I first met Elli Kaplan, CEO of Neurotrack, when she won the SXSW best new start-up competition a few years back. She wowed the audience for the scope and creativity of what she is trying to do: create a non-invasive test that predicts patients’ risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease years before the appearance of symptoms—somewhat of a holy grail opportunity. She calls the test a “behavioral biomarker,” a big new concept in the intersection of technology and healthcare. As Elli said recently to Wired Magazine, “We’re looking at the first disease in modern history that has the potential to bankrupt nations.”

Elli is not new to tackling the big issues that could bankrupt nations. She spent her early career in the White House, State and Treasury Departments and at the United Nations. While in those settings she developed the skills that helped her navigate complex systems grounded in public policy and economics–a perfect precursor for tackling Alzheimer’s issues. Today she is applying her passion for changing the political system to a healthcare challenge that is intrinsically tied to it.

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