Anna Wojcicki Quotes

“We were raised to not shy away from conflict. That quality has helped me focus on what I believe is the right thing to do and manage the conflict and criticism that has come our way.”

“I want the world's data accessible.”

“I think being on a constraint with money makes you much more creative.”

“One of the things that got me interested in genetics was the relationship between genes and environment. We are all dealt a certain deck of cards, but our environment can influence the outcomes.”

“Making personalized medicine a reality will require a strong partnership between 23andMe and the physician and medical communities.”

“I have always been interested in health care and doing something that is dramatic.”

“Our approach to medicine is very 19th-century. We are still in the dark ages. We really need to get to the molecular level so that we are no longer groping about in the dark.”

“If I am fortunate enough to secure the company's assets through the restructuring process, I remain committed to our long-term vision of being a global leader in genetics and establishing genetics as a fundamental part of healthcare ecosystems worldwide.”

“There is no doubt that the challenges faced by 23andMe through an evolving business model have been real, but my belief in the company and its future is unwavering.”

“The reality is that the only way change comes is when you lead by example.”

“There's a beauty in being unrealistic.”

“I am never as brash and confident as I was five years ago about anything that has to do with regulation. It was a bump in the road but our intentions were always in the right spot.”

“Late on a Friday in November 2013 I was at a strategy offsite when my executive assistant texted that we had received a package by courier from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hoping to gain as much time as possible, I texted back, 'Don't sign for it!'”

“The healthcare system can't change from within. And I believe that pretty strongly, even today, that the $4 trillion that goes into healthcare, the spectacular fragmentation just enables inefficiencies, and that people are not genuinely driven to have change.”

“There are people who wouldn't talk to me for years and years. I remember those days really well. I remember specifically how people would just look at your badge and be like, 'Oh, you're a partner.' And then they ignore you.”

“I loved genetics and the idea that you have a code inside of you that interacts in your environment and determines how your body works. It's absolutely captivating.”

“If you are going to have children I think you have a responsibility to know if you are carrying anything. I personally would rather go into the decision of having a child knowing this information.”

“What will be most interesting is writing the story in three or four years.”

“I remember in the early days of Google, Larry would say, 'I just want the world's data on my laptop.' I feel the same way about health care. I want the world's data accessible.”