Chords2Cure
Team
Meet the fabulous people who make our organization possible!
Junior Team
Lilah Zwelling
Lilah is a junior at Crossroads School and has been involved with Chords2Cure since 6th grade. Currently as co-President of the Crossroads School Club, she organizes concerts and club meetings to grow attendance and raise awareness. Lilah has been a member of the Chords2Cure Junior Board for the past three years, and has helped organize events and raise funds. Recently, she served as the Music Coordinator for the “Rock the Block” fundraiser concert and has been a featured singer in fundraisers and concerts since 2021. Lilah has been honored with the prestigious Presidential Award for Volunteer service with Chords2Cure.
Chords2 Cure is particularly meaningful for Lilah; when she was in kindergarten, she had a tumor removed from her skull and feels a responsibility to give back by creating joy and awareness through music, raising funds for research and helping other children and families.
In addition to helping others through Chords2Cure and other volunteer work, Lilah loves singing, theater, dancing, surfing and traveling.
Mickey Friedberg
My name is Mickey I’m a senior at Pali High and this is my third year as a junior team member, though I’ve been involved with Chords2Cure since I was young. I’m on the varsity baseball team at my school, and I enjoy surfing and playing music as well. Jaxon was my 5th grade buddy when I was in Kindergarten, and I have been very close with him and his family my whole life, along with many other families involved with Chords2Cure. I have worked behind stage as well as performed in the fundraising concerts and am excited to continue to work with the organization this year!
Hollen Vann
I am thrilled to serve as President of the first C2C Club at Harvard-Westlake High School. After witnessing the impact of cancer on several family members and friends, I am passionate about raising awareness for pediatric cancer research. By combining my leadership, photography, and social media skills, I am excited to establish this C2C branch at my school and honored to be a member of the junior board.
Jacob Lizst
Jacob Liszt is a senior at Crossroads School and is thrilled to be serving on the juniorteam at Chords2Cure working as a videographer and managing the social media account. With a passion for acting, filmmaking, and photography, Jacob has long been immersed in the arts and is eager to further develop his skills through his work with Chords2Cure. He looks forward to contributing to the fight against pediatric cancer and growing both as an artist and filmmaker.
Chase Klein
Chase is a senior at Brentwood School and this is her third year on the Chords2Cure Junior Team. She is thrilled to be the President of the C2C club at Brentwood, and to be involved with this incredible organization. Chase has been singing, playing piano and guitar, and performing jazz music for 15 years. She started in musical theater and began writing music at the age of 11. Chase has friends and family members who have battled cancer, so Chords2Cure’s mission resonates deeply with her. She is incredibly grateful to be able to share music and her love of performance while simultaneously supporting C2C and Dr. Federman’s research. She cannot wait for another fantastic year ahead with Chords2Cure, supporting this important cause.
Selma Erikson
Selma is a junior at Brentwood School and is excited to start her first year working with Chords2Cure on the junior team. She has been a part of the C2C club for two years now at Brentwood and is Co-President alongside Chase Klein. Selma has been singing, playing piano and creating music since she was born, kickstarting her journey in the music industry. She has released two singles and continues to work in the studio every week. She is deeply invested in this cause due to her strong passion for music and her experience with family members battling cancer. Selma is thrilled to share her love for music and performing while supporting an incredible organization.
Reese Kim
Reese is a junior at Crossroads school and feels honored to be a part of C2C’s incredible work for two years now. As a childhood cancer survivor, she was thrilled to get involved when hearing about C2C’s mission. Learning about other inspiring stories, and making music with peers to benefit them is a dream come true. Reese is an avid participant in theater and has seen firsthand the magic of live performances for everyone involved.
She now co-runs the Chords2Cure Club at Crossroads and can’t wait to get others involved in such an important cause!
Sage Denham
Sage is a senior at Palisades Charter High School and relishes in being involved with Chords2Cure- both as a Junior Board member and the President of her school's club. Being a part of Chords2Cure has allowed her to meaningfully fortify her leadership skills and explore her affinity for performance, while collaborating with peers for an incredible mission. Beyond Chords2Cure, Sage is incredibly involved with performance at school and using art to support her community. She is so excited for the year and impact ahead!
Hayley Ross-Settineri
Hayley is a junior at Harvard Westlake and this is her second year on the junior board of C2C. She is co president of the C2CHW club as well as music coordinator of the HW House band sponsored by C2C. She has been singing and playing piano since she was 3 and is so grateful to be able to channel her passion for music into this organization. She is dedicated to getting Chords2Cure’s message spread across the world, especially after seeing friends and family battling cancer. She can’t wait to continue her work with C2C!
Goldie Marmur
Goldie is a senior at deToledo High School and has served on the Chords2Cure Junior Advisory Board for the past four years. She has always been passionate about making a difference in the world of cancer research, and Chords2Cure quickly became an integral part of her life. As an Event Planner and Fundraising Coordinator, she helps organize concerts, community events, and fundraisers while engaging her peers in the mission of C2C. Last year, she co-hosted Rock the Block alongside fellow board members, helping to secure sponsorships and expand the event’s reach.
