Meet
Jamie
Jamie Valvano was in the arena on April 4, 1983, when her father, legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano, cut down the nets after winning the NCAA National Championship. North Carolina State's defeat of the heavily favored Houston Cougars is still considered one of the top 100 most significant moments in sports history. A mere 10 years after this unforgettable moment, Jim would find himself battling terminal cancer. During his final speech, Jim announced the creation of The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
As a daughter, she is extremely proud of her Dad's impact on the cancer community; however, 13 years after his passing, his final message would become even more personal. In 2005, at the age of 33, during a self-exam, she discovered a lump in her breast. Her Dad's oncologist at the Duke Cancer Center, Dr. Joe Moore, was once again there to support her family.
Jamie is a grateful survivor and candidly shares the truths gained from both victories and struggles. She continues to support the efforts of The V Foundation, works with the Washington Speaker's Bureau, and serves on the Duke Cancer Institute's Advisory Board. Her greatest joys have come from raising her two sons, Jake and Grant.
Affiliations
Advisory Board
What Clients Say
"I was inspired by the stories you shared about your Dad, and I related to your struggle with breast cancer. Cancer has forever changed my life in a positive way. I am confident you have helped many women struggling with breast cancer. You have a great gift, thank you for your inspiration and powerful message."
Anne Morgan, Senior Partner, Workforce Architects
"Jamie’s story of strength is one you could hear daily and never tire of. Our team here calls her our MOST IMPACTFUL SPEAKER."
Yasser Youssef, President, The Budd Group
"Jamie’s inspiring personal reflection revealed the strength we can find within ourselves."
Melody Scott, MS, MBA, Amgen, Inc.
"We recently had Jamie as the keynote at our annual Women in Leadership Conference for female educators. She inspired us and took our breath away. Her story is honest, raw, funny and motivating. By bravely sharing her journey, Jamie challenged us to begin ours by naming and tackling one vision at a time."
Linda Nelson, Executive Director, North Carolina Association of Independent Schools
"Your words are amazing, and forever changed my life in the best way. You brought me to tears... and I think that is a good thing. I would definitely want you on my team."
Sherry Vivona, Enterprise Account Executive, SingleStore
"Jamie is an incredibly captivating speaker. Even during a virtual event, she was able to emotionally capture the audience with her own story of perseverance and it resonated with everyone, regardless of their position in life. We were all inspired to never give up on being extraordinary!"
Erica Genthner, Corporate Counsel, Marketing, Cisco Systems, Inc.
"On behalf of FHI Clinical, I was thrilled to invite a dear friend and amazing inspirational speaker, advocate, and cancer survivor to join us during our first global symposium. Thank you, Jamie, for sharing your stories and reminding us to focus on our vision for living an extraordinary life. I am honored and humbled to be inspired by Jamie in this journey."
Claudia Christian, CCO, FHI Clinical
"Jamie, Wow! Your speech was by far the most captivating, taking us through all the emotions but more importantly leaving us inspired to go off and create our own life vision. I received so many positive comments from our global team about how they were touched by your message and did not want it to end. We very much appreciate you turning that day into a huge success for us – we cannot wait for you to come back. You are truly an inspiration!"
Kim Alford, VP of Global Deal Management, Syneos Health