Bright Pink
Bright Pink is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2007 and now sunsetting, that built proprietary breast and ovarian cancer risk-assessment tools and educational programs serving young women, with a venture-philanthropy focus on health equity for Black and Latina women.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bright Pink does
Bright Pink is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in Chicago in 2007 by Lindsay Avner after she underwent a risk-reducing double mastectomy at age 23 due to a BRCA1 gene mutation. The organization's mission was to save women's lives from breast and ovarian cancer by empowering young women to live proactively through awareness, risk assessment, and preventive action. Its core product was Assess Your Risk, a Webby-award-winning digital tool built on a proprietary algorithm that estimates a user's baseline risk for breast and ovarian cancer based on structured self-reported inputs (year of birth, race/ethnicity, personal and familial health history, and modifiable lifestyle factors). The tool was complemented by Brighten Up in-person educational workshops, provider education programs (training 20,000+ providers), ExploreYourGenetics.org (with InformedDNA genetic-counselor integration), and Breast Health Reminders (text-message service); the PinkPal peer-support program had been transferred to Imerman Angels in 2016. Bright Pink operated as a direct-service nonprofit for its first 14 years, reaching nearly 1.8 million women digitally and educating 110,000+ through workshops before sunsetting its operating model in June 2021.
Following the December 2021 acquisition of its program suite by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Bright Pink transitioned into a Venture Philanthropy Fund deploying approximately $1 million in capital and capacity-building resources into Mission Partners including TOUCH, Nueva Vida, FORCE, Susan G. Komen Stand for H.E.R., UCSF WISDOM, and Know Your Lemons, with explicit focus on health equity for Black, Latina, and underserved women. In October 2024, Bright Pink made a final $3.5 million legacy gift to establish the Bright Pink PROACT (Preventive Risk Outreach And Cascade Testing) Program at Stanford Medicine in collaboration with the University of Michigan, and announced it was sunsetting operations and no longer accepting donations as of August 2024. The organization is governed under Illinois jurisdiction, with Janet Foutty (Deloitte US Executive Chair) serving as Board Chair during the transition and founder Lindsay Avner moving into a Senior Advisor role at the PROACT Program.
Bright Pink firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bright Pink
- Legal name
- Bright Pink
- Website
- https://brightpink.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bright Pink is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2007 and now sunsetting, that built proprietary breast and ovarian cancer risk-assessment tools and educational programs serving young women, with a venture-philanthropy focus on health equity for Black and Latina women.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bright Pink industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Health Education and Cancer Prevention Nonprofit
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)
- akta.pro primary industry
- STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)
Keywords
Where Bright Pink is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bright Pink business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Bright Pink operated primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and institutional donors. The organization sunset its operations in 2024 and made a final $3.5 million legacy gift to Stanford Medicine.
- Venture Philanthropy Investments: From 2021-2024, Bright Pink operated as a venture philanthropy fund, investing over $1 million in financial and capacity-building resources into Mission Partners focused on breast and ovarian health interventions.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Bright Pink product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bright Pink was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provided breast and ovarian cancer risk assessment, education, and peer support to young women. Its flagship offering was the Assess Your Risk™ digital tool — a proprietary algorithm-based quiz that estimates baseline cancer risk — complemented by in-person Brighten Up educational workshops, healthcare provider training, and the PinkPal peer support program.
Product overview
Bright Pink was a nonprofit organization focused on breast and ovarian cancer prevention for young women. Its primary product was Assess Your Risk™, a proprietary digital risk assessment tool launched in 2007 that estimated baseline cancer risk based on user-provided health and family history data. Supporting products included Brighten Up Educational Workshops (in-person training on breast/ovarian health basics), Provider Education (training for healthcare providers), ExploreYourGenetics.org (genetic education with genetic counselor access), Breast Health Reminders (text message health monitoring), and PinkPal (peer support, acquired by Imerman Angels in 2016). In December 2021, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute acquired most of Bright Pink's programs and tools. In October 2024, Bright Pink made a final $3.5 million legacy gift to establish the PROACT Program at Stanford Medicine. As of 2024, Bright Pink has sunset its operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Assess Your Risk: A groundbreaking, Webby-award winning digital quiz tool that estimates a user's baseline risk for breast and ovarian cancer, acquired by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 2021.