She is also President of the C2C Club at deToledo, where she leads initiatives to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research. Beyond her leadership roles, Goldie implemented Cakes 4 Cancer, an effort that brings homemade baking into the heart of C2C events. She regularly hosts bake sales and community baking days in preparation for concerts and fundraisers, uniting friends, families, and students in support of the cause. These gatherings not only raise money but also foster community and connection.
Goldie first joined Chords2Cure as a performer, and her love for singing and songwriting continues to inspire her leadership and involvement. She is honored to contribute her voice, creativity, and dedication to help advance the mission of Chords2Cure—curing cancer one chord at a time!
Julia Meyer
Julia is a junior at Harvard-Westlake School and this is her second year as an ambassador for Chords2Cure! She is super excited to be co-president of the C2C club and music manager/director of the House Band at Harvard-Westlake. Julia has been singing ever since she was 3 years old and now plays the bass, guitar, piano, drums, and is in two bands. Along with that she has been writing songs for 6 years and is currently recording an album. She loves any chance she gets to perform and loves that she can share this passion with C2C. After having a close friend battle cancer she knows how important it is to be aware of pediatric cancer and hopes that her love for music can bring more attention to the cause. She cannot wait for another year with Chords2Cure, supporting such an important cause!
Sadie Greene
Sadie is a junior at Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences! This is her first year on the C2C junior team and she could not be more excited! She has been involved with the club at school since freshman year! Sadie is a performing, writing, and beach lover! She is heavily involved with the arts at Crossroads! Working with C2C is the perfect opportunity to learn and hear about inspirational stories! She can’t wait to have the opportunity to be creative and have the best year yet with Chords2Cure!
Alumnis
Juliette Pegula
Juliette is a singer-songwriter/philanthropist from Los Angeles who co-founded Chords2Cure when she was in 7th grade in response to her friend Jaxon Blumenthal's excruciating battle with liver cancer and challenges related to his liver transplant. Juliette is dedicated to raising funds to help battle pediatric cancer through music. She hopes amateur and professional artists will join Chords2Cure to raise the necessary funds to find a cure for this horrible disease. Juliette will keep raising awareness for C2C from Belmont University in Nashville where she is studying creative writing and journalism.
Jaxon Blumenthal
Jaxon is a three-time cancer survivor and liver transplant recipient. He was only 11 when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hepatoblastoma (liver cancer). He underwent 6 months of grueling chemotherapy and a life-saving liver transplant. He has relapsed twice (the disease spread to his lungs), and endured two lung resections. He has also suffered two stints of acute organ rejection.
In 2019, Jax took a much needed medical leave of absence from his studies at school and focused on his mental health. Along with the medical trauma he endured he also faced a lot of emotional suffering. Coming face-to-face with death is not something you brush under the rug. Plagued with PTSD, depression and survivor’s guilt, Jax took the hard road and faced these new challenges head on. He wants other kids suffering from cancer and/or mental challenges to know they don’t always have to “be brave.” It’s okay to fall apart sometimes. But there is always hope!
As a young singer/songwriter/musician he has been able to channel much of his pain & suffering through his writing.
Mafalda von Alvensleben
Mafalda knew right away that the pain she felt in her right femur in the summer of 2014 was different. Yet nothing could have ever prepared her for the devastating diagnosis of Ewing Sarcoma, one of the toughest and rarest of all pediatric cancers. She went through 9 challenging months of treatment with 17 rounds of chemotherapy, 20 days of radiation therapy and Bone Graft Replacement Surgery. Mafalda's leg continues to give her problems after more than 10 years in remission and 7 surgeries, of which she spent 4 years on crutches. Her leg finally showed promising signs of healing just in time for her first semester at Yale in 2018, yet it broke again in April 2019 with no more signs of any healing. In early January 2020 she had to take a semester off for a 16-hr complete reconstructive leg surgery with a vascularized fibula transplant. She spent most of her stay-at-home time to slowly relearn to walk again while catching up on her studies. Last year Mafalda received her Master at the Yale School of Public Health. Beyond her performances as a singer and a poet, Mafalda was Chords2Cure’s in house art director, designing the artwork for social media, as well as the website. At Yale Mafalda was an active member of DEFY (Disability Empowerment at Yale) advocating for Yalies with disabilities. Mafalda just started her first position as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio at the Skeens Lab doing research on the psychosocial and biobehavioral outcomes for children facing cancer and undergoing stem cell transplants.
Charlotte Furie
Charlotte became good friends with Jax and Juliette upon arrival at Crossroads in 9th grade and immediately wanted to be part of C2C. She has always loved performing at the annual concerts and has consistently been one of the top student fundraisers. In 2024, Charlotte graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in theatre and business and is living in New York City, working in the Digital Talent Department at United Talent Agency. She is honored to be part of C2C’s Alumni Team and loves cheering for the younger generations who now steer C2C. Like many other team members, she hopes that one day in the not-too-distant future, Pediatric Cancer will be eradicated so no parent has to hear the words: “your child has cancer”.
