Can you share with us Alpha’s origin story? What motivated you to leave companies like Google and Linkedin to found a company?

I had a women’s health issue and was bounced around in the system – from PCP to OB/GYN to specialists – and it was beyond frustrating! And it was clear then that there were no comprehensive solutions focused just on the needs of women.  Rather than complaining about the problem, I decided to try to be part of the solution.

What motivated you to take on women’s health and how did you get started?

My background is in machine learning and data science, and aside from my own patient journey my understanding of healthcare was non-existent. I left Google with a goal to learn more about the alignment/misalignment and generally how things work in healthcare. I was fortunate to have an amazing network (shoutout to Linkedin) that I could call upon, and I learned through lots of shadowing/conversations at Stanford and beyond.

As a first-time CEO and as a female CEO, what’s been the biggest challenge for you in building Alpha? How has being a woman helped?

We have an exceptionally mission-driven culture, and given what we do – virtual primary care for women – understanding our unique challenges in healthcare firsthand and being able to speak to the challenges is vital on multiple levels.

What do you know now, that you wished you knew when you started?

For fellow engineers who are analytical and sometimes overthink, I’d say: just do it. It’s hard, you won’t get it right the first or second time around, but getting something into the hands of customers beats any sort of analysis you can run, and it’s immensely rewarding.

What do you look for in new hires?

We are a very mission driven company and the first and foremost thing we look for in new hires is mission alignment.

What’s one of your favorite interview questions to ask, if you are willing to share it?

My old time favorite is word break – a basic coding question on recursion and backtracking. But I guess that’s not what you are asking for! I often end interviews with a basic question: is there anything else I should have asked you. The answer is often surprisingly illuminating on how prepared the candidate is and how well they can think on the spot.

How have your early investors like AV8 been the most helpful to you?

Support beyond pure capital! I appreciate operational support, from recruiting to digging into P&L and metrics and the whole gamut. Knowing that early stage startups almost never go according to plan and being able to provide insights round the corner is super helpful.

Given your focus on women’s health, how are you dealing with what’s been going on with women’s reproductive rights in the US and access to associated health services?

Reproductive care is healthcare, it is a part of primary care and what we do for our patients. That includes abortion when and where it is legal. The Dobbs decision and the way it impacts reproductive rights with Roe v. Wade is shifting the sands in the regulatory environment in all 50 states. We’re working closely with both our general counsel and external counsel on what we can do for our patients. At Alpha, we’ll push forward as leaders in women’s health, which includes our fundamental rights.

What’s something people don’t realize about telemedicine and engaging patients remotely? 

We live in a bubble here in the valley and it’s hard to imagine that synchronous / video visits present a barrier to the more rural parts of the country, because you can’t assume reliable broadband access. As a society we need to work on equalizing infrastructure but also tech innovations (e.g., async visits) to remove these barriers.

What’s a technology trend that you are following closely?

Lately I am curious about CRISPR and gene editing – something that is quite foreign to me but fascinating!

What have you read recently or watched (TV, movies, etc) that others should know about?

I enjoy re-reading old books occasionally and I read Amusing Ourselves to Death again during this election cycle. The book is dated but some of the predictions are still mind boggling to me!