- PROACT Program
- PinkPal
- Brighten Up Workshops
Products and services
- Assess Your Risk™ A digital quiz built on a proprietary algorithm that estimates a user's baseline risk for breast and ovarian cancer based on self-reported risk factors including year of birth, race/ethnicity, personal health history, familial health history, and modifiable lifestyle factors. Provides personalized risk assessment results and follow-up recommendations via email. For young women seeking proactive prevention.
- PROACT Program The Preventive Risk Outreach And Cascade Testing (PROACT) Program is a web-based platform designed to democratize access to cascade genetic testing. It helps women understand their genetic risks and share life-saving information with family members, offering low-cost at-home genetic testing for hereditary mutations such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. For women at risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
- Brighten Up Educational Workshops In-person educational workshops that taught breast and ovarian health basics to over 110,000 young women, with more than half being collegiate women. For young women in colleges, workplaces, and community settings. Now managed by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
- Provider Education Training programs for healthcare providers on how to better identify and manage breast and ovarian cancer risk for young female patients. Trained over 20,000 women's health providers. Now managed by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
- ExploreYourGenetics.org A website providing educational resources about genetics and breast/ovarian cancer risk, including an 'Ask a Genetic Counselor' feature connecting users with InformedDNA genetic counselors. For women seeking to understand genetic risk factors. Now managed by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
- Breast Health Reminders A text message-based service that sends tips to help women monitor their breast health. Users sign up by providing their name, email address, and mobile phone number. For women seeking ongoing breast health monitoring nudges. Now managed by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 1.8 million women helped understand their breast/ovarian cancer risk and develop a personalized prevention plan
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Bright Pink
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bright Pink technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
Bright Pink partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Stanford Medicine (PROACT Program)flagshipBright Pink made a $3.5 million legacy gift to establish the Bright Pink Preventive Risk Outreach And Cascade Testing (PROACT) Program at Stanford Medicine. Led by Dr. Allison Kurian and Dr. Jennifer Caswell-Jin, the program aims to democratize access to cascade genetic testing for BRCA mutations. Bright Pink Founder Lindsay Avner serves as Senior Advisor.
- University of MichigancoreCollaborating with Stanford Medicine on the Bright Pink PROACT Program. Dr. Steven Katz from University of Michigan is involved in the program alongside Stanford's Dr. Allison Kurian and Dr. Jennifer Caswell-Jin.
- UCSF WISDOM StudycoreMission Partner led by Dr. Laura Esserman involving 100,000 diverse women aimed at personalizing breast cancer screening. Bright Pink helped WISDOM expand to include women aged 30-39 and develop a breast screening communication campaign.
- Know Your LemonscoreSecond cohort Mission Partner, a leading breast cancer organization that has reached over 1 billion people through online campaigns, in-person classes, and Webby-Award winning app. Bright Pink supported efforts to make their tools available to 300,000 more young women annually.
- Nueva VidacoreMission Partner in Bright Pink's Venture Philanthropy Fund. Nueva Vida is a community organization providing culturally sensitive cancer support to the Latino community in the Washington-Baltimore Metro area. Bright Pink supported the 'De Madres a Hijas' program which educated 48 Latinas on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risk.
- FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer EmpoweredcoreMission Partner serving over a million people nationwide. Bright Pink supported FORCE's efforts to recruit and train patient advocates to change state-level legislation, leading to new laws in Maryland and Pennsylvania that increase access to screening MRIs and diagnostic exams with no cost-sharing for high-risk individuals.
- TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer AlliancecoreMission Partner driving collaborative efforts to eradicate Black Breast Cancer. With Bright Pink's support, TOUCH launched 'For the Love of My Gurls' campaign that educated, equipped, and empowered 250,000 young Black women to be proactive with their breast health.
- Susan G. Komen - Stand for H.E.R.coreMission Partner in Bright Pink's Venture Philanthropy Fund. Bright Pink supported Komen's expansion of the Worship in Pink program providing free genetic counseling and testing to at-risk Black women within faith-based institutions in Houston.
- Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteflagshipDana-Farber Cancer Institute acquired Bright Pink's suite of programs and tools including AssessYourRisk.org, Provider Education, Brighten Up Workshops, ExploreYourGenetics.org, and Breast Health Reminders. Dana-Farber was selected as the ideal partner to steward and expand Bright Pink's tools, particularly for serving young women of color and diverse communities.
- Imerman AngelsminorImerman Angels acquired Bright Pink's PinkPal peer support program in 2016. PinkPal matched young women at high-risk for breast/ovarian cancer with women of similar demographics for one-on-one support. Imerman Angels integrated this program into their hallmark peer-to-peer matching program.
