Co-founder and CEO of personal genomics and biotechnology company, 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki, is one of World's 100 Most Powerful Women according to Forbes with a net worth of over $690 million.
Born in Palo Alto, California, Wojcicki and her two older sisters grew up on the Stanford University’s campus as their father, Stanley Wojcicki was a Physics professor at the university.
Wojcicki attended Gunn High School, in Palo Alto, California, where she edited the school newspaper The Oracle, and even bagged a scholarship for her sports stories. In 1996, she received her bachelor's degree in Biology from Yale University. She has also conducted molecular biology research at the National Institutes of Health and at UC, San Diego.
Anne started working as a healthcare consultant at Passport Capital, a San Francisco-based investment fundat Investor AB, after her graduation, and stayed at this work for 4 years, overseeing health care investments, focusing on biotechnology companies.
With a keen interest in healthcare, especially DNA testing, she quit her job in 2001 and decided to sit for MCAT and enroll in a medical school but eventually decided against it with the better intent of focusing on research.
In 2006, with Linda Avey and Paul Cusenza, Anne founded 23withMe, a privately-owned, direct to consumer DNA testing company, with the goal of providing a solution to the pain point that a majority of people do not have access to their genetic information, which could provide information on cures for diseases or treatments, especially with the help of Glaxo and their $300 million investment.
The company is named for the 23 pairs of chromosomes in a normal human cell. The company's personal genome test kit was named "Invention of the Year" by Time magazine in 2008. Consumers can purchase testing kits for $99, $199, and $499 which provide information on ancestry, health, and genetic traits.
Wojcicki is also a member of the 'Xconomists', an ad hoc team of editorial advisors for the tech news and media company, Xconomy and is co-founder and board member of the 'Breakthrough Prize'.
Also a strong believer of giving back, Anne started The Brin Wojcicki Foundation with her ex-husband Google co-founder Sergey Brin, which has extensively donated to The Michael J. Fox Foundation and in 2009 gave $1 million to support the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. She is still an active part of the foundation, even after her divorce from Brin.
