Influential Women Highlights Carla Mulhern: Executive Director Of The Izzy Foundation
Carla (Buonaccorsi) Mulhern is a dedicated nonprofit leader and Executive Director at The Izzy Foundation in Providence, Rhode Island, where she oversees programs that provide essential comfort and support to families navigating pediatric medical crises. Her professional journey is marked by an unconventional yet purpose-driven path, shaped by decades of service, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to helping others.
Carla began her professional career at KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), where she worked for eight years through her high school and college years, developing a foundational understanding of service, teamwork, and human connection. She later transitioned into the legal field, spending 20 years as a paralegal specializing in litigation, insurance, wills and estates, and human resources cases. This diverse professional background helped her build strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills that would later become essential in her nonprofit leadership role.
Her transition into nonprofit work began in 2012 with a fundraising campaign for Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) in memory of her childhood friend, Michelle Hopkins, who passed away from leukemia at the age of eleven. That campaign not only reconnected her with Michelle’s family but also became a defining moment in her life, revealing a deeper calling to support families facing the emotional and medical challenges that Michelle’s family once endured.
Following this experience, Carla took on leadership roles with Blood Cancer United and the American Heart Association, further solidifying her commitment to community impact and advocacy. She eventually joined The Izzy Foundation, where she now serves as Executive Director and manages the Izzy Family Room at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.
In her current role, Carla oversees a daily operation that supports approximately 50 families each day, providing meals, snacks, hygiene essentials, crafts and programming. This equates to serving between 6,000 and 7,000 inpatient families annually. Under her leadership, the Izzy Family Room continues to be a vital space of comfort and relief for families facing pediatric illness, offering both practical assistance and emotional support during some of life’s most difficult moments. Her work directly honors the legacies of Michelle and Izzy, the young girl in whose memory The Izzy Foundation was created.
Carla attributes every achievement in her career to hope, connection, and care. She encourages young women entering the nonprofit sector to remain persistent, creative, and adaptable in an evolving funding and media landscape. Carla emphasizes the importance of transparency with donors, strong collaboration, and clear communication about how resources are used to maximize impact. She also advises professionals to remain patient and visible while protecting their own well-being and staying connected to their purpose.
One of the greatest challenges Carla identifies in nonprofit work is managing daily operations with limited resources. With rising costs and tightening budgets affecting both individuals and corporations, sustaining services requires continuous creativity and resilience. At the same time, she views these challenges as opportunities to grow awareness and expand the reach of mission-driven programs.
Her long-term vision is to see the Izzy Family Room model implemented in hospitals nationwide, creating safe and supportive environments for families during medical crises. She believes that increased awareness and community engagement will be key to achieving this expansion and ensuring long-term sustainability.
At the core of Carla’s work is a deep commitment to helping others succeed. She finds fulfillment in witnessing families experience hope, dignity, and comfort, whether through a simple meal, a moment of relief during a hospital stay, or a child completing treatment and ringing the bell after chemotherapy.
A graduate of Roger Williams University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Pre-Law Studies, Carla combines her academic background with decades of real-world experience. She is known for her collaborative leadership style, strategic vision, and ability to engage donors, volunteers, and community partners in meaningful ways.
Guided by a philosophy centered on empowering, inspiring, and giving back, Carla Mulhern continues to lead with compassion and purpose, ensuring that every child and family she serves has the opportunity to LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE and PLAY—even in their most difficult moments.
Learn More about Carla Marie Mulhern:
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Carla-Mulhern, or through her profile on The Izzy Foundation, https://theizzyfoundation.org/elementor-1001/staff-carla/
Influential Women
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