We’re all smiling a bit more at 23andMe this week on news from Comparably that 23andMe was singled out on lists not just as having the happiest employees, but also as one of the companies rated by employees as having the best compensation, perks &amp; benefits as well as the best work-life balance.
The workplace review site <a href="https://www.comparably.com/">Comparably</a> compiled the lists based on anonymous employee reviews over the last year. The lists are based on sentiment ratings provided by current employees.
One of those anonymous reviews summed up a common refrain from employees about work at 23andMe:
&#8220;New challenges, plenty of opportunities to understand and implement solutions, and a vast amount of talent to learn from each other.&#8221;&nbsp;
23andMe ranked 7th on the list of the<a href="https://www.comparably.com/news/happiest-employees-2022/"> “Happiest Employees,”</a> drawing on data from employees’ attitudes on such things as compensation, company goals, and excitement about the work they do.
“Our data shows that the happiest employees are often those who feel valued by their employers through a variety of factors like competitive compensation, clear goals, work-life balance, and a general excitement working for their organizations,” said Comparably co-founder/CEO Jason Nazar.
Indeed, employees’ sentiment about compensation, work-life balance as well as perks &amp; benefits, clearly played a role in their overall contentment. 23andMe was also included on lists for the “<a href="https://www.comparably.com/news/best-compensation-2022/">Best Company Compensation,”</a> “<a href="https://www.comparably.com/news/best-work-life-balance-2022/">Best Work-Life Balance,</a>” and “<a href="https://www.comparably.com/awards/winners/perks-benefits-2022-large?mkt_tok=MjM3LUxVWi00OTMAAAGHTL62hMlfLk6B9wIEGDz0vMjtjAWHAzbUnU7iamiLpKGQB43frSsqlBqy6Hi2PNSpuKD5exF90HY3h1G6vxmfJcCqBZPTI9IBzPISAkFSAPO-">Best Perks &amp; Benefits</a>.”
Each of those rankings was also based on anonymous employee reviews. Earlier this year 23andMe also landed on<a href="https://www.comparably.com/"> Comparably’s</a> 2022 list of<a href="https://www.comparably.com/awards/winners/best-company-bay-area-2022"> Best Places to Work in the San Francisco Bay Area</a>.
Want to learn more about working at 23andMe? Find out more <a href="https://www.23andme.com/careers/">here</a>.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Happy Together at 23andMe

Say Hey to Our 2022 Interns

Summer’s not over yet, and neither is our welcome to interns.&nbsp;
We introduced you to our first batch of <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/2022-interns">summer interns last month</a>. This month we’re welcoming the next group of interns who’ll be joining us this summer.
If you want to learn more about our intern program, check out the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/careers/">23andMe Careers page.</a> We’ll be posting more details about the program in the fall when we begin recruiting for the next class of interns.&nbsp;
&nbsp;If you still have questions, email internships@23andme.com.&nbsp;

<h6>James Stumpff</h6>
Immuno-oncology Intern, Therapeutics<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29928" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/James-Stumpf-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/James-Stumpf-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/James-Stumpf-271x271.jpg 271w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
James is a doctoral candidate for Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Riverside. He’s researching host responses to influenza infection, looking at differences in immune cell responses in mild and severe cases. His hope is to create new host-targeted therapeutics. James wants to also leverage his background in immunology to help in the development of new cancer therapies. This summer he’ll be using his skills and interest during his time with the Immuno-Oncology Group in Therapeutics.

<h6>Paige Pistono</h6>
Antibody &amp; Protein Engineering Intern, Therapeutics<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29927" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/paige-pistono-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/paige-pistono-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/paige-pistono-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/paige-pistono-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/paige-pistono-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/paige-pistono-980x980.png 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
Paige is a doctoral student in Chemical Biology at UC Berkeley. Her focus is on using protein engineering techniques to improve virus-like particles for drug delivery applications. This summer she’ll be working with the Antibody and Protein Engineering Group in Therapeutics researching new antibody therapies.

<h6>Chris Mansfield</h6>
Antibody &amp; Protein Engineering Intern, Therapeutics<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29926" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Chris-Mansfield-e1657579827153-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Chris-Mansfield-e1657579827153-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Chris-Mansfield-e1657579827153-300x298.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Chris-Mansfield-e1657579827153-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Chris-Mansfield-e1657579827153-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Chris-Mansfield-e1657579827153.jpg 557w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
Chris is working toward a graduate degree in molecular biology. His research focuses on validating druggable targets and novel inhibitors that could be used to develop therapeutics for drug-resistant malaria. At 23andMe, he’ll be interning with the Antibody and Protein Engineering group.&nbsp;

<h6>Cam Lamoureux</h6>
Computational Biology Intern, Therapeutics<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29925" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-300x297.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-768x761.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-1024x1015.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-880x872.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-1180x1170.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux-980x980.jpg 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cam-Lamoureux.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
Cam loves using cutting-edge machine learning and bioinformatics methods to extract knowledge from genome sequences. For his internship, he’ll be working with the Therapeutics team to leverage genomic data for identification of novel therapeutic targets.

