Becca Solodon

Becca Solodon, Leading for Community Impact, Senior Director of Operations, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation

When Becca Solodon was sixteen, she was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer in her foot. Within months, she underwent chemotherapy and a below-knee amputation that would alter the course of her life. “It was the worst period of my life,” she recalled, “but somehow it became the turning point that shaped everything I’ve done since.”

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Becca grew up boogie-boarding at the beach and pirouetting through ballet classes. What began as pain in her foot led to months of uncertainty before doctors finally discovered a marble-sized tumor. The diagnosis—synovial sarcoma—meant chemotherapy and ultimately surgery. Through it all, she was surrounded by the love of family and friends.

It was at Cottage Hospital that Becca met Nikki Katz, who was then in the early stages of creating the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to helping families navigate childhood cancer. Nikki was visiting pediatric patients to understand their needs—research that would inform the foundation’s mission.

That first meeting with Nikki would shape far more than Becca’s career path—it also led to one of the most memorable experiences of her life. Nikki connected her with a Los Angeles recording studio, where Becca recorded a song that became both a creative outlet and a reminder of her strength. By coincidence, one of the producers—also from Santa Barbara—was working on Mariah Carey’s Christmas concert at the Arlington Theatre and arranged for Becca to open the show. Just six weeks after her surgery, she took the stage on crutches. “To wake up from surgery and have something that exciting to look forward to was really magical,” she said. “It took the worst possible moment and gave me something to live for.”

Becca began sharing her story at Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation events and volunteering with community outreach. By 2007, she joined the organization as a program assistant and one of its first full-time employees. Twenty years later, she’s now Senior Director of Operations, guiding programs that support hundreds of families across the Central Coast. “Because I’ve personally been through it, I understand what families need,” she said. “It’s an honor to give back to the community that carried me.”

Her recent participation in Leading From Within’s Leading for Community Impact (LCI) program deepened not only her professional skills but her sense of balance. “It came at a pivotal time,” she explained. “I had been working in programs for 18 years, and the shift to operations required a broader view. LCI helped me grow into that role. I was also caring for my mother through her own cancer journey, so I needed to learn balance. Leading From Within gave me tools to lead with authenticity and reminded me to fill my own cup so I could keep showing up for others.”

Becca’s leadership style is grounded in mindfulness, empathy, and resilience. “I learned that leadership isn’t about pushing harder,” she said. “It’s about grounding yourself in your values and learning how to deeply connect in an authentic way.” She adds, “Leading for Community Impact taught me the value of being vulnerable and showing up fully as yourself at work.”

 “I would strongly encourage anyone who’s on the fence about these programs to go for it,” she said. “The experience is restorative and expands your circle of peers who understand what you’re going through. You come away with leadership skills, resources, and wonderful new friends in the nonprofit community you can lean on for support and collaboration.”