Sophie Levin
Sophie became interested in the cause when she attended the first ever Chords2Cure benefit in 2015 to support loved ones in her community, such as Jaxon and Mafalda, along with all children battling pediatric cancer. Her passion for bringing awareness and funding to pediatric cancer treatments led her to become involved with C2C. When Sophie served as the social media manager, she spearheaded the launch of our Chords2Cure Live 24 hour Channel, C2C Video On Demand, C2C App and the “Share Your Voice” social media campaign to include people from around the world to join our community and fundraising efforts. Sophie is a Junior at the University of Virginia and continues to put her efforts into C2C by serving on the Alumni Board.
Calli Blumenthal
Calli was actively involved with Chords2Cure from 2015 until she left for college in 2022. Her unwavering passion for raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer was ignited as she witnessed her brother, Jax, courageously battle this illness over the years. Observing the lack of understanding among young people regarding C2C's mission, Calli pioneered the C2C Junior Board, which now boasts 20 dedicated members who guide the organization's mission. Throughout her high school years, Calli served as the President of her school's Chords2Cure club and Co-President of the Community Service Honors Society. Calli is currently a sophomore at the University of Virginia, where her experiences as a sibling of a pediatric cancer survivor have deepened her commitment to fundraising and addressing the long-term effects faced by these young patients.
Jonah Berghoff
Jonah has been playing the guitar since he was a young boy. His commitment to raising money and awareness for pediatric cancer came when his best friend and cousin, Ava, was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was just 11 years old. She fought for 5 years before she passed away when she was only 16 years old. Jonah honors her memory and continues the fight on her behalf. Chords2Cure is the perfect combination of his two loves, Ava and music!
Cate Landis
Cate is a sophomore at Tulane University. Cate has always been extremely driven and motivated towards helping others and making sure she makes some sort of impact to positively benefit the world. With Chords2Cure, she has been able to bring her love for both music and public service to the forefront, and also spend time fighting for an amazing cause! In her free time, Cate loves writing music, finding new and undiscovered artists, DJing at WTUL at Tulane, and being unapologetically herself.
Caspar von Alvensleben
Cancer has been a part for Caspar’s life ever since his sister, Mafalda, was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in 2014. He was then in 4th grade. Initially he started to help out with Chords2Cure events, from selling raffle tickets and auction items to setting up and helping with the merchandise. Over the years his responsibilities grew steadily. During his senior year, he was the President of the Chords2Cure Junior Board in charge of fundraising. Furthermore he proudly brought his saxophone skills to perform with his Jazz band. In addition to using his business skills to raise funds for C2C, he runs a small sneaker and sports cards business, dedicating 5% of his sales to C2C every year. Caspar is now a Junior at the University of Southern California, focusing on Environmental Studies with minors in Entrepreneurship and Risk Management.
Alex Levin
Alex attended the first ever Chords2Cure benefit concert in 2015 and, at a young age, was inspired by the musicianship and passion the kids had for helping the cause and most importantly for their friends going through treatments. He served as the Co-President of the Junior Board last year. Music has always been a big part of Alex’s identity, so he implemented his musical knowledge into helping the organization. Alex helped to oversee the musical aspects of the performances and performed in the concert for four years first with his Jazz band, and last year with the House Band. The transition from watching the magic happen on stage to actually living it, greatly motivates him to raise awareness and amplify his fundraising efforts. Alex is a Sophomore at Princeton University and continues his involvement by serving on the Alumni Board of C2C.
Mila Levit
Mila vividly remembers watching the first Chords2Cure concert in 2015 and was extremely moved by the kids' dedication to raising funds for Pediatric Cancer research. She officially joined C2C her freshman year of high school and will continue to perform, organize events, and participate with great enthusiasm.
Now a Sophomore at Northwestern University, Mila is pursuing a theatre major with a concentration in acting. She has been proud to have performed in the past three C2C annual concerts and is thrilled to continue with C2C on the alumni board.
Nathan Winthrop
Sound everyone! I’m Nathan Winthrop, currently in my first year at ESCP, London. I’ve been involved with Chords2Cure for just over 5 years now, and love being a part of this beautiful community and organization. I was proudly part of the “house band”. i feel honored to continue my involvement by now serving on the Alumni Board of C2C.
Zachary Zwelling
Zachary is a senior at Crossroads School. He has earned the position of Musical Director after working throughout the years with the many talented singers and musicians involved with Chords2Cure. He has been a member of the Team for the last four years and has been honored with the prestigious Presidential Gold Award for Volunteer service. Zachary is also President of the C2C Club at Crossroads School.
He is responsible for directing and managing the music and talent for fundraisers and concerts and keeping teens engaged in the organization throughout the year. He has organized the annual benefit concerts and smaller school fund-raising concerts.
Zachary joined the Chords2Cure community as a performer in 2019. Now, six years later, he is still thinking of ways he can contribute to his community as he creates awareness of pediatric cancer through music.
Zachary is a musician, songwriter, guitarist and producer. He performed for a year as a lead role in School of Rock, the Musical on Broadway and regularly performs around Los Angeles.
