Elizabeth Holmes was a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who promised to revolutionize blood testing with hundreds of tests performed with minimal blood from a finger pinprick. However, after raising almost a billion dollars over a decade, her company Theranos proved to be a sham and her invention simply did not work. We are now entering the seventh week of her trial for fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud, and the evidence provided has shown her exaggerations and lies about the efficacy of her invention and the toxic workplace culture that prevented any employees from raising concerns. The story of Theranos shows how financial incentive can override an ethical scientific process and how "fake it till you make it" can be taken too far.

UPCOMING EVENTS

CSE D&I Alliance Annual Event and Workshops October 19, 10-12 PM  Register here.

Professional Development: Lead Like an Ally October 20, 12-1 PM Register here.

AfroSoul: Dreams of Freedom, Racial Reconciliation, and Healing Justice October 20, 12-1:30 PM Register here.

LEARN | Whistleblower Protection

The Theranos story was able to come to light in part due to whistleblowers Tyler Shultz and Erica Cheung, despite heavy threats from the Theranos legal team. Learn about whistleblower protections in the United States.

ACT | Ethics in Entrepreneurship

Support Ethics in Entrepreneurship, a non profit founded by the Theranos whistleblowers that focuses on education and resources about ethical issues in a startup environment.

GIVE | Minnesota STEM partnership

Sources

Ethics of Theranos [Text}. Retrieved from https://business-news.ucdenver.edu/2019/05/24/theranos-a-cautionary-tale-of-ethics-and-entrepreneurship/

Trial Summary [Text]. Retrieved from https://fortune.com/2021/10/15/theranos-elizabeth-holmes-trial-what-weve-learned-so-far/

Elizabeth Holmes [Image] Retrieved from https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/09/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-exclusive

Whistleblower [Text]. Retrieved from https://www.whistleblowers.gov/

Whistleblower [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.opengovguide.com/topics/whistleblower-protection/

EIE [Text and Image]. Retrieved from https://ethicsinentrepreneurship.org/

MN STEM Partnership [Text and Image]. Retrieved from https://mnstempartners.org/

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