Robin Toft CEO, Curebound
Robin Toft is the CEO of Curebound, a San Diego–based community-funded cancer research accelerator dedicated to turning breakthrough science into better prevention, detection, and treatment options for patients. A twenty-year colon cancer survivor herself, Robin brings both personal conviction and deep professional expertise to her role—having previously served as Senior Vice President at Roche Molecular Diagnostics and as founder and CEO of Toft Group Executive Search (now ZRG Partners), where she specialized in oncology executive placement. She also spent two years on the Curebound board before stepping into the CEO role.
In this Q&A, Robin speaks candidly about her cancer diagnosis and how it shaped her career pivot into the nonprofit sector, the collaborative research model that sets Curebound apart, the growing role of philanthropic capital in filling federal funding gaps, and what it takes to build both a high-performing team and a research accelerator with staying power. She also shares her outlook for Curebound's next chapter—and what gives her optimism in a field where urgency is everything.
June 1, 2026
Your Story
Q1. What was the defining moment that led you to take the helm of Curebound?
Twenty years ago, a colon cancer diagnosis changed my life and ultimately shaped my commitment to this work. I was in my early forties—well below the screening age at the time. I was fortunate the disease had not reached my lymph nodes, and after six months of aggressive chemotherapy I was able to return to a full life.
Being a patient—and then learning how to thrive as a survivor—gave me a lasting perspective on what patients need most: speed, coordination, and follow-through from discovery to real-world impact. That experience drew me to Curebound and to San Diego's uniquely collaborative cancer research community. I took on this role because I believe the way we organize and fund science can accelerate the breakthroughs that patients are waiting for—and cancer cannot wait.
Q2. In the simplest terms, what does Curebound do and why does it matter?
Curebound is a community-funded cancer research accelerator focused on turning breakthrough science into better prevention, detection, and treatment—and ultimately cures. We do that by funding bold, collaborative research teams and giving scientists the resources and urgency they need to move promising ideas forward faster.
As traditional research funding grows more competitive, Curebound and our community of donors help close critical gaps so high-potential work doesn't stall. Every gift fuels collaboration, sparks innovation, and helps accelerate discoveries that can translate into meaningful impact for patients and families.
The Science & The Strategy
Q3. What sets Curebound apart from other cancer research organizations?
Curebound has built a distinctive model based on collaboration—and we require it. We bring leading cancer researchers together across institutions because working collectively speeds discovery and helps turn promising ideas into breakthroughs. In that way, Curebound serves as both the connector and the accelerator.
We assemble and fund top scientific teams to tackle cancer's toughest challenges, and we typically back bold, high-impact projects that might be overlooked because of perceived risk. A rigorous review process—guided by our biotech-experienced Scientific Advisory Board—ensures we fund studies with the strongest potential to deliver meaningful advances for patients.
Q4. What has been Curebound's most important milestone to date, and what's next?
To date, Curebound has awarded more than $51.5 million in research grants, funding 170 innovative studies across 23 types of adult and pediatric cancers. We have mobilized substantial philanthropic support to fuel high-potential science and keep projects moving toward patient impact.
Our annual fundraiser, Concert for Cures, has become one of the nation's premier benefit concerts supporting cancer research. Since launching in 2022, the event has grown into a powerful intersection of entertainment, science, and community—raising millions of dollars each year. Past performers have included Alicia Keys, Ed Sheeran, and Elton John, and this year global icon P!NK headlined at Petco Park.
Looking ahead, we are launching a formal research roadmap with five strategic focus areas, and working with our board to develop a small number of differentiated investment initiatives for major donors. The next chapter is about moving from proving our model to maximizing our impact.
Q5. What is the biggest challenge you're navigating right now?
Curebound's first five years established our right to exist. The next five years will determine how much impact we can deliver—and that requires operating at a higher level of precision and ambition.
We are aligning our grantmaking more tightly with our donor strategy, which allows us to move from supporting excellent science to actively enabling transformative impact. I am working closely with our board to finalize what I am calling "accelerated investment lanes"—a focused set of high-conviction priorities that give major donors clear, compelling reasons to go deeper with us. More details will be announced in the near future.
Leadership & Ecosystem
Q6. How would you describe the culture you're building at Curebound?
Working at Curebound is energizing because the mission is present in everyday choices—how we set priorities, collaborate, and care for one another. We operate with a deliberately non-hierarchical mindset: the best ideas can come from anywhere, and people are expected to speak up, partner across functions, and take ownership rather than wait for permission.
That clarity of purpose drives real engagement—every team member can draw a direct line between their work and patient impact. Our board operates the same way: bringing thoughtful challenge, opening doors, and holding us accountable to a high bar. The result is a culture of trust, transparency, and shared responsibility, where momentum comes from commitment, not titles.
Q7. What role does San Diego's life sciences ecosystem play in Curebound's success?
San Diego's ecosystem is the secret to our success—it's what makes a community-driven model built on scientific excellence actually possible. San Diego is a national leader in cancer research and is known for a deeply collaborative scientific culture that you don't find everywhere.
Curebound currently partners with eight leading research institutions—including three National Cancer Institute–designated centers—as well as the biotech industry and the region's 3,000-plus life sciences companies. That density of talent, infrastructure, and collaborative spirit means we can move faster and further than we could anywhere else.
Looking Ahead
Q8. Where do you see Curebound in three years, and what has to go right to get there?
In three years, I expect Curebound to be operating at meaningfully greater scale—investing more each year in high-impact, collaborative cancer research and recognized as one of the country's most effective philanthropic accelerators. To get there, a few things have to go right.
We need to sustain and grow diversified philanthropy—major gifts, partnerships, events, and campaigns—so we can deliver on our commitments and increase annual grantmaking. We need to stay disciplined against our research roadmap, funding the most promising team-science opportunities and measuring progress in ways donors and researchers can rally around. And we need to continue building the right team and operating cadence to execute with excellence—strong scientific diligence, clear storytelling, and world-class donor stewardship.
Q9. If you could change one thing about the life sciences landscape today, what would it be?
I would change the chronic underinvestment and unpredictability in federal funding for cancer research, which slows progress by forcing labs to spend enormous time chasing grants and by leaving promising, higher-risk ideas without the early support they need. When budgets are flat or constrained, the impact is felt most acutely at the discovery and translational stages—exactly where speed matters most for patients.
Curebound has responded by stepping in as a philanthropic accelerator: we mobilize community funding to back collaborative, cross-institution teams, seed high-potential projects, and help de-risk science so it can attract larger follow-on investment. What gives me optimism is that our region's researchers, donors, and partners are deeply aligned around urgency and impact—and when the right people and resources come together, breakthroughs can move faster than the traditional system allows.
About The Big4Bio CEO Weekly Q&A
Every Monday, Big4Bio spotlights a life sciences CEO from one of our eight coverage regions — Boston, San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Philadelphia, New York City, the Capital Region, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Each feature is promoted across all eight Big4Bio daily newsletters, reaching 30,000+ life sciences professionals. CEO participation is complimentary and editorial — every CEO approves the final Q&A before publication.
Are you a life sciences CEO or do you represent one? Contact Big4Bio editor Marie Daghlian at marie@big4bio.com to be considered for an upcoming feature.