CancerFree KIDS Announces New Columbus Managing Director and Inaugural Columbus Board

Business Journals

11-07-2025

CancerFree KIDS, a nonprofit committed to eradicating pediatric cancer as a life-threatening disease in children through funding innovative, early-stage research, proudly announces its new managing director of the Columbus market and the formation of its inaugural Columbus Board of Directors. This builds on the Cincinnati-based organization's official expansion into Columbus last year, elevating the impact it can make for the world-renowned research team at Nationwide Children's Hospital. CancerFree KIDS is the catalyst for change and fills a critical, unmet need – funding early-stage research that shows potential to lead to major breakthroughs in treatments for pediatric cancer. To spearhead efforts in central Ohio, CancerFree KIDS is appointing Drew Dollmatsch as the managing director of the Columbus market. He has spent more than 20 years helping to advance approaches to treatment and access to quality oncology care. He will work with a new Columbus Board of Directors, which brings together top community leaders, medical experts, and advocates who each offer a unique perspective—from personal experiences with pediatric cancer to professional alignment with the mission. The board members include: Nick Fortine (Blacklick), Market President & Publisher at Columbus Business First (Board Chair) Timothy Cripe, MD, PhD (Dublin), Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University (Medical Chair) Ryan D. Roberts, MD, PhD (Grove City), Principal Investigator for the Center for Childhood Cancer at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and an Associate Professor with tenure for the Department of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and BMT at The Ohio State University (Medical Vice Chair) Jeremy Jackson (Gahanna), Managing Director and Client Relationship Manager at Deloitte (Vice Chair) Tim Cahill, Partner at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP Corey Carroll (Short North), Senior Medical Device Sales Representative at Medtronic Bobbi Krabill, Deputy Director at the Ohio Department of Health Center of Public Health Excellence Kimberlee Billet (Dublin), Administrative Operations Manager at SRS Mechanical Jeff Ortman (Hilliard), President of HAWA Engineers Megan Shroy (Worthington), President of Approach Marketing Sarah Pinto (Powell), Partner at Deloitte Kyle Alfriend, Managing Partner, Alfriend Group, Re/Max Achievers 'Having a local board and boots on the ground in Columbus strengthens our ability to fund, advocate, and connect with this community,' said Jill Brinck, CancerFree KIDS executive director. 'These board members are passionate champions of the cause, and we are grateful for their commitment to fueling change through awareness, fundraising, and strategic support for our local efforts.' Less than 8% of federal cancer research funding goes to pediatric cancer, despite it being the number one cause of death by disease for children in the United States. And because pediatric cancer is so underfunded, many children with cancer are forced to use treatments that are designed for adults, leading to other serious and chronic illnesses later in life. Early-stage research is the key to making meaningful progress and changing these realities. CancerFree KIDS is the only nonprofit filling this need – investing $10.85 million since its founding in 2002 – so that the most promising, early-stage research ideas can get off the ground. Over the past five years, almost half of CancerFree KIDS funding has been awarded to researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital, where some of the best minds in pediatric cancer in the world are doing research. CancerFree KIDS needs the community's help to fuel this transformative, life-changing research so that tomorrow's kids have gentler, more effective options for cancer treatment. To learn more about CancerFree KIDS, the pediatric research it supports, and how to get involved, visit cancerfreekids.org. ### About CancerFree KIDS Founded in 2002, CancerFree KIDS is dedicated to eradicating cancer as a life-threatening disease in children by funding innovative, early-stage pediatric cancer research that might otherwise go unfunded. As the largest funder of early-stage childhood cancer research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Nationwide Children's Hospital, CancerFree KIDS has invested nearly $10.85 million in 240 research projects to date. These investments have helped generate more than $114 million in subsequent funding, and have led to new patents, clinical trials, scientific publications, and companies—each focused on developing safer, more effective treatments for childhood cancer.