Welcome to #OurEntrepreneurs, a series where we meet our innovators and uncover what inspired them to create change. Today, we’re delighted to introduce Alexandra Perry, joining us from Nottingham.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am the founder of H.E.R Bodywear (Heal • Empower • Rise), an award-winning Nottingham-based business developing innovative post-surgery bras / bodywear to help women rebuild confidence and independence following breast cancer and breast surgery.
I am a two-time breast cancer patient, BRCA2 carrier, fashion management graduate, part-time lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and a British Business Bank Start Up Loans Ambassador.
Name: Alexandra Perry, Patient Programme Cohort 3
Occupation: Founder & Underwear Designer
Through both lived experience and professional practice, I am passionate about designing products and services that improve quality of life and place patient voices at the heart of innovation.
Tell us about your innovation
H.E.R Bodywear was created in response to my own experiences of breast cancer treatment and the lack of comfortable, functional, feminine post-surgery underwear available to women. The HERO Bra, has been designed to support women following mastectomy, reconstruction and other breast surgeries, helping to improve comfort, independence, body confidence and emotional wellbeing during recovery.
I hope H.E.R Bodywear will contribute towards a more person-centred approach to breast cancer care, ensuring women feel seen, supported and empowered beyond treatment. Longer term, I hope to work collaboratively with healthcare providers, researchers and patient communities to improve recovery experiences and reduce inequalities in access to supportive products and information.
What is the problem or challenge you are addressing in the NHS and why is it important?
Breast cancer treatment often focuses understandably on clinical outcomes, but many women continue to face significant physical and psychological challenges once active treatment ends. Access to supportive products can be inconsistent, and many women report feeling unprepared for changes to their bodies, loss of confidence and difficulties finding suitable underwear following surgery.
With over 55,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK, there is an opportunity to improve quality of life outcomes by addressing these unmet needs. Supporting women to regain confidence, comfort and independence can positively influence wellbeing, recovery and long-term survivorship experiences.
Why did you join the programme and how do you hope it will support you?
I discovered the Patient Entrepreneurship Programme through conversations with colleagues and was encouraged to apply because of its strong focus on supporting patient innovators alongside NHS staff. As someone bringing together lived experience, academia and entrepreneurship, it felt like an ideal community to be part of.
I hope the programme will support me both professionally and personally. Since my breast cancer diagnoses and multiple surgeries, I have not worked within an organisation since 2020 and have spent the past six years trying to build H.E.R Bodywear largely on my own. If I’m honest, I am struggling with that. I miss having colleagues around me to bounce ideas off, sense-check decisions with, or simply ask, “What do you think?”. Working in isolation can sometimes feel overwhelming, and I often find myself second-guessing decisions or wishing I had someone more experienced to turn to for guidance.
I hope the programme will either help me build greater confidence in my ability to work independently and trust my own judgement, or connect me with mentors, peers and supporters who can provide encouragement, challenge my thinking and remind me that I don’t have to navigate innovation entirely alone.
I am particularly looking forward to learning from fellow entrepreneurs, gaining a better understanding of NHS pathways, and exploring opportunities for collaboration that could help scale patient-led innovations and create meaningful impact.
What are your ambitions for the year ahead?
Over the next year, I would like to build confidence not only in H.E.R Bodywear as a business, but also in myself as a founder. I would love to strengthen the evidence base behind my innovation, develop meaningful collaborations within healthcare, and better understand potential pathways into the NHS.
Ultimately, my ambition is for more women to have access to products and support that help them feel comfortable, confident and empowered after breast surgery, whilst continuing to grow as an entrepreneur who trusts her own instincts and abilities.
Why do you think innovation in healthcare is important?
I think innovation in healthcare is essential because patients often experience challenges that existing systems, products or services were never designed to address. Some of the best ideas come from people who have lived through illness and treatment first hand and can really genuinely see those gaps that professionals may not always recognise.
For me, innovation isn’t just about technology or new treatments; it’s about improving quality of life, listening to patient voices and finding better ways to support people not only to survive, but to live well afterwards.