Helen Denise was inspired to start KnoWhen, which makes and sells ovulation monitors, after a surprise ectopic pregnancy landed her in the hospital. Determined to help other women understand their cycles and better plan their families, she created kits that use saliva to track hormone levels.
It’s been nearly 20 years since she founded KnoWhen, and for a long time, growing the company was slow going. But a renewed focus on branding and marking in recent years that led to media attention from the likes of Vocativ and CBS’s The Doctors has taken KnoWhen to new heights. With sales on the rise, she’s now focused on developing several patent-pending new products.
“My desire to open this business — and to be so stubborn in moving forward with it — is because I wanted to help women,” she says.
With the company on solid financial ground, Denise has been able to offer free mentoring and public speaking. The single mother also says that entrepreneurial success has given her more time to bond with her now-adult daughter than she had when she was working to grow KnoWhen. And now, she has a new romance in her life too. “This is what happens when you start to have financial stability,” she says. “You feel differently. You’re open for more.”