Hildy founded Upstage Lung Cancer in 2008 after being diagnosed and treated for lung cancer. In addition to being a published clinical psychologist, she's a singer and founding member of The Follen Angels, an acclaimed cabaret, jazz and classic pop group that perform throughout the northeast. When her lung cancer was found by accident, she was half way through recording a new CD. Grateful for her survival, she believed that Upstage Lung Cancer could uniquely use music and the performing arts to reach many people in the lung cancer community and the general population. She's the artistic director/producer for all ULC productions, and she also writes and performs in them. Hildy was the artistic/stage director of the award-winning “Devotion Follies” for ten years, and she is the co-author, with John Lamb and musical collaborator, with Seth Rubin, of the new musical, “Ziegfeld!” to be premiered to benefit Upstage Lung Cancer in the spring of 2022. She’s a passionate patient advocate working tirelessly to accomplish ULC’s mission to raise awareness, reduce stigma and invest in early detection lung cancer research. 15 years since being diagnosed with lung cancer, Hildy continues to celebrate her life.

Sumati is an MIT graduate and scientist with an interest in lung-related diseases. She also loves the performing arts. In particular, she enjoys dancing in various styles from India.

Cheryl has over 25 years’ experience in the global bio pharmaceutical industry spanning functions across the drug development cycle-from her early days as a biochemist to the last 10+ years representing patient advocacy. She recently started a consultant company, Red Thred Solutions, where she can focus her efforts on helping companies and organizations co-design treatments with those most impacted-patients. Cheryl started her college career as a musical theatre major but the pull to science was too strong. She is thrilled to serve on Upstage Lung Cancer’s board where she can combine her passions about early detection/diagnosis, raising awareness of lung cancer, and Jazz Hands.

Nancy is a graduate of Indiana University with a degree in business. She worked as an administrator for the IU School of Medicine Clinical Research Center before settling down to stay home and raise two kids. She is currently self-employed as a bookkeeper and works at home with her Golden Retriever by her side. Nancy recently lost her sister Jane to lung cancer.

Anna is a clinical project coordinator and graduated from Colgate University with a degree in molecular biology. She began Irish dancing at the age of six and her experience competing and performing around the world enhanced her appreciation of the beauty, joy, and impactfulness of the performing arts. Anna is passionate about combining her love of science and the performing arts to initiate positive change and, more specifically, help raise awareness and funding for lung cancer.

Jessica is a trained opera singer and nonprofit fundraiser for ArtsEmerson. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Jessica has performed in numerous operas, concerts, and recitals. At ArtsEmerson, Jessica plans fundraising events, writes grant proposals and appeal letters, and executes annual fund strategy, skills she brings to support Upstage Lung Cancer's fundraising efforts. Jessica has relatives who have both defeated cancer and left us too soon because of it, and she feels strongly about using her passion for the arts to raise awareness and dollars to fund early detection research and save lives!

Dale is a professional actor and is an active member of SAG-AFTRA and the MPC [Mass Production Coalition.]. She is involved in several acting groups as well as in various community activities. Dale graduated New Jersey City University with a double major of English and Education, which comes in handy as she helps edit written materials from ULC.

Tara is a Development Associate at City Year Boston and arts enthusiast. Prior to joining City Year, Tara worked as a Development Assistant at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, where she first met Hildy Grossman and learned about Upstage Lung Cancer's incredible mission to use the arts to raise awareness for Lung Cancer. Tara's love for the arts began in high school; she was her school Theatre Company's props master and stage manager throughout high school and she even went on to pursue theatre in college. Tara graduated from Emerson College in 2019 with her bachelor's degree in Arts Administration, and decided to pursue a career in nonprofit fundraising in order to support worthwhile causes and organizations in arts and education. Tara is thrilled to be on the board for Upstage Lung Cancer and dedicates her work and experiences in cancer research to her grandmother, who died of stomach cancer in 2016.

Marcia worked for many years in a family real estate business. She left the family business to own and work in the video rental business in the late 1980’s until 2000. She sold and retired from the video business in June of 2000 and is now active with her synagogue, senior’s groups, and advocating for accessibility for the physically challenged. She is a cancer survivor who works tirelessly as a Board Member to find great donated items for ULC silent auctions.

Ben is currently a first-year medical student at the University of Vermont. He graduated from Colgate University in 2018 with a degree in Cellular Neuroscience. While a senior at Colgate, he connected with Upstage Lung Cancer and hosted a successful philanthropic event with student musicians and DJs. After graduation, he returned to Boston to conduct auditory neuroscience research at the Takesian Lab at Mass Eye and Ear. He continues to work with Upstage Lung Cancer, helping plan for upcoming shows, coordinating continued philanthropic events at Colgate, and working to expand the impact of Upstage Lung Cancer within our local community.

Karen is an English major who has spent most of her professional career in a scientific field -first in healthcare public relations and communications, and more recently in patient advocacy relations for a large pharmaceutical company and as a consultant. In addition to the intellectual stimulation of working in a highly innovative field, Karen finds it gratifying to work with patient advocates to help elevate the patient voice and has worked with cancer and rare disease patient groups in the US and around the world. She first got to know the lung cancer groups through a previous job and looks forward to deepening her engagement with this amazing community as a member of the board of Upstage Lung Cancer.

Susannah Hill joined the Board of Upstage Lung Cancer in 2021 to serve on the Development Committee. She is passionate about being able to contribute to reducing the loss from the deadliest cancer in the world. She has served as the Executive Director of a fundraising nonprofit near her home in Northern California and currently volunteers with the League of Women Voters and There With Care of the Bay Area. Formerly she served on the Executive Board of the Young Men's Service League Redwood Chapter and her other volunteer contributions support missions ranging from food scarcity and homelessness in Northern California to clean waterways. Susannah is a graduate of Brown University and MIT.

Peter is the lead consultant at Macon and Associates in Davidson, NC. He graduated from Tufts University and his work takes him all over the US, Europe, and Asia in product development and manufacturing technologies. During the past 25 years, Peter’s work has been seen in many consumer brands and marketing including toys, footwear, team and aggressive sports protective equipment, helmets, orthopedic and sports medicine soft goods, marine and leisure recreational sport equipment and apparel. Peter is passionate about theater, travel to exotic places, Jack Kerouac, and being on or under water. He also the founded the Kate MacIntyre Foundation, in honor of his wife Kate’s untimely death from lung cancer. Peter brings his zeal for theater and determination to find a cure for lung cancer to the Board of Upstage Lung Cancer.

Niccole is a small-town farm girl who moved from the Midwest to Boston in 2016 to pursue a career in biomedical engineering/science. Her research has centered on using engineering-based quantitative approaches to understand complex biological systems underlying muscle contraction in both cardiac and airway smooth muscle. Her work is relevant to diseases ranging from asthma to arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. In addition to her research, Niccole wants to make an impact in the medical field by volunteering with ULC and supporting the mission to improve early detection of lung cancer.

Claire works as a nationally certified American Sign Language Interpreter, a lifelong student of health and wellness, and supporter of the arts. She received her BA from UMass, Amherst in Documentary Film, and she received her MS. in Health Care Interpreting from Rochester Institute of Technology. When not at work, Claire enjoys time with family and friends, hiking, gardening, swimming, and adventures with her two teen children. Claire joins the Board of Upstage Lung Cancer in support of the hard work of her mother, lung cancer survivor and ULC founder Hildy Grossman, and the mission to support creating lung cancer educational resources, and development of early detection methodologies.

James was a public-school Principal in Newton, MA public schools and formerly a teacher in Brookline public schools.

Donald has been a Board member since the beginning. He is the Production Stage Manager for all ULC theatrical events, and also designs the lighting. He has been a member of the Screen Actors Guild for over 47 years and served as a delegate to the national convention in Los Angeles. He has been a producer/director/photographer/editor for nearly a dozen short films, including work in 3D. Don also runs Boston Accent Films®, and Near Depth Experience®, local production companies specializing in 3D. I’m honored again to be part of this wonderful – and happy – effort to strike down a disease as terrible and insidious as lung cancer – insidious because there is virtually no early detection available. He is proud to be a part of ULC and to work to support all efforts to find a reliable early detection vehicle for lung cancer.

Crispin is a scientist and biotech entrepreneur. He is president of Biomedical Modeling Inc. where nestled among the craniofacial and cardiovascular projects, he has also modeled lung tumors for Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Previously, he was Chief Scientific Officer at Angio-Oncology Sciences and Director of the GraftArtery project at Organogenesis. On the artistic side, he is president of the Coolidge Corner Community Chorus, sings in a variety of mostly Balkan languages as part of International Music Club, and has collaborated with Hildy Grossman as producer of the community theater, Devotion Follies.

Susan is a lung cancer survivor. Her early detection came by accident while scanning for a familial cardiovascular problem. She served as the first Board of Directors president for Upstage Lung Cancer and has also served on the board of the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society and was in charge of fund raising events. She was also on the board of the 21st century fund for the Abbot Library (capital campaign). She has also co-chaired the auction committee for Hospice of the North Shore Regatta. She is presently sitting on the board for The Elder Act, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor. She continues to serve to raise funds and advise the ULC board on fundraising.

Jacy launched her digital marketing firm, Platinum Circle Media in 2012 and has created marketing and social media campaigns for Grammy, CMA, ACM and JUNO Award Winning artists. She has designed digital advertising content for numerous Fortune 500 companies, record labels, music venues, businesses and nonprofits. Before transitioning to a career on the business side of music, Jacy began her journey as a songwriter and artist, performing at venues around the country. More than 30 of her songs have been recorded by artists worldwide and as an artist she has shared the stage and opened for artists such as LeAnn Rimes, Wynonna, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Darius Rucker, Tanya Tucker and others. She is the co-host of the Country Music Success Stories podcast with Boston radio icon, Candy O'Terry and the co-host & co-producer of the weekly syndicated television show, CountryLineTV airing Nationally on the Heartland Network. Jacy is honored to oversee and advise Upstage Lung Cancer’s social media to support the organization’s mission.