SENIOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Matt Cross
Matt Cross is a Testicular Cancer survivor, youth hockey coach, and the Founder and Executive Director of RTCF. A Toronto native, he moved from Canada to Raleigh in 2011. Matt enjoys coaching young people, being a leader in the community, and making an impact in the cancer care space. RTCF”s mission is personal for Matt, after receiving a cancer diagnosis and undergoing treatment in 2020. He is currently in remission and cancer free. Matt enjoys watching and playing sports, and spending time with his dog Rocky.
Allison Stevens
Allison Stevens is a Senior Vice President at Citi Retail Services and oversees a team focusing on corporate governance and risk management. Allison has her Masters degree from Harvard University and her Bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University. She has extensive experience in fundraising through her past work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and UNITY: Journalists of Color and is passionate around strategically expanding the reach of non-profits in the community. She and her husband Craig and have two children, Cameron and Abigail. Allison joined the Raleigh Testicular Cancer Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2023.
Jim Staples
Ian Cross
Ian is a retired lawyer with 26 years of experience, principally in litigation, corporate law, marketing and advertising, food law, and intellectual property. As one whose family has been impacted significantly by testicular and other cancers, his reasons for serving on the RTCF Board of Directors are both personal and professional. On the personal side, he is dedicated to helping the CEO achieve his unique vision for the charity. On the professional side, his role is to use his legal and business expertise to provide general advice, direction, and counsel to assist the charity in fulfilling its mission while maintaining appropriate governance and compliance practices.
Ed Levens
JUNIOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Max Haensel
Max is a Stage 3 Testicular Cancer survivor. Max completed a 10-month battle against the disease which included six rounds of chemotherapy, three surgeries, three brain radiation treatments, a stem cell harvest, and countless other obstacles. Max met our Founder and fellow TC survivor Matt, at the “Hockey Fights Cancer” Night at the NHL Carolina Hurricanes Game, and they quickly became great friends. With the RTCF mission being so personal for Max, he felt inspired to participate. A graduate from Brown University in Applied Mathematics – Economics, with experience in the private equity industry, Max is always eager to give back to those facing a similar diagnosis and cancer journey, like the one he faced. One of my main outlets for Max has been through the RTCF Jr. Board, where he is provided the opportunity to walk alongside current TC patients, spread awareness about TC, and help organize RTCF fundraisers. Ultimately his goal is to become the same type of mentor for other testicular cancer patients and survivors like Matt has been for him.
David Blue
A Raleigh native and proud owner of Blue Strength Training and coach at The Strength Feed. His interests include hockey, golf, and the great outdoors. Serving on the board is a genuine honor, fueled by his unwavering support for the foundation’s mission. He is particularly passionate about raising awareness regarding testicular cancer and promoting men’s mental and physical well-being. What resonates with him the most is empowering young men in our community to take proactive steps toward their physical health and cultivate mental resilience.
Florian Zajic
Florian is originally from Vienna, Austria. He is a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and defenseman on the UNC men’s club hockey team. Beyond his passions for hockey, travel, and entrepreneurship, Flo has taken great pleasure in volunteering his time for the Raleigh Testicular Cancer Foundation’s mission and important cause. Being involved in the community and helping others has led him down a path towards finding meaning in life – and for that he is grateful.
Benjamin Yu
Ben is originally from Raleigh, NC and is pursuing a Computer Science degree at NC State University with a minor in Business Administration. Ben is one of Sigma Pi, Rho Chapter’s philanthropy co-chairs and enjoys making an impact in the community. After seeing the amazing work that RTCF has been doing, he knew he wanted to be a part of the team. He has a desire to help break the stigma around men’s health, both mental and physical, which is part of the RTCF’s mission.
Bryce Tricas
Bryce is a recent graduate from NC State and currently working in Sports Media Technology as a broadcast operator. Bryce joined RTCF to help the younger demographic become aware of testicular cancer and the importance of self-checks to ensure it is caught early. Multiple members of his family have succumbed to cancer, so hearing Matt Cross share his cancer story resonated with him, and ultimately led him to joining the RTCF Junior Board.
Carson Rein
Carson is a student at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Business and Computer Science. Like many others, cancer has affected many people in his life. Being a part of the Jr. Board is a unique chance to raise awareness and support others affected by the disease while gaining valuable experience in the non-profit and philanthropic space.