Jonny Imerman is a young adult cancer survivor who co-founded Imerman Angels, a non-profit organization that connects a cancer fighter (or caregiver) with someone who has fought and survived the same cancer.

At 26 years old in 2001, Jonny was diagnosed with testicular cancer.  After doctors surgically removed one of his testicles, he did five months of chemotherapy and became cancer-free.  But almost a year later, four tumors popped up again near his spine.  After another surgery, an 11-inch incision, and three months of recovery, Jonny was back in remission.

During his cancer fight, he realized what needed to change in the cancer world.  Despite loving support from family and friends, he was unable to find a cancer survivor like him.  Jonny wondered: “What if every cancer fighter could talk to a cancer survivor, who not only had beaten the same type of cancer, but who also was around the same age and gender as the fighter?”  The cancer survivor would be an angel ⎯ walking, living proof that the fighter could win too.  That amazing connection would provide inspiration, knowledge, and hope.  This is why he created Imerman Angels.

Imerman Angels carefully matches and pairs up a person touched by cancer (a cancer fighter or survivor) with someone who has fought and survived the same type of cancer (a Mentor Angel).  Cancer caregivers (spouses, parents, children and other family and friends of fighters) also receive 1-on-1 connections with other caregivers and survivors. These 1-on-1 relationships inspire hope and offer the chance to ask personal questions and receive support from someone who is uniquely familiar with the experience. The service is absolutely free and helps anyone touched by any type of cancer, at any cancer stage level, at any age, living anywhere in the world.  Today, Imerman Angels has more than 6,000 cancer survivors and more than 1,500 caregivers in its network.  

Imerman Angels was chosen as “Top 3 Most Innovative Creator Idea in Midwest of 2017” by WeWork (2017 Creator Award), “Top 25 Most Innovative Programs of 2015” by National Journal / Atlantic Media, Haute Living’s #1 Charity in Chicago in 2010; Chicago Scene’s #1 Charity in Chicago in 2010; Chicago Scene’s #1 Charity in Chicago in 2008; and Chicago Social’s #1 Charity in Chicago in 2007.  Imerman Angels has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, Harpo Radio’s “Oprah and Friends” with Dr. Oz, CNN, TEDx, The Huffington Post, Men’s Health, National Public Radio (NPR), Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s “Doctor Radio” - Channel 81, NBC Chicago News, CBS Chicago News, ABC Chicago News, WGN Chicago News, FOX Chicago News, FOX Detroit News, ESPN Radio Chicago, WJR Radio Detroit, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain’s Chicago Business, Detroit Free Press, HOUR Detroit, LIVESTRONG Quarterly, CancerToday, CURE Magazine, Oncology Nursing News, Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, and Nonprofit Chicago Magazine.

Jonny received a 2015 Michigan Avenue Magazine 'Chicago's Leading Men' Award; 2015 ‘The 100’ Award from Mass General Cancer Center; 2012 CNN Hero Award; 2012 Salute of Gratitude from The City Council of Chicago; 2012 Lincoln Park Young Professionals ‘Chicago Best of The Best’ Award; 2011 Twilight Foundation Detroit’s Civic Leadership Award; 2012 Susan G. Komen ‘Pink Tie Guy’ Award; 2011 Chicago Social Magazine’s ‘Who is Chicago’ Award; 2010 Jefferson Award for Public Service; 2010 University of Michigan Humanitarian Service Award; 2009 Ulman Cancer Fund For Young Adults ‘Hope Award’; and 2007 Daily Candy ‘Sweetest Thing’ Award.

Jonny has been invited to speak at cancer centers such as MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Mayo Clinic, Dana-Farber, City of Hope, Northwestern, Rush, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; and companies such as Google, LinkedIn “Speaker Series”, Salesforce/Dreamforce,  Walgreens, UBS, Discover, Hyatt, Steelcase, Peapod, kCura, 1871, TechWeek, and Free The Children’s “We Day” (18k youth).

Jonny was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1975.  When just a baby, his parents divorced, and he moved to Bloomfield Hills, a suburb of Detroit.  He attended Cranbrook Kingswood School from kindergarten through high school.  After graduation, he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Jonny earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan.  After college, he returned to the Detroit area.  He worked during the day while earning an MBA from Wayne State University at night when he was diagnosed.

Imerman Angels has been a federally registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization since 2006.

John’s other day job is serving as the Managing Partner for Core Industrial Partners. John founded CORE Industrial Partners in 2017. CORE is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on acquiring North American lower middle-market industrial and manufacturing businesses. Previously, John has over 20 years of investment and operating experience, having spent the past 16 years principally with The Blackstone Group and H.I.G. Capital. He served as a President & CEO of six private equity backed companies with revenues up to $450 million. He also has worked in the public sector as a divisional CEO for a publicly-traded business.

John’s extensive investment experience includes acquiring various family-owned, entrepreneurial, corporate carve-out, distressed, special-situation, and private equity owned businesses. He continues to sit on the Board of Directors of several private equity portfolio companies, past and present. He currently serves on the board of Advanced Lighting Technologies (a Blackstone portfolio company) and Ehrhardt Tool & Machine.

John graduated with Honors from East Carolina University with a business degree. He also is an active member of YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization).

Jeff co-founded Imerman Cake Company, a wholesale supplier and online retailer of USDA-certified organic coffeecakes. A lawyer and former TV journalist, Jeff became passionate about the organic food movement after his younger brother Jonny’s battle with cancer, when he began learning more about the importance of eating foods without synthetic pesticides and chemicals, antibiotics and growth hormones, and genetically modified ingredients.  The cake company was in operation from 2013 to 2016.

Prior to Imerman Cake Company, Jeff was a federal law clerk for the Honorable Bernard A. Friedman in the Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit) and a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in New York City. He was also a reporter/weekend-anchor at the NBC-TV affiliate in Joplin, Missouri and a reporter at the ABC-TV affiliate in Lexington, Kentucky.

Jeff currently serves on the Executive Board of Directors for Imerman Angels (Chicago) and the Cranbrook Kingswood Alumni Association (Bloomfield Hills, MI).  He formerly served on the Board of Directors for The Community House (Birmingham, MI) and as Chairman of the Michigan Chapter of Imerman Angels.

Jeff grew up in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, and graduated cum laude from Cranbrook Kingswood High School. He received a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University and earned a Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law, where he was on the Duke Law Journal.