Stay Connected!
Join the waitlist for upcoming product releases and stay in the know on all things Novel.
Our Team
Novel™ is a female-founded, physician-guided personal care company on a mission to relieve the pain and shame of common anorectal and perineal conditions.
Anastasia
Anastasia built Betty so others didn't have to experience the same pain, confusion and embarrassment she did during her struggle with her anorectal health. As Founder, CEO and Chief Storyteller, Anastasia draws on both her extensive career in marketing and events and her training as a writer and actor to reframe how we talk about these taboo subjects. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Haas School of Business and has a Masters in Fine Arts from UCLA and lives in Marin with her husband and two young children.
Anastasia Bonaccorso, MFA
Founder & CEO
Sarah
With 20 years in healthcare, Sarah brings deep industry experience. She spent 20 years working in low- and middle-income countries to strengthen health systems and ensure people had access to quality, safe healthcare. She was drawn to join Anastasia in building Betty to provide women with quality, clean products and change the anorectal conversation. As COO, she combines her industry knowledge and analytical brain to drive Betty's ambitious plans. Sarah has an MPH from Tulane University, a PhD from the University of Queensland in Australia, and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.
Sarah Lunsford, PhD
Co-Founder & COO
Ritha
Dr. Ritha Belizaire is a double board-certified colorectal and general surgeon with eight years of practice experience. After completing a 7 year residency in general surgery, she pursued a one-year fellowship in colorectal surgery, refining her expertise in complex colorectal patient care. As the owner of Houston Community Surgical and single mother of two, Dr. Belizaire is dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible healthcare solutions that genuinely meet patients’ needs. Her commitment to excellence and innovation brings a practical, patient-centered approach to the medical field.
Ritha Belizaire, MD
Founding Clinical Advisor
Candace
Dr. Westgate is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, along with additional certification in Women’s Genomics Counseling from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She earned her medical degree from A. T. Still University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, and continued on to Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, where she completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, serving as Chief Resident in her final year. Dr. Westgate is the Medical Director of Women and Infant Services and Adventist Health St. Helena, and the founder of the Adventist Health Early All-Around Detection (AHEAD) Team. Her scope of practice includes Women’s health, Cancer risk assessment and gynecology care and surgical intervention, including major and minor gynecological procedures, with an emphasis on all procedures using minimally invasive techniques.
Candace Westgate, DO
Founding Clinical Advisor
Lauren
Lauren is a designer and strategist with a focus in sustainability. She has worked in the CPG/personal care space for the past 15 years guiding brands to make more sustainable design and manufacturing choices. Lauren recently relocated to Berlin, Germany with her family.
Lauren Golik, Creative/Product
Beauty and Wellness
Erin
Erin is a seasoned finance executive with over 15 years experience, known for driving growth and scaling businesses in the CPG/retail space. Throughout her career, Erin has developed a deep understanding of the e-commerce landscape. She has a proven track record of building businesses, optimizing financial strategies, and spearheading initiatives that have consistently delivered exceptional results.
Erin Fisher Stryker, CPA
Founding Advisor, E-commerce/Finance
Caroline
Caroline is a seasoned digital marketer and brand strategist with over 15 years of experience. Passionate about using business as a force for good, she specializes in building purpose-driven brands that resonate with consumers. Caroline led the development and strategy of high growth CPG brands' digital presence, honing her ability to build effective tech stacks, develop integrated marketing campaigns via earned, owned and paid media and drive ecommerce business.
Caroline Duke Kienzle - Founding Advisor
Digital & Brand Strategy/CPG
Lona
Lona is a strategist-operator shaping the future of health. At Johnson & Johnson Innovation, she sources breakthrough ideas and external innovation into the partnership, incubation, and venture investment portfolios. She oversees global strategic planning and campaigns, including partnering efforts, open innovation challenges, strategic activations, and data-driven landscaping. Previously, she led a team of venture and growth designers in J&J’s global design studio, crafting strategies for new products, services, and business models. Known for turning ambiguity into opportunity, Lona has built solutions across the healthcare spectrum—from iconic brands like Neutrogena, Acuvue, Tylenol, and Johnson’s Baby, to patient-centered pharmaceutical launches and innovative med tech solutions for health systems. Before J&J, Lona worked in venture philanthropy and management consulting, guiding Fortune 100 companies through portfolio growth and transformation. She’s negotiated milestone-based deals, royalty agreements, and multi-stakeholder partnerships, and has led business efforts across all phases of clinical trials. As a corporate strategist, Lona has a track record of accelerating growth through innovation and building high performing teams, as comfortable in a boardroom as she is in a whiteboard session. Lona has a Masters in Public Health and Sociomedical Science from Columbia University where she focused on digital health and human behavior and an MBA from Cornell University. Based in Harlem, Lona is a champion for women’s health and the arts and believes weekend brunch is a ritual of recovery.
Lona Vincent - Founding Advisor
Health Innovation