We are committed to our mission,
Carson’s mission.
“I am not strong or courageous by myself. I just happen to be a kid that got cancer. And the way I look at it, I can either go around mad and sad, or go around living with the strength and courage that comes from God and from the people He puts around me.”
The Reason
Why we fight.
The Carson Leslie Foundation was born out of Carson’s feisty spirit, quick humor, and extraordinary courage. Even in the hardest moments of his fight with cancer, Carson chose hope, faith, and strength.
At the end of his valiant fight for life, Carson whispered, “I thought I was going to make it…don’t let them bury me and make sure they study those tumors in my brain and help the next kid with cancer.”
Those words became our mission. We fight because kids cannot fight cancer alone. When you join us, you are:
- Encourage kids in the cancer battle
- Remembering the dear kids who beat us home
- Stand ready for the kids who don’t yet know
Mission
Invest in medulloblastoma research leading to a cure, enrich the lives of kids in a cancer battle, and give them a voice on the federal level.
Vision
To see a world where medulloblastoma is a curable disease and where every young patient battling cancer is supported with dignity, mental health resources, and a community that carries them through the struggle.
Carson’s Story
Carson had a certain moxie about him, a bold, charming confidence, an indomitable spirit, a disarming smile that would warm a room, and most of the time during his three-year Carson vs. cancer battle, he had a smooth-bald head that undeniably shouted cancer. He loved sports, babies, and Mexican food; he loved his brother more than anyone else in the world. He walked with courage, grace, and dignity every step of his battle, and on January 12, 2010, he took his last breath and stepped into Paradise.
In the early fall of 2006, Carson was a typical 14-year-old, consumed by high school, friends, and sports. When he mentioned he wasn’t feeling 100%, no one panicked as he was a teenager in the heat of a Texas football practice.
But then the symptoms shifted. A sore neck. Turing down a trip to the State Fair of Texas. The “throw-ups” that wouldn’t stop. After three weeks of inconclusive doctor visits and ineffective antibiotics, the world changes on October 30, 2006, on the way to school.
They never made it to school that day but went straight to the ER. Two hours later, in a quiet room down a hallway, the families’ vocabulary was forced to include words no parent should ever have to hear: brain tumor, neurosurgeon, chemotherapy, radiation.
Carson and his family “scraped themselves up” and press on for three long years, carried by faith, friends, and a community of “friends-of-friends.”
Life became a cycle of medulloblastoma treatments and routine scans. But there was never anything routine about them. Those scans were the moments between life and death, the agonizing wait to see if the tumors were shrinking, growing, or by some miracle, gone.
One June 4, 2009, a scan revealed the news they feared most; three new tumors had invaded Carson’s brain. The doctor told them there were no treatments left, only in the hope of a clinical trial.
Carson spent his final months giving a voice to the children and teenagers who fight in silence. He wanted the world to understand how to be a better friend to sick children/teens, and he wanted his struggle to give others a new perspective on the weight of their words and actions. His book, Carry Me, was published just six days before he took his last breath on January 12, 2010.
As Carson grew physically weaker, his soul grew bolder. In the end, he whispered a final request that would become the cornerstone of the Carson Leslie Foundation:
“Momma, make sure they study those tumors in my brain. Because if those tumors can help some kid not die from cancer like I am, I’d like that. It’s hard to have cancer.”
Carry Me by Carson Leslie
During his battle with brain and spine cancer, Carson wrote a book with the support of his English teacher to help give voice to young people facing cancer. His story offers readers a powerful perspective on how words, actions, and compassion can make a difference in the lives of children living with life-threatening illness. Today, his book is preserved in the Library of Congress.
The Carson Leslie Center
The Carson Leslie Center at The Covenant School is a first-class athletic facility where students gather to play, compete, and build community. Named in honor of Carson, a dedicated athlete whose perseverance and courage inspired all who knew him, the Center celebrates his love of sports and embodies his spirit of determination. From lessons and games to dances and team events, it’s a place where Carson’s legacy lives on every day.
Carson’s Corner
Carson’s Corner is a dedicated teen space on the oncology floor at Children’s Health Dallas, created in his honor to provide comfort, connection, and fun for teens facing cancer. Stocked with art supplies, gaming systems, and more, the room serves over 800 patients each year and reflects Carson’s wish to help the next kid diagnosed with cancer. It’s a place where teens can be themselves, play, and find a sense of normalcy during treatment.
