Top 40 Under 20: Morgahna Godwin, 28, Manage Endo founder

A painful health struggle prompted this Queensland graphic designer and economics major to create a cutting-edge, evidence-based health app that helps thousands of Australian women just like herself.

Battling stage four endometriosis and turning herself into her own “science experiment” made Morgahna Godwin realise “entrepreneurship was in her DNA”.

“I was diagnosed in 2015 and was given opiate medication to manage the condition, including morphine, tramadol, anti-inflammatories, and anti-nausea. I did that for a year, then thought this is not going to be my life,” she said.

So the graphic designer and economics major, trialling in a Bundaberg coworking space wanted to know if there was a way she could decrease her symptoms without the medication.

“I turned myself into my own science experiment, and I’m lucky enough to have a partner who is a medical professional, and started looking at my lifestyle and how they were affecting me.

“I looked at things that were decreasing my symptoms and thought if that helped me stop painkillers so dramatically, maybe it could help some other people.”

ManageEndo founder Morgahna Godwin.

From a beta trial, to women’s attention from around the globe while on the front page of Reddit to a self-confessed “accidental” launch to the then assistant minister to the Prime Minister, Ms Godwin said the experience has made her certain “entrepreneurship is in the fabric of my DNA”.

Two years later, Ms Godwin’s app Manage Endo, an evidence-based symptom tracking tool has helped hundreds/thousands of women chart their pain levels and lifestyle to see what triggers symptoms and has recently been acquired by peak endometriosis charity QENDO.

But the most rewarding thing for Godwin, she says was her contribution to the conversation around the disease which affects one in 10 women.

“If you know ten women you know endometriosis its sad and disappointing that there isn’t a real conversation around that and for me the rewarding part is being a part of amplifying that conversation.”