<h6>Rickie Chen</h6>
Platform Design Intern, Product<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29924" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Rickie_Chen_Headshot-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Rickie_Chen_Headshot-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Rickie_Chen_Headshot-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Rickie_Chen_Headshot-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Rickie_Chen_Headshot-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Rickie_Chen_Headshot-980x980.png 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
Rickie is interested in crafting efficient and innovative product designs for the healthcare space. He will be joining the Product Design team this summer as a Platform Design Intern and will be contributing to the design system and exploring product strategy at 23andMe.

<h6>Jinrong Ma</h6>
Antibody &amp; Protein Engineering Intern, Therapeutics<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29923" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Headshot_Jinrong-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Headshot_Jinrong-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Headshot_Jinrong-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Headshot_Jinrong-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Headshot_Jinrong-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Headshot_Jinrong-980x980.jpg 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
Jinrong has been working on protein engineering to develop supramolecular nanostructures and safer therapeutics biomaterials. He’ll join the Protein Engineering Group in Therapeutics this summer working on the development of novel antibodies.

<h6>Elijah Gray</h6>
Communications Intern, Communications<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29922" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Elijah-Gray-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Elijah-Gray-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Elijah-Gray-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Elijah-Gray-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Elijah-Gray-574x574.png 574w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
Elijah has been writing and telling stories online since the minute he could pick up a keyboard. He’ll be applying those skills as an internal and external Communications team intern.

<h6>Sasha Yousefi</h6>
R&amp;D Scientist Intern, Product<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29921" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sasha-Yousefi-150x150.jpeg" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sasha-Yousefi-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sasha-Yousefi-271x271.jpeg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sasha-Yousefi-372x372.jpeg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sasha-Yousefi-574x574.jpeg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sasha-Yousefi-980x980.jpeg 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
Sasha is working on her master’s degree in data science at Stanford University. She’ll be applying her skills on research and development with the product team to help build new predictive machine learning models.&nbsp;

<h6>Sneha Ganguly</h6>
Immunology Intern, Therapeutics<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29920" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sneha-Ganguly-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sneha-Ganguly-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sneha-Ganguly-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sneha-Ganguly-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sneha-Ganguly-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sneha-Ganguly-980x980.png 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
Sneha spent five years at UC San Diego studying the association between respiratory allergies and DNA damage in lung cancer. She’ll be interning with the Therapeutics team developing immunology therapeutics.

<h6>Sai Preethi Nakkina</h6>
Metabolic &amp; Cardiovascular Target Discovery Intern, Therapeutics<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29919" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sai-Preethi-Nakkina-e1657579687494-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sai-Preethi-Nakkina-e1657579687494-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sai-Preethi-Nakkina-e1657579687494-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sai-Preethi-Nakkina-e1657579687494-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sai-Preethi-Nakkina-e1657579687494-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sai-Preethi-Nakkina-e1657579687494.jpg 554w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
Preethi has already worked in therapeutics research, but will be interning with 23andMe on the team searching for drug targets for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

<h6>Cassandra Nguyen</h6>
Creative Design Intern, Product<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-29918" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cassandra-Nguyen-e1657579726210-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cassandra-Nguyen-e1657579726210-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cassandra-Nguyen-e1657579726210-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cassandra-Nguyen-e1657579726210-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cassandra-Nguyen-e1657579726210-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cassandra-Nguyen-e1657579726210-980x980.png 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />
Cassandra Nguyen is a graphic designer, visual development and lettering artist with a passion for storytelling and audience engagement. She is fresh out of college but already has experience making short-films, and children’s books, receiving awards for her work. She hopes to apply those skills to her time at 23andMe.&nbsp;

Our 2022 Interns Part Two

Here’s Noura Abul-Husn’s recipe for a meaningful career in genomics: Start with curiosity, add adaptability, sprinkle in a willingness to pursue a non-traditional path, and don’t forget to include the most critical ingredient of all – passion.



Following this recipe brought Noura, MD, PhD, to 23andMe, where she recently assumed the role of Vice President of Genomic Health.



