North Fulton Business Radio

Maria Fundora, Purple Pansies: Fighting Pancreatic Cancer

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Maria Fundora, Purple Pansies: Fighting Pancreatic Cancer (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 898)

Maria Fundora, founder of Purple Pansies and owner of Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant, joined host John Ray on North Fulton Business Radio to share her mission to fight pancreatic cancer. After losing her mother to the disease, Maria turned personal loss into purpose, creating Purple Pansies in 2007. Since then, the nonprofit has raised nearly $7 million to fund cutting-edge research, support patients and families with grants, and award scholarships to students whose lives have been disrupted by pancreatic cancer.

In this conversation, Maria highlights the alarming rise of pancreatic cancer, why early detection is critical, and how Purple Pansies helped bring the first early detection clinic for pancreatic cancer in the Southeast to Piedmont Hospital, Atlanta. She also shares details on the sold-out Pillars of Hope Gala, other community events, and ways supporters can get involved year-round. With passion, persistence, and hope, Maria is proving that one grassroots effort can make a national impact in the fight against this devastating disease.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

• Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., projected to rise to second by 2030.
• Early detection is critical, with survival rates jumping to 88% when discovered at stage zero or one.
• Purple Pansies has raised nearly $7 million since its founding in 2007, funding research, patient grants, and scholarships.
• The first early detection clinic for pancreatic cancer in the Southeast has opened at Piedmont Atlanta, thanks in part to Purple Pansies’ efforts.
• The annual Pillars of Hope Gala raises significant funds, but community members can also contribute through auctions, donations, volunteer opportunities, and Casa Nuova’s roundup program.
• November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, with multiple smaller events and fundraising initiatives planned.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction and Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
01:56 Meet Maria Fundora: Restauranteur and Advocate
02:20 The Origin of Purple Pansies
03:51 Understanding Pancreatic Cancer
06:56 Early Detection and Research Initiatives
13:07 Purple Pansies’ Mission and Impact
16:25 Upcoming Gala and How to Get Involved
23:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Maria Fundora and Purple Pansies

Maria Fundora is the owner and operator of her family’s Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Maria founded Purple Pansies in 2007 after the passing of her mother, Iluminada Milian, to pancreatic cancer. The nonprofit began as a grassroots effort and has grown into a nationally recognized organization funding research, aiding families, and awarding scholarships to students impacted by the disease. The name Purple Pansies was inspired by the resilient flower that blooms even in the coldest weather, paired with purple, the color of pancreatic cancer awareness.

Key facts to know about pancreatic cancer include:

• Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., and by 2030 it is projected to become the second-leading cause.
• Early detection is critical. Survival rates jump to 88% when the disease is discovered at stage zero or stage one.
• Overall survival has risen from about 1% when Maria began her advocacy to roughly 14% today, showing progress but underscoring the work still needed.
• The disease is often called a “quiet killer” because symptoms typically do not appear until advanced stages.

Purple Pansies exists to honor Maria’s mother, spread her lesson of compassion, and carry on her legacy by helping others. Its mission is to raise awareness, promote early detection, and fund research that leads to clinical trials and new treatments.

The nonprofit has now raised almost $7 million. Its impact includes:

• Helping fund three of the four current standard-of-care drugs used to treat pancreatic cancer
• Awarding 27 scholarships this year to students whose families are affected by the disease
• Providing grants to families across the U.S. facing the financial burden of pancreatic cancer
• Partnering with Piedmont Atlanta and TGen to help establish the first early detection clinic for pancreatic cancer in the Southeast

Every dollar raised by Purple Pansies goes directly to its mission, powered by volunteers committed to bringing hope to patients, families, and future generations.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | LinkedIn

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

If you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 890 episodes and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their market, community, and profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.