Sandra Abrevaya didn't expect to become the CEO of a for-profit company. She spent the beginning of her career in public service — working in the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House, along with a position in municipal government in Chicago — before going into the nonprofit sector. But when her husband Brian Wallach was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in 2017, and given six months to live, everything changed. The pair have relentlessly worked to improve access to treatment for the neurodegenerative disease ever since.

In 2019, they founded the nonprofit I AM ALS to build a community for people diagnosed with ALS. The movement led by I AM ALS has amounted to immense change — including a $1 billion increase in public funding for ALS research linked to their lobbying — but the framework for accessing treatment of ALS was still leagues away from where it needs to be.

So in 2022, they co-founded Synapticure with two people with previous experience building companies — Dr. Jason Langheier, Jonathan Hirsch — as well as Brian's brother, Peter. Through telemedicine, the company helps patients with neurodegenerative diseases navigate and access care and treatments that the traditional healthcare system has lagged behind on — and helps their caregivers find the comprehensive support they themselves need. This year, the company more than doubled their patient base and launched new services, including a dedicated program for supporting patients with Alzheimer's and other cognitive conditions. All of this made Abrevaya a finalist on our Entrepreneur of 2024 list of 20 innovative leaders.

Related: How I Found My Voice and Built a Life as an Entrepreneur — in 3 Acts

You'd already built a huge community with the creation of I AM ALS. At what point did you realize you'd........

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