June 26, 2024 • 8 mins
Simon Davies, Executive Director of Teen Cancer America and Hon DEd sits down with Paul Corvino! Since it was founded in 2012 by Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of the legendary British rock band The Who, Simon has led Teen Cancer America. It is the only national charity working directly with hospitals to advise, support and fund them in the development of specialized programs and facilities for adolescents and young adults with cancer. The charity is built on the successful model of Teenage Cancer Trust, UK where Simon was CEO for 13 years before moving to the US.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
This is CEOs you should know.And now from iHeartMedia, here's Paul Corvino.
Today I have the honor and privilegeof talking with Simon Davies, executive
director of Team Cancer America, whichis a dynamic organization transforming the US health
system by creating specialist facilities and programsfor teens and young adults with cancer.
(00:27):
I leave. The organization was foundedby Roger Daltery and Pete Townsend. Is
that correct? Yep, that's right. They were doing the job with a
UK charity that I was CEO ofand they really really wanted to do something
else. That's very cool. Imean, they were my heroes. I
had my eight tracks in the backof my car with the stair system that
I installed myself under the shag carpeting, which was very big in the nineteen
(00:50):
seventies. We'll learn a little moreabout Simon and teen cancer in a little
bit, but first I like todo before we start off our interview,
Simon, I like to do aquick, rapid fire questions, so no
time to think, just answer quick. We'll get our brains working, our
mouths moving, and it moves usto a good interview. You ready,
(01:10):
I'm ready? Here we go wintersummer, Summer Beatles are Stones Beatles,
favorite football club American or English Americaof English for you of course, ipswich
Town, Okay, Godfather or StarWars, Star Wars, Daniel Craig or
(01:32):
Sean Connery, Sean Connery celebrity.People say you remind them of Richard Gere.
Okay, now I got that.I see that. So let's hear
a little bit about your journey.You know, I was really interested in
working with people with learning disabilities anddid some work teaching, and then I
moved into into management and the opportunityto work with the Teenage Cancer Trust in
(01:56):
the UK came up, and thereit was that I met Roger Oltree,
who was this great ambassador for thecharity. Pretty exciting, very exciting.
I mean, there isn't anybody kindof that hasn't played for the charity.
Of course, when you've got someonelike Roger Daltrey who'll pick up the phone
to these stars who can't believe thatRoger Daltrey has picked up the phone.
(02:19):
Well, I know because I waslooking enough to be invited to a backyard
party. And at this party thatyou invited me to, I mean absolute
beautiful home, great food, andthen the first act was Melissa Etridge,
followed by John Oates, followed byPat Benattar, followed by Roger Daughtry.
(02:42):
All in Someone's backyard and that wasThat was a pretty cool event. It's
pretty cool and we've been running thosefor a few years now and again we've
had great artists join us. We'vehad Pink Food fighters, Ed Sheeran Van
Morrison, some great names have supportedus. So we're very very fortunate.
What why Team Cancer? So it'sinteresting because everybody has sort of assumed that
(03:07):
it's because, you know, there'ssome young person death in his family or
something like that, but that's notreally not the case. What he and
Pete decided they both were under thedoctor of their doctor was the chairman of
Teenage Counter Trust in the UK,and so he got them interested. But
really what did it for them wasthey felt that young people had really made
(03:35):
them and it was young people whothey owed talking about my generation and if
you know anything about the Whose songs, you know it's all about that teenage
angst and all that stuff. Soin Wasteland, Yah, it kind of
fits. And so they started offsupporting the charity in the UK and were
(03:57):
patrons of that and did a greatjob in helping to promote it and get
all these shows going. But theyreally wanted to come to the US because
actually The Who's success has been asmuch in America as it has absolutely in
the UK, and so they wantus to give back to America. They
knew that America didn't have what theUK had been developing around these services and
(04:20):
facilities, and so they said,let's see what we can do. And
I helped them set up the charityoriginally, and then it kind of got
complicated because they didn't really have anybodywho knew how to do this thing that
we do, and so that's howin the end I said, well shall
I come, and they said yesplease, and there I am. Tell
us about some of the events thatyou do to help raise money for the
(04:43):
organization. So the big one thatyou just described is a backyard event.
