The evolution of Woven: Intentional by design
Highlights from the 2026 MM+M Agency 100 interview with Jeanne Martel, James Lewis, and Jack O'Brien.
Woven fuses science with creativity to commercialize complex therapies while empowering people to do their best work.
Introduction
Woven Health Collective’s story is one of intentional design: an agency built to pair deep scientific rigor with creativity, and a healthier way of working in an industry that is not always gentle on its people. In a conversation with MM&M executive editor Jack O’Brien, Founder and CEO Jeanne Martel and Chief Growth and Strategy Officer James Lewis trace how that intent shows up in their culture, structure, growth strategy, AI adoption, and vision for the future.
Why Woven was created
Woven emerged from Jeanne's own experience during a time in the industry she describes as “pretty brutal,” particularly for women trying to balance demanding roles with family. After her second child, she faced a crossroads: leave the field entirely or build an organization that worked differently. “The big decision for me was, do I go do something else, or do I try to create something that will work for me?” she recalls. The answer became the foundation of Woven. If an agency could support her life and ambitions, it could do the same for many others.
Strong and flexible by design
That same intentionality is evident in how the agency is structured. Early on, Jeanne and her leadership team designed flexible norms so people could “work our butts off” and still have control over their time. Employees were allowed to choose two days a week to work from home, and as the firm grew and hired talent across the country, that model evolved into a virtual organization. By the time the pandemic forced many companies into remote work, Jeanne says Woven “was already working that way, so it didn't really affect us all that much.”
Science done right
From the start, Woven set out to combine a supportive environment with serious scientific and strategic strength, focusing early on complex, high‑science disease areas that demanded deep expertise. Jeanne notes that today, of roughly 400 employees, close to 70 hold PhDs, PharmDs, or MDs, forming “a very large powerhouse of a scientific team” that clients notice and rely on. As Jack puts it, when stakeholders see MD or PhD after someone’s name, they “tend to perk up a little bit more,” a reaction that has helped differentiate Woven in competitive pitches.
Full‑funnel creative
Woven’s roots were in scientifically-grounded med comms, but as clients saw how well the team understood their products and data, they began asking for projects that traditionally sat with brand or advertising shops. “We were a med comm company, let's be real,” Jeanne said. “And we always wanted to be a med comm company with amazing creative.” Over time, those edge assignments evolved into full campaign ownership. Addressing the initial gap in scale and specialized roles led to a deliberate growth and integration strategy, and Woven is now a fully resourced creative partner.
Integration is a superpower
Jeanne is particularly proud of their track record with founders who join through acquisitions. “All of our founders have chosen to stay in the organization long‑term, and they've been really great partners,” she said. A shared, purpose‑built structure—where creative, scientific, and digital capabilities are shared across business units rather than competing as separate P&Ls—supports that integration and creates more room for collaboration and growth.
Turning AI into everyday advantage
AI is an extension of this pattern, not a gimmick, but a tool to be folded into how people work every day. Woven first mapped current processes, then layered AI into specific workflows and measured impact. Importantly, Jeanne frames AI adoption as an investment in people as much as in the business. “Our goal is 100% of our employees are level three proficiency in AI by the end of this year,” she said. James breaks AI work into two buckets: transforming operations and rethinking client solutions. Internally, the agency has a cohort of AI “champions” tackling capstone projects. Externally, they are already applying AI to areas like advisory boards and generative search.
Looking ahead
When asked where Woven might be in a year or two, both leaders return to fundamentals. Jeanne expects AI to fade as a buzzword. What will still matter, she argues, are the qualities that have driven Woven’s growth so far: trust, responsiveness, a nimble mindset, and a genuine willingness to listen and act. James adds that as AI accelerates discovery and makes molecules more complex, the need for rigorous interpretation and translation will only grow.