Peter Kash
(Posted on Monday, August 29, 2022)
The origins of Peter Kash’s career go back to very early in his life.
“I can tell you exactly when my purpose was born. It was June of 1968, and I was seven years old. We were playing hide and seek at about five o’clock at night.
“There’s a young girl named Mary Ellen O’Bryan, who lives up the street. She was six years old. She was running, and then suddenly her wig fell off, leaving her totally bald. At that age, you never saw a boy who was bald, let alone a girl who was bald. Unfortunately, we started to laugh because we were children, and we didn’t know how to react. She ran inside. It was explained to us that she had something called cancer. Pediatric leukemia. She passed away several months later.”
This experience gave purpose to Peter’s entire life and career. Initially, he wanted to be a doctor, but decided in school that he just didn’t have the aptitude for medicine. Nor was he a scientist. Could it be possible to pursue his passion for science in a different way?
Today, Peter is board chair of a targeted immunotherapy company. Peter reflects on his success: “The single most important thing I’ve learned in my life is to have a purpose. My purpose is nailing cancer. That is my main purpose in life. You don’t have to win the Oscars. You can get a supporting Oscar role by being a groupie, like people are groupies to rock stars. Well, I’m a groupie to scientists. I get to hang out with some of the brightest minds in the world.”