IAM1101- Founder Increases Diversity in Cancer Research

Lyndsay Springer is the Founder and President of the Chike Springer Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on improving treatment options and outcomes in Lymphoma and increasing diversity in cancer research. The foundation is in honor and memory of Chike Springer, Lyndsay's late husband, who passed away at 29 after a year-long battle with non-Hodkin's Lymphoma. The Foundation believes in disrupting the current way we think about clinical research and designing a patient-centered way forward. They focus on issues of health equity, striving to achieve more cures for more people. They believe that together we can do anything, together we overcome.

• CEO Hack: Listening to audiobooks and reading about successful businesses
• CEO Nugget: Tell your story, and why you do what you do to anyone that would listen
• CEO Defined: Managing and prioritizing efforts

Website: https://www.chikespringerfoundation.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chikespringerfoundation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chike-springer-foundation/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/chikespringerfoundation/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chikespringerfoundation/

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Transcription

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00:16 – Intro

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

00:44 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I Am CEO podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Lindsey Springer of the Chike Springer Foundation. Lindsey, it's great to have you on the show.

00:55 – Lyndsay Springer

Hey. Thanks for having me. I'm so happy to be here.

00:58 – Gresham Harkless

Super excited to have you on as well too. And before we jump into the interview, I want to read a little bit more about Lindsey so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Lyndsay is the founder and president of the Chike Springer Foundation, a nonprofit focused on improving treatment options and outcomes in lymphoma and increasing diversity in cancer research.

The foundation is an honor and memory of Chike Springer, Lyndsay's late husband who passed away at twenty-nine after a year-long battle with nonhot Hopkins lymphoma. The foundation believes in disrupting the current way we think about clinical research and designing a patient-centered way forward. They focus on issues of health equity and strive to achieve more cures for more people. They believe that together, we can do anything. Together, we overcome. Lindsay, great to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:49 – Lyndsay Springer

I sure am. Let's do this.

01:51 – Gresham Harkless

Let's do it then. So to kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit and hear a little bit more about how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

01:59 – Lyndsay Springer

Yeah. So, you spoke a little bit about it, but our foundation is named after my late husband, Jike, who was twenty-eight when he was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin's Hodgkin's lymphoma. And even though they told us he had a great chance of beating it, he didn't. He passed away less than a year after his diagnosis in twenty-twenty. So the idea of starting a nonprofit was his. He always looked for ways to help people and believed that his experience and his story should be used to make a difference in someone else's life. He believed in purpose, teamwork, and that if something isn't right, you need to do whatever you can to fix it, and that you have some responsibility there.

02:49 – Gresham Harkless

Thank you. I appreciate you for sharing that. Sorry to hear about everything, but, I appreciate you for having the spirit of Chike, in the organization and everything that you are doing and being the change that you hope to see in the world. And I think that having his spirit in everything that you're doing and being able to create this organization is phenomenal. So I appreciate you for sharing that and being there today.

03:12 – Lyndsay Springer

Yeah. Thank you so much.

03:14 – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. And so, I know I touched on a little bit when I read your bio, and you did a little bit as well too on how you kinda work with, the people and and the organization. Could you take us through a little bit more about that and what that looks like?

03:28 – Lyndsay Springer

Yes. So today, we are a nonprofit, focused heavily on cancer research as well as mentorship for middle and high school students. Our mission is to enable better treatment options and promote diversity in cancer research because current research is very project-based. It's not mission or cure-focused. So sometimes the results are very fragmented with some studies too small to have any significance or build consensus. That is not how the body works. So we had a firsthand experience seeing that up close and personal, and we just didn't believe that that was a good way to understand such a complex systemic problem as cancer. So, essentially, the clinical trial design and framework miss a lot of data points and the analysis piece.

