Darren is serving on Panel 2-Creating Better Programs
Darren Sudman is the co-founder of Simon’s Heart and serves as the organization’s CEO. Under his leadership, Simon’s Heart has provided free heart screenings to over 15,000 youth; developed HeartBytes, a national cardiac registry of seemingly healthy kids; stewarded the passage of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act in a dozen states; launched Got AED, a crowdfunding site dedicated to getting AED devices in places where kids learn and play; and created partnerships with a variety of institutions and corporations.
Darren brings a unique perspective to Simon’s Heart. He began his career in Washington, D.C. as a bankruptcy attorney. He spent time lobbying on Capitol Hill for a national advocacy organization. He negotiated partnerships for America Online and developed cause-marketing programs for Advanta Bank Corp. He also spent a year teaching high school social studies after obtaining his teaching certificate. However, Darren’s most compelling experience is the sudden death of his seemingly healthy three-month old son, Simon in 2005.
Darren, and his wife, Phyllis, have leveraged their professional and personal experiences to create Simon’s Heart, a financially sound and strategic business-minded nonprofit organization that has been nationally recognized by People Magazine, The TODAY Show, CNN, NPR, USA Today and others. The organization has received accolades from entities like The Philadelphia Eagles, Sigma Delta Tau, Philadelphia Magazine and L’Oreal Paris. It also founded and launched Screen Across America, a consortium of fifty-plus organizations across the country engaged in youth heart screenings.
Darren regularly speaks to medical, governmental, educational and athletic groups on the topic of sudden death in students and heart screenings for students. He is an avid blogger and thought leader on these subjects. Darren and Simon’s Heart have a clear vision – checking the hearts of children must become a standard of care so that they no longer die from detectable and treatable heart conditions.
Darren and Phyllis met at The Ohio State University. They live in Plymouth Meeting, PA with their two children, Sally and Jaden.
