An Interview with Marisa Lee, Founder and President of The Pink Agenda

NH: What do you think of the statement that it all comes down to the money, in the fight against breast cancer?

ML: Cures cost money, and there is no denying that fact. On the other hand, there is strong evidence that there are things that can be done (assuming you are healthy and do not carry the gene) to prevent a diagnosis or to detect breast cancer in it's earlier stages, which is why we advocate for raising both funds and awareness. People need to know how to prevent breast cancer so long as it continues to pose serious harm to women, but we also need to pour money into finding a cure. One of the long-term goals of our organization is to fund our own researcher, which would cost approximately $250,000.

NH: Does your organization face special challenges now that we're in a recession and funds for philanthropy may be the first to go?

ML: It is definitely a challenge to construct a budget, business plan, and develop a growth strategy for a business that relies on donated funds in an economy that is not doing so well.

I do believe that just like all businesses, the philanthropic community will suffer due to this financial crisis. I work on Wall Street where the belief among many is that it is going to get worse before it gets better. That being said, I'm willing to bet anyone right now that our organization will raise more money in 2009 than it did in 2008.

This disease robbed me of my mother just over seven months ago, and I firmly believe that not having a mom at 25 is not OK. Further, there are an endless number of resources that our organization has not even begun to look into or reach out to.

I know the competition will be fierce, but I also know that when it comes to ingenuity, creativity, and willpower; our age works in our favor

NH: If you could assemble the ultimate pink task force, who would the leaders/members be?

ML: We're in the early stages of developing an advisory board for The Pink Agenda, and we're looking for individuals who have significant experience in the fields of medicine, finance, philanthropy, or just a deep connection to-and enthusiasm for-our cause.

NH: How is this team different from existing nonprofit organizations?

ML: We have created an organization that proves that fun and philanthropy are not mutually exclusive.

Further, we are the only organization that is successfully reaching young people, and both Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation agree on this point. The fact that The Pink Agenda is run for and by young professionals really sets us apart. And the fact that we are governed by the very generation to which we are trying to appeal really makes us uniquely positioned to, as we say, engage today's generation to find tomorrow's cure.