I joined the American Heart Association full time in 2024 because I felt it was important to tie my career to what mattered to me most - making a difference in healthcare in tangible and lasting ways.
I am fortunate to lead the venture capital initiatives of the AHA, which include 4 different funds that take 4 different lenses on the problems the AHA has a goal to address. Our remit is much broader than people realize – we look at the full spectrum of heart and brain health as well as a full array of conditions that can lead to and impact those body parts. This means we focus on the entire biological and social cascade of things that can make the difference between healthy hearts and brains or a very difficult life ahead – this includes things like autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic disorders, even things like endometriosis and menopause, which cause significant increases in heart and brain health risk. Did you know that if you are a woman with endometriosis you have about a 20-25% higher risk of stroke? Yeah, yikes.
AHA is where I've planted my stake because cardiovascular disease, stroke and broader brain health issues have been pretty prevalent challenges in my family and the families of most everyone I care about. My mother died of a stroke. My grandmother died of heart failure. My father-in-law died of a brain disorder. My brother-in-law died of the cardiotoxic effects of cancer treatment (not the cancer itself). I, myself, had a crazy run in with Super Ventricular Tachycardia (SVT) in a spectacularly dramatic way after years of misdiagnosis. The SVT was corrected by cardiovascular interventions that would not exist were it not for the research and scientific advancement funded by the AHA and the entrepreneurs that translated that good stuff into products and services. If you were there at the JP Morgan conference when SVT took me out of commission and I went lights and sirens to the hospital, you understand why I feel a certain affinity to this problem. I’m pretty weary of losing family and friends to heart and brain crises and I'd love to find something new to worry about
In addition to my work and my own financial contributions, I further AHA's efforts by helping the organization raise money during Heart Walk month. As someone who basically raises money for a living and turns around and gives it to innovators to help all of us be healthier, it would make my heart even warmer if you would join me in this endeavor. Please consider making a donation of any size to this organization to which I have now committed both my career and my wallet. When you look around and realize how many people you love have been affected by heart and brain issues and, hopefully, helped by the efforts funded and proliferated by the AHA, you will know why I consider it a great investment :) . If you are willing to help, that’s amazing.
Thanks for considering supporting my fundraising efforts here. Your donation of any size helps make a real difference.
From my heart to yours, Lisa