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From overlooked to unstoppable—how a girl who loved numbers and healing found her place leading one of the most powerful missions in the world.

 

When I sat down with Kera Getter, Chief Financial Officer of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, I expected wisdom. What I didn’t expect was to walk away changed. From the moment she began sharing her story, it felt less like an interview and more like a call to every woman who’s ever felt overlooked, underestimated, or unsure of when her time would come.

Because Kera Getter didn’t just arrive at the top—she fought her way there. Quietly. Relentlessly. And with a purpose that never let her quit.

The Fire That Tried to Break Her

There’s a certain power in the way Kera speaks—not loud, not boastful, but steady. You can tell her strength was forged in silence, through closed doors and quiet battles she doesn’t fully name. But she doesn’t have to.

“You see how emotional I get when I talk about it?” she said, pausing, voice trembling just slightly. “I can’t even go into some of the painful things people did and said to try to break me down.”

There’s a weight in that sentence that lingers. And for a moment, we just sat in it.

Kera had been in line for the CFO role before—and was passed over. Not because she wasn’t ready. Not because she hadn’t proven herself. But because sometimes, in rooms not built for you, your brilliance still gets dimmed.

“I had to take the number two seat again,” she said. “I could’ve made a different decision. I could’ve walked away. But I stayed. I stayed because I knew I was good. And when you know that, you don’t stop fighting.”

Eventually, the person chosen for the role was asked to leave. And Kera? She was right there—prepared, unshaken, and more than capable.

It’s Not About Me

For all the struggle she endured, Kera is the first to deflect attention away from herself. “It’s not about me,” she said, eyes shining. “It’s about the families. The children. They are the reason I’m here.”

She tells me that purpose—not power—is what guides her. And that every single day the doors of St. Jude stay open, it’s a victory.

“People ask me sometimes what the most successful thing I’ve done is,” she said. “And I tell them—it’s not one thing. Every day we keep this place running is a success.”

In that moment, I could feel the depth of what she carries. As CFO, she doesn’t just manage numbers. She ensures children with cancer get the care they need—without families ever receiving a bill. She protects the dreams of researchers who are fighting to find cures. She shoulders the hopes of every parent walking through those hospital doors.

And she does it all while proving to the world that a Black woman can not only lead—she can lead brilliantly.

Redefining Success

At one point in our conversation, I asked her if her definition of success had changed. She didn’t hesitate.

“It used to be about the title. About recognition,” she said. “Now? Success is walking into this place and knowing we’re changing lives. Success is children growing up because we showed up.”

Her voice caught again—but this time, it wasn’t from pain. It was pride.

“90% of our funding comes from donors,” she said. “And I work for them too. I work to prove that we’re stewarding every dollar with excellence. That we’re not just saving money—we’re saving lives.”

It was one of those statements you don’t forget. Because it reframes everything. Kera doesn’t talk about margins or profits—she talks about survival rates and second chances. In her world, financial strategy is human strategy.

Built for This

There’s a moment in every woman’s story where she has to decide whether to shrink or to stand. For Kera, that moment came more than once. And each time, she stood taller.

“When you know you deserve something, when you know you’re good at something—you fight for it,” she told me. “You don’t stop. Even when it hurts. Even when no one else believes it yet.”

And when she says that, you believe her. Not just because she’s sitting in the CFO chair now—but because she earned every inch of it.

A Word to the Girls Who Feel Split

As our conversation began to wind down, I asked Kera what she would say to young girls who, like she once did, feel torn between passions—between the analytical and the compassionate. Math and medicine. Logic and heart.

She leaned in, thoughtful. “That’s a beautiful tension,” she said. “Don’t run from it. That unique mix—that’s your power.”

She smiled softly, reflecting. “I thought I had to choose. I didn’t. I use both every day. I still care for people. I’m still there in their darkest moments. I just do it differently now.”

Her voice, her presence—it was like a lighthouse for every girl still figuring it out. For every woman still waiting for her yes.

The Legacy She’s Living

Kera Getter doesn’t just want to be remembered for the title she holds. She wants to be known for how she held the people around her. How she lifted while she led. How she kept going even when the world tried to count her out.

“I love mentoring,” she told me before we ended. “That’s how we build legacy. By reaching back and reminding the next woman—you’re built for this too.”

And as I closed my notebook, I realized: this wasn’t just an interview. It was a blueprint. For purpose. For power. For rising—again and again.

 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kera Getter