Stephanie Kauffman

Stephanie Kauffman is Chief Executive Officer of the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the world's largest private nonprofit funder of melanoma research. She leads MRA's efforts to accelerate scientific discovery and translate research into meaningful advances for patients, bringing together philanthropy, academia, industry, government, and the patient community to advance prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivorship.

Kauffman is a recognized leader in nonprofit innovation, strategic philanthropy, and cross-sector collaboration. Throughout her career, she has built partnerships that mobilize capital, expertise, and influence around complex challenges in cancer research, global health, and social impact. She is particularly interested in the role philanthropy can play as catalytic capital for science supporting bold ideas, connecting sectors, and helping promising research move more quickly toward patients.

Prior to becoming CEO, Kauffman served as MRA's President and Chief Operating Officer, helping drive organizational growth, expand strategic partnerships, and strengthen MRA's role across the melanoma research ecosystem.

Before joining MRA, Kauffman served as Head of Strategic Partnerships at Americares, where she helped mobilize private-sector support for disaster response, global health programs, pandemic relief, and medicine security initiatives around the world.

Previously, she served as Chief Partnerships Officer and Chief Communications & Digital Officer at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). During her tenure, she led global partnership, communications, marketing, and digital strategies and helped generate more than $100 million in corporate support for breast cancer research.

Earlier in her career, Kauffman spent over 15 years in the entertainment industry, including as Senior Vice President of Global Alliances at Universal Pictures, where she developed global partnerships across film, home entertainment, and theme parks and supported some of the studio's most successful franchises, including Fast & Furious, Jurassic Park, and Despicable Me.

Kauffman has served on boards and advisory groups spanning global health, cancer research, media, and public health, including the International Women's Media Foundation, Public Access to Safe Sunscreen Coalition, National Council for Skin Cancer Prevention, Breast Cancer Research Foundation Advisory Board, and as an advisor to the Pacific Cancer Foundation. She is a Milken Institute FasterCures Changemaker and a mentor in its LeadersLink program, which connects and develops leaders working to accelerate medical research and improve patient outcomes.

Across her work, Kauffman is focused on bringing together science, philanthropy, business, government, and patients to accelerate progress against cancer and help promising discoveries reach patients faster.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management from Florida Southern College.