EP 41: Warrior for a Cause: AnaOno Founder, Dana Donofree

A cancer diagnosis at age 27 shook Dana’s life upside down. When she had trouble finding a bra that fit well after being treated for breast cancer Dana launched her own line, Ana Ono, which has become an international sensation and has thrust Dana into a warrior role in the fight for a cure. In this episode hear Dana’s story about how she was inspired to create change, and how she inadvertently started a movement after her diagnosis changed everything.

Diagnosed with Infiltrative Ductal Carcinoma at 27, Dana Donofree founded AnaOno out of her own necessity and desire for pretty, sexy, beautiful lingerie. After a bilateral mastectomy with implant reconstruction her own bras no longer fit and she was certain there must be more than just sports bras and camisoles (as nothing in the traditional lingerie market fit her surgically-altered body any more). With a degree in fashion design from Savannah College of Art and Design, and a quite successful fashion industry career, she took her ten plus years experience and put it toward designing, launching and growing AnaOno.

Dana has experience in every facet of the fashion industry, from couture to children’s accessories, private lines to mass market box stores, design to launch to merchandising and distribution. She started as a design assistant in New York, launched lines, dressed and styled celebrities and ran a multi-million dollar account, handling merchandising and distribution.

She is also very active in the breast cancer community and is involved with several breast cancer non-profits, including being Co-Chair on the board of Jill’s Wish and member of the Living Beyond Breast Cancer board. She attends conferences regularly, participates in the Young Survival Coalition Tour de Pink and has been a panel speaker for several events, including Women’s Entrepreneurship Day and the Young Survival Coalition Summit.

Dana has contributed blog pieces and articles to websites small and large, including I Had Cancer, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, XO Jane and Today.com. She has been featured on television news segments and a variety of podcasts, as well.

However, she is most proud of is being able to make a difference in the lives of women worldwide and is honored to continue to spread her mission of Beauty, Confidence and Empowerment.