Meet the Board | Katie Coleman
Getting to the know the board of COA
Over the next few weeks, we're excited to introduce you to the dedicated individuals on the COA (Chromophobe and Oncocytic Tumor Alliance) board, starting with our founder and president, Katie Coleman.
Fast Facts
Location: Austin, Texas
Occupation: Product and Engineering Lead
Kidney Cancer Connection: Metastatic Oncocytoma (Rare Stage IV Kidney Cancer)
Did you know (fun fact)..? My first job at sixteen was at a race track, and I went on to work in Motorsports for fifteen years
My Story: Linked here and here
My “Why”
There was a period early in my diagnosis when we thought I might have chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC). During this time, I connected with a group of young women who were all diagnosed with chRCC around the same time. Together, we learned about the disease, advocated, and began fundraising for research when we discovered the lack of funding, treatments, and trials for chRCC.
When my tumor was identified as an extremely rare metastatic oncocytoma, the chromophobe community still welcomed and supported me when I didn’t really have a place or group my disease fit into, which further ignited my passion to continue to champion this community.
Recognizing the profound impact that dedicated nonprofits and passionate advocates can have, I decided to create the Chromophobe and Oncocytic Tumor Alliance (COA). COA was established as a dedicated resource for chromophobe kidney cancer to help advance research and support patients.
COA Year Two
In year two of COA, I have been particularly excited about the announcement of the grant we co-funded with the KCA. I look forward to seeing the research that will come out of it and am excited about COA’s growth this year, adding our newest board member, Lindsay Walker to help us expand our impact.
Affiliations
COA (Chromophobe and Oncocytic Tumor Alliance)
Kidney Cancer Association
Rare Cancer Research Foundation
Learn More
Website: coakidney.org
Instagram: coa_kidney
Facebook: COA
X: COA