Jason Menzo
President & Chief Operating Officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness
Management Executive, RD Fund
Groundbreaking Fundraising Methods
After spending many years in pharma launching several notable ophthalmic brands, Jason Menzo wanted to do even more to help people. So, in 2018 he joined the Foundation Fighting Blindness.
“The reason I got into pharma was to advance innovation to help people with different diseases,” Jason explains. “The Foundation Fighting Blindness takes the best of that idea and gives me a blank slate to focus on that in earnest in a new and challenging way.”
In January 2022, Jason was promoted to President & Chief Operating Officer of the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides private funding for retinal degenerative disease research. While the organization has a strong 50-year history, Jason helped with a rebranding that included a redesign of the company’s logo and website—making both more accessible to those with blindness or who have no light perception. Those using a screen reader can now more easily navigate the site and hear the logo described, no matter where it appears.
As a result, the foundation saw a 15% year-over-year increase in engagement after years of steady decline. Fundraising was also among the highest it has ever been with tens of millions of new dollars coming in, with 73 cents on the dollar dedicated to programs advancing the research.
Jason also helped the foundation develop new, groundbreaking ways to fundraise. For example, the organization is playing an active role in a piece of legislation called BioBonds, which is similar to Green Bonds in the environmental space and would allow long-term investors like pension funds to participate in a package of innovative research.
He also helped to establish the RD Fund (Retinal Degeneration Fund), the venture arm of Foundation Fighting Blindness. This allows the organization to invest in companies that are in or near to clinical stage with promising treatments being developed. Not only does the RD fund make direct investments, but they also play a key role in attracting other venture capital firms to invest, bringing additional capital into the field. In many cases, members of the organization sit on the boards of these companies and play a positive role in helping new treatments progress towards patients.