Noura spoke with us about her plans to bring genomic medicine into clinical care and her commitment to “keeping people as healthy as possible for as long as possible.”



The following is an edited excerpt of our conversation.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="522" height="639" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Noura-Headshot-crop.png" alt="" class="wp-image-30267" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Noura-Headshot-crop.png 522w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Noura-Headshot-crop-245x300.png 245w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 522px) 100vw, 522px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Noura Abul-Husn, MD, PhD</figcaption></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-inspired-you-to-pursue-a-career-in-genetics-and-genomics">What inspired you to pursue a career in genetics and genomics?</h6>



I initially wanted to do biomedical research. I was always intrigued by science, which was my driving force.



I knew I wanted to get a PhD., but I also needed a strong clinical background to inform the type of research I wanted to do and make it as meaningful as possible to human health.



I initially did an MD-PhD program with the intention of being a scientist, and somewhere along the way, I realized I liked the patient care side of things too.



So, I ended up doing a dual residency in internal medicine and medical genetics. I loved internal medicine because you have to know a little about most diseases that touch adult patients, and I liked the broad scope of understanding human health and disease.



Medical genetics is very different. The way you train for it is you learn about rare diseases that mostly impact pediatric patients. But I was drawn to the specialty because we were starting to understand that genomics touches every aspect of disease in people at every stage of their life.



I felt that a combination of general adult medicine combined with a strong genetics background put me in the position to understand­ the potential of genomic medicine.



I’ve always been excited about genomics because it’s cutting-edge medicine, and it’s constantly changing. As a result, you have to learn and evolve and think about new ways to innovate.



I also think genomics is central to the future of healthcare, and that future is now. The healthcare industry can leverage the vast amounts of data generated through genomics to keep people as healthy as possible for as long as possible. And though that isn’t happening to the extent that it could be, I think 23andMe is poised to make a real impact.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-focused-on-at-23andme">What are you focused on at 23andMe?</h6>



I’m the Vice President of Genomic Health, which is a new position. I’m focused on bringing the 23andMe genetics product into clinical care. I’m thinking about how genetic information can contribute to keeping people healthy, preventing and diagnosing disease, and managing genetic conditions or genetic risks.



I’ll be working closely with the product team and others to execute this new vision and strategy.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-accomplishments-are-you-most-proud-of">What accomplishments are you most proud of?</h6>



My biggest personal accomplishment? I had twins! My first instinct when I learned I was having twins was to worry that I would have to stop working and give up on building a career and becoming a leader in this space.



But I persevered, and here we are! (My twins are five now, and they have an older sister – I don’t want to leave her out).&nbsp; I think that was a turning point for me. I had to ask myself, “do I want to continue to work this hard and try to figure things out with an unexpectedly large and growing family?”



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1181" height="1574" data-id="30266" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/4-At-Work.jpg" alt="Noura at work" class="wp-image-30266" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/4-At-Work.jpg 1181w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/4-At-Work-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/4-At-Work-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/4-At-Work-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/4-At-Work-885x1180.jpg 885w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1181px) 100vw, 1181px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Noura and her oldest daughter hard at work</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1158" height="1544" data-id="30265" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/5-Mont-Royal-rotated.jpg" alt="Noura and family" class="wp-image-30265" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/5-Mont-Royal-rotated.jpg 1158w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/5-Mont-Royal-rotated-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/5-Mont-Royal-rotated-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/5-Mont-Royal-rotated-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/5-Mont-Royal-rotated-885x1180.jpg 885w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1158px) 100vw, 1158px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Noura with her family in Montreal</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



Professionally, I took a very non-traditional path as an MD-PhD physician-scientist. First, I started in academia and went to industry for a couple of years. Then I returned to academia, and now I’m back in industry at 23andMe.



In my prior role at Mount Sinai, where I was for four years, I had an opportunity to build something from scratch that I am very proud of. I started a new Division of Genomic Medicine – one of the only divisions of its kind – which had its own Genomic Health Clinic and a unique genomics training program for residents.



We also developed a research program at Mount Sinai focused on expanding the reach of genomic medicine to diverse and underserved populations. I ended up doing many things that may seem different and disparate from each other. Still, they all led towards the same end goal of bringing genomic medicine into clinical care in the most equitable way possible.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-differentiates-the-work-23andme-is-doing-from-other-organizations">What differentiates the work 23andMe is doing from other organizations?</h6>



23andMe has always put the consumer – the person – first. They’ve always thought about how to serve a person best and look at that person as an individual using genetic information.



I think that’s extremely powerful. It’s a unique approach to genomic medicine and a unique approach to medicine generally. We practice medicine today based on science that puts people together into cohorts or groups and figures out what medication or management strategy works for most people in that group.



