Starting Over at 53: From Professional Athlete and Corporate Career to AI Founder
From Corporate Executive to Founder: How One Woman Built a Menopause-Ready Workplace Platform at 53
My corporate career took me from Arthur Andersen to IBM, GlaxoSmithKline and Unity Technologies, and for nearly two decades I also competed as a professional athlete. For about the last six years I competed, I was going through perimenopause. I knew discipline, preparation and performance. What I didn't expect was how brain fog, fatigue and broken sleep could shake the confidence I had spent my life building.
At Unity, there was no workplace support for what I was going through. So I left, and at 53, I started over.
Today I'm the Founder and CEO of VelaHR, a digital workplace menopause platform that helps employers build menopause-ready workplaces. I built it myself, learning no-code and AI tools as a beginner after decades of being the experienced one in the room. Our MVP is ready for pilots, and I'm now seeking our first employer pilot partners.
The work started long before VelaHR. For about 30 years I've coached women, including through Fuel Her Up, a community I created for women in perimenopause. VelaHR brings together that coaching, my corporate career and my own experience.
Along the way: WINNER, Ann Arbor SPARK Business Plan Sprint; second place in the PowHER Pitch Competition; an ESSENCE Magazine feature; and a place on the Women of Wearables 100 Trailblazing Leaders in Menopause. In October 2026, I convened the Michigan Workplace Menopause Roundtable in Detroit with more than 20 participants.
I'd love to talk about becoming a beginner again, why confidence can falter even when your strengths haven't gone anywhere, and what sport taught me about getting back up.
At 53, I'm not starting with nothing. I'm starting with everything I've learned.
Website: https://www.velahr.ai/
Jana Rose Stewart is the founder and CEO of VelaHR, a digital workplace menopause platform. During a corporate career that included IBM and GSK, Jana also competed as a professional athlete. She was still competing when she began experiencing perimenopause without recognizing it. That experience led her to launch VelaHR in January 2026 to help employers retain experienced women. The platform helps managers navigate…
