Jenna Benn Shersher is a 43-year-old cancer survivor, civil rights advocate, world traveler, and tiny twister who dreams big. In December 2010, Jenna was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called Grey Zone Lymphoma, which at the time, affected fewer than 200 people.
Instead of surrendering to cancer, she was determined to find meaning in her suffering. In the course of her fight, Jenna figured out creative ways to leverage social media to process her experience and, in turn, create a community that became invested in her fight. Within a year, Jenna battled cancer and founded the nonprofit organization Twist Out Cancer.
Today, Jenna is the CEO of Twist Out Cancer, an international non-profit charitable organization that provides psychosocial support to individuals touched by cancer through creative arts programming. The organization was founded on the principle that when you share, the world opens up. What started in 2012 as a small art exhibition in Chicago for 20 Inspirations and Artists has now become an international program that has touched over 256,000 people around the world.
Jenna’s story was selected as a top ten best read by Mashable and has been featured in Forbes, CNN, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Lancet Haematology, and the Wall Street Journal. Jenna is a mentor angel with Imerman Angels, and was an Honored Hero and advocate for Team in Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She was recognized as a Health Hero by Philadelphia Magazine and a Social Innovations finalist in entrepreneurship by the Social Innovations Journal. She is an ROI fellow with the Schusterman Foundation and serves on the board of the Anti-Defamation League.
Jenna received her Bachelor’s degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and her Master’s in Social Enterprise and Administration from Columbia University. She resides in Bryn Mawr, Pa., with her husband, Dr. David Shersher, and their daughters, Noa Pearl and Lilou Ruth, who are both miracles.
More information on Twist Out Cancer is available at www.twistoutcancer.org.