Over the last few decades, we have learned that this one-size-fits-all model doesn’t optimize health for everyone and that we could do better. And we have information at our disposal to make more informed choices, but because it’s a slow-moving field, we don’t optimally use that information the way we could.



23andMe has always had the intention to change that. And that’s what attracted me to this role – the opportunity to leverage genomic information to help us tailor treatment and think about an individual&#8217;s risk for developing disease.



The idea of making this a priority for 23andMe is exciting! I can’t emphasize how incredible it is to be a part of this revolution.

Meet Dr. Noura Abul-Husn, our Vice President of Genomic Health

By Elijah Gray

Amid the flurry of activity at the Lemonaid pharmacy in St. Louis, April Ward’s desk is a beacon of calm. Composure is crucial to her work as office administrator. It’s her job to oversee every facet of pharmacy administration, ensuring that “everyone is taken care of” while managing employee engagement activities.
&nbsp;“We are extremely hard workers who deal with changing circumstances every single day,” she explains. “Whether it&#8217;s technical – we have patient questions that arise every day, clinical counseling, and we’re still dealing with the same things that everyone else in the world face like COVID-19. We show up here every day, working it out together.”

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="580" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Group-125006-1024x580.png" alt="" class="wp-image-30261" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Group-125006-1024x580.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Group-125006-300x170.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Group-125006-768x435.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Group-125006-880x498.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Group-125006-1180x668.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
<h6>Prioritizing Teamwork</h6>
This commitment to teamwork and community characterizes the entire pharmacy team, says Sarah Stillman, a pharmacy technician.
“We have a lot of really great people working who you can tell really want to be here, and they want to put in their 100 percent every day,” she says.
<h6>Processing Prescriptions and Serving Patients</h6>
The Lemonaid pharmacy processes prescriptions for almost 200 medications to patients throughout the country.&nbsp;
But employees do more than fill prescriptions and put pills into bottles. “If I could make a broadcast and say, &#8216;this is what a pharmacy is like,&#8217; it’d say that it’s not just sitting and counting pills on a tray,” Sarah explains.
“It’s a lot of math, it&#8217;s a lot of logistics, and what’s shipping where and getting there when. We [also] have to be conscious of the laws of each state. So, in general, it’s a lot more work than most people expect.”
&nbsp;April agrees, adding: “Sometimes our day can be really physically demanding for our employees &#8211; standing, moving heavy boxes, shipping, providing great customer service, making sure things like the lights are paid for. I think we do it quite well.”
Both find the complexity of their work rewarding. “[My favorite part is…] knowing that working here, you’re a part of something bigger as opposed to working at a community pharmacy,” Sarah says. “You’re able to help patients across the country.”
Learn more about Lemonaid Health <a href="https://www.lemonaidhealth.com/">here</a>.&nbsp;

Elijah Gray is a communications intern at 23andMe. He is a writer, college student, and self-proclaimed cat lover.

Elijah Gray

Behind the Scenes at the Lemonaid Pharmacy

An interest in genetics, a passion for patient care, and a graduate school epiphany put Amy Curry Sturm on the road to 23andMe, where she recently assumed the newly created role of Director of Population Health Genomics.



&nbsp;We caught up with Amy to learn more about her career path, her plans, and why the phrase “no dead ends” has become her new favorite mantra.



The following is an edited excerpt of our conversation.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-inspired-you-to-pursue-a-career-in-genetics-and-genomics">WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN GENETICS AND GENOMICS?</h6>



I was inspired from a very early age to go into a career where I could dedicate myself to keeping people healthy and preventing disease.



My background as an undergraduate was pre-med because I was very interested in medicine and disease prevention, but I also knew I never wanted to be a doctor.



I then went through a Ph.D. program in pathology, thinking I’d go into some area of research to prevent disease.&nbsp;



But I realized that I didn’t want to be working at a bench in a laboratory; I wanted to work more directly with patients and deliver amazing scientific discoveries directly to them.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-larger"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="880" height="587" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Amy-in-Australia-880x587.jpeg" alt="Amy in Australia" class="wp-image-30057" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Amy-in-Australia-880x587.jpeg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Amy-in-Australia-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Amy-in-Australia-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Amy-in-Australia-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Amy-in-Australia-1180x786.jpeg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Amy-in-Australia.jpeg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px" /><figcaption>A quick stop on the southwestern coast of Australia before presenting at the Australian Society of Human Genetics and Genetic Counselors Meeting.</figcaption></figure>



Luckily, I found genetic counseling —a very young profession in the 1990s — and pursued my graduate degree in genetic counseling.



