Ellie and Lisa are not only sisters but businesswomen, mothers, partners, travellers, philanthropists, and survivors. After losing their mum over a decade ago to cancer, both the girl’s lives have been cruelly impacted by their own health battles – with positive diagnoses of the BRCA1 gene mutation, cancer and gruelling treatments, multiple invasive and preventative surgeries with ongoing complications.
They are the driving force behind the Two Sisters Foundation that is inspired to educate and fundraise to accelerate research on the BRCA1 gene mutation which can significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Tell us about Two Sisters Foundation.
Breast and ovarian cancers rob us of far too many of our strong and healthy women every year. We are determined to change this narrative and to stop these devastating diseases from taking our mothers, daughters and sisters. Our vision is a future free of Breast and Ovarian Cancers.
Driven by personal experience, our mission is to help deliver real medical solutions to ensure quality and longevity of life for those impacted directly or indirectly by breast and ovarian cancers. By helping to accelerate scientific processes, raise awareness, and provide access to information and testing, we are one step closer to ensuring survival. We are two sisters on a mission to change the cancer ‘story’ permanently.
When it comes to health, we know that knowledge is power. So we are focused on supporting some of the world’s brightest minds to help them achieve faster and better results – and to harness that power. We are committed to knowledge-based action; raising vital funds for essential, innovative cancer research. We will continue to help how we can – raising awareness and championing access to testing and education which really can save lives
A strong business infrastructure ensures our funding is used in an effective and transparent way, but we want do things differently. Collaborate boldly. Break the traditional fundraising model. Our mission is serious, but we plan to have fun in the process. Our goal to raise $5m over 5 years is well underway with close to $2m already provided to our chosen research partners. As we grow, we will remain nimble, flexible and creative in keeping this momentum.
What inspired you to start Two Sisters Foundation?
We started the Two Sisters Foundation to make a real difference to Women’s health following Ellie’s breast cancer diagnosis and both of our BRCA1 diagnosis. We are on a mission to eradicate breast and ovarian cancers for the next generation of little women, so they don’t have to go through what the both of us have had to. We are both incredibly passionate about women’s health.
Tell us about your career and background.
Ellie is a creative. A businesswoman. A mother. A survivor.
After studying Film Production at Colombia Academy in Vancouver, Ellie gained experience working on film sets in Canada and Australia for both commercial and entertainment industry clients. After moving back to Australia, Ellie pursued her love of fashion with a successful career as a stylist for both film and print media; and subsequently as a designer – with her clothing line stocked in boutiques across Australia and Asia for over a decade. Moving into travel goods, Ellie then launched a popular line of travel bags and accessories before motherhood provided the perfect step-change in direction.
Ellie now channels her creativity into her role as a Director of the family office – managing a diverse portfolio of investments worldwide, with a strategic focus on ESG principles and socially responsible outcomes.
In 2017, Ellie received a devastating breast cancer diagnosis, resulting in a gruelling regime of treatment and multiple invasive surgeries. Today Ellie is cancer free and inspired to help others just like her. She set up the Two Sisters Foundation with her sister Lisa; determined to change the narrative for women the world over, raising awareness and vital funds for breast and ovarian cancer research.
Devoted mum to Jasper and Clover, Ellie has a passion for healthy living and is constantly traveling with the family as both her kids pursue their dreams of becoming elite skiers.
Lisa is a health coach. An adventurer. A businesswoman. A mother. A survivor.
A keen skier and outdoor explorer, Lisa’s background is centred around an active enjoyment of life that led to working on a ski patrol and as a tail guide for a heli-skiing operation in the Canadian mountains for 5 years. During this period, she completed a course in Adventure Tourism; later setting up a snow mobiling business and working for various outdoor adventure tourism companies.
With a lifelong passion for health and well-being, Lisa returned to Australia and enjoyed a career in health sciences, rehabilitation and nutrition for more than 15 years. After ongoing studies in Remedial Therapies, Nutrition and Life Coaching, Lisa has worked in hyperbaric chamber clinics and pilates studios offering soft tissue and remedial therapies, and travelled with a variety of elite athletes, providing treatment during their touring competitions. Lisa focused on Health Coaching, working with one-on-one clients and running health workshops for corporates.
Today Lisa is a Director of the family office, responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of public and private sector investments and helping to shape a strategy centred around socially responsible outcomes and ESG principles.
As a devoted mum to Max and Noah, Lisa’s commitment to good health and vitality are anchored at home and shared with all those around her.
Describe a typical work day for you.
Lisa and Ellie are on the phone to each other all day long for both work and pleasure. They are both constantly traveling with family and so zoom has become their greatest work tool. They both run a family investments office together but their passion project is the foundation, which they are constantly working growing. Ellie lives in QLD but when she is in Melbourne, they will visit WEHI to check in with the research team who they have become incredibly close with and whose work they are funding.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a business?
If you do something you are truly passionate about it will succeed. The hard work is all worth it when you are working toward something. Another reason we are so happy doing what we do it because we have each other to share the load and constantly and keep each other motivated to push to the next level.
What’s next for you, and Two Sisters Foundation?
We are only just beginning on our journey… We will keep running annual Winter Balls, we will continue searching for collaborations with like minded companies. We have an exciting product in the pipelines which will help to raise funds, and we are looking to fund a new breast cancer research center which will encourage the worlds brightest minds to collaborate, in order to work toward more effective treatments and eventually eradicate breast cancer all together.
