I am impatient for our patients. Why? I am driven by: education, belonging, and health equity. My parents were 16 when they had me. Luckily. I had an amazing and large family with many relatives in education, including my grandmother who was my school nurse. Being surrounded by teachers I learned at an early age that education and serving others are the path to fulfillment. And a foundation in education really allowed me to see what is possible, by consistently asking “what is possible?”When I got to college reality hit me in two very powerful ways around belonging and health equity. First, I came to grips with who I really was as a gay man. Despite growing up in a diverse family, I had felt like a stranger in my family and during much of my career, I felt as if I didn’t belong. It was really with the support of amazing allies, including my grandmother and a few incredible leaders, that I realized the value of authentically being who you are. Now as a leader, I try to instill a culture of belonging in our organization and to help the rare patients we serve not feel alone or left behind. And I want every colleague to feel like they can be their authentic and best self because the work we do demands that we are at our best.Secondly, the reality of health equity was highlighted dramatically when I was 18 and I came out at the height of an epidemic in San Francisco. It was a paradox: finally embracing who I was just when AIDS was ravaging my community. My identity as gay was synonymous with illness, death, and fear. And so much of our society at the time, including parts of government and much of the health care system did not see all lives as valuable. In those times I saw and learned what helplessness was, but I also saw the hope and the sense of community. So, when it came time to choose my career path – I knew I wanted to help others, to give voice and representation to those who may not feel that they belong. I believe everyone should have access to hope and to better health. Achieving health equity must be at the heart of what we do as an industry. My decision to work in the life sciences industry was reinforced when I was diagnosed with two rare cancers. I had a new perspective on the importance of time. And I knew for sure this is the industry that can provide that time and change people's lives.I am the CEO of Travere Therapeutics and this is why I work with an impatience...for all patients, driven by the clear understanding that our work matters.