With that degree, I’ve been able to dedicate my career to using genetic information to prevent disease. And that’s what drives me, trying to utilize all that information to keep people healthy from a very young age. So I’m excited to do that now at 23andMe!



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-focused-on-at-23andme">What are you focused on at 23andMe?</h6>



My role at 23andMe is Director of Population Health Genomics. I sit within the product organization, but I plan and hope to work across a lot of different areas within 23andMe.



My role involves working with the product team to look for ways to bring 23andMe&#8217;s vision and commitment to integrating genetic information into clinical care for patients.&nbsp;



One thing I really love that I keep hearing the product and design teams say is that there are “no dead-ends.”&nbsp;



That’s become a mantra as we build everything out. We want to truly give our customers no dead-ends;&nbsp; we want them to have the next steps they need to take action based on their genetic information to keep them as healthy as possible.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-your-new-role-differ-from-your-past-roles-and-responsibilities">How does your new role differ from your past roles and responsibilities?</h6>



It’s extremely different from anything I’ve ever done.&nbsp; This is my first time working for a&nbsp; genetics company. My past experience has been working for major healthcare institutions.



I started as a genetic counselor in 2002, so over the past 20 years, I’ve worked at a large children’s hospital, a large university medical center (Ohio State), and then a large integrated healthcare system (Geisinger).&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="685" height="919" data-id="30054" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Sturm-Family-Summer-2022-e1661968656481.jpeg" alt="Sturm Familly Photo" class="wp-image-30054" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Sturm-Family-Summer-2022-e1661968656481.jpeg 685w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Sturm-Family-Summer-2022-e1661968656481-224x300.jpeg 224w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Sturm-Family-Summer-2022-e1661968656481-656x880.jpeg 656w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px" /><figcaption> Serendipitous color coordination called for a family photo! Amy with her husband Jeff, son Jack, and daughter Stella. </figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1365" height="1827" data-id="30053" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Jeff-and-Amy-Halloween-Party-e1661968459485.jpeg" alt="Amy Halloween" class="wp-image-30053" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Jeff-and-Amy-Halloween-Party-e1661968459485.jpeg 1365w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Jeff-and-Amy-Halloween-Party-e1661968459485-224x300.jpeg 224w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Jeff-and-Amy-Halloween-Party-e1661968459485-768x1028.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Jeff-and-Amy-Halloween-Party-e1661968459485-765x1024.jpeg 765w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Jeff-and-Amy-Halloween-Party-e1661968459485-657x880.jpeg 657w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Jeff-and-Amy-Halloween-Party-e1661968459485-882x1180.jpeg 882w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1365px) 100vw, 1365px" /><figcaption>Amy and her husband dressed up for their Halloween Party. Amy went as her childhood favorite, Mary Poppins.</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



I’ve always worked within that healthcare space. I’ve had multiple different roles within those settings, ranging from taking care of patients and families directly as a clinical genetics counselor to leading large research initiatives and developing new programs from the ground up.



But I have always been industry-curious and interested in working within this space for a company like 23andMe.



It’s very different from anything I’ve ever experienced in my career, which is exciting! I love innovating and feeling like I’m in a cutting-edge space; I love building things from the ground up. So that motivated me to make the leap and finally enter an industry setting.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-most-excited-to-work-on-as-you-look-to-the-future-1">WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO WORK ON AS YOU LOOK TO THE FUTURE?</h6>



I’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to help build the future delivery of new product offerings from 23andMe.



I’m thrilled to help build a path for individuals on their health journey. They can come to 23andMe, get their DNA insights, and learn personalized, preventive, proactive recommendations for their health and actions they and their families can take. We can provide the next steps on that journey and can also now deliver telehealth services via Lemonaid Health, now part of the 23andMe family.&nbsp;



The goal is to bring genetics into the primary care setting to deliver more personalized care. That goal is front and center – it’s what excites me to wake up and get to work every day!

