Karen Shishino Jordan, a long-time volunteer leader in the greater California Bay area, will serve as Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) International Board of Directors (IBOD) Chair, succeeding current Chair Lisa Fishbone Wallack. Carlton McMillan, also a dedicated volunteer leader in the greater California Bay area, will serve as Vice Chair, succeeding current Vice Chair Matt Varey.
Karen’s and Carlton’s terms as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, begin Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
Breakthrough T1D’s IBOD is the organization’s governing body. The IBOD is tasked with accelerating the organization’s mission progress toward life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat T1D and its complications. Learn more about Breakthrough T1D’s volunteer and staff leadership.
About the New Chair and Vice Chair
Karen Shishino Jordan became involved with Breakthrough T1D when her daughter Ali was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 2008. In 2023, Karen was diagnosed with T1D which has added to her unique and deep understanding of what it means to live with the disease.
Karen has served on Breakthrough T1D’s IBOD and several Board Committees for more than a decade. Karen has lent her time and expertise across the entire organization having served as Chair of the Research Committee, a member of the Audit & Risk Committee, and as the current Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee through June 30, 2026. In years prior, she served as Chair of IBOD’s Funding Committee. Karen also serves on the Board of Directors of the T1D Fund: A Breakthrough T1D Venture, and on the Board for Breakthrough T1D’s Northern California Chapters. She is a member of the Joint Steering Committee for The Breakthrough T1D Center of Excellence in Northern California, which combines the expertise of Stanford University’s School of Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco. She is the inaugural recipient of Breakthrough T1D’s John Brady Award for Innovation.
Karen serves on the Board of Stanford Healthcare and is the recipient of the Stanford University Governor’s Award. She is also a Board member of Stroke Onward. Her previous nonprofit work includes service on various boards, committees, and councils, including the Stanford Athletics Board, Stanford Medicine Community Council, and the Portola Valley School District. Karen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Business from the University of California, Los Angeles; her Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business; and a Genetics and Genomics Certificate from Stanford Medicine. She is a member of Forward Global and has worked as an investment banker.
Carlton McMillan joined the IBOD in 2023. He previously served on the Finance & Investment Committee and currently serves on the Nominating and Governance Committee. He was also the Chair of Board Development and Nominating and the Chair of Corporate Development on Breakthrough T1D’s Northern California Chapters Board, where he served for five years.
He became involved with Breakthrough T1D through his wife Ansley, who was diagnosed with T1D at age five. In prior years, Carlton spearheaded a corporate partnership between Airbnb and Breakthrough T1D and served as Team Captain of Airbnb’s Corporate Walk team. In addition, he and Ansley served as co-chairs of the San Francisco Walk committee in 2016 and 2017.
Carlton is Head of Finance & Operations at Watershed, an early-stage technology company focused on sustainability and carbon reduction for large global enterprises. Prior to Watershed, Carlton spent 10 years at Airbnb, where his time was split between scaling the company from its earliest stages through a public offering and building and launching Airbnb.org, a standalone 501c3 focused on emergency housing for the displaced. Prior to joining Airbnb, Carlton worked in public accounting and financial advisory services in Atlanta, GA. Carlton also serves on the Board of Directors and the Finance and Investment Committees of the San Francisco School in San Francisco, CA. Carlton received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).
An Era of Unprecedented Breakthroughs
This new leadership coincides with an era of unprecedented T1D breakthroughs championed by Breakthrough T1D.
“We are in a golden age of advanced medicine and are witnessing incredible progress in T1D cures research in all areas we support—especially cell therapies,” said Aaron J. Kowalski, Ph.D., Breakthrough T1D Chief Executive Officer.
“As the leaders of our International Board of Directors, Karen and Carlton will ensure we continue to drive cures and other life-changing breakthroughs forward through scientific advancements, advocacy, and clinical care,” he added.
“We thank Lisa and Matt, who were instrumental in helping us launch Project ACT (Accelerate Cell Therapies) among other accomplishments. Project ACT will dramatically help speed cell therapy products as cures through coordinated efforts to advance research, development, regulatory, access, and adoption,” he said.
“There has never been a more exciting time for our mission. People in clinical trials of cell therapies that we support are making insulin again, and many have been able to stop taking insulin therapy,” Kowalski said. “The potential for transformation is nothing short of electrifying and we look forward to the progress to come during Karen’s and Carlton’s time leading our International Board of Directors.”
