From Cancer Advocacy to Commercial Real Estate: Connecting the Dots

If you had told me 15 years ago that I’d go from helping young adults navigate cancer to running a high-end private office space company, I might’ve asked you what was in your Stanley® cup.

Back then, my world revolved around fundraising galas, hospital partnerships, and learning how to stretch every dollar to reach one more patient. Today, I’m navigating build-outs, lease negotiations, and the delicate balance between design and functionality. But surprisingly, the two worlds aren’t as far apart as they seem.

Here’s what I’ve learned bridging nonprofit advocacy and commercial real estate — and why those early years in cancer support gave me a playbook for everything I’m doing now.

1. Mission Matters — No Matter the Industry

In nonprofit work, “mission” isn’t just a slide on a deck — it’s oxygen. At Stupid Cancer, we were fighting to give young adults a voice in a healthcare system that overlooked them. Every decision came down to impact.

In real estate, especially flexible office space, people don’t always think about mission. But I do. At Firmspace, our mission is clear: create professional, distraction-free environments where serious people can do their best work. Our members are lawyers, accountants, consultants — people who can’t afford to take shortcuts. Giving them space to thrive is our mission.

2. Customer Service is Everything

In cancer advocacy, if you didn’t return a message or pick up the phone, someone felt abandoned. There were no “office hours” for grief, anxiety, or the logistics of survivorship.

I carried that urgency into the way we treat members at Firmspace. When someone needs a tech fix, a quiet room, or even just to vent about building policy, we respond like it’s personal — because it is. They’re trusting us with the environment where their business lives and breathes.

3. You Have to Scale Without Losing Soul

Nonprofits are notoriously scrappy. You learn how to build systems that scale with minimal resources — and you never let go of the human connection.

That’s been invaluable in commercial real estate. We’re growing, but not at the cost of the member experience. Every new location has to meet the same standard of service, professionalism, and privacy. It’s not just about square footage; it’s about emotional square footage — how people feel in the space.

4. The Power of Community, Reimagined

In cancer, the goal was connection — making sure no one felt alone in the fight.

In commercial real estate, I’m building community in a different way. Our members don’t need happy hours or coworking clichés. They need reliability. They need trust. They need an environment where excellence is assumed. It’s a quieter kind of community, but no less powerful.

5. People Are the Real Product

Whether it was the Stupid Cancer Road Trip or launching a new Firmspace location, the lesson is the same: people are the brand. Not logos, not buildings, not tech stacks.

From young adults facing the unimaginable to high-performing professionals juggling a dozen plates — if you focus on people, everything else follows.

Final Thought

Cancer advocacy taught me how to lead with empathy, stay nimble, and build systems that serve real human needs. Commercial real estate just gave me a new set of tools to apply those same principles.

It’s not about the industry. It’s about impact — and I’m still chasing it, just in a better-fitting blazer.