And, additionally, the current funding system with grants and academic institutions incentivizes fragmentation and causes a lot of duplication of efforts. So after seeing this, Chike and I discussed with our background, how you improve some of these inefficiencies. And as an organization, that's what we try to do today. We're trying to change that. We're trying to disrupt the current, way research is done by funding a mission-focused research task force made up of a diverse team of specialists and experts, and everyone on our team also participates in our mentorship program for middle and high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in cancer research.

So together, we're taking a systemic approach, and we're doing that comprehensive and interdisciplinary work for better cancer research as well as inspiring middle and high schoolers so that they know that they too can become doctors, scientists, and researchers, and lead to real change in cancer research. It's very complex, and we need all the brains and all the perspectives and everyone that we can.

05:27 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. But I appreciate you for doing that and creating that change presently, but also inspiring that future generation as well. When you talk about those systemic problems, a lot of times that happens for generations upon generations. So a lot of times it needs that foresight, the the brainpower, as you said so well, that really will help to make things a lot better.

05:49 – Lyndsay Springer

Absolutely.

05:50 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce, and this could be for yourself or the organization or a combination of both. But what do you feel sets you apart and makes you unique?

06:02 – Lyndsay Springer

Well, we are a nonprofit, so you're not selling a product or, anything tangible. You're selling a solution to a problem that people might not even be aware of. So when we're looking at the space, there's so many organizations doing great amazing things, and we we wanted to be aware of that, and we wanted to support other organizations as much as possible instead of trying to compete for funding. So we're very focused, on finding more cures for more people, but we're also trying to serve as, like, a connective tissue and be that advocate within the space, for that patient-centered, treatment and and focus.

So we sponsor innovative research, but we also partner with other organizations and again tie it to the mentorship program at the high school and middle school level. So, I just wanna also say the mentorship piece, was Chike's idea, and it was based on his experience at a shadowing program at the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. He was thinking of going to medical school at the time, and we didn't know too many doctors. And as he thought of school and all the testing and then residency, it just seemed like a lot of insert of uncertainty.

He wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon, and I still remember the first couple of days that he came home from the shadowing program. And he was just like, I'm gonna do this. I can see myself doing this now. And he just really wanted to provide that exposure or that opportunity to more students so that they could see themselves also becoming the doctors, nurses, scientists, researchers, all the pieces, that that lead to success in the medical field.

07:58 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. And so, I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

08:10 – Lyndsay Springer

So I'm in the army, active duty. So leadership and learning about leadership has been huge for me. So I love listening. I'm a big audiobook fan, reading, audiobooks, articles, TED Talks, and anything on leadership and communication. Anything by Simon Sinek. Vanessa Van Edwards has a great book out. I think there's Creating Magic by Lee Cockrell. That's about the Walt Disney World and the Disney, organization. Yeah. So I just like reading about successful businesses, but also focusing on that leadership, that management piece, and just developing those communication skills as well. And I think that helps, build a strong team around me because I would be nothing without my family, my friends, and just the support system that we've been able to build so far.

09:12 – Gresham Harkless

Love that. And so I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It might be something if you were to hop into a time machine, you would tell your younger business self.

09:25 – Lyndsay Springer

So I would probably say, tell your story, and why you do what you do to anyone that would listen, really embody why you do the things that you do. And I don't mean, like, go around in every situation and pitch. But if the opportunity genuinely presents itself, take some time to do that. For me as a nonprofit, it's hard, because I have a personal relationship, obviously, with our foundation story. And that may mean I have to talk about what happened to Chike. But I also get to share his message and his ideas about life and about making the world a better place.

And it's crazy sometimes even when you're not planning on it, but some people just need to hear that message. So, as I said, I don't always pitch, like, here's how you can help and please donate now. But I do show how passionate or how passionate I am about what we do and what we stand for because that's exactly what he would want. And, yeah, that lets me tell Chike's story in different ways to different audiences for different purposes. So I would say be adaptable, embrace change, and constantly reassess yourself what you're doing, and where you think you're going.

