Gray is president and chief operating officer of Blackstone Group, a New York-based alternative asset manager. OCRF: What is the ultimate goal of the Basser Center? 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. Jon and Mindy Gray Throw Bash to Focus on Genes' Role in Cancer Faith was artistic, creative, musical, and mathematical. I am also a Philadelphia native and my parents still live there. The couple both graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Women with BRCA 2 mutations have a 50-70% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer and a 10-20% lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer. Two years after my sister Faith died, I was emotionally ready and anxious to volunteer in any way I could to help in the ovarian cancer community. October 24, 2019 Committed to Inclusion Some of the world's best and brightest students aim their sights at an undergraduate education at Penn, but many lack the resources to embark on this journey. The Basser Center was named in honor of Faith Basser, Mindys sister who died ofBRCA-relatedovarian cancer at the age of 44. In 2012, Mindy and her husband, Jon Gray, established the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center in honor of Faith. 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. Jon Gray and Mindy Gray - Gray Foundation We know the pain of losing a loved one and dont want any other family to suffer the way we have. Pat Morin is the Scientific Advisor for the Gray Foundation. Gray Foundation Jon Gray and Mindy Gray Blackstone's Gray Gives UPenn $55 Million for Cancer Prevention Mindy Gray: I have always been impressed with the professionalism and passion that drives both the board and the staff at OCRF. Both the Chair and the Center are named in honor of Mindy sister, Faith Basser, who died of BRCA-related ovarian cancer at age 44, leaving behind her four-year-old son. Chi Van Dang is the Chief Science Advisor for the Gray Foundation. At the time of its . 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. Mindy Gray is a member of the Penn Medicine Board, Chair of the Basser Center Leadership Council, and a founding board member of New York City Kids RISE, a nonprofit organization focused on expanding economic opportunity by providing a scholarship and savings platform for families, schools, and communities. Read On, The ovarian cancer community needs you your support, your voice, your passion and commitment. Since joining Blackstone in 1992, Jon has helped build the largest real estate platform in the world. Mindy Gray: We are ALL IN on this mission and wont stop until progress is made! The Basser Center was named in honor of Faith Basser, Mindys sister, who passed away at age 44 from BRCA-related ovarian cancer. Gray raised the world's largest private real estate fund with $13.3 billion in 2012. The Gray Foundation is also focused on funding initiatives to advance the care of individuals living with BRCA mutations. [31], In 2016, Gray was named to Vanity Fair's "New Establishment" list. 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Family members died young and medical records never made it over, so there was simply no history of disease that could be tracked. [9], Gray was named in Fortune's "40 under 40,"[10] in 2009. Stone. Her mother is a legal assistant at Schubert, Bellwoar, Mallon & Walheim, a law firm in Philadelphia. The Basser Jean Bash fundraiser in New York City on November 15, 2022, raised $17 million to support BRCA-related cancer research. or the first in their families to attend collegethe latter being a group that is particularly close to heart for Mindy Gray, . [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. I'm a deputy wealth editor covering billionaires and their businesses. The event honored the memory of Marla. There are so many ways to lend a hand, to improve the lives of thousands of patients and their families, and get us one step closer to a cure. We know the pain of losing a loved one and dont want any other family to suffer the way we have. 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. In 2012, Mindy and Jon Gray made a transformative gift to establish the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicines Abramson Cancer Center and to date have given over $55 million towards itsmission. Gray was born in Highland Park, Illinois to a Jewish family. He also serves on the board of Harlem Village Academies and Trinity School. The donation was made to establish and fund the Cancer . Blackstone raises $335 million for first real estate fund. We endure this loss each and every day. from the Wharton School. 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. No one was better at scooping up a bargain, sniffing out a sale, or stocking up on seriously reduced products than she. Blackstone President Jonathan Gray Donates $25 Million To - Forbes In our case, it was not that it was overlooked by doctors; it was simply a question of not knowing our family history. The Gray Foundation is also focused on funding initiatives to advance the care of individuals living with BRCA mutations. At Jills suggestion, I reached out to OCRF to ask how I could get involved. 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. [5] He was elected Phi Beta Kappa. Raises world's largest opportunistic real estate fund. The Grays donated $25million to create the Basser Research Center, which focuses on cancer prevention, treatment, and research of BRCA-related, genetically-inherited cancers. The occasion was a fundraiser for the Basser Center for BRCA, which they founded . [42], In 1995, Gray married Mindy Basser at Temple Beth Zion Israel in Philadelphia; the ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Ira F. [2] Early life [ edit] Gray was born in Highland Park, Illinois to a Jewish family. Youre passing this on, and thats why you get these families with the grandmother, the mother, the childrenmultigenerations of cancer. Some of the world's best and brightest students aim their sights at an undergraduate education at Penn, but many lack the resources to embark on this journey. All rights reserved. With the Basser Research Center, we want to ensure that families affected by BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 gene mutations can get the support and genetic counseling that they need and understand their lifetime risk of developing 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. 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992, receiving a degree in economics from the Wharton School as well as an English degree at Penn. View Mindy Basser Gray's record in Shawnee, KS including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. We endure this loss each and every day. 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 are here to support you and your family, offering layers of support and many ways to connect. It reminds me of investing, where youre a high-conviction investor, says Jon Gray, who made his name as Blackstones real estate baron and was promoted to cofounder Steve Schwarzmans No. What came out of the meeting was there are still a lot of work to be done in the pre-cancer stage. The bridegroom, 25, is an associate in the real estate department of the Blackstone Group, an investment banking concern in New York. Meet Mindy Gray: Wife, Mother, Sister, Philanthropist, and OCRF Board Member. Mindy Gray: My sister Faith had a BRCA 1 gene mutation. Community, Prev: OCRF: Why did you join OCRFs Board of Directors? [11], In 2013, Gray helped create a business venture through Blackstone called Invitation Homes to buy foreclosed single-family houses and turn them into rentals. Get email updates about research news, action alerts and ways to join the fight. Those who know me know I took this one to heart. Basser Initiative | Gray Foundation I felt the more I was involved, the more I could help this mission. 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. He conducted his postdoctoral training at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center in the laboratory of Dr. Bert Vogelstein, where he studied the molecular genetics of colorectal cancer. 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 . Gray and Mindy Basser have two children. In 1998, Pat joined the NIH to head a research laboratory focused on ovarian cancer. The couple, both 52, also launched the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program. The billionaire has collected more than $1 billion in dividends and compensation since 2011, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. See the article in its original context from. Jonathan Gray was born in 1970 to Chicago entrepreneurs. She is the Vice-Chairperson and Treasurer of the NYC Kids RISE Board and a member of the Basser Leadership Council at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Mindy Gray, Chair 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? OCRF: Tell us about your sister, Faith, your relationship, and her lasting impact on your life that sparked you to create such a tremendous legacy in her name. OCRAs support and education programs are available to help you navigate your diagnosis, treatment, and life after cancer. #VBGIVESBACK: Mindy Gray and Shari Potter | Veronica Beard