It's our biggest annual event, andthat is extraordinary because you get those stadium
level artists playing two one thousand people. That's a very high ticket price,
of course, and that's how itraises its money and we do it in
(05:05):
partnership with with UCLA as well.But that's really the extraordinary thing about it
when you think that you're just ina small garden and you're watching the Who
or the Foo Fighters or so amazingartists. So that is a fantastic fundraiser
for us. We just started anotherround, which is kind of a juxtaposition
(05:25):
in a way of a new typeof fundraising, which is ice skating in
Santa Monica, outdoor ice skating.They have a rink down there and so
every year as soon as that opens, we're now going to have an event.
Okay coming up, So that's comingup in November, and as soon
as the ice cream opens, we'llfix a date with them and have that
(05:46):
we have we have a golf datecoming up in September. Beginning of September,
just going to be either the firstor the second audience find out about
these events or even make a donation. So definitely look on our website keep
up to date with that. It'sww dot Team Cancer America dot org.
(06:09):
That's Team Cancer America dot org thathas a list of the events. But
you can also through that process subscribeto our newsletter, which is the best
way because then you get all theup to date information and you get all
the fun stuff about what we're doing. And you know, if I've just
done something, you'll read about him. So that is a is a great
way of doing it. And youcan make donations directly through the website.
(06:33):
Give us give us a website onemore time. It's www dot Team Cancer
America dot org. And that's TT E E N, not Team.
A lot of people make that mistake, so it's team as in teenager Team
Cancer America dot org. Well,thank you so much, Simon, it's
been terrific having you on again.I'm with Simon Davies, who is the
(06:56):
executive director of Team Cancer America,which is really a terrific organization. I've
had the privilege in the honor ofbeing at some of the events and just
what they're doing. It's a forgottengroup. There are a lot of groups
and organizations for children with cancer andthen for cancer patients in general, but
(07:18):
there hasn't been, at least inthe United States, a tremendous focus on
teens with cancer who're going through somany different things at the same time.
It's tough enough being a teenager asit is to be a teenager with cancer.
It's even more difficult, so Ireally applaud you for the work that
you do and I urge you togo to the website see how you can
(07:41):
help, or just go to oneof these great events and have a terrific
time. Thank you again, andone more time, what is the site
to go to. It's a teenCancer America dot org. Thank you so
much. I really appreciate it.And this is Paul Corvino for CEOs you
Should Know. Thank you for listening. Listen to CEOs you Should Know on
(08:01):
the iHeartRadio app
This is CEOs you should know.And now from iHeartMedia, here's Paul Corvino.
Today I have the honor and privilegeof talking with Simon Davies, executive
director of Team Cancer America, whichis a dynamic organization transforming the US health
system by creating specialist facilities and programsfor teens and young adults with cancer.
(00:27):
I leave. The organization was foundedby Roger Daltery and Pete Townsend. Is
that correct? Yep, that's right. They were doing the job with a
UK charity that I was CEO ofand they really really wanted to do something
else. That's very cool. Imean, they were my heroes. I
had my eight tracks in the backof my car with the stair system that
I installed myself under the shag carpeting, which was very big in the nineteen
(00:50):
seventies. We'll learn a little moreabout Simon and teen cancer in a little
bit, but first I like todo before we start off our interview,
Simon, I like to do aquick, rapid fire questions, so no
time to think, just answer quick. We'll get our brains working, our
mouths moving, and it moves usto a good interview. You ready,
(01:10):
I'm ready? Here we go wintersummer, Summer Beatles are Stones Beatles,
favorite football club American or English Americaof English for you of course, ipswich
Town, Okay, Godfather or StarWars, Star Wars, Daniel Craig or
(01:32):
Sean Connery, Sean Connery celebrity.People say you remind them of Richard Gere.
Okay, now I got that.I see that. So let's hear
a little bit about your journey.You know, I was really interested in
working with people with learning disabilities anddid some work teaching, and then I
moved into into management and the opportunityto work with the Teenage Cancer Trust in
(01:56):
the UK came up, and thereit was that I met Roger Oltree,
who was this great ambassador for thecharity. Pretty exciting, very exciting.
I mean, there isn't anybody kindof that hasn't played for the charity.
Of course, when you've got someonelike Roger Daltrey who'll pick up the phone
to these stars who can't believe thatRoger Daltrey has picked up the phone.
