A heartwarming chat between Paul and lifelong friend Kate O’Donnell, celebrating her family’s mission to fight cystic fibrosis. 💜 Hear the incredible story behind the Joey Fund and how one family’s love became a global movement for hope. 🌍
✅ Paul welcomes longtime family friend Kate O’Donnell, daughter of legendary philanthropists Joe and Kathy O’Donnell.
✅ Kate shares the origin of the Joey Fund, founded in honor of her brother Joey, who passed from cystic fibrosis at age 12.
✅ How her parents turned grief into purpose—creating a foundation that changed medical history.
✅ The Hot Dog Safari and Joey O’Donnell Film Premiere: two iconic fundraisers that raised millions for cystic fibrosis research.
✅ Joe O’Donnell’s inspiring quote on giving back and the importance of “continuing the battle.”
✅ How the Joey Fund helped fund Vertex Pharmaceuticals, leading to breakthrough treatments for 90% of CF patients.
✅ The power of venture philanthropy—a model now used across multiple genetic disease foundations.
✅ The emotional 41st film premiere, celebrating decades of hope, progress, and community spirit.
✅ Kate reflects on her father’s legacy and the future of CF research—reminding us the fight isn’t over.
✅ How listeners can support, donate, and follow along at joeyfund.org or on Instagram @thejoeyfund.
Turning loss into legacy proves that love, science, and community can rewrite the future. 💫
Website: https://joeyfund.org/
Kate O’Donnell is a businessperson and philanthropist, with experience in digital marketing, investing, and engagement.
Since 2021, Kate has been at Belmont Capital, LLC, a venture capital and private equity firm in Boston. Previously, she served as the Assistant Director of Student and Young Alumni Engagement at Harvard Business School, and as a Creative Strategist for Snap, Inc.
She has volunteered with The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for more than 20 years, notably co-chairing the 2023 Volunteer Leadership Conference, joining the Board of Trustees in 2023, and currently Co-Chairing the Milestones III campaign for $250M. For the past decade, she has served as President of The Joey Fund, an organization founded in honor of her brother Joey, who died from CF at the age of 12. The Joey Fund has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for CF.
She is a member of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s National Board of Trustees, Newborn Medicine and Reproductive Health Advisory Board at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and serves on the Corporate Leadership Council of the Perkins School for the Blind.
Kate holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an A.B. in English from Harvard, and lives in Boston with her husband Ryan, and their Bulldog, Beans.
YouTube: Paul Ponders Ep.76
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