Advocacy, human development and solving “messy” problems have been at the core of Robyn’s professional and personal endeavors!

    After over a decade of a career in real estate and construction, Robyn returned to her education roots to expand on her BS in Elementary Education from Indiana University to earn a Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA, a Master’s in Executive Development for Public Service from Ball State University, and she is now in the final stretch to earn a PhD in Educational Psychology. In addition to teaching undergraduate courses, Robyn has been published in a range of trade and professional journals on topics ranging from twice-exceptionalism to helping young people develop into creative problem-solvers. Throughout her career, Robyn has served in a range of leadership positions on nonprofit boards at the local, state, national and international levels.

   After her son Justin was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma at 21, Robyn switched gears and founded Elevate Childhood Cancer Research and Advocacy, dedicated to saving and improving the lives of those diagnosed with childhood cancer.  Robyn is married to Joel,  mom to three young adults, and finds joy in problem solving and advocacy in all areas of her life.

    Chris has worked in the non-profit sector for close to 20 years.  He has been a secondary social studies teacher, varsity soccer coach, & business owner.  The common thread throughout Chris’ career has been teaching & advocacy. As Vice-President of Program for FIRST Indiana Robotics, Chris worked with students, robotics teams, & legislative leaders to pass House Bill 1382 which has brought $3.5 Million a year to Indiana K-12 Schools for competitive robotics.  

    Chris plans to take his experience of board service, organizational leadership, & advocacy skills to this new role as chair of Elevate.  “I believe this organization is poised to take the lead in helping research institutions to get more therapies into phase one clinical trials. Childhood cancer research is severely underfunded, children & their families can’t wait any longer for better treatment options.

    Besides a passion for youth serving organizations & volunteerism, Chris likes to read, play board games with friends & family, & enjoys a good movie.  

    After earning a college degree from Indiana University, Joel founded his first successful business, Spoon Construction at the age of 25, which is a custom residential design/build firm. He immediately took on significant community leadership by serving as the President of the Tri-County Builders Association. His duties included organizing the local “Home Show” for many years. During the first decade of his career, Joel received many awards for his acclaimed custom home designs and builds. Since those early days, Joel has expanded his work to include real estate sales and development, having successfully developed four neighborhoods in Columbus, Indiana.

    Meanwhile, Joel took his role as “dad” seriously by coaching children’s recreational flag and tackle football and soccer and also enjoyed founding and managing the Columbus Adult Flag Football League for many years. Joel serves as the Chief Financial Chair for Elevate Childhood Cancer Research and Advocacy, as a way to impact the future for those diagnosed with childhood cancer.

   Dan brings a wealth of experience in technology, communications, and strategic leadership to the Elevate Board. His career spans diverse roles, from crafting engaging content at a PBS television station to developing video/multimedia presentations and training materials for a corporate communications firm, and to driving strategic initiatives and overseeing core operations of a leading regional collaborative of independent hospitals and community-based healthcare providers.  

   Dan’s nearly twenty years in the healthcare industry combined with his personal journey as the parent of a cancer patient fuel his passion for Elevate’s mission to dramatically improve and save the lives of those diagnosed with childhood cancer. His commitment to community is evident in his long-standing volunteer work with Meals on Wheels and as a Big Brother.

   In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, Kristi, their two adult children, and their pooch. Additionally, he can often be found following his favorite sports teams and dabbling in disc golf and tennis.