Amy Curry Sturm on Harnessing the Power of Genetic Information

Midway through our interview, Curtis Midkiff, Director of Global Social Engagement at 23andMe, offers up an interesting analogy.
“Imagine that social media is a dinner party,” he says. “As a brand, you have access to the gathering, but you’re only a guest.”&nbsp;&nbsp;
“Brands need to read the room,” he continues. “They need to listen to the other attendees, and then participate in conversations where they can add value. Don&#8217;t chime in if there’s a conversation about something you’re not interested in — a book you haven’t read or a movie you’ve never seen.”
Speaking to Curtis is as fun as sitting next to him at an actual dinner party must be. He brims with creative energy and has an endless enthusiasm for discussing social media platforms he enjoys, platforms with untapped potential, and platforms to watch.&nbsp;
Throughout his career, he’s overseen social media for brands like Weber and Kroger, and now, 23andMe. He credits his professional success to “thinking big” and prioritizing content. As he explains it, “I’ve been around long enough to know that good content resonates. That’s my focus.”
The following is an edited excerpt of our conversation.
<h6>What happens during a typical workday at 23andMe?</h6>
A typical day right now involves heavy coordination with my team around strategy. What we&#8217;re trying to do right now is lay a foundation for the year ahead and the future of social engagement at 23andMe.
So we&#8217;re having a lot of conversations and doing a lot of strategy development to get us to a good point where we have everything in place that we’ll need for the long term.&nbsp;
I&#8217;m excited for the future of 23andMe, and I&#8217;m excited for what social is going to be. There&#8217;s a great foundation, and we&#8217;re just ready to build something unique. I want people to follow along for the ride and know that we&#8217;re working on something big.&nbsp;
<h6>What do you think the future of social media will look like?</h6>
The two things that have evolved the most in social media are brand storytelling and community development. Those two areas are the future of social media.&nbsp;
Initially, businesses used social media to post what they were doing and then what they wanted to promote. And, of course, they wanted to go viral. Those were the priorities.
And now I think people look at social media and social platforms as a place to have a conversation and build community. I think that&#8217;s the future of social &#8212; just really understanding brand storytelling and how to use different tools and platforms to tell your brand story in an entertaining and compelling way.
And another part of social media’s future is how you interact with the communities of people that engage with you – the ambassadors, influencers, and affiliates who are talking about your brand and are activated to advocate on your behalf on social channels.
<h6>What role does listening play in your social media strategy?</h6>
I consider social conversations to be the greatest unsolicited forum and focus group that’s out there. It’s people talking in an unsolicited, unbiased way.&nbsp;
By listening, you can understand what they think as it relates to your brand and some other factors that may influence the decisions necessary for them to interact with your brand.&nbsp;
It’s essential to understand how things in pop culture are being talked about &#8212; what are the trends that people are following, and who are they following? Who are they talking about?
Listening is the secret sauce. Because you can be outspent in social media by another brand who can put out flashier content or hire more influencers, but you shouldn&#8217;t get outworked. And the work is, how do you listen and get that information and bring that into the content development process and say, “here’s what folks are talking about; let&#8217;s try to intersect with that.”
<h6>Do you have a favorite social media platform?</h6>
You know, that&#8217;s a good question. I think for entertainment, it&#8217;s neck and neck between Instagram and TikTok because I think there&#8217;s so much rich content there that&#8217;s short-form and easily digestible. You can look up, and between reels and TikTok, you&#8217;ve lost an hour.
For business, I honestly think LinkedIn is the one platform that&#8217;s a sleeping giant for business. Because first and foremost, everybody&#8217;s there. And because it&#8217;s a professional network, people primarily use it to search for jobs which creates an audience that&#8217;s plugged in. So as a brand, you can tell all aspects of your story, and people are still interested.&nbsp;
<h6>It sounds like your role involves a lot of brainstorming and idea generation. What do you need to be creative?&nbsp;</h6>
The biggest thing I need – and I have it here – is the encouragement to think big. That’s how you must approach creative work.
You have to think big and think about ways to make an impression on people. Because you&#8217;re competing in a crowded space. You&#8217;re competing with that quirky influencer video and people sharing their trips. How do you think big and stand out so people will talk about your brand?
<h6>What should we know about you that doesn’t appear on your resume?&nbsp;</h6>
I’ve lived in most of the regions of the U.S. at some point in my life. I grew up in the Northwest, went to college in the South, spent quite a bit of time in the Northeast, and have recently lived in the Midwest.
I also have an amazing family: my wife and two little kids. My son is about to turn four, and my daughter is six. They&#8217;re my inspiration for everything and a great support system.&nbsp;
And I love 90s hip-hop music.&nbsp;
<h6>What advice would you offer to someone who’s feeling overwhelmed by the thought of being a content creator in the crowded social media landscape?</h6>
The most important thing I’ve learned is not to think you know everything. Even though I’ve been a social leader in different capacities at different companies for over 12 years, I’ve always benefited from the teams I’ve assembled. They keep me plugged into what’s going on.&nbsp;
I always look to my teams to see what&#8217;s trending and how people are approaching this – I lean on them. I also focus on great content. Because great content can resonate on any channel.
That’s my advice: ask questions, connect with your team, think big, and prioritize great content.&nbsp;

