Hydrocephalus isn’t as widely-known as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, although about one million Americans live with a diagnosis. And because of this, sharing the stories of those who live every day with the condition makes what was once invisible, visible.Amanda Garzon is the COO of the Hydrocephalus Association. The work of sharing people’s stories, connecting the community, and advancing research is close to her heart. Amanda received the diagnosis for her daughter after spending their first 90 days together in the hospital. For Amanda, her strategies about expanding reach and engagement center around empowering and serving her community. But she also believes that there are things to learn from the for-profit world. She said, “We have to think like a for-profit because we are selling this incredibly valuable service, for free! So even though we aren’t measuring our profit margins, we are selling ourselves. And it is priceless what we are selling.” Bio:As the Chief Operations Officer, Amanda is responsible for developing and implementing operations strategies that allow the Hydrocephalus Association (HA) to meet its strategic goals and vision. She works in partnership with the CEO and management team to find innovative ways to grow revenue that support the diverse research and patient-focused programs of the association. She oversees the development and oversight of education and advocacy initiatives, patient-centered support services as well as the management and implementation of an aggressive communications and marketing strategy. Amanda’s passion for the mission of the association stem from a personal connection to the condition as the mother of an adult daughter with hydrocephalus. In her spare time Amanda enjoys being a mom of two wonderful daughters, yoga, evenings with good friends and food, and leading her high school daughter’s Girl Scout troop.Guest links:Amanda’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-garzon-646b408/ Hydrocephalus Association: https://www.hydroassoc.org/ Additional links:SickKids: https://www.sickkids.ca/ Michael J. Fox Foundation: https://www.michaeljfox.org/ Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: https://www.cff.org/ Parkinson’s Foundation: https://www.parkinson.org/ Advocate like a Mother: https://www.advocatelikeamother.org/ Playlist:Live Like We’re Dying by Kris Allen1979 by The Smashing PumpkinsPeace by O.A.R***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, The Good Podcast Co, and to Feathr’s very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.