What A Fresh Chapter does

A Fresh Chapter (AFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by CEO Terri Wingham after her own breast cancer diagnosis at age 30. The organization delivers peer-led, evidence-informed psychosocial support programs to cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates globally. Its core methodology rests on trained survivor and caregiver facilitators rather than licensed clinicians, with proprietary frameworks such as "AFC 101: Essential Tools for Navigating Life + Cancer" and concepts like "Living in Contradiction" forming the intellectual property backbone. The portfolio includes six active programs: Empower Workshops (1-2 hour online), Mizizi Workshops (half-day in-person in Kenya), Ignite Experience (10-week online), AFC Leaders (6-week online leadership program), Amplify (peer facilitator training), and the Africa Elevate Fellowship (cross-cultural leadership development with onsite Kenya component). All programs are provided free of charge to participants. Revenue is generated entirely through individual donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships from at least eight pharmaceutical companies (Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Genentech, Bristol Myers Squibb, Astellas, Merck, Eisai, Servier), and named funds such as the Melissa Carroll Legacy Fund. The organization operates as a fiscally sponsored project of Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE) in California, with a regional hub in Nairobi, Kenya. AFC is headquartered in Calabasas, California, and has cumulatively served 8,300+ people across 19 countries since inception.

Name

A Fresh Chapter

Legal name

A Fresh Chapter

Website

https://afreshchapter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

A Fresh Chapter is a nonprofit founded in 2009 that delivers peer-led, evidence-informed psychosocial support programs free of charge to cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates across 19 countries, with concentrated operations in the U.S. and Kenya.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Psychosocial Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Psychosocial support programs
• Peer-led workshops
• Cancer survivor advocacy
• Nonprofit health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Calabasas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: A Fresh Chapter is a donor-supported nonprofit organization. Individual donations, corporate grants, and foundation support fund all programs. The organization is a project of Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. Programs are offered completely free to participants.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Pharmaceutical and healthcare companies sponsor specific programs and initiatives, particularly the Africa Elevate Fellowship and Mizizi Workshops. Partners include Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Genentech, Bristol Myers Squibb, Astellas, Merck, Eisai, and Servier.
3. Legacy Giving / Named Funds: The Melissa Carroll Legacy Fund provides scholarships for people impacted by cancer to access AFC programs, funded through memorial donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

A Fresh Chapter is a survivor-led nonprofit that designs and delivers free, peer-facilitated psychosocial support programs for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates. Its portfolio includes online workshops (Empower, the 10-week Ignite Experience, the 6-week AFC Leaders program), in-person Mizizi Workshops across Kenya, the cross-cultural Africa Elevate Fellowship, and Amplify peer facilitator training. All programs are offered free of charge to participants and funded through donations and corporate grants.

Product overview

A Fresh Chapter is a survivor-led nonprofit offering a multi-tiered portfolio of peer-facilitated programs designed to help cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates navigate the emotional complexities of cancer. The core offerings include: short-format Empower Workshops (1-2 hours, online) for tools and perspectives on balancing cancer and life; Mizizi Workshops (half-day, in-person in Kenya) for grassroots emotional healing; the Ignite Experience (10-week online program) for comprehensive emotional challenge navigation; AFC Leaders (6-week online program) focused on human-side leadership; Amplify peer facilitator training; and the Africa Elevate Fellowship for cross-cultural leadership development. The organization historically offered Odyssey Programs (international volunteer trips) which were discontinued during COVID in favor of more scalable virtual and local programming. All programs are free and accessible globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Melissa Carroll Legacy Fund (MCLF): A scholarship fund established in memory of artist and AFC alum Melissa Carroll to help patients and survivors with financial need access AFC's programs.

