Josh Gottesman
Check out Josh and his company, Embie.
Five sentences about me…
I am the CEO of Embie, a leading Fertility treatment app and clinical platform.
Driven by my personal experiences and a passion for social impact, having personally endured five years of fertility treatments to welcome my own children, I intimately understand the challenges faced by patients on their fertility journeys.
Originally from Texas, I now call Jerusalem home, maintaining a strong connection to both worlds. I have a BS in Communication Studies from the University of Texas, Austin and an MA in Jewish Philosophy and Rabbinic Thought from Tel Aviv University.
Five sentences about what I've endured in the fertility realm...
My wife and I took nearly 6 years, multiple rounds of IVF in Israel and one in the States, endured 6 miscarriages, and started the surrogacy process before our first child was born the old fashioned way.
After never having any IVF pregnancies catch, our second child was recently born from an embryo frozen before our first child was conceived.
One thing I wish I knew going into my fertility journey...
Egg quality decrease and age. I think we would have started treatments sooner if we had understood how much of a drop-off could come.
One thing about me that is forever changed because of my fertility journey...
When talking to another man who part of a couple going through treatments, I typically ask how he's doing first instead of starting by asking about his spouse. It is also not easy being the partner in a fertility journey. Since the woman is carrying the physical burden, there is a tendency to under appreciate the impact on the partner who is also deeply invested and can be likewise devastated by negative outcomes.
One funny moment or anecdote from my fertility journey...
When talking to another man who is part of a couple going through treatments, I typically ask how he's doing first instead of starting by asking about his spouse. It is also not easy being the partner in a fertility journey. Since the woman is carrying the physical burden, there is a tendency to underappreciate the impact on the partner who is also deeply invested and can be likewise devastated by negative outcomes.
One product, practice, or ritual I adopted during my fertility journey, which I have/have not kept a part of my life...
During our time going through treatments together, it became clear that my wife and I each want to be supported differently.
Since realizing the gap, I actively tried and continue to try to support her in the ways that she wants, and not in the ways I imagine would be best for me.