Meet Our Team
Successfully secured/leveraged/directed millions of dollars into childhood cancer/brain cancer research.
Annette has served on the $6B Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Advisory Council for Childhood Cancers (ACCC) since 2010. She worked closely with CPRIT’s 1st Chief Scientific Officer, Nobel Laureate, Dr. Alfred Gilman to secure “Carson Leslie Research Grants for Pediatric Brain Cancers”, a $3.2M CPRIT/CLF collaboration. Recognized as leading influencer for CPRIT to make childhood cancer research an institutional priority increasing their investments from barely 3 percent to a whopping 12 percent invested into childhood cancer research; proportionately three times more than the national rate.
As a leading TX childhood cancer Foundation, Leslie fully embraces the differentiated value working with the CPRIT, the 2nd largest funder of cancer research outside the Federal government. With CLF #cureMEdullo focus on childhood brain cancer research, in partnership with CPRIT, we launched Reserchers RoundUp and gathered Texas’ brightest childhood brain cancer investigators facilitating innovative discussions about the problem of childhood brain cancer, the deadliest disease of our nation’s children. New collaborations were initiated and a TX Childhood Brain Cancer Coalition is being formalized.
After reading Cason’s book Carry Me in 2010, Congressman Michael McCaul, Founder of the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus (CCCC), invited Annette to speak at the inaugural CCC in his Washington, DC in he and Mrs. Linda’s McCaul’s private home. Since that gathering, under the relentless leadership of Congressman Michael McCaul, members of the Senate and the unyielding childhood cancer community, together we have built an Unstoppable, Bipartisan, Global, Childhood, Cancer, Movement. Together we have passed 4 laws benefiting the overall state of childhood cancer.
Annette Leslie founded and is Chairman of the Golden Toast (GT) in Washington, DC. The Golden Toast is an annual celebration of the accomplishments of the CCCC, the Senate, and the unyielding childhood cancer community for successfully building a SOAPBOX in the most powerful Nation in the world and placing upon that SOAPBOX, the smallest and most innocent cancer patients among us.
CLF built CARSON’S CORNER (CC), a comprehensive teen cancer patient program at Children’s Health-Dallas. The program attracted a valued partnership with the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation which has allowed CC to expand to all the major institutions in Texas who care for teen cancer patients.
An accomplished marketing/creative strategist and community advocate, Alex joined the Carson Leslie Foundation as Executive Director in January 2026, with a proven track record of building world-class brands and driving multimillion-dollar fundraising initiatives. Formerly an Executive Creative Director & VP of Marketing/Accounts, and creative/marketing leader for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and Highland Park United Methodist Church, Alex blends high-level marketing expertise with a heart for service honed through years on the CLF Development Board and over 15 years with the Junior League of Dallas and the agencies they serve. She is dedicated to amplifying Carson’s legacy by leveraging storytelling and strategic partnerships to fuel the fight against medulloblastoma and pediatric cancer.
Jonnika, a Dallas native, currently leads operations, focusing on building strong systems that support organizational effectiveness and long-term growth. In her career, she served in nonprofit leadership roles dedicated to expanding access and opportunity for underserved communities.
She brings a people-centered approach to leadership, aligning operational excellence with a deep commitment to mission and impact.
Angela Lau is the founder of UltraPrecise Accounting, an outsourced finance partner supporting nonprofit organizations with accounting, financial reporting, and operational oversight. With over 25 years of experience in accounting and financial leadership, Angela works closely with nonprofit teams to ensure financial clarity, strong internal controls, and compliance with funding and reporting requirements.
UltraPrecise partners with organizations like the Carson Leslie Foundation to provide day-to-day accounting support, accurate and timely financial reporting, and ongoing financial guidance to support informed decision-making and long-term sustainability.
Mr. Capone is a dynamic, accomplished, results-driven, global biotech/pharmaceutical leader with a twenty-year track record of accelerating breakthrough science, drug development and commercialization across the immunology, oncology and infectious disease therapeutic areas. In his senior executive roles in organizations ranging from seed-funded start-ups to leading, global biotech and pharma companies, Mr. Capone consistently established and led high performing teams to drive innovative product development, deliver entity-wide strategic and operational effectiveness, and achieve transformative corporate and business development results.