23andMe’s Director of Global Social Engagement

23andMe was founded with a mission: to help all people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome.
&nbsp;An inclusive, equitable workplace is essential to that mission. While our company is based on the recognition that we’re all linked by a common genetic thread, we celebrate our differences. We know that unique experiences and perspectives fuel innovation and create solutions that work for everyone.
&nbsp;We developed a four-pillar framework two years ago to guide and advance our diversity efforts. As part of these efforts, we committed to annually sharing our hiring and staff composition data and highlighting areas where we’ve fallen short. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-29897 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/company-overall-e1669683045572.png" alt="company dei statistics" width="1526" height="1060" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/company-overall-e1669683045572.png 1526w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/company-overall-e1669683045572-300x208.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/company-overall-e1669683045572-768x533.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/company-overall-e1669683045572-1024x711.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/company-overall-e1669683045572-880x611.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/company-overall-e1669683045572-1180x820.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1526px) 100vw, 1526px" />
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-29902 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gender_stem_use.png" alt="gender in STEM" width="1384" height="1038" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gender_stem_use.png 1384w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gender_stem_use-300x225.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gender_stem_use-768x576.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gender_stem_use-1024x768.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gender_stem_use-880x660.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gender_stem_use-1180x885.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1384px) 100vw, 1384px" />
An Overview
The <a href="https://www.23andme.com/diversity-equity-inclusion/#workforce">latest numbers</a> suggest that our staff is becoming more diverse. Twenty percent of our new hires come from communities where we traditionally lack representation. In our workforce, women comprise 46 percent of our STEM positions and more than half of our non-STEM employees.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-29904" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/overall-representation-data.png" alt="overall representation data" width="540" height="303" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/overall-representation-data.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/overall-representation-data-300x168.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" />
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-29901" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/New-Hire-Representation-by-Proportion.png" alt="New Hire Representation by Proportion" width="590" height="364" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/New-Hire-Representation-by-Proportion.png 685w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/New-Hire-Representation-by-Proportion-300x185.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px" />
But the numbers also show that we still have work to do. We saw fewer employees identifying as Latinx and increased attrition rates among other underrepresented groups so far in 2022, including Black employees. 
<h6>New Hires and Workforce Representation</h6>
In 2021, we set a goal to ensure that 20 percent of our new hires come from communities where we lack representation. We’re proud to say we reached that goal.
We saw an <a href="https://www.23andme.com/diversity-equity-inclusion/">increase</a> in the overall representation of underrepresented groups within our workforce, with the total percentage increasing from 12.5 percent to 13.7 percent. However, we also identified a decrease in the Latinx&nbsp;group due to attrition.
We also made modest progress in our leadership ranks, especially with regard to representation from underrepresented groups. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-29905 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/leadership-data-use.png" alt="leadership data" width="1392" height="1044" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/leadership-data-use.png 1392w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/leadership-data-use-300x225.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/leadership-data-use-768x576.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/leadership-data-use-1024x768.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/leadership-data-use-880x660.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/leadership-data-use-1180x885.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1392px) 100vw, 1392px" />
<h6>Building a Pipeline&nbsp;</h6>
We’re committed to continuing this momentum by investing in programs and partnerships that help attract diverse job candidates and grow our talent pool.&nbsp;
We’ve partnered with <a href="https://www.sacnas.org/">SACNAS</a>, a non-profit dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in STEM. We attend their annual conferences and have hosted panels for graduate student members of SACNAS who are interested in moving from academia to industry.&nbsp;
And each year, we invite Bay Area high school students from <a href="https://streetcode.org/">StreetCode Academy</a> to visit our company and learn more about our work.&nbsp;
We’re also deepening our relationships with organizations that serve underrepresented communities by attending and recruiting at events like the <a href="https://disabilityin.org/2022conference/">Disability:IN</a> conference and <a href="https://afrotech.com/">AfroTech</a>. 
<h6>Equitable Hiring&nbsp;</h6>
We’re paying close attention to how we assess talent at each step of the hiring process.&nbsp;
We’ve increased candidate referral bonuses and assembled diverse interview panels. And we’ve recently added a Diversity Recruiting Program Manager who will oversee our hiring goals. 
<h6>Renewed Focus on Retention</h6>
We’re not just interested in attracting talent; we’re also committed to ensuring our employees stay and thrive. Though we’ve made progress in hiring, our retention numbers aren’t where we want them to be. We’re sharing this information with our leaders so they are better positioned to be deliberate about retention efforts.&nbsp;
We’ve implemented several policies to address this and have leveraged new resources to improve the employee experience. We’ve maximized our remote work options and are revisiting relocation and education reimbursement benefits. And our 10 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are instrumental in creating inclusion and a sense of belonging. 
<h6>Expanding our Definition of Diversity</h6>
We acknowledge that this data set only shows diversity through the lens of race and ethnicity. We’re committed to expanding our data to include demographics such as age and disability. This will help to give us a more complete picture of our workforce.&nbsp;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-29896 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/age-e1669683566969.png" alt="age data" width="1097" height="987" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/age-e1669683566969.png 1097w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/age-e1669683566969-300x270.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/age-e1669683566969-768x691.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/age-e1669683566969-1024x921.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/age-e1669683566969-880x792.png 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1097px) 100vw, 1097px" />
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29898" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/disability-e1669683607256.png" alt="disability data" width="943" height="1024" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/disability-e1669683607256.png 943w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/disability-e1669683607256-276x300.png 276w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/disability-e1669683607256-768x834.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/disability-e1669683607256-810x880.png 810w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 943px) 100vw, 943px" />What’s Next</h6>
Going forward, we’ll continue to approach diversity, equity, and inclusion in the same way we approach scientific discovery: as a work in progress that requires continual collaboration, rigor, creativity, and accountability.
As our CEO Anne Wojcicki <a href="https://www.23andme.com/black-lives-matter/">wrote</a> in 2020, “The best thing we can do is lead by example and impact all the lives connected to 23andMe. That means looking at our culture, evaluating our partnerships, and taking a deeper look at our product. In the spirit of our core values, ‘we will make mistakes, but we will learn from them and keep blazing forward.’”

