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Lipedema Foundation Names Jonathan Kartt Chief Executive Officer

Greenwich, CT: The Lipedema Foundation announces the appointment of Jonathan Kartt as Chief Executive Officer. Kartt brings over a decade of leadership and experience in philanthropy and the social sector and a background advising nonprofits, foundations, and life science companies. He is responsible for developing and executing long-term strategies to advance the scientific research agenda and increase awareness about Lipedema, a common but under-recognized disorder, primarily affecting women, that can cause pain and limit mobility.

Kartt joins the organization after leading basic biomedical research, chronic pain, and civic engagement programs at the Rita Allen Foundation, a private foundation working at the intersection of science and civil society. 

"Lipedema impacts millions of women. Patients are routinely dismissed by medical providers, and diagnostics and treatments are lacking,” says Kartt. “I'm honored to join the Lipedema Foundation at this important moment in its history. I look forward to building on the tremendous work of the Foundation and its awardees and partners in the field, and to engaging deeply with patients impacted by this condition."

Previously, at Strategic Decisions Group and the Bridgespan Group, Kartt worked to advise leading companies, nonprofits, and foundations as a strategy consultant in the life sciences and philanthropy sectors. 

ABOUT LIPEDEMA: 

Lipedema is a chronic medical condition primarily impacting women and characterized by a symmetric buildup of adipose tissue (fat) in the legs and arms, often with pain and, at advanced stages, impaired mobility. It is frequently misdiagnosed as obesity or lymphedema, though Lipedema fat is resistant to exercise and diet. The exact prevalence is still unknown, but Lipedema is widespread, affecting millions of adolescent and adult women. Lipedema is vastly underdiagnosed and research and treatments are lacking due to stigma, limited awareness, low levels of funding, and lack of a diagnostic test. Awareness among healthcare providers and the general public is increasing; recent progress includes recognition of Lipedema by the American College of Cardiology and the publication of a standard of care for Lipedema in the United States.

ABOUT THE LIPEDEMA FOUNDATION:

The Lipedema Foundation is a private, non-fundraising foundation established in 2015 by Felicitie Daftuar with a mission to define, diagnose and develop treatments for Lipedema. The

Foundation is the world’s largest funder of Lipedema research, with more than $11 million awarded in the US and internationally to date. The Foundation’s research focuses on collaboration, connecting patients and researchers, and fostering basic and translational research across disciplines including physiology, genomics, immunology and endocrinology.  

The Foundation also maintains the Lipedema Foundation Registry, an online registry platform created to help patients, families, clinicians, and caregivers learn more about the condition, understand barriers to diagnosis, assess the quality of life impact, and point the way to potential treatment approaches.

Find out more about this exciting research field at www.lipedema.org.