Kristin Ashley

For people who may not be familiar with Everlywell, what is the company’s mission?
We’re a venture-backed, digital health company working to help solve the structural issues characteristic of the traditional lab testing experience. We connect consumers to a third-party physician network and independent certified laboratories offering a suite of validated testing that includes fertility, heart health, STDs, thyroid, and more, all from the comfort of your home. In 2020, you can order almost anything online and get it delivered to your front door. We believe that lab testing should be, and now is, a part of that reality.

A few weeks ago, amid the news of coronavirus test kit shortages, Everlywell announced a commitment to help. Can you give us an update on those efforts?
In March, we announced a development incentive program to broaden our network of labs that meet the FDA’s requirements for COVID-19 testing. Currently, we’re allocating our initial supply of test kits to healthcare companies serving workers on the frontlines and high-need cohorts, like the elderly and immunocompromised, congruent with guidelines from the White House. This is a public health initiative for us. We’ve been very transparent about the fact that it is not a commercial endeavor: We’re pricing the testing at our cost to deliver. We just want to help the people who need these tests most right now, and we think we’re well positioned to do so.

What led you to Everlywell after working as a consultant at Strategy&?
Would you believe I found the job through a LinkedIn post, when my husband and I were looking to make a move from Dallas to Austin? At the time I was interviewing, Everlywell only had about 20 employees and the whole executive team was female. Being part of a lean company that is in build-and-grow mode and focused on something truly mission-driven is highly motivating to me.

How has your role evolved over the past two years?
It’s honestly been very similar to consulting. My work spans a variety of functions and project areas, and I’ve had a breadth of experiences with opportunities to do really interesting things. I started as the chief of staff to our CEO, and I now lead business development, which comprises partnerships, strategic initiatives, and implementation and account management for our enterprise or B2B vertical.

How did you land in consulting?
When I was younger, I wanted to be so many different things: an astronaut, the first woman president, a teacher, a translator for the UN. But my favorite subject in school was math, so I ended up double-majoring in math and industrial engineering at Southern Methodist University. Then when I was looking for a job after graduation, I felt like consulting was the way to help solve complex business problems while getting a crash course in a variety of industries and functional areas.

Any lasting lessons from your time at Strategy&?
My work as a consultant laid a strong foundation for how to think, how to structure problems, and how to operate in an ambiguous and potentially unfamiliar space. I teach my teams now about the hypothesis-driven approach and vertical and horizontal logic.

What’s the best advice you can offer to others?
Run toward the things that excite you — whether that’s roles, industries, or types of problems to solve — and surround yourself with great people. I truly believe that human capital is a company’s greatest asset, and I’ve always over-indexed on that.

When you’re hiring people, what do you look for?
Internal motivation and a growth mindset. If you have those two things, you can learn almost anything. And I always strive to build a diverse team composition. I enjoy surrounding myself with a blend of people who have varied experiences, personalities, perspectives, and strengths.

How do you think COVID-19 will change things for Everlywell?
Telemedicine and digital health have been growing exponentially over the last few years, but I believe everything happening with COVID-19 is likely going to drive a step-change in behavior. There’s a strong case for self-collection at home for critical, preventative screening and testing. And we provide a really convenient, affordable, and seamless way to do that.