2024 40 Under 40 Winners

Jen has spent her career dedicated to healthcare advocacy, beginning as a scientific researcher and grant writer focused on psychiatric patients before transitioning into event fundraising. At Northwell, Jen has led many of the foundation's signature fundraising events, significantly contributing to the Outpacing the Impossible campaign. Her leadership in organizing the Constellation Gala has been particularly impactful, raising nearly $22 million since 2016 and doubling its annual fundraising revenue. Jen's collaborative spirit extends across the Foundation, partnering with major and principal gift teams and the communications team to achieve record-breaking fundraising success. Additionally, she oversees a team of three event fundraising professionals, fostering their growth and supporting their career development goals. Recognized for her leadership, Jen has also been instrumental in pivoting Northwell's events to virtual formats during the pandemic, earning prestigious awards for her innovative approaches.

I have spent more than 20 years dedicated to healthcare, initially on a path towards a career in psychiatry spending many college summers working across New York’s myriad hospital systems. In college I was on a pre-medical track where I studied neuroscience, while minoring in philosophy–perhaps my way of balancing the hard science of the brain with the softer science of thought. After spending the first few years of my career in clinical research programs, I decided to move into the philanthropic arm of healthcare where I could combine my deep background in psychology and research with my passion for advocacy. This passion comes from both a professional curiosity as well as a personal motivation having been exposed to various illnesses and diseases throughout my life. As an event fundraiser and executor, the opportunity to create unique experiences and deliver key healthcare messaging in innovative ways to our constituents is incredibly rewarding. I truly think healthcare philanthropy is the best investment you can make for both today and for the future. 

As with many of us in this industry, I did not necessarily set out to have a career in healthcare philanthropy. Having devoted so much of my life to health research, I reached an inflection point in my mid-twenties where I wanted to spend less time in a clinical setting while remaining deeply entrenched in the healthcare ecosystem. My transition from clinical research and grant writing to a career in event fundraising at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society launched my foray into healthcare philanthropy, and I have continued this pathway for almost 10 years now at Northwell Health. Being able to blend my previous background and skills with a philanthropic organization and focus on event fundraising and stewardship has allowed me to access additional aptitudes and aspects of my own life that I enjoy: detail-oriented planning, event execution and best practice implementation, relationship-building and management, and mentorship opportunities. 

Northwell Health’s $1.4 billion fundraising campaign was the first major fundraising initiative of this scale that I was ever involved with from start to finish. I am proud to have had a leadership role in the campaign’s success from the quiet phase, planning phase, launch, active years and finally now for the close as we reach this significant milestone. This was a collaborative effort and investment by donors, patients, and fellow employees and every dollar has helped Northwell deliver lifesaving care, make groundbreaking discoveries in research and create a positive impact for everyone in our communities for years to come. 

Family, first and foremost. As I have a small one after having unfortunately experienced significant loss, I hold mine very near and dear. We are all incredibly close, and my husband and I enjoy hosting most holidays, spending vacations, or sharing a meal together with our immediate family (including our precious dog, Mabel) as often as possible. Travel – as frequent, as exotic, and as eye-opening as possible!  

Be sincere, be patient, be perseverant, and be prepared. Philanthropic organizations are often complex both structurally and personality-wise. Lighting will not strike overnight and ring in change, but persistence and demonstrated excellence often leads to broader openness to new ideas, and ultimately to incremental improvement and change. Do your research/homework, try to know every answer and anticipate every potential outcome. And most importantly, be prepared to adapt when changes are made in real time. Foundation teams often run lean (particularly on the events side) and require everyone to dual (or triple) hat. Success derives from a common philosophy that no one is above any task as long as it serves the greater goal.