Learn about our Presenters
Kara Aron
Kara Aron is an Associate Director at Activision Blizzard (part of Microsoft), where she helps brands reach consumers in gaming environments. In 2023, Kara was diagnosed with breast cancer one year postpartum with no family history or known risk factors. After undergoing surgery and active treatment, she joined The Pink Agenda to help raise education & awareness amongst other young professionals, as well as funds to support life-saving research. She hopes her efforts can help prevent others from ending up in her shoes. Kara loves traveling the world with her husband and daughter, trying either one new restaurant or recipe a week, reading, and binging far too much TV. Kara serves on The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council.
Pamela Berkowitz
Pamela Berkowitz, Managing Director of Trust & Estate Planning for Offit Capital, is a breast cancer survivor and serves as a member of The Pink Agenda’s Board of Directors. Pam lost her mother to breast cancer and used the knowledge of her elevated risk as a tool to detect her own breast cancer at the earliest possible stage. Pam works to educate others to be similarly aware of their own risks and continues to support research that improves the quality of life for those battling the disease, with the hopes of finding a cure.
Iris Di Cesare
Iris Di Cesare is a Chicagoland native from Medinah, IL, now residing in Gold Coast. As a Real Estate Broker with the Sage Haus Group at @properties Christie’s International Real Estate, she brings expertise in property sales, rentals, market analysis, and contract negotiation, backed by her experience at a Chicago-based mortgage company. With an associate’s degree in baking & pastry arts and a bachelor’s in hospitality management from Chicago’s Kendall College, Iris has years of experience in customer-oriented roles. She excels in maintaining high service standards, optimizing operations, and enhancing client satisfaction. Iris became involved with TPA in 2023 at Chicago’s first Pink on the River brunch. As a past recipient of Giuliana Rancic’s Fab-U-Wish program, she was inspired to give back. After being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at 26 in 2022, she was determined to pay it forward and found her calling through TPA’s mission. In her free time, Iris enjoys beach days with her dog, book club, podcasts, and traveling. She also serves as a director on her Homeowner Association Board, integrating her real estate expertise into her community. Iris serves on The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council.
Samantha Golkin-Nigliazzo
Samantha Golkin-Nigliazzo is a practicing attorney in New York City, a breast cancer survivor, an advocate for early screening for young at-risk women, a supporter of innovative research to end breast cancer. She’s a graduate of Penn’s Masters of Applied Positive Psychology program and is currently writing a book about the power of relationships on health. She has written a few articles for the Huffington Post, which are linked here. Samantha serves as the Vice President of The Pink Agenda’s Board of Directors/
Denise Gulotta
Denise Gulotta is a licensed clinical social worker and the owner of InnerBloom Therapy Practice in Chicago. She lost her mother to breast cancer in 2013. Since then, multiple family members and friends have been diagnosed, which has furthered her passion to raise awareness and funds to support breast cancer research. Denise serves of The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council.
Brittany Jackson
Brittany Jackson Brittany Jackson is legal counsel for an international bank (LBBW) where she is responsible for supporting the New York branch in all matters. Prior to that, Brittany practiced corporate law in New York. Brittany received her B.A. in English and Political Science from University of Michigan and her J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School. Brittany’s passion for finding a cure stems from her own battle with breast cancer. She was diagnosed in 2019 at 34 years old and again in 2022 – after a tough yearlong battle, she is proud to be a survivor. Since then, she has made it her mission to help raise awareness for breast cancer, especially in young women, as well as fundraise for much needed research. In 2023, Brittany helped launch Pink on the River in Chicago – a brunch dedicated to raising funds for TPA. Over the last two years, Pink on the River has grown to be a sold-out event and has raised approximately $650K for research. When she is not working, Brittany enjoys time with her son, Jack, and husband, Tom, as well as traveling, painting and hiking with her dog Elvis. She serves on The Pink Agenda’s Board of Directors.
Judy King
Judy King, a Leadership Council member of The Pink Agenda, comes from a family deeply affected by breast cancer. Both BRCA1 and BRCA2 positive, Judy followed in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, who pursued genetic counseling to better understand their family’s risk. After losing her mother, Nell, to breast cancer in 2006, Judy made the proactive decision to undergo a prophylactic double mastectomy in 2018. She shares her journey through social media, support groups, and the podcast She’s Thriving.
A University of Mississippi graduate with a degree in Hospitality Management, Judy has built a successful career working with hyper-growth companies in expanding their sales organizations, most notably with Glassdoor, Compass, and Procore. She currently resides in Dallas with her husband, Alex, and their golden retriever, Shelby.
Abi Kloosterman
Abi Kloosterman works in organizational communications at Harlem Children’s Zone, a renowned education non-profit located in Harlem, New York City. She began her career in communications working in beauty public relations after graduating from Manhattan College in the Bronx, New York City in 2018. A Denver, Colorado native, Abi has lived in New York City for ten years and currently lives in Manhattan with her fiancé. Her passion and motivation for breast cancer care and research comes from her family’s experiences with cancer. Both her mom and her fiancé’s sister were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and are current breast cancer survivors. Their grace and strength while experiencing breast cancer motivates Abi to help continue to provide care and education for those experiencing the disease alongside the incredible work of The Pink Agenda. Abi also ran the 2021 and 2023 New York City Marathon and 2022 New York City Half Marathon with The Pink Agenda team and currently serves on The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council.
