233: This CEO Is Fighting Blindness and Redefining Leadership | Jason Menzo

Update: 2025-10-22

Description

Mission-driven leadership is more than a tactic—it's a calling. In this episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast, Damon sits down with Jason Menzo, CEO of Foundation Fighting Blindness, for a candid conversation about building high-performing teams, driving medical breakthroughs, and leading with authenticity. Jason reveals what it takes to pivot from the private sector to the nonprofit world and shares the moonshot mission guiding his organization: delivering treatments and cures for blinding diseases. With nearly $1 billion raised and groundbreaking advances in gene therapy, Jason’s story is packed with lessons for anyone driven by purpose and impact.

From finding the right people for your team to navigating massive goals and building a culture of trust, this episode offers actionable takeaways for leaders in every field—plus hope for the millions affected by inherited retinal diseases. Whether you want to up-level your hiring, create more belonging, or just hear an inspiring story of resilience, you’ll leave with new tools and renewed motivation.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Jason transitioned from corporate leadership to running a world-changing nonprofit
The power of authenticity—and why letting people show up as themselves boosts happiness and performance
Strategies for onboarding, interviewing, and building high-caliber, collaborative teams
What to do when your team members aren’t the right fit (and how empathy and responsibility intersect)
How Foundation Fighting Blindness funds research, drives innovation, and fosters community—for patients and families nationwide
The role of AI, venture funding, and creative talent deployment in accelerating medical breakthroughs
How to balance moonshot ambitions with everyday wins—keeping hope alive while driving real results

Timestamps:

00:00 – Jason on raising the bar at Foundation Fighting Blindness

00:30 – The mission and moonshot goals: delivering cures for blinding diseases

02:49 – Why authentic workplaces outperform others

04:00 – Linking happiness, authenticity, and productivity

05:30 – Jason’s journey: from Michigan furniture salesman to CEO

07:58 – Why vision research became Jason’s passion

10:04 – Key differences between private sector and nonprofit leadership

12:45 – Jason’s first 90 days: listening tour and change management

14:51 – How to push back and set boundaries with boards/shareholders

17:14 – Building high-caliber, collaborative teams (and fighting organizational silos)

20:46 – The interview process: transparency and culture fit

23:54 – When a hire misses the mark: motivational vs. cultural fit

26:36 – Moving people into the “right seats” on the bus

27:59 – Creativity in talent deployment: a real-life turnaround story

31:37 – Balancing empathy with organizational responsibility

34:03 – Dealing with the stress of mission-driven leadership

36:41 – Breaking moonshot goals into actionable, realistic milestones

39:02 – Foundation Fighting Blindness: key initiatives and impact

41:38 – The RD Fund and the baton metaphor for drug development

44:23 – Recent wins: transformative gene therapy breakthroughs

48:25 – Navigating the challenge of gene-specific treatments

50:40 – The accelerating role of AI in blindness research

52:42 – How Jason inspires his team (and leadership secrets from his CHRO)

56:04 – How you can get involved with Foundation Fighting Blindness

About Jason Menzo

Jason Menzo is CEO of Foundation Fighting Blindness, the world’s leading organization driving treatments and cures for blinding diseases. With over 20 years in vision research and leadership roles at both major corporations and startups, Jason combines deep expertise in eye care, patient advocacy, and nonprofit management. Under his leadership, the foundation has nearly $1 billion invested, a global impact on blindness research, and groundbreaking programs supporting both scientists and affected individuals. The mission: deliver real treatments and cures, while building a high-performing, authentic team.

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