annette maughan
ceo/CO-Founder
Annette is a seasoned CEO, entrepreneur, and brand builder with a history of establishing and leading a range of mission-driven organizations.
Earlier in her career, Annette established Digital Aces, an international neutral host operator and digital infrastructure company.
In 2010, Annette joined the Epilepsy Association of Utah as board member before assuming the CEO position in 2012. For that role, she led a team of 13 staff, 10 scientific advisory board members, and 80 volunteers to manage all aspects of fund development, budgeting, volunteer management, and public engagement with the goal of providing resources and support services for people and families impacted by epilepsy. Co-Founder of Hope 4 Children with Epilepsy, and Professional Advisory Board Member of the Rare and Undiagnosed Network. Annette successfully led the political lobbying efforts of the Epilepsy Association of Utah to the passage of the first restrictive cannabis legislation in the country 2014 - HB105 - Charlee's Law and 2016 - Rescue Medication in Public Schools. Annette displayed visionary leadership skills, developing a clear strategy to drive the association’s growth and expansion through fundraising, joint initiatives, and advocacy. Over her six-year tenure, she was able to develop a clear and formalized organizational structure, triple annual income, deliver a 50% increase in annual donations, pass new legislation around Cannabis epilepsy treatments, and generate a 25% increase in membership growth in one year.
In 2015, Annette established KBG Foundation, a KBG syndrome support organization, with the goal of assisting in research programs, providing support resources, and raising awareness of KBG syndrome. Annette led a team of 11 direct reports and 7 scientific advisory board members to build coalitions of partners, establish educational programs, chair a a Scientific Advisory Board, and manage all aspects of fundraising activities. Among her accomplishments, Annette drove a 75% increase in funding, established a highly informative website, co-authored two scientific papers (‘KBG syndrome involving a single-nucleotide duplication in ANKRD11’ and ‘Tethered Cord Syndrome in KBG Syndrome’), and transitioned from a targeted marketing approach to a general education model to expand the nonprofit’s reach and impact.