first, you feel you must control and solve every detail of the operation.
Recently, I've learned to let go, demanding that every leader on my team raise their hand in time and own their process. Truly delegating and stepping out of the "fire-fighting" mode has allowed me to elevate my perspective and focus on what truly adds value as a CEO: long-term strategy, high-level partnerships, and safeguarding Salva Health's vision.
7. If someone shadowed you for 24 hours, what part of your day would surprised them the most?
The extreme contrast of the contexts in which I operate. In a matter of hours, I can go from a meeting structuring financial models or discussing complex regulations, to reviewing with my team how we speak empathetically to women facing a suspected breast cancer diagnosis, or celebrating that we reached vulnerable communities like Maicao.
Navigating between macro business strategy and the deepest human sensitivity is the day-to-day reality of a purpose-driven healthtech.
8. What personal habit or practice gives you an advantage?
Radical prioritization at the start of my Day. Before opening my email or reviewing other people's urgencies, I define what are the two or three strategic things I absolutely must achieve to move the needle for the company.
If I don't protect that initial focus, it's easy to fall into a list of reactive tasks. Leading requires being in control of where we direct the team's energy.
To learn more about Salva Health and their work, visit www.salvahealth.co