Ben Broghammer, MBA
Chairman & CEO
I founded Project Periwinkle in 2015 in memory of my cousin, Michon Runyon, who passed away from stomach cancer in July of 2014. In the wake of personal tragedy that deeply impacted myself and my family, I felt drawn to make an impact for others by creating an organization that helps fund research for an underfunded and far too common disease.
Since our founding, I have had the privilege of serving as Project Periwinkle’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, overseeing growth, innovation and life changing research program funding. With nearly a half million dollars raised for programs made possible by this organization, I have had the honor of witnessing first hand the tremendous medical advancements and scientific outcomes that have come to life through work we have supported. I am also proud to continue to see seed funded studies and program achieve additional institutional support based on outcomes of the first steps we have believed in.
I earned both my bachelors and MBA from Saint Louis University, and currently live in St. Louis, MO. Outside of Project Periwinkle and my day job in corporate America, I enjoy staying active, spending time outdoors, on the water, traveling and spending time with family.
Board Service, 2015 - Present
CEO, 2015 - Present
Founder’s Letter
Every year, tens of thousands of people are diagnosed with stomach cancer and millions more with other cancers . For me, bringing awareness to this disease and funding research that will one day find a cure is something that I hold close to my heart. In 2013, my family was touched by it in a way that forever has changed me. My cousin, Michon, was diagnosed with stomach cancer and she fought with grace, courage, strength, and a heart that is rarely replicated. She passed away a year later in the summer of 2014. While grieving, I realized when something unfortunate happens, we can either let it take hold of us, or we can do something to change it. I began writing as a way to grieve and cope, and what started as a way to express my emotion turned in a mission statement, and then this foundation.
While still in my undergraduate education at Saint Louis University, and in the midsts of my junior year, I started Project Periwinkle in the hopes of changing the status quo of the world and to make a difference and shape a brighter future for us all. Since we launched, cancer has continued to touch my life, and as time goes on, our work is becoming more and more important.
“I began writing as a way to grieve and cope, and what started as a way to express my emotion turned in a mission statement, and then this foundation.”
Since Project Periwinkle's inception, we have had the opportunity to provide financial support to multiple cancer centers in the United States, most recently, to the University of Nebraska Medical Center where Michon received her treatment, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. The research that we are supporting will hopefully one day lead to a cure for not just stomach cancer, but all cancers. I started this organization to help others and better our world, and that is why I decided that this organization would be 100% volunteer based, and nobody, including myself, would accept compensation for our work. That is what charity is all about--helping others and giving back in the biggest way possible. I am proud to lead a team and a foundation that is doing so much good in the world, bringing hope to those touched by this disease, and contributing to the betterment of our society.
Full heartily, I believe that though we are put on this earth, we can have a say in how our life turns out. We don’t have to accept what is, and we can start with dreams of what can be, working to turn our dreams into reality. WE can fund research. WE can find a cure. WE can end this fight and change the world, giving those diagnosed with stomach cancer not just hope, but a second chance at life.
Please take the time to explore our website and learn more about us. If you can, please donate so our work can continue, and if you cannot, please at the very least, tell others about us, our story, and our work. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
