Epilepsy Foundation Appoints Fashion and Beauty Entrepreneur Camila Coelho to Its Board of Directors

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Mar 24, 2020, 08:00 ET

LANDOVER, Md., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Epilepsy Foundation announced today it has elected Brazilian-American fashion and beauty entrepreneur Camila Coelho to its Board of Directors. As a person with epilepsy, Camila will work with the Board to oversee the Foundation's strategic plan and support strategies targeted toward the more than 3.4 million people in the U.S. living with epilepsy.

"We are excited to welcome Camila to our Board," said Bradley P. Boyer, Esq., chair of the Epilepsy Foundation's Board of Directors. "As a successful entrepreneur and Latina living with epilepsy, Camila not only brings her business instinct but also diverse expertise to the leadership team. We are confident that her insight, skills and experience will provide invaluable perspectives as we continue to develop strategies that promote awareness about epilepsy and seizures, particularly to a younger audience, the Hispanic community and the fashion and beauty world. Further, Camila's joining our board will serve as a spotlight to our community that having epilepsy does not need to set you back, and in many cases, you can still have an amazing life and a very successful career."

Camila was diagnosed with epilepsy at the young age of 9 and has been able to control her seizures with medication. For years, she kept her battle with epilepsy private but recently opened up about her condition. On International Epilepsy Day, she joined the Epilepsy Foundation as an END EPILEPSY® ambassador and now holds a seat on the Board of Directors.

"I'm honored and humbled to be given this opportunity to join the Epilepsy Foundation's efforts to END EPILEPSY," said Camila. "I'm very passionate about this cause because it is so personal to me, and there is so much that people are not aware of. I will leverage my skills and unique experience to provide strategic insight to the Foundation and to act as an advocate for our community. I intend to use my platform to the best of my ability to help educate people about epilepsy and seizures, and to support the Foundation in its fundraising efforts."

Camila is a Brazilian-American fashion and beauty entrepreneur. Her namesake fashion label, Camila Coelho Collection, sold out online within minutes of launch and continues to grow month over month. She is the new American Dream – as a first-generation immigrant who arrived to the United States when she was 14, she started her career at a Dior makeup counter within her local Macy's where her love of beauty came into fruition. As a way to stay in touch with her friends and family back in Brazil, Camila took to YouTube, uploading her favorite beauty looks and creating step-by-step tutorials. What began as a hobby quickly propelled Camila into one of the world's top digital personalities, with a massive global reach of more than 15 million followers across her social platforms. Forbes listed Camila on their 30 Under 30 List for her savvy self-made business approach. Camila now spends her time traveling the world. She can be seen front row at top fashion shows including Marc Jacobs, Christian Dior, Tom Ford, Max Mara, and Chloe; in 2018 she closed Ralph & Russo's Paris Spring Haute Couture show. Camila is trilingual, speaking to her audience in Portuguese, English and Spanish. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Icaro.

The Epilepsy Foundation's Board of Directors is responsible for governance and has fiduciary responsibility for the success of the organization and mission. Board officers and members serve on a voluntary basis. The Foundation's other board members are:

Chair Bradley P. Boyer, Esq., Kutak Rock LLP, California
Vice Chair Brooke E. Gordon, Philanthropist, Colorado
Treasurer Roger Heldman, Ohio
Secretary Geoff Pope, MBA, Vice President at Aon Risk Solutions, Pennsylvania
Immediate Past Chair Robert W. Smith, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Epilepsy Foundation, Maryland
Steven Baum, Chief Operating Officer at The Cypress Funds, LLC. California
Mark Borman, The Borman Group, LLC, California
Aly Clift, Executive Director of Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia
Tony Coelho, Founding Partner of Vectis Strategies, Pennsylvania
Frank M. Fischer, President and CEO of NeuroPace, Inc., California
Stephanie Fokas, Chairman of the Board of the Epilepsy Foundation Texas - Houston/Dallas-Fort Worth/West Texas
Rick Harrison, Owner of World Famous Gold and Silver Pawn "Pawn Stars", Nevada
David Hawk, CEO of Chairman, Hawk Investments, L.P., Nebraska
Cynthia Hudson, Senior VP and General Manager at CNN en Español and Hispanic Strategy for CNN/U.S., Florida
Adam Kaller, Hansen Jacobson, California
May Liang, Co-Founder; General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer of OpenConcept Systems, Inc., Virginia
Daniel Moore, Chairman of LivaNova, PLC, Texas
Jeffrey Parent, Gulf States Toyota, Texas
Steven C. Schachter, MD, Professor of Neurology, Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation & Technology (CIMIT), Massachusetts
Rebekah Walker, Illinois
Robert Wechsler MD, PhD., Owner of Consultants in Epilepsy & Neurology, PLLC
and Medical Director at Idaho Comprehensive, Idaho
Steve Wulchin, Colorado

For more information about the Foundation's Board of Directors visit epilepsy.com/foundation-board.

About Epilepsy
According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder worldwide with no age, racial, social class, national or geographic boundaries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3.4 million people in the United States are affected by epilepsy. It is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions.

About the Epilepsy Foundation
With a network of nearly 50 partners throughout the United States, the Foundation connects people to treatment, support and resources; leads advocacy efforts; funds innovative research and the training of specialists; and educates the public about epilepsy and seizure first aid. For more than five decades, the Epilepsy Foundation has shone a light on epilepsy to promote awareness and understanding, and to advocate for laws that matter to people with epilepsy, while also funding $65 million for epilepsy research and supporting 3,076 epilepsy investigators and specialists in their early careers. Over the past 17 years, in partnership with the CDC, the Epilepsy Foundation has helped to improve access to care for people with epilepsy, expanded its digital reach and online resources in homes across the country, and trained more than 500,000 school and community personnel in how to recognize seizures and administer Seizure First Aid. The Foundation has also assisted more than 108,000 people through its 24/7 Helpline in the past five years, and continues to focus on innovation, new therapies, community services, advocacy and education as key priorities. To learn more visit epilepsy.com or call 1.800.332.1000. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Epilepsy Foundation