- Living Beyond Breast CancerminorLiving Beyond Breast Cancer moderates Bright Pink's former closed Facebook Support Community that enables high-risk women to connect with others who have gone through similar high-risk experiences.
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)minorBright Pink CEO Lindsay Avner Kaplan served as subject matter expert in developing CDC's interactive tool 'Let's Talk: Sharing Info About Your Family Cancer Risk' to help cancer survivors engage in cascade testing conversations.
- Basser Center for BRCAminorThe first comprehensive center for research, treatment, and prevention of BRCA-related cancers, providing education and genetic counseling services. Listed as a helpful resource for high-risk women.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bright Pink competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Young Survival Coalition: A nonprofit dedicated to young women diagnosed with breast cancer, addressing the unique challenges of young survivors. Directly comparable to Bright Pink's focus on young women facing breast cancer risk and aligns in target demographic and educational mission.
- Living Beyond Breast Cancer: A national nonprofit providing trusted information and community support to people affected by breast cancer. Living Beyond Breast Cancer currently moderates Bright Pink's former closed Facebook Support Community, demonstrating a directly comparable peer relationship in serving high-risk women with peer support.
- Know Your Lemons Foundation: A global breast health education nonprofit whose Webby Award-winning app and visual educational tools have reached over a billion people. Know Your Lemons was a Bright Pink Venture Philanthropy Fund mission partner and shares the prevention/early-detection educational mission.
- National Breast Cancer Coalition: A advocacy-focused breast cancer nonprofit pursuing public policy, research, and access goals at the national level. NBCC's legislative advocacy mission aligns directly with Bright Pink's risk-management advocacy and high-risk women focus.
- Sharsheret: A national nonprofit supporting Jewish women and families facing breast and ovarian cancer. Comparable to Bright Pink in culturally-tailored cancer support, peer mentoring, and focus on BRCA-related hereditary cancer risk within a specific population.
- Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance: The largest ovarian cancer nonprofit in the U.S., funding research and advocacy. Directly comparable to Bright Pink's ovarian cancer prevention and risk-assessment focus for high-risk women, particularly those with BRCA mutations.
- Susan G. Komen: The largest breast cancer nonprofit in the U.S., funding research, screening, and education. Bright Pink partnered with Komen's 'Stand for H.E.R.' Worship in Pink program for hereditary cancer outreach to Black women, making Komen a directly comparable peer in mission, target population, and community-based breast cancer education.
- FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered: A nonprofit serving people and families facing hereditary cancer, focused on BRCA-related cancers. FORCE was a Bright Pink Venture Philanthropy Fund mission partner focused on legislative advocacy. The two organizations overlap directly in high-risk women's support and genetic-counseling access.
- Basser Center for BRCA: The first comprehensive center for research, treatment, and prevention of BRCA-related cancers at Penn Medicine. Basser was a referral partner for Bright Pink's high-risk women, and the two organizations overlap directly in BRCA-focused education, genetic counseling, and cancer prevention research.
- TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance: A nonprofit dedicated to eradicating Black breast cancer through education, advocacy, and mobilization. TOUCH was a Bright Pink Venture Philanthropy Fund mission partner; the two organizations overlap directly in their health-equity focus and breast cancer education for Black women.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bright Pink social profiles
Digital presenceBright Pink financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bright Pink leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Bright Pink funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bright Pink M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bright Pink
What does Bright Pink do?
Bright Pink was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provided breast and ovarian cancer risk assessment, education, and peer support to young women. Its flagship offering was the Assess Your Risk™ digital tool — a proprietary algorithm-based quiz that estimates baseline cancer risk — complemented by in-person Brighten Up educational workshops, healthcare provider training, and the PinkPal peer support program.
Is Bright Pink a public or private company?
Bright Pink is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.
When was Bright Pink founded?
Bright Pink was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bright Pink based?
Bright Pink is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bright Pink make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are venture Philanthropy Investments.
Who are Bright Pink's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Young Survival Coalition, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Know Your Lemons Foundation, National Breast Cancer Coalition, Sharsheret, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, Susan G. Komen, FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, Basser Center for BRCA and TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance.
Does Bright Pink have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bright Pink.
What industry is Bright Pink in?
Bright Pink's product category is Health Education and Cancer Prevention Nonprofit. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAG, STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 813212.