Mr. Coffey is a managing director of Covera Ventures and has more than 20 years of investment experience with companies at all stages of development. Steve leads the Firm’s investments in Alert Logic, CoreTrace, Hubspan, Innography, and Zumobi. Steve was a director or actively involved in such companies as Airspan (NASDAQ: AIRN), iTKO (acquired by CA), Metreos (acquired by Cisco), SiGe (acquired by Skyworks), SNAPin (acquired by Nuance), and Softricity (acquired by Microsoft). Mr. Coffey was previously president and managing director of Hunt Ventures and established the Austin office in 1999. Prior to Hunt Ventures, he was vice president of Hunt Financial Corporation, where he evaluated and managed investments in public equities, private equity and venture capital partnerships, and direct investments in both early stage technology companies and buyouts. Earlier in his career, he worked as an associate at Davis Venture Partners, a private venture capital firm where he worked with both early and later-stage portfolio companies. He previously worked at EDS Corporation and Arthur Andersen, LLP. Steve has a BS from Oklahoma State University and an MBA with honors from The University of Texas.
The Beck Group, Project Executive AT&T North TXr
Directs $80M Construction Portfolio, GBC Deacon Board Chairman, Covenant School Board, University of Nebraska Bachelor of Science Construction, College School of Engineering
Directs $80M Construction Portfolio, GBC Deacon Board Chairman, Covenant School Board, University of Nebraska Bachelor of Science Construction, College School of Engineering
Mr. Martin is responsible for leading Philips Ventures, Philips’ corporate venture capital, accelerator and external innovation efforts. He leads a global team of investment and innovation professionals who run a dedicated digital health investment fund and support business-sponsored collaboration investments across themes of radiology & precision medicine, patient telemetry, and ambulatory care.
Prior to Philips, he spent six years with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where he was a Principal in the firm’s Healthcare, Industrial Goods and Strategy practices. Mr. Martin earned his MBA with high distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and his BA in Economics from Colby College. He lives in the greater Boston area with his wife and two children.
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ripleymartin
Prior to Philips, he spent six years with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where he was a Principal in the firm’s Healthcare, Industrial Goods and Strategy practices. Mr. Martin earned his MBA with high distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and his BA in Economics from Colby College. He lives in the greater Boston area with his wife and two children.
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ripleymartin
PwC Partner, LLP Principal, Health Care Advisory Partner
Mr. McDougall is Principal Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Sciences Practice, where he provides services to academic medical centers, bioscience companies, pharmaceutical companies, research universities, colleges, health systems, and other research organizations. His practice provides a broad range of research business and compliance services, including strategic and business planning, financial analysis, research compliance, clinical research operations improvement, and information systems implementation services. In addition, his practice provides support services to the entire research continuum, from grant- funded basic science research, to translational research and clinical trials, including a dedicated group focusing on Clinical Research Consulting services and Global oncology.
Mr. Smiley is the founder and CEO of Loopback Analytics. Smiley started Loopback Analytics in 2009, after serving for 12 years as the founder and CEO of Phytel, a provider-led population health improvement company acquired by IBM Watson. Mr. Smiley started his professional career in management consulting with Accenture and later as a partner with EY, working with Fortune 1000 clients in the manufacturing, high tech, oil and gas, and transportation industries. Smiley serves as President of the Charles H. Hood Foundation, supporting child health research with leading institutions across New England and the Board of the Dartmouth Hood Museum of Art. In 2013, Smiley was one of four finalists nominated for the Tech Titans Award for Emerging Technology Innovation in Dallas, and selected as one of the top 25 most influential persons in health care by the Dallas Business Journal. He serves as an active investor and mentor with Health Wildcatters, a health technology accelerator based in Dallas, working with emerging health care startups. Mr. Smiley holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Dartmouth College.
An accomplished marketing/creative strategist and community advocate, Alex joined the Carson Leslie Foundation as Executive Director in January 2026, with a proven track record of building world-class brands and driving multimillion-dollar fundraising initiatives. Formerly an Executive Creative Director & VP of Marketing/Accounts, and creative/marketing leader for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and Highland Park United Methodist Church, Alex blends high-level marketing expertise with a heart for service honed through years on the CLF Development Board and over 15 years with the Junior League of Dallas and the agencies they serve. She is dedicated to amplifying Carson’s legacy by leveraging storytelling and strategic partnerships to fuel the fight against medulloblastoma and pediatric cancer.
Research Partners
