David S. Lester

It has been a world wide continual trip for me. It all began in Sydney, Australia. I never left the country until age 22 and then finally came back 33 years later. My travels have been driven largely by my professional opportunities. I cannot say that there was any strategy or plan to this long journey..........which I suspect is still not over. I finished my B.Sc. in Australia, then did an M.Sc. in Israel. I went to the US to do my doctorate at Northwestern University as I thought this would be most beneficial to my career. The first two years at Northwestern were fabulous. The academic level was excellent, the culture, music, theatre, etc. in Chicago was unparalleled. The jazz, the blues, experiences never to be forgotten. The second part of my Ph.D. landed me in Chapel, NC. A VERY different experience. But the first two years of Michael Jordan in college, which was very spirited. From there it was Boston, Harvard Medical School. A very difficult time and not much fun......except for the lobsters and my first son was born there (not in that order). After Boston, it was back to Israel to fulfil my younger dream where I worked as a Research Scientist at the Weizmann Institute. Took me about a year to realize that the love affair was not going to last! The science was great there and my second son was born there. But time to move on!!! A 3 year stint at the neurology institute at the National Institutes of Health and the end of classic academia (so I thought!!!). An extended period of time at the Food & Drug Administration where I ended up as Senior Science Advisor....a great position. But time to make money and have bigger impacts..........the private sector. Stints in Pharmacia and Pfizer (I LUV NY!!!). Amazing learnings! Amazing opportunities! Just amazing! But all good things come to an end including my corner office on the 19th floor of the Pfizer building on the corner of 43rd and 3rd. I miss my view of the Chrysler building!!! Off to where I thought I belonged, working in startups in diagnostics + companies, the last one in Silicon Valley. A bust!!! Dumb companies!!!! Then returning to Australia in July 2010 for personal reasons (LOVE!!!!!) and now working in an academic setting but not as an academic! And also working as my true calling, an entrepreneur! Three startups going, InsideTracker.com, InsideTracker.com.au (Australia), and AboutCaregers.com. I am going to have to set up another site in order to capture all of my new information.