Marleah Dean Kruzel
Marleah Dean Kruzel is the daughter of a 28-year breast cancer survivor, a BRCA2 previvor, and communication scientist with expertise in healthcare communication. She earned her PhD from Texas A&M University in 2014. Marleah is currently an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida, a Collaborator Member in the Health Outcomes & Behavior Program at the Moffitt Cancer Center, and a member of the Tampa General Cancer Institute. More specifically, her research focuses on cancer communication and the communication of genetic risk information. She is an expert on the health experiences and decisions of previvors—individuals with inherited gene mutations who have not been diagnosed with cancer. Given your family’s history of breast cancer, Marleah is deeply committed to patient engagement throughout the research process and translating her research into practice. To this end, she participated in the CDC’s “Bring Your Brave” social media campaign designed to educate and inspire young women regarding breast cancer risk. Marleah serves on The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council.
Nicole Corey Lotfalla
Nicole Corey Lotfalla works as legal counsel for Booking Holdings Inc. and is responsible for the company’s corporate governance functions. Nicole received her JD degree from Brooklyn Law School and her BS degree from Cornell University, where she was a member of the Track an Field team as a pole vaulter. Her advocacy journey began with her mother, a two-time breast cancer survivor, and was fueled by her elevated risk as a BRCA1 mutation carrier and diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer in 2023. She is a proud survivor who is passionate about research, especially for BRCA mutation carriers and high-risk individuals. In her spare time, Nicole loves to spend quality time with her family, explore new NYC restaurants with her husband, and go to the beach. Nicole serves on The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council.
Gina Maged
Gina Maged, the Director of Scheduling and Multi-Platform Strategy at The History Channel (part of A+E Global Media) is a breast cancer thriver and serves on The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council. In the Spring of 2024, her gynecologist found a lump and recommended she get a mammogram and sonogram. That led to her triple positive breast cancer diagnosis. After a year of treatment, she decided she wanted to make it her mission to bring awareness to all her peers. Breast cancer does not discriminate, and knowledge is power! Gina serves on The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council.
Shayla Martin
Shayla Martin is guided by Brene Brown’s quote, “Strong Back. Soft Front. Wild Heart.” Each aspect of this quote defines how Shayla approaches life as a four-year breast cancer survivor. This life-changing journey was the catalyst which connected her deeper with her core values of connection and vulnerability. Shayla obtained her MBA from Valparaiso University. She attended undergraduate school at Auburn University, where she was a member of the Women’s Track Team. She still enjoys running and has completed the NYC Marathon two times. Shayla lives in New York City and is a Sound and Meditation Practioner where she guides groups to deeper connection with self via her company 3Bell Evolution. Shayla serves on The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council.
Melissa Micari
Melissa Micari lost her mother to breast cancer in January 2015. Ever since her mom’s diagnosis, Melissa has been focused on spreading awareness and educating others on breast cancer risks, prevention, diagnosis and treatment. After seeing The Pink Agenda Speaker Series at her office in October 2019, she decided her efforts would be maximized if she joined The Pink Agenda. Aside from working with TPA, Melissa is in talent acquisition at PineBridge Investments, a global asset management firm. She also coaches indoor rowing classes at Row House in Jersey City in an effort to help others (and herself) reach their fitness and wellness goals. Melissa serves on The Pink Agenda’s Board of Directors.
Caileigh Scott
Caileigh Scott is an actor, writer, and social impact producer. Always an advocate for elevating women’s stories and women’s voices, she uses her own experience with breast cancer to increase awareness and create community. Caileigh brings with her energy, enthusiasm, and passion for her work. Caileigh serves on The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council.
Nicole Seagriff
Nicole Seagriff is an on-site medical director and nurse practitioner for a community health center. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Duke University with a research focus on screening for BRCA gene mutations. Nicole is a young breast cancer survivor, who advocates for breast health education and believes in the importance of research. She’s written articles for the Huffington Post, which are linked here. Nicole serves as President of The Pink Agenda’s Board of Directors.
Erin Waitz
Erin Waitz is a government affairs professional, working with municipal representatives across the country. She specializes in bridging the gap between public and private entities, with a strong passion for building relationships and problem solving. Erin currently supports UScellular’s efforts to upgrade its wireless network, ensuring people stay connected. Erin is deeply committed to breast cancer advocacy. Having grown up with her mother’s diagnosis, Erin experienced the profound impact of the disease when her mom passed away at just 39. In 2010, Erin became a previvor to lower her risk, and the loss of a close friend to metastatic breast cancer in 2023 further fueled Erin’s dedication to the cause. Erin serves as a member of The Pink Agenda’s Leadership Council.
Natasha Whitling
Natasha Whitling is a Senior Vice President in Burson Global’s Corporate & Public Affairs practice. Natasha has 20 years of journalism, agency, and in-house strategic communications and media relations experience. Natasha holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Roanoke College and a Master of Mass Communication in Integrated Communications from the University of South Carolina. She currently resides in Brooklyn, with her husband and two cats and is likely training for her next half or full marathon. Natasha’s desire to advocate for a breast cancer cure emerged from her own stage 3 diagnosis in 2015. She currently serves as Secretary of the Board of The Pink Agenda.
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