From Engineer to Advocate: David Russo's Journey Creating Cheeky Charity

Written by Melissa Schenkman, MPH, MSJ

A conversation with David Russo, founder of Cheeky Charity, about his personal health journey, entrepreneurial ventures, and mission to improve colorectal cancer awareness in the LGBTQ+ community.

Can you tell us about your background and how you got started in healthcare?

David: I grew up in Westchester, New York, about 45 minutes north of New York City. I studied mechanical engineering and biology in upstate New York, then started working for Siemens, a healthcare diagnostics company. I worked on their automation systems for mega labs – basically the tracks that pass test tubes around to different instruments.

About a year into working as an engineer, I started my MBA at NYU. It was supposed to be a three-year part-time program, but because I was traveling a lot for work – going to Europe since Siemens is a German company – it took me four years. About two and a half years in, a mentor gave me a chance to move from engineering into global marketing, which was phenomenal. It's funny how once you have your MBA, it's like a light switch where people suddenly think you're creative and engaging, when nothing really changed about me.

How did you transition from working on the technical side to understanding the patient experience?

David: At Siemens, I was disconnected from patients at multiple levels. Even in marketing, it went from global marketing to regional marketing to sales teams to the healthcare setting to the doctor's office. I didn't get a chance to really engage with patients there.

After Siemens, I switched to a smaller company called Immucor that was doing DNA-precise type tests for blood antigen profiling. We were working to develop a national registry for patients, particularly important for the sickle cell community, who get frequent transfusions. I convinced the organization to let me go to patient-centric events and conferences. That was my first experience engaging in a setting that was predominantly for patients, and it was incredible to see both the organizations helping patients and the patients themselves trying to navigate such a complex environment.

What led to your own health scare and diagnosis?

David: I was one of those young people with that sense of invincibility, not going in for preventative healthcare as much as I should have. When I was 32, I found I had symptoms of colorectal cancer – blood in my stool and abdominal pain. I had to fight my busy schedule to set an appointment, and I probably moved it three or four times over about a year.

When I finally went in, they initially told me it was hemorrhoids or a fissure, but I knew something was different. After a few months of really pushing for it, we got a colonoscopy scheduled and they found polyps that they removed. When I called my parents afterward, they said, "Yeah, that makes sense because your dad has been getting polyps removed since his 40s, and your grandfather died of colorectal cancer in his 50s." I have two cousins on my mom's side who passed away from colorectal cancer. They probably told me when I was young, but it's not the kind of thing you generally put on your calendar or in your notes.

Did you experience any barriers in the healthcare system during this process?

David: There was definitely some dismissiveness. I'm a gay man, and when discussing my symptoms in the context of receptive anal sex, it's easy for healthcare providers to jump to the most likely scenario for what something could be. At that time, there wasn't a lot of information about colorectal cancer in younger populations, so I don't hold it against the gastroenterologist for not immediately thinking it could be something more serious.

But yeah, there was dismissiveness, and I think it varies by personality type, too. I'm generally more introverted – an INTJ – so I'm less inclined to push boundaries in social settings. It was harder for me to be vocal about pushing back, especially with a doctor, where we feel like they're the authority.

What led you to leave the corporate world and start your own ventures?

David: I'd always had it in the back of my head to try something where I could give back and help others. I was obsessed with Paul Newman's company, Newman's Own – they're 100% nonprofit, with all profits going to charities. I wanted to create something like that.

I left Immucor around 2017-2018 and tried several ventures. First, I tried flipping houses with a friend in the New York City area. One property had a restaurant space, so I opened a restaurant called Riverhouse Lounge right on the Hudson River. It was the hardest, most difficult experience of my life – financially draining, time-consuming, and stressful. I stopped after six months.

Then I started a drone videography business, which I loved because it combined being outdoors, creativity, and analytical work. But after about a year, I realized I felt more like a freelancer than a business owner. When COVID hit, I decided to reset. I had a Sprinter van that I converted into an RV and spent over a year building it out, then started driving around the country doing my proverbial "eat, pray, love" scenario.

How did Cheeky Charity come about during your travels?

David: It started as just an Instagram profile where I was posting photos from national parks – cheeky photos with PSAs for colorectal cancer. In my head, this was going to be an amazing life where I hiked around national parks, took artistic and creative photos, and raised awareness while being in my natural habitat.

But I guess it was the competitiveness or the itch from my past lives that made me want to do more. I searched for grants and found one that gave me the opportunity to do local work. Once I was awarded that grant, I realized I needed to partner with community organizations, build relationships, and attract other people to help me.

What surprised you most about entering the nonprofit/advocacy space?

David: I honestly wasn't expecting how welcoming organizations would be because we're cheeky, a little risqué, LGBTQ-focused, and we weren't known in the colorectal cancer advocacy space. But people from organizations like the Colon Cancer Coalition, Fight CRC, and the Colorectal Cancer Alliance were unbelievably gracious. When I was invited to speak at the first national colorectal cancer roundtable at the American Cancer Society about our LGBTQ-related work, these organizations asked, "How can we help? What can we do to leverage our resources to amplify your message?" That's the only reason we are where we are right now.

What specific barriers do LGBTQ+ individuals face in healthcare?

David: I'm coming from a place of privilege as a cisgender white person from a fairly liberal community, so I didn't personally feel many barriers. But through my advocacy work, I've seen the disparities. According to the American Cancer Society's 2024 report, one in six people in the LGBTQ+ community don't go in for preventative screening because of fear of discrimination, mistrust, or poor past experiences. In the trans community, it's one in five people.

There are people in geographic areas facing more discrimination, fear of bad healthcare experiences, or inability to get needed resources. Some have the same symptoms I had but don't feel comfortable going to the doctor, or they get dismissed and don't want to fight back, or they're told it will cost a thousand dollars for screening and they can't afford it.

What role do personal stories play in your advocacy work?

David: People connect with personal stories, and while you're unique, you also fit into categories that other people can relate to. For me, being part of the LGBTQ+ community means that when someone in that community hears my story about going through cancer-related experiences, they might be more inclined to take action because they're hearing it from someone they feel connected to.

The more people that share their stories, the more people will connect and relate to them. Just like in relationships, there's somebody out there for you – there's somebody out there who needs to hear your specific story. Your story might be the one that pushes somebody to get their preventative screening or feel more comfortable going through their cancer journey.

David at an event showing one of the creative and “cheeky” ways him and his Cheeky Charity team spark conversations about and awareness of colorectal and anal cancer.

What does Cheeky Charity offer today?

David: We have colorectal cancer and anal cancer guides, plus a general health guide on our website at cheekycharity.org. We run support groups for colorectal and anal cancer patients and survivors on the first and third Tuesday of every month. We're active on Instagram @cheekycharity with educational and, yes, cheeky content.

Beyond that, we'd love to help guide people to appropriate organizations. We have great relationships with so many organizations in this space. Even if someone reaches out and our resources aren't the right fit, we can help connect them with organizations that might be.

How do you balance growth with sustainability?

David: I have lots of mixed emotions about where we are. I've never felt a more rewarding experience – this is the most rewarding thing I've ever done by far. But I have fear and anxiety around the itch to expand and offer services to more people. Taking on larger initiatives comes with risk, and I'm constantly struggling with that balance.

My personality is such that, at least at this point in my life, I'm willing to have those emotions of fear, stress, anxiety, and uncertainty to try to push boundaries and expand what we're doing. A lot of my day-to-day focus is on harnessing that anxiety and struggle to grow in a sustainable way.

Want to hear more about David’s story? Check out the YMyHealth podcast!