The T.J. Martell Foundation’s Business Leaders Council was started in 2009 with the mission of engaging corporate decision makers in the Nashville community to participate in supporting innovative cancer research at the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. 

The Business Leaders Council is an affiliate of the T. J. Martell Foundation – Southern Region Division.  The T.J. Martell Foundation is a national 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization, headquartered in  New York, that supports innovative research for leukemia, cancer and AIDS at eleven top research hospitals in the United States.  The Foundation operates three offices in the United States:  New York, Nashville and Los Angeles. 

In Nashville, the Foundation supports the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories, established in 1993 in honor of Frances Preston, longtime President and CEO of BMI, President of the T.J. Martell Foundation Board of Directors and Founder of Country in the Rockies, a signature ski event.

The mission of the Business Leader’s Council is to assist the Foundation with the following:

·         Corporate cause-related marketing programs

·         Corporate connections

·         Employee volunteerism and event participation

·        Corporate involvement such as design services, postage for invitations, printing, product contributions, etc.

·         Event sponsorship opportunities

Unlike other local business councils, there is no membership fee.  Business Leaders are invited to attend a luncheon once a year to learn about the activities of the T. J. Martell Foundation, to interact with other professionals that have the passion and mission of finding a control/cure for cancer and to receive up to date research information.