(02:19):
Well, I know because I waslooking enough to be invited to a backyard
party. And at this party thatyou invited me to, I mean absolute
beautiful home, great food, andthen the first act was Melissa Etridge,
followed by John Oates, followed byPat Benattar, followed by Roger Daughtry.
(02:42):
All in Someone's backyard and that wasThat was a pretty cool event. It's
pretty cool and we've been running thosefor a few years now and again we've
had great artists join us. We'vehad Pink Food fighters, Ed Sheeran Van
Morrison, some great names have supportedus. So we're very very fortunate.
What why Team Cancer? So it'sinteresting because everybody has sort of assumed that
(03:07):
it's because, you know, there'ssome young person death in his family or
something like that, but that's notreally not the case. What he and
Pete decided they both were under thedoctor of their doctor was the chairman of
Teenage Counter Trust in the UK,and so he got them interested. But
really what did it for them wasthey felt that young people had really made
(03:35):
them and it was young people whothey owed talking about my generation and if
you know anything about the Whose songs, you know it's all about that teenage
angst and all that stuff. Soin Wasteland, Yah, it kind of
fits. And so they started offsupporting the charity in the UK and were
(03:57):
patrons of that and did a greatjob in helping to promote it and get
all these shows going. But theyreally wanted to come to the US because
actually The Who's success has been asmuch in America as it has absolutely in
the UK, and so they wantus to give back to America. They
knew that America didn't have what theUK had been developing around these services and
(04:20):
facilities, and so they said,let's see what we can do. And
I helped them set up the charityoriginally, and then it kind of got
complicated because they didn't really have anybodywho knew how to do this thing that
we do, and so that's howin the end I said, well shall
I come, and they said yesplease, and there I am. Tell
us about some of the events thatyou do to help raise money for the
(04:43):
organization. So the big one thatyou just described is a backyard event.
It's our biggest annual event, andthat is extraordinary because you get those stadium
level artists playing two one thousand people. That's a very high ticket price,
of course, and that's how itraises its money and we do it in
(05:05):
partnership with with UCLA as well.But that's really the extraordinary thing about it
when you think that you're just ina small garden and you're watching the Who
or the Foo Fighters or so amazingartists. So that is a fantastic fundraiser
for us. We just started anotherround, which is kind of a juxtaposition
(05:25):
in a way of a new typeof fundraising, which is ice skating in
Santa Monica, outdoor ice skating.They have a rink down there and so
every year as soon as that opens, we're now going to have an event.
Okay coming up, So that's comingup in November, and as soon
as the ice cream opens, we'llfix a date with them and have that
(05:46):
we have we have a golf datecoming up in September. Beginning of September,
just going to be either the firstor the second audience find out about
these events or even make a donation. So definitely look on our website keep
up to date with that. It'sww dot Team Cancer America dot org.
(06:09):
That's Team Cancer America dot org thathas a list of the events. But
you can also through that process subscribeto our newsletter, which is the best
way because then you get all theup to date information and you get all
the fun stuff about what we're doing. And you know, if I've just
done something, you'll read about him. So that is a is a great
way of doing it. And youcan make donations directly through the website.
(06:33):
Give us give us a website onemore time. It's www dot Team Cancer
America dot org. And that's TT E E N, not Team.
A lot of people make that mistake, so it's team as in teenager Team
Cancer America dot org. Well,thank you so much, Simon, it's
been terrific having you on again.I'm with Simon Davies, who is the
(06:56):
executive director of Team Cancer America,which is really a terrific organization. I've
had the privilege in the honor ofbeing at some of the events and just
what they're doing. It's a forgottengroup. There are a lot of groups
and organizations for children with cancer andthen for cancer patients in general, but
(07:18):
there hasn't been, at least inthe United States, a tremendous focus on
teens with cancer who're going through somany different things at the same time.
It's tough enough being a teenager asit is to be a teenager with cancer.
It's even more difficult, so Ireally applaud you for the work that
you do and I urge you togo to the website see how you can
(07:41):
help, or just go to oneof these great events and have a terrific
time. Thank you again, andone more time, what is the site
to go to. It's a teenCancer America dot org. Thank you so
much. I really appreciate it.And this is Paul Corvino for CEOs you
Should Know. Thank you for listening. Listen to CEOs you Should Know on
(08:01):
the iHeartRadio app
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