This week, get to know serial entrepreneur Danguole Altman, the CEO of Houston, TX-based Cx Precision Medicine, a leader in transforming geriatric medicine through biomarker-based diagnostics. The company's NeuroFirst Memory test brings earlier detection of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's into primary care, closing the gap between first symptom and diagnosis. In our spotlight interview, Danguole shares her entrepreneurial journey, how her Lithuanian heritage has shaped her values, and how she navigates balancing her career with family life.
Danguole is also one of many Health Transformers who see their own growth as tied to the community around them. "Thank you so much for starting StartUp Health and putting so much of yourself in all of these different communities," she said. "I think it's really helping accelerate change in healthcare overall in this country. So thank you." It's a spirit of gratitude and collaboration that runs through her conversation below, and through her work building a company, and a movement, around earlier answers for patients and families facing neurodegenerative disease.
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Q&A with Danguole Altman
Where are you from?
Danguole Altman: I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, in a Lithuanian family. I didn’t speak English until kindergarten, so Lithuanian was my first language.
What was that like, having to learn English in grade school?
Altman: It builds resilience. One of my earliest memories was being in a hospital at age three and not being able to communicate at all. I’m grateful for the expectation to learn English here, though I’m supportive of bilingualism and connected to my Lithuanian heritage.
You mentioned you feel very connected to your Lithuanian culture. Can you tell us more about that?
Altman: I feel very close to the culture and part of a community that is distinct, supportive, and warm. I’ve continued to be politically involved in Lithuania. I’m co-chairman of the Baltic American Freedom Foundation, which I’ve been on the board of for about ten years. It grew out of an effort by President Clinton to establish a U.S. government-funded response to the Marshall Plan for the newly independent countries breaking off from the former Soviet Union. I get to travel there every year and attend board meetings in all three Baltic countries. I’m always struck by the creativity, perseverance, intelligence, and strong values there.
What's one job you've had over the years that shaped you, even if it wasn’t a big one on your CV?
Altman: In college, I worked as a research assistant at the National Bureau of Economic Research and also as a waitress on Cape Cod. The combination of working in an academic setting while serving tables taught me how to be scrappy, manage multiple tasks, and balance different parts of myself. This was in the late '70s, early '80s.
You balance your work with having four kids. Did you always want a big family?
Altman: I always knew I’d have kids. The pivot came when we decided to have a third child. I was about to turn 40, and we ended up having twins. After they were born, I needed a pause, so I switched to consulting on a flexible schedule for about five years while staying involved in my company. It was tough because I was the only female CEO at the time, but family came first.
You're been with your partner for more than 35 years. What’s the secret to a healthy marriage?
Altman: Forgiveness and support. And it’s important to have shared values. We balance family and work well and help each other through challenges, giving each other grace.
What's one way you're running your fourth business differently than your first?
Altman: I feel much more confident now. Early on, I didn’t have the full experience managing people or handling P&L responsibility. Now, I understand the steps to move an organization forward and manage the team better. What stays the same is that healthcare is still complex and challenging, but we do the best we can.
How has being part of the StartUp Health community, particularly the Alzheimer's & Brain Health Moonshot Community, impacted your work at Cx Precision Medicine?
Altman: For us, being part of the Alzheimer's Moonshot Community has really increased awareness, both of CxPM within the broader community, and also our awareness of other promising innovations. That really opens the door for collaboration. So thank you for supporting early dementia diagnosis through innovation.
Join the Movement
Danguole's story is a reminder that the biggest breakthroughs in healthcare often start with the smallest, most personal moments of resilience. If her journey resonates with you, join the StartUp Health community to connect with Danguole, share your own Health Moonshot story, and be part of a movement working to solve the world's biggest health challenges — with the network, intros, and access to make real change happen.
