Her Story
About DAPHNE
As the Executive Director of the Human Growth Foundation, I lead the team and work at the pleasure of the board. I take their vision and carry that torch, ensuring that their vision is executed. That includes providing research, education, patient support, and advocacy, building out the team, and making sure that everything we do for our community, whether it's for healthcare providers or patients and their caregivers, is done with the utmost care and love and respect. I want all of our community members, all of our HGF members to feel heard, feel seen, empowered, and of course, are able to take the resources that we provide to advance, to grow, to elevate their life. On a daily basis, I'm building and maintaining relationships with people and building resources. I think that's really a large part of nonprofit work because it really does take a village. The Human Growth Foundation is doing incredible work for healthcare providers and patients and caregivers across the globe. There's a lot of families out there who are wondering about their child with rare growth, bone, and endocrine conditions. I want to draw attention to this nonprofit organization and use my voice, because when you have a voice and you're able to use it, it's probably one of the most invaluable things.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with DAPHNE
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would attribute it to my family. I'm the youngest of a big family, and growing up, watching my brothers and my sister and my mom, my dad, they always had this fire of doing good and working hard and making a difference. As the youngest of this big family, you witness the fruits of their labor, and you know that even though sometimes things are tough, there's always the light at the end of the tunnel. If you keep your eye on the ball, you can definitely accomplish most things, if not all things in life. So, I definitely attribute it to my family.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Do it. Don't talk about it. You gotta be about it. Don't let anything or anyone stand in your way, but more importantly, don't let yourself stand in the way.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think that one of the biggest challenges that is forever present is funding. As a nonprofit executive, you always have to get funding. Nothing is guaranteed, and you always have to be in a constant state of planning. It's a challenge that we welcome, because we choose to be in the nonprofit world. But it's also an opportunity to stay alert and to stay focused. The world is ever-evolving, and there's so many different ways to fundraise. Now we have social media, which we didn't have 10 or 12 years ago. There's a lot of avenues, and there's always stories to tell, always the light to shine on our issues. That will continue to be a challenge, I think, as it has been in the past, and currently in the present. For the future, we always have to plan, think ahead, spend wisely, and all of that while keeping the focus on our mission.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think integrity is important. I think self-motivation is important as well. I think those two can't be taught. I think that has to be organic. And if you tap into it, it could be a beautiful thing. You could do more, you can go farther.
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