Rachael Lonergan quits Foundation to focus on cancer support app
The head of strategy at media agency Foundation, Rachael Lonergan, has left her role to focus full time on her cancer patient and carer support app, CanDo.
Lonergan is currently on the hunt for investors and partners for the app, which was first released back in October 2017.
News. As of tomorrow I’m a full-time start-up founder having left my agency job. The next three months are crucial to the growth of @CanDoApp and I need to dedicate myself to it. Maybe after that I’ll freelance a bit or maybe…not. It’s now up to the universe (and hard work).
— Rachael Lonergan (@RachaelHasIdeas) 3 June 2018
The move marks the first time Lonergan has stepped away from adland for almost 25 years, after holding various roles across media and advertising agencies.
She told Mumbrella: “I can’t imagine I will never have my foot in the door in some capacity, but in some ways CanDo is the best strategic work of my life. I’ve decided to take that leap of faith and see if I can make it work.”
CanDo is designed to make it easier for patients and their carers to ask their networks for help and support when living with a serious illness.
Lonergan said she plans to extend the app to cater for illnesses other than cancer: “CanDo wants to become synonymous with being helpful to people in all sorts of situations and all sorts of chronic illnesses.
“Often in a not-for-profit space they’re so busy and having to watch every dollar and being very focussed on the ‘good’, that it can sometimes be difficult for them to express creativity in the brand.
“But that’s my background. It’s very much about being really creative with it and building this thing that’s brand-led.”
The app was originally developed in collaboration with the Garvan Research Foundation after Lonergan’s own experience with breast cancer.
“The problem is that people say ‘Can I help?’ and we automatically say ‘Oh, I’m fine’. CanDo is the response to that conversation.”
You are an inspiring leader and client Rachel. Can’t wait to the CanDo attitude full time.
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Fantastic stuff. An amazing app idea and a perfect person to drive it towards success.
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