Anne Wojcicki spent 10 years investing in healthcare before co-founding 23andMe with the intent to revolutionize medicine while providing people with their genetic insights.
Her company is the pioneer in offering direct-to-consumer pharmacogenetic tests. These can guide medication choices and potentially prevent serious side effects while contributing to a database that commercial and academic researchers can utilize.
Founder and CEO of 23andMe
Anne Wojcicki graduated with a BS in Biology from Yale University, making her well positioned to launch 23andMe as an entrepreneur. Following work experience on Wall Street as healthcare analyst, in 2006 Anne co-founded 23andMe with American biologist Linda Avey in order to give people access to their genetic data, in hopes that this could facilitate proactive measures toward disease prevention.
23andMe was honored to receive Time magazine’s Invention of the Year award in 2008 for their retail saliva-based genetic test that provided insights into both ancestry and potential health conditions. Through its web-based research approach, researchers can recruit large numbers of participants quickly for genome-wide association studies significantly decreasing both time and costs associated with new discoveries.
Wojcicki’s leadership of 23andMe has not been free of controversy, however. From data privacy concerns to potential discrimination based on genetic information, the company has had to negotiate ethical considerations. At present, it’s embroiled in a breach of customer user data which has drawn scrutiny from Connecticut attorney general.
Wojcicki’s unwavering commitment to innovation and customer-centricity has propelled her company forward, now offering FDA-authorized pharmacogenetic reports which give information about how certain genes influence how people respond to medications; she has also introduced an initiative which gives customers personalized wellness recommendations.
23andMe also offers an active drug discovery program with several projects in preclinical development stages across immuno-oncology, cardiovascular/metabolic health and neurology – and has already established strategic collaborations with GlaxoSmithKline and Roche.
Wojcicki has made numerous connections throughout her career in Silicon Valley. She co-founded and sits on the board of Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences along with Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg; additionally, they married each other in 2007. According to San Jose Mercury News reports, that decision was considered “super secret.”
Wojcicki has not let her burgeoning career deter her from spending quality time with her family, being proud mother to two daughters and stepmother to another. With her husband she divides their time between California and the Bahamas. Additionally, Wojcicki supports science and technology education programs at Museum of Science Fiction San Francisco through donations.
Inspiring Leader
Wojcicki’s story will surely inspire aspiring business leaders. Her tireless work to democratize genetic testing and enhance personalized healthcare has had an incredible impact on society, not to mention her charitable activities in Los Altos, California where she lives with her daughter Susan and provides leadership advice such as strategies for increasing diversity. You can read more about her inspiring journey here!
Miami Herbert Business School is pleased to welcome Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe for a Knight Foundation Speaker Series event on Wednesday, November 7th. Register here now.
Visionary Leader
Anne Wojcicki had a vision to help people understand their genetic information, so in 2006 she co-founded 23andMe as a way for consumers to gain direct access to their health and ancestry data. 23andMe provides DNA testing services in exchange for saliva samples; many individuals have used these tests to trace their family tree while it also revolutionized personalized medicine and drug discovery.
Anne describes in our conversation how she set out to alter healthcare by harnessing individual power. After years working on Wall Street and witnessing systems focused on monetising illness rather than incentivizing prevention, she wanted to change this model by giving consumers access to use genetic information in their personal genome to lower risk for disease.
At 23andMe, she believes that empowering individuals to take charge of their own health is the key to reducing overall healthcare costs. By giving people control over their data, she contends they are more likely to engage with it and make positive lifestyle changes as a result. Her company has successfully created an expansive database of genetic information which offers actionable insights for every individual user.
Although helping individuals explore their ancestry wasn’t originally the goal of 23andMe’s company mission, it soon became an integral component. Anne demonstrated this principle by taking complementary yet indirect approaches towards her goal when building her company.
HOFFMAN: Anne has created an impactful company in genetic testing and healthcare, but her journey wasn’t an easy one. She dealt with various regulators – including FDA – while also building trust through approaching her business as an “investment.”
Anne was honored with a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award, honoring leaders that their employees appreciate working with. Watch the video below for more information about Anne and all the winners of this year’s award!
Ambitious Leader
Anne Wojcicki learned this important lesson after her run-in with the FDA; and now applies this wisdom when growing her company and improving healthcare delivery.
Wojcicki founded and heads 23andMe with the mission of changing how people view their health by providing access to genetic data. Their direct-to-consumer kits enable customers to send in samples of saliva for genetic testing; with this information in hand, customers can learn more about their ancestry or determine whether they’re predisposed to specific diseases.
Wojcicki’s grander vision for her business plan, however, is creating an era of personalized healthcare by harnessing everything from miniature sensors and computing power to her trove of personal data – an undertaking she believes will have significant societal ramifications.
She understands it will take hard work, but believes her mission is too important for her to give up. This belief stems from her family – Susan is CEO of YouTube while Janet works as an epidemiologist and medical anthropologist at University of California San Francisco.
Wojcicki’s success in the tech industry provides her with an unrivalled perspective on how to effect change. She has an outspoken nature, never afraid to express herself and share her wisdom with others.
Due to her impressive leadership abilities, she was chosen as the inaugural lecturer for Miami Herbert Business School’s Knight Foundation-Miami Herald Speaker Series event. This series is designed to connect South Florida entrepreneurs with South Florida’s top talent.
At her lecture, she’ll talk about her path to success and the future of personalized healthcare revolution. Additionally, she will offer some leadership advice and strategies for increasing diversity in the workplace – sure to leave an unforgettable impression with audiences of any size! Her story of determination and perseverance will no doubt leave an impactful mark.