An Update on Our Hiring Data

By Jey McCreight, Ph.D.
I keep hoping for the right moment to write this Pride 2022 blog post—the moment when the news isn’t all about another piece of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, systematic efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, or even attacks on my very right to exist. Because I do exist, and gay and trans people like me have existed throughout recorded history. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-29799 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1080x1080-Pride-Month-1-e1654117746196.png" alt="" width="842" height="839" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1080x1080-Pride-Month-1-e1654117746196.png 842w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1080x1080-Pride-Month-1-e1654117746196-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1080x1080-Pride-Month-1-e1654117746196-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1080x1080-Pride-Month-1-e1654117746196-768x765.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1080x1080-Pride-Month-1-e1654117746196-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1080x1080-Pride-Month-1-e1654117746196-372x372.png 372w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px" />
But I’ve realized something. The right moment will not come anytime soon.
<h6>Under Attack</h6>
The LGBTQ+ community is under attack in a way many of us have never experienced in our lifetimes, and others hoped they would never see again. We are witnessing a systematic effort to roll back LGBTQ+ rights to a time where teachers could be fired for being gay and “conversion therapy” wasn’t recognized for the abuse it is. What we are watching unfold is a campaign to stop LGBTQ+ people from existing.
This is not only obviously morally wrong, but is literally impossible scientifically. LGBTQ people are a natural part of human diversity. Regardless of how many laws strip away our rights, queer people will continue to be born. We have existed throughout human history and will continue to exist.
What will change is how we exist. And here at 23andMe — where we celebrate the diversity of humankind — we believe that existence deserves to be healthy and happy, just like everyone else on this planet. As a health company, we cannot stay silent while a torrential downpour of anti-LGBTQ+ hatred hurts people both physically and emotionally.
<h6>Support</h6>
23andMe unequivocally supports our LGBTQ+ employees, customers, family, and friends. They deserve access to proper health care, including gender-affirming care. They deserve the ability to bring their whole selves to work, school, and the world without hiding their true selves. They deserve to use the bathroom without fearing physical assault. They deserve to feel safe and loved.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-29800 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/v-1-e1654117691902.png" alt="" width="977" height="801" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/v-1-e1654117691902.png 977w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/v-1-e1654117691902-300x246.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/v-1-e1654117691902-768x630.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/v-1-e1654117691902-880x721.png 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 977px) 100vw, 977px" />
We understand that we have room to improve as well, especially around trans-inclusive language in our reports. We have heard your feedback and are actively working on improvements. Please continue <a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/requests/new">providing feedback</a> and holding us accountable, because change happens with your help.
We hope that you’ll join us in taking action to support LGBTQ+ rights and health. Please look up what <a href="https://www.aclu.org/legislation-affecting-lgbtq-rights-across-country">anti-LGBTQ legislation is happening in your state</a>, contact your representatives, and <a href="https://vote.gov/">vote</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

News — Page 4