Products and services

• Empower Workshops 1-2 hour online workshops offering tools, resources, and perspectives to help cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates balance both cancer and life. Offered free of charge, accessible globally.
• Mizizi Workshops Half-day, in-person workshops designed to support emotional healing in grassroots communities across Kenya. Facilitated by Kenyan cancer survivors trained through AFC's Amplify program. Offered free to participants.
• Ignite Experience A 10-week online program providing a framework and tools for navigating the emotional challenges of cancer. Free of charge to participants globally.
• AFC Leaders Program A 6-week online program focused on the human side of leadership for cancer patients, survivors, advocates, and leaders. Free of charge.
• Amplify Peer facilitator training program for AFC alumni interested in leading AFC programs. Builds the supply of trained, survivor-led facilitators globally.
• Africa Elevate Fellowship An immersive cross-cultural volunteer and leadership development experience connecting African and U.S.-based cancer survivors, caregivers, advocates, and pharmaceutical industry partners, with a year-long fellowship and a two-week onsite component in Kenya.
• AFC 101: Essential Tools for Navigating Life + Cancer A foundational Empower-format workshop offering emotional tools for navigating life after cancer, including the 'Living in Contradiction' concept, designed to help participants process grief, fear, anger, and identity loss post-diagnosis.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,300+ people impacted globally
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Eli Lilly & CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2019, Lilly has partnered with AFC to bring the Africa Elevate Fellowship to life in Kenya. The partnership has directly impacted over 4,500 Africans affected by cancer. Lilly employees participate as volunteers in the Elevate program, and Lilly provides grants to support program expansion. The collaboration also includes the Connecting Hearts Abroad program.
• PfizercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting AFC's programs and mission. Pfizer employees have participated in the Africa Elevate Fellowship as global volunteers.
• GenentechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting AFC programs. Featured in 2025 annual report as a funding partner.
• Bristol Myers SquibbcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMS partnered with AFC for the Elevate Program. BMS employees have served as global volunteers in the fellowship program, contributing to cross-cultural cancer advocacy efforts.
• Astellas PharmasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting AFC's mission and programs.
• Merck & Co.supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting AFC's programs and cancer survivorship initiatives.
• EisaisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting AFC's cancer support programs.
• ServiersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting AFC's global cancer survivorship programs.
• ZERO Prostate CancercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2022, AFC has partnered with ZERO to deliver Storytelling for Impact Workshops to people affected by prostate cancer. Workshops provide foundational tools and space to reflect on and share personal stories.
• BCAN (Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCAN partnered with AFC in 2025 to pilot a digital enduring resource for bladder cancer patients. BCAN's Director of Education and Advocacy praised the collaborative partnership.
• Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLBBC partnered with AFC in 2025 as part of the digital enduring resource pilot program to support breast cancer survivors beyond treatment.
• SHAREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHARE partnered with AFC in 2025 for the digital enduring resource pilot, providing support for breast and ovarian cancer communities.
• After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABCD partnered with AFC in 2025 for the digital enduring resource pilot to provide emotional support resources for breast cancer survivors.
• Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE)coreOthersAFC is a fiscally sponsored project of Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs, a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. SEE serves as AFC's legal employer and handles donations (Tax ID: 95-4116679). All donations are tax-deductible through SEE.
• Philip Odiyo OumacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilip Odiyo Ouma is AFC's Kenyan Program Lead, a psycho-oncologist from Nairobi who has been instrumental in developing culturally relevant programs for Kenya. He partnered with AFC starting with the South Africa Odyssey and helped spark the vision for the Africa Elevate program.
• Faraja Cancer Support TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Nairobi-based cancer support organization where Philip Odiyo Ouma works. AFC collaborated with Faraja as part of expanding its impact in Kenya.
• AmatesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeru-based organization dedicated to supporting women with breast cancer. AFC participants volunteered with Amate during the Peru Odyssey program.
• Loxo@LillycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLoxo@Lilly, the oncology division of Eli Lilly, has partnered with AFC since 2019 for the Global Emerging Leaders/Africa Elevate Program. Employees have participated as Fellows in the cross-cultural fellowship.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Imerman Angels: Provides one-on-one peer mentor connections for cancer fighters, survivors, and caregivers. Directly comparable to AFC in its peer-to-peer psychosocial support model, though delivered via individual mentorship rather than facilitated group workshops.
• Young Survival Coalition: Nonprofit focused on young women diagnosed with breast cancer, providing peer support, education, and advocacy resources. Comparable to AFC's survivor-led, peer-facilitated program approach and emphasis on the emotional journey beyond treatment.
• Twist Out Cancer: Nonprofit leveraging creative community and peer storytelling to provide psychosocial support for those touched by cancer. Comparable to AFC in its peer-led model, emphasis on emotional healing through storytelling, and survivor-driven program design.
• Stupid Cancer: Nonprofit dedicated to young adult cancer (ages 15-39) through peer support, programs, and advocacy. Directly comparable to AFC in its peer-led model and focus on the emotional/identity dimensions of cancer beyond medical treatment.
• Elephants and Tea: Media and support nonprofit for the adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer community. Comparable to AFC in its peer-led storytelling-driven approach and focus on the emotional and identity dimensions of cancer survivorship.
• Livestrong Foundation: Well-known cancer survivorship nonprofit offering navigation, emotional support, and fertility resources for cancer survivors and their families. Comparable to AFC in its survivor-centered mission and multi-channel program delivery model.
• Cancer Support Community: Largest US-based nonprofit network providing psychosocial support to people affected by cancer, including online and in-person workshops, support groups, and educational resources. Directly comparable to AFC as a peer-led psychosocial cancer support organization with a multi-program portfolio.
• CancerCare: National nonprofit offering free counseling, support groups, financial assistance, and educational resources to people affected by cancer. Comparable to AFC in providing professional and peer emotional support services at no cost to cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.
• Lacuna Loft: Nonprofit providing psychosocial support, online programs, and resources specifically for young adult cancer survivors and caregivers. Directly comparable to AFC in its online-first delivery model, focus on emotional wellbeing, and peer-led community-building approach.

Regional players

• Faraja Cancer Support Trust: Nairobi-based cancer support organization where AFC's Kenyan Program Lead Philip Odiyo Ouma works. Provides cancer support services in East Africa and is a direct operational partner/peer to AFC in the Kenyan cancer psychosocial space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights3 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/afreshchapter
• YouTubevimeo.com/afreshchapter
• Facebookfacebook.com/afreshchapter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-fresh-chapter
• Instagraminstagram.com/afreshchapter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about A Fresh Chapter