10:46 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. I appreciate you sharing that. And then it has to be extremely difficult, but to be able to understand why you're doing what you're doing. As you mentioned Chike and everything he embodied and how he inspired it, it's so phenomenal, because I think we talked about, during the hack, Simon Sinek, and I think his book is Start with Why or it is his TED talk, he always talks about, like, how important it is to know your why. And that's why we start to see that in communicating and doing that in our organizations.

11:17 – Lyndsay Springer

Yes. Absolutely. Yeah. I love his principle of starting with why, because, I mean, it matters. People there are sad stories and there are horrible things that happen all over. And people that's how we connect is by, understanding that and having empathy, but then also being motivated to be part of the change or the solution as I've said before.

11:42 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. And then I think a lot of times when those, bad things happen, you can feel isolated. You feel like you're by yourself, but I appreciate you for telling your story and telling Chike's story as well too because I think it helps people to understand that there is kinda light at the end of the tunnel. There is an opportunity maybe to do something to inspire somebody else. And I think that when we can realize that we're not alone, that's where those collective brains, muscles, and all those things towards, the better tomorrow.

12:12 – Lyndsay Springer

Yes. Absolutely. And that is exactly what he would want.

12:15 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different quote-unquote- CEOs on the show. So, Lyndsay, what does being a CEO mean to you?

12:27 – Lyndsay Springer

Oh, for me, it is managing and prioritizing efforts. As I said, I work a full-time job as well. So I wear a lot of hats, and I'm constantly adapting. I'm constantly learning and assessing, and I rely heavily on my team, and my support around me. Nobody makes any money, so you do have to have that culture and that purpose and communication to build that around you. Yeah. I also wanted to say, that we promote helping people, whenever and wherever we can.

So being a CEO to me means reaching out, like I said, to other organizations and first being a giver, and trying to help other people that are in the space that are also trying to do, good and help the same population that we are, or other populations, because that is just that is part of our values. And, Chike, I believe that help anyone that you really can, with the actions and skills that you have. So we just try to be better every day. And as a CEO, I believe that I have to be an example and show people that I am doing that. So I work hard, and I communicate, and then I promote people, with the same values and the same, mentality that I do. And, yeah, we go from there.

14:05 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. So I love that definition and how it encompasses, like, I think at the heart of it, what we ultimately should be trying to do as organizations. And I love leaning into understanding what our gifts are, what our talents are, what our purpose ultimately is as individuals, but also as organizations and figuring out, okay, If this is our land, this is what we do, what organization might have that opportunity for us to collaborate, for us to go farther together and started to understand, like, this is how we make an impact and a change by not trying to go it alone, but try to go it together and recognize all our gifts and strengths to be able to do that.

14:40 – Lyndsay Springer

Absolutely.

14:42 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, Lindsay, truly appreciate that definition, and I appreciate your time even more. What I want to do is just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know, and of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find about all the awesome things you are doing in the organization.

14:58 – Lyndsay Springer

Yeah. So if you wanna learn more, join our team or support innovative cancer research and mentorship. We are new and bootstrapped or lean as I like to call it. So you can donate, or support us via our website, which is w w w dot chike springer foundation dot org. That's Chikespringerfoundation.org. And if you're on social media, you can follow us at Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn. It's at the Chike Springer Foundation. Luckily, Chike's name is pretty unique, so it is easier to find. And if you use the Contact Us button on our website, you will get me as well. So if there's anyone out there who wants to partner or do any sponsorship ideas, please reach out. I'd love to work with you.

15:55 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, thank you so much again, Lindsey. We will have the links and information in the show notes as well too so that everybody can follow up with you. But I appreciate you for telling Chike's story, for telling your own story. And I think so many times we forget that by telling our story and sometimes the less-than-ideal things that happen, we get to inspire and make an impact in people's lives. So thank you so much for being the change. We hope to see you in the world, and I appreciate your time today, I hope you have a great rest of the day.

16:21 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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