As seen in Millionaire MNL, Maya Ayed is a new kind of wellness entrepreneur, one who blends heritage, health science, and high-impact storytelling. With roots in Tunisia, Belgium, and the U.S., she brings a global perspective to gut health, women’s health tech, and community empowerment.
Ayed is Founder & CEO of Alya Health, a brand that merges ancient Mediterranean traditions with modern wellness. She’s also Chief of Staff at Amira Health, a fast-growing digital health startup focused on women’s care. And through The Gaya Collective, she continues to build safe spaces for honest conversations around identity, wellness, and equity.
A Founder Guided by Transparency and Innovation
In 2024, Ayed launched Alya Health, a gut-focused supplement brand inspired by the healing power of high-polyphenol olive oil. Her first small batch of olive oil shot supplements sold out quickly, and she shared the journey with raw honesty and community-first updates.
Her product philosophy is simple: build with intention, validate with care, and listen to your people.
“Our bodies are complex. Our solutions should be culturally rooted, not cookie-cutter,” Ayed shared during a Vegpreneur spotlight.
Powering Women’s Health at Scale
At Amira Health, Ayed plays a dual role, Chief of Staff and GTM (go-to-market) lead, helping shape product strategy and scale operations. She represented Amira at CES 2024, where she spoke on the future of women’s health wearables and tech.
Her day-to-day includes founder support, strategic partnerships, and championing patient-centered design in every launch.
From Layoff to Breakthrough
Ayed’s story went viral when she posted about her layoff in 2022 and how she reframed it into her “career pivot superpower.” That single post generated over 1 million impressions and was shared widely across USF’s alumni network. The vulnerability struck a nerve, and showed her gift for turning setbacks into momentum.
Building Wellness Beyond the Product
Outside of tech and supplements, Maya founded The Gaya Collective, a global storytelling and mentorship initiative rooted in mindfulness, culture, and creative expression. Whether through LinkedIn panels, NY Tech Week sessions, or Medium essays, Ayed continues to shape how future wellness leaders show up, in public and in community.