At just the age of 31, Thermos CEO, Elizabeth Holmes is the youngest self-made billionaire to have ever made it on Forbes 2015 Female Billionaire List. The Stanford University dropout developed a more convenient and less expensive method of blood testing technology, which now makes her estimated worth at $4.5 billion.
Elizabeth started out her Palo Alto, California based company in 2003 at the tender age of 19, with funds which she had saved to support her through college. What makes this blood testing technology more efficient? Via a painless prick (ideal for those who are petrified of withdrawing blood), her technology can test blood with just a single drop of blood at just a fraction of the price of commercial labs which need more than just one vial.
With the “health-wealth” gap being no secret in America, Americans who have a lower socioeconomic status are more prone to health issues and with this new technology, Elizabeth Holmes hopes to democratize health care. As Fortune reported, Holmes had told a professor, “I want to create a whole new technology, and one that is aimed at helping humanity at all levels, regardless of geography or ethnicity or age or gender.”
Women are very often celebrated for self-sacrifice or humanitarian work rather than their professional achievements, however by creating such an affordable medical solution with the great potential to save lives, Elizabeth Holmes has managed to achieve both!