From the Pharmacy to the Fundraiser: My Unexpected Journey to Stupid Cancer

I’m writing this from 35,000 feet—somewhere between Austin, TX, and New York City—as I head to Toast, Stupid Cancer’s annual fundraiser. It’s been a while since I’ve reflected on how I got here, and this flight feels like a good time to look back.

When I was 15, I got my first job as a Pharmacy Technician at the local mom-and-pop Islip Pharmacy. I loved it. I loved helping people, loved the structure, and even kind of liked the hustle. That led to a job at CVS, then at our community hospital. For a while, I thought I’d be a pharmacist—until I scored a 62 in high school chemistry. Even that was curved up. I started to see that maybe my future wasn’t behind the counter, but somewhere else. Thankfully, I was also pretty good with computers. Tech quietly became my Plan B.

In fall 2009, during my fifth year of undergrad (yes, fifth), I was sitting in a Grant Writing class without a clear idea of what came next. That’s when Cyndy, a guest speaker, introduced us to the “I’m Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation,” or i[2]y for short. My dad had been diagnosed with cancer in 2005, so the mission immediately caught my attention. I couldn’t help myself—I started browsing their website during her talk and even shot off an email to the CEO asking about internships. I got in trouble for it, but it turned out to be the right kind of trouble.

Around the same time, I applied for a Community Coordinator job at the hospital where I worked in the pharmacy. It was an entry-level marketing role—perfect for someone about to earn a degree in Communications. I didn’t get it. It stung at the time, but in hindsight, I’m grateful. That “no” cleared the path to something better.

On January 23, 2010, I started an internship at i[2]y with founder Matthew Zachary. I used my PTO from the hospital to spend Fridays in i[2]y’s Lower Manhattan office, bouncing between my pharmacy life and a new world in nonprofit startup life. In April—just two weeks before Matthew’s twins were due—I got the call: a full-time offer. I accepted immediately.

The next couple of years were foundational. We were scrappy but focused. We had a vision and were determined to build something that mattered.

In 2011, we rebranded from “I’m Too Young For This!” to “Stupid Cancer.” Almost instantly, our Facebook numbers shot up, thanks in part to a bold awareness ad that took off and got hundreds of thousands of likes. We leaned into that momentum.

That same year, we took our annual conference, the OMG! Cancer Summit, to Las Vegas. With support from Volkswagen, John Sabia and I jumped into a tiny coupe and hit the road. We visited hospitals, met patients, hosted meetups, and ultimately circled back to Vegas. We’d go on to do five of these road trips over the years—logging over 35,000 miles and leaving a trail of awareness, community, and purpose. Big thanks to GM/Chevy and Michael Savoni for helping keep us rolling.

From that point on, there was no slowing down. Stupid Cancer had found its stride, and we were all in.

Between 2013 and my departure in 2016, I focused on scaling areas of the organization that hadn’t yet been fully realized. One of my proudest achievements was growing the Stupid Cancer Store—from less than $5,000 in annual revenue to over $150,000. More than just a revenue stream, our apparel became a badge of identity for our community. We even spotted it on national TV. (Shoutout to Italia Ricci for that.)

Today, as I head back to NYC for Toast, I’m reminded of the winding road that brought me here—from a pharmacy counter in Long Island to co-leading a national movement for young adults affected by cancer. The journey was anything but linear, but it was exactly what I needed.

Did you spot the @StupidCancer logo in last night’s #ChasingLife? Here’s @italiaricci modeling a #StupidCancer tee! pic.twitter.com/KVNueba9PV

— Chasing Life (@ChasingLifeTV) July 3, 2014

MZ and I also sat through hours of choppy WebEx meetings with our offshore development company and created Instapeer, a mobile app for survivors and caregivers to connect and chat about their experience with cancer. It was the first of its kind.

When I think back to just how different life was from 2010 up to my departure in 2016, there are so many watershed moments for the organization. It was an incredible ride to be on.

Tonight, I am receiving the “Stupid Cancer Recognition Award” from the current Board of Directors and staff. It’s an honor that I could not have imagined receiving when I started out in the non-profit world 10 years ago.

When I think back to my motivation for inquiring about the internship, the feeling of being a helpless caregiver prevails most. Watching dad go through surgeries and chemo. We were bound to the process. Helpless.

If you are feeling helpless, help someone.
– Aung San Suu Kyi

I love this quote.