On Tuesday, private equity tycoon Jonathan Gray and his wife Mindy announced $25 million in funding for research on pernicious genetic mutations that can lead to breast and ovarian cancer. [6] Gray withdrew his name from consideration[21] and Steven Mnuchin was eventually nominated and confirmed. She taught me how to blow bubbles, how to disco dance, how to properly tickle feet, and how to knot my hair in a bun. 2023 Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, Inc. A Personal Connection Becomes a Professional Mission. With his wife, Mindy, Gray established the Basser Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, which focuses on the prevention and treatment of certain genetically caused breast and ovarian cancers. She is the Chair of the NYC Kids RISE Board and a member of the Basser Leadership Council at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Jonathan D. Gray is married to Mindy Basser Gray. . Read On, The ovarian cancer community needs you your support, your voice, your passion and commitment. [5] He was elected Phi Beta Kappa. The Basser enter was named in honor of Faith asser, Mindy's sister who died of BRCA-related ovarian cancer at the age of 44. Read On, OCRA is the worlds largest non-government funder of ovarian cancer research and has invested more than $110 million into desperately-needed breakthroughs. She taught me to talk to animals, especially our crazy cats, she taught me to enjoy Kraft macaroni and cheese at midnight (even when I wasnt the slightest bit hungry), and she taught me that no walks too long if you have a friend by your side. The very first event where I volunteered was OCRFs high-end garage sale Super Saturday. Mindy Gray: We are ALL IN on this mission and wont stop until progress is made! Some women with faulty BRCA genes have taken a very proactive approach. We know the pain of losing a loved one and dont want any other family to suffer the way we have. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy, and was a member of the Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel. View Mindy Basser Gray's record in Puyallup, WA including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Formerly, Jon served as Blackstone's Global Head of Real Estate. Mindy Gray is the Co-Founder of the Gray Foundation. Mindy Gray: My sister Faith had a BRCA 1 gene mutation. In partnership with the Basser Center for BRCA and leading cancer institutions across the country, the Basser Initiative @ Gray Foundation is advancing research and awareness efforts. Blackstone raises $335 million for first real estate fund. The Gray Foundation is also focused on funding initiatives to advance the care of individuals living with BRCA mutations. [17] On 22 October 2022, The Wall Street Journal released an article by its editorial board in its printed edition, titled "Wall Street and Hong Kong's Strongman," mentioning Gray's name, and saying that "These executives may feel they have assets to protect in the city, but by kowtowing to Mr. Lee they are doing their reputations, and that of their companies, no good. View Mindy Basser Gray's record in Shawnee, KS including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Methodology: The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world's richest We are singularly focused on putting ourselves out of businessin funding the research that ultimately develops a tool for early detection and in an ideal world, develops a vaccine and/or cure that will prevent anyone from suffering at the hands of this insidious disease ever again. She was the best kind of mix of big sister, mother and friend. Identified in the mid-1990s, mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can lead to drastically higher rates of breast and ovarian cancer in women, as well as elevated risk of prostate and pancreatic cancer. At the time of its . So, I became a Board Member in 2004, and an Executive Committee Member in 2007. [37] This donation brings their total giving to the University of Pennsylvania to over $125 million. Her mother is a legal assistant at Schubert, Bellwoar, Mallon & Walheim, a law firm in Philadelphia. Gray has been a major Democratic donor, backing Hillary Clinton in 2016[21] and several Democratic presidential candidates in the 2020 election[22][23][24][25], The Gray Foundation was launched in 2014, focusing on inherited BRCA mutations and increasing access to education and healthcare for low-income youth in New York City. The Basser Center was established in 2012 with support from Penn alumni Mindy and Jon Gray in honor of Mindy's sister Faith Basser, who died of BRCA-related ovarian cancer at age 44. While the average woman has a 12% and 1.3% chance, respectively, of developing breast and ovarian cancer, harmful BRCA mutations increase the chance to as high as 72% and 44%, according to the National Cancer Institute. [35] In July 2019, it was announced that the Grays would donate a further $25million for research on pernicious genetic mutations that can lead to breast and ovarian cancer. [27], In February 2023, the Grays were named to The Chronicle of Philanthropys list of the 50 biggest donors in 2022. Graduates magna cum laude from University of Pennsylvania. In our case, it was not that it was overlooked by doctors; it was simply a question of not knowing our family history. Were going out and asking them to think outside the box. The granteessome of whom are analyzing precancerous tissue while others are working on early detection methodswill meet again this winter to discuss and collaborate on their findings. [1] He is also chairman of Hilton Worldwide.[2]. OCRF: Tell us about the path that led you and Jon to together create the Basser Research Center with a $25 million gift to the University of Pennsylvania. Gray and Mindy Basser have two children. Read On. The event honored the memory of Marla. Gray is president and chief operating officer of Blackstone Group, a New York-based alternative asset manager. I felt the more I was involved, the more I could help this mission. OCRF: What is the ultimate goal of the Basser Center? [43] He lives in Manhattan with his wife and their four daughters. View Mindy Basser Gray's record in Willows, CA including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. OCRF: Why did you join OCRFs Board of Directors? Mindy Gray is the Co-Founder of the Gray Foundation, a private foundation committed to maximizing access to education, healthcare and opportunity for low-income children in New York. OCRF: If you could send one message to ovarian cancer survivors, their caregivers and loved ones, what would it be? The couple both graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She is the Chair of the Basser Leadership Council and serves on the boards of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and NYC Kids RISE. Mindy Gray is the Co-Founder of theGray Foundation, a private foundation committed to maximizing access to education, healthcare and opportunity for low-income children in New York. Mindy received her BachelorsofArts in English with a minor in History from the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduatedmagna cum laudein 1992. Mindy Gray: We are ALL IN on this mission and wont stop until progress is made! We wanted to create a center that would be focused on this mutation, which would provide research, and support, and care, and thats why we founded the Basser Center.. . Assumes role of president and chief operating officer of Blackstone. in English from the School of Arts & Sciences and a B.S. View Mindy Basser Gray results in Maine (ME) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. She holds an MPH from the Harvard T.H. Pat holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in biophysics from the University of Quebec, Canada and obtained his Ph.D. in molecular biology from Boston University. Among the unthinkable tragedies of losing her was that she left behind her four-year-old son, Logan, who would no longer have his mom. OCRAs support and education programs are available to help you navigate your diagnosis, treatment, and life after cancer. The question is what is lurking in the normal tissue that begins to look like cancer, and how our immune system reacts to these abnormal cells before they develop cancer, says Dang. We are singularly focused on putting ourselves out of businessin funding the research that ultimately develops a tool for early detection and in an ideal world, develops a vaccine and/or cure that will prevent anyone from suffering at the hands of this insidious disease ever again. Mindy Gray is a member of the executive committee of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Inc., the largest private philanthropy in the United States dedicated exclusively to funding ovarian cancer research. She is the Chair of the Basser Leadership Council and serves on the boards of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and NYC Kids RISE. Jon received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Gray currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Hilton Worldwide. Charissa has dedicated the last 25 years to expanding educational opportunity for NYC youth. But she turned loss into legacy and hurt into hope this year when she and her husband Jon founded the Basser Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania in honor of her sister who succumbed to ovarian cancer at the age of 44. Bloomberg reporting. Jonathan D. Gray (born February 4, 1970) is an American billionaire businessman and the president and chief operating officer of Blackstone Group, a New York-based asset management firm. Penn graduates Jon Gray, C'92, W'92, and Mindy Basser Gray, C'92, are stepping in to help. The couple has supported the University throughout their 25 years since graduation. 2023 Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, Inc. All rights reserved. I felt the more I was involved, the more I could help this mission. The Basser Center is the global leader in funding research, education and care for individuals and their families living withBRCA1/2 mutations. OCRF: As a longtime OCRF Board member, what are your feelings about the organization? [31] This donation also established the Basser Global Prize,[32] honoring cutting-edge cancer research. 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OCRF: What is your hope for the future in terms of research, and the hope it can bring to those affected by ovarian cancer? To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. She taught me how to blow bubbles, how to disco dance, how to properly tickle feet, and how to knot my hair in a bun. Gray recently donated $10million to purchase a building in northern Manhattan which will serve as the organization's second elementary school. No surprise that she was also an incredible, and incredibly doting, mom. Thinking bigger, we want to develop a preventive vaccine for those not yet affected and a cure for women who are! In 1992, Gray joined Blackstone's mergers and acquisitions and private equity group,[5] and joined its newly formed real estate private equity group the following year. Blackstone Inc.s Jon Gray and his wife,Mindy, are funding an institute at their alma mater focused on early detection and prevention of breast, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancers. The Basser Center was named in honor of Faith Basser, Mindy's sister, who passed away at age 44 from BRCA-related ovarian cancer. [5] In 1992, Gray graduated from the University of Pennsylvania magna cum laude with a B.A. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world. articles a month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers! [3][4] His father Allen Gray owned a small auto parts manufacturer on the West Side of Chicago (coincidentally named Blackstone Manufacturing); his mother Susan, remarried to his stepfather James Florsheim, ran a catering business. [7], Gray led Blackstone's LBO of Hilton Hotels, which became the most profitable private equity real estate deal ever, earning $14 billion for the firm's investors. Mindy Basser, a daughter of Pearl and Philip B. Basser of Philadelphia, is to be married this evening to Jonathan David Gray, a son of Susan Florsheim of Highland Park, Ill., and Allen Gray of Barrington, Ill. Jonathan D. Gray is born to Chicago entrepreneurs. From our very first visit to the Abramson Cancer Center within which The Basser Research Center is housed, we were impressed with its beaker to bedside capabilities. The hope is eventually BRCA-related cancers can be screened and treated at its earliest stages, rendering risk reduction surgeries obsolete. Valuations are Our cross-institutional collaboration is transforming treatment and prevention methods for individuals and families affected by BRCA mutations. Thanks to Faith, I was certainly among the only seven-year-olds seeing the movie Annie Hall the day it was released. In 2018, he gave $23 million, ranking #49 on Forbes' America's Top 50 Givers. OCRF: Tell us about the path that led you and Jon to together create the Basser Research Center with a $25 million gift to the University of Pennsylvania. We know a lot when patients present cancer, we know what they have, what are the genetic changes that lead to the cancer. Faith was artistic, creative, musical, and mathematical. people. Mindy Gray: My dear friend Jill Seigerman worked for Liz Tilberis, late Editor-in-Chief of Harpers Bazaar and President of OCRF, so I had known about OCRF for years. Raises world's largest opportunistic real estate fund. Community, Prev: At Jills suggestion, I reached out to OCRF to ask how I could get involved. In creating the Basser Research Center in my sisters name, my husband Jon and I are fervently hoping that we can one day prevent other families from experiencing the unthinkable loss of a loved one. Her father owns an advertising agency in Philadelphia that bears his name. OCRF: What is your hope for the future in terms of research, and the hope it can bring to those affected by ovarian cancer? At the very least, we want to develop a tool that can discover disease well before it presents itself. Edme Firth Fund for Research in Ovarian Cancer. From our very first visit to the Abramson Cancer Center within which The Basser Research Center is housed, we were impressed with its beaker to bedside capabilities. Jon and Mindy Gray founded the Gray Foundation in 2014, with two distinct missions: BRCA-Related Cancers, accelerating research, improving treatment and raising awareness for individuals who have inherited BRCA mutations.