Theranos, whistleblowing and speaking truth to power

So I had graduated
seven years ago from Berkeley

with a dual degree in molecular
and cell biology and linguistics,

and I had gone to a career fair

here on campus

where I'd gotten an interview
with a startup called Theranos.

And at the time,

there wasn't really that much
information about the company,

but the little that was
there was really impressive.

Essentially, what the company
was doing was creating a medical device

where you would be able
to run your entire blood panel

on a finger-stick of blood.

So you wouldn't have to get
a big needle stuck in your arm

in order to get your blood test done.

So this was interesting
not only because it was less painful

but also it could potentially
open the door to predictive diagnostics.

If you had a device that allowed for
more frequent and continuous diagnosis,

potentially you could diagnose disease
before someone got sick.

And this was confirmed in an interview
that the founder, Elizabeth Holmes,

had said in the Wall Street Journal.

You know, the reality
within our healthcare system today

is that when someone
you care about gets really sick,

by the time you find out it's too late
to do anything about it,

and it's heartbreaking.

This was a moonshot
that I really wanted to be a part of

and I really wanted to help build.

And there was another reason
why I think the story of Elizabeth

really appealed to me.

So there was a time
that someone had said to me,

"Erika, there are two types of people.

There are those that thrive
and those that survive.

And you, my dear, are a survivor."

Before I went to university,

I had grown up in a one-bedroom trailer
with my six family members,

and when I told people
I wanted to go to Berkeley,

they would say, "Well, I want
to be an astronaut, so good luck."

And I stuck with it, and I worked hard,
and I managed to get in.

But honestly, my first year
was very challenging.

I was the victim of a series of crimes.

I was robbed at gunpoint,
I was sexually assaulted,

and I was sexually assaulted a third time,

spurring on very severe panic attacks
where I was failing my classes

and I dropped out of school.

And at this moment, people had said to me,

"Erika, maybe you're not cut out
for the sciences.

Maybe you should reconsider
doing something else."

And I told myself, you know what?

If I don't make the cut,
I don't make the cut,

but I cannot give up on myself,
and I'm going to go for this,

and even if I'm not the best for it,
I'm going to try and make it happen.

And luckily, I stuck with it,
and I got the degree, and I graduated.

(Applause)