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Kate Rouch, the chief marketing officer at OpenAI, shared on Friday that she was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer weeks after assuming the role, which she called her “dream job,” in December.
In a thread posted on X, Rouch said she was sharing her story to help other women, adding, “We can’t control what happens to us–but we can choose how we face it. My biggest lesson: no one fights alone.”
Prior to joining OpenAI as the company’s first CMO, Rouch was CMO at Coinbase and, before that, spent over a decade at Meta, including as vice president, global head of brand and product marketing.
Rouch said she started treatment right around the Super Bowl in February, when OpenAI aired its first-ever ad, and that she has since gone through 13 rounds of chemotherapy while leading OpenAI’s marketing team. She wrote that she is expected to make a full recovery.
“It has been the hardest season of life — for me, for my husband, and for our two young children,” Rouch said, adding she has been supported by OpenAI “at every step.”
“Silicon Valley can be brutal and transactional. And yet — I’ve never felt more held,” she said, adding that “people showed up in incredible and unexpected ways.”
Rouch also said OpenAI’s ChatGPT has helped her navigate her diagnosis and treatment, including by explaining cancer in a way that is age-appropriate for her kids, helping her manage the