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The Impact Breakfast Has Raised $1 Million To Date

Life Science Cares, a nonprofit collective effort of the Life Science industry to eliminate the impact of poverty in the greater Boston area, today announced that it raised $375,000 at its third annual Impact Breakfast on Monday, May 20^th. The event united 500 leaders across the life sciences and healthcare industries, and all the proceeds from the event will support Life Science Cares’ grant program. The Impact Breakfast, a Life Science Cares signature event, has raised more than $1 million to date.

“We are thrilled that so many members of the healthcare community in the Greater Boston area have come together to help us fight poverty in our community,” said Sarah MacDonald, the executive director of Life Science Cares. “At Life Science Cares, we are extremely proud to be part of an organization that unites industry-leading companies in public service to meet the unmet needs of those less fortunate in our community. We have already achieved great success through our grant program and are confident that the money raised at our Impact Breakfast as well as the support from our corporate partners will allow us to advance our mission in our community and beyond.”

This year, attendees heard from two students, Judy Luu and Solomon Abioye, from the University of Massachusetts, who will begin industry internships next month through Project Onramp, an industry initiative to create paid summer opportunities for students from low income backgrounds. Life Science Cares runs Project Onramp, working in partnership with MassBio, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and Bottom Line. Fifty-one students have been matched with internships at 29 different companies through this program, which launched in 2019.

“I am excited to engage in Project Onramp, which will allow me to grow in the IT industry by learning from professionals who will encourage me to further develop my problem solving, teamwork, and adaptability skills – the same skills that I developed on my FIRST Robotics team,” said Mr. Abioye, a rising senior at UMass Dartmouth. “This internship will continue to bolster my work ethic and introduce me to new mentors and role models in this field.”

“Above all, I want to be able to create. I want to create innovative solutions to alleviate the symptoms of brain disorders that affect millions of people worldwide and contribute to finding a cure,” said Ms. Luu, a rising junior at UMass Amherst. “I am grateful to Life Science Cares, Bottom Line, Project Onramp, and the network here today who have made it possible for students like me to be one step closer to achieving their dreams.”

Other speakers at the Impact Breakfast included International Institute of New England (IINE) President & CEO, Jeff Thielman, and Zainab Abdo, a Syrian refugee resettled in Massachusetts through IINE now attending Middlesex Community College.

Since its founding in 2017, and prior to its most recent Impact Breakfast, Life Science Cares has distributed more than $1 million in grants to 19 social service organizations in the greater Boston area. In addition, Life Science Cares has already worked with 350 Boston-area based companies, performing 6,600+ hours of community service. The organization’s efforts are supported by an Advisory Board of 142 executives across Boston. In May 2019, Life Science Cares announced its inaugural list of Founding Members, which includes twenty-seven life science companies that have committed financial and human resources towards advancing Life Science Cares’ mission.  

The next Life Science Cares signature event is the popular Mini Golf for Good tournament in Kendall Square on September 19, 2019.

Rob Perez, Founder & Chairman of Life Science Cares, delivers closing remarks at the 2019 Impact Breakfast.

Solomon Abioye and Judy Luu join the team from Bottom Line at Life Science Care’s third annual Impact Breakfast.

500 leaders across the life sciences and healthcare industries participated in the event.