St. Jude Mom Boss Summit brings together entrepreneurs, businesswomen to discuss the intersection of work, motherhood and philanthropy

MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 29, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® held its first-ever St. Jude Mom Boss Summit to bring together female entrepreneurs and businesswomen to discuss the intersection of work, motherhood and philanthropy.

The event featured an opening panel with Khadeen Ellis, co-founder of the YouTube channel The Ellises; Nora Napientek, founder of nora fleming; Anh Sundstrom, founder of 9 to 5 Chic; and Ana Flores, founder of the #WeAllGrow Latina Network. Following the panel, Christene Barberich, co-founder of Refinery29, engaged in a fireside chat about making hard life decisions, how her leadership changed after becoming a mother, and how young people today are approaching philanthropy and social impact.   

"People today are looking for more and more opportunities to become active and engaged. They want to find their own way of participating in a conversation or feeling like they can help support a cause that they believe in," said Barberich. "I think you just have to find your own way of feeling like you are involved in the issues and the topics that you really feel passionate about or that are important to you."

This Spring, St. Jude and more than 25 brands are making it easy for people across the country to support ­­­­the organization's lifesaving mission of Finding Cures. Saving Children.® through in-store activations, specialty product, online honors and memorials. People can also help celebrate moms and dads by sending a virtual card for Mother's Day or Father's Day that will appear on screens throughout the hospital, or contributing to the St. Jude Mother's Day Facebook fundraiser.

To learn more about how you can support St. Jude families, visit stjude.org/family.

Additional Quotes from Event:

"Over the years I thought of philanthropy only in the form of giving money, but now I've learned that there is wealth and affluence in the ability to use my platform to inform people about what's happening," said Khadeen Ellis, co-founder of The Ellises sitcom on YouTube. "When I was pregnant with my first son I found out I carry the trait for sickle cell disease. By partnering with St. Jude, I'm able to let people know what St. Jude does, how funds benefit families and educate them about diseases like sickle cell."

"Joining the term St. Jude and Mom Boss makes me think of the moms who are at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital with their children fighting childhood cancer," said Ana Flores, founder of the #WeAllGrow Latina Network. "We founded We All Grow with the idea that we lift each other up, and that concept extends to other moms and families at St. Jude. I would tell a St. Jude mom, you are heard, you are seen and we are here for you."

"I don't think anyone can advocate quite like a mother, so intrinsically when we become mothers we become bosses," said Nora Napientek, founder of nora fleming. "I'm very proud to be affiliated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and all of the women I've met through our support. We want them to know that no one is going to watch them struggle, but we are going to stand beside them."  

"I looked at my daughter once and said, 'This is my first time being a mommy,' and she looked at me and realized that we are in this together," said Anh Sundstrom, founder of 9 to 5 Chic. "We're all struggling in some form but we can look to each other and say that at the end of the day it's ok and we've got this."

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, sharing stories and videos from St. Jude Inspire, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter and Instagram and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

SOURCE ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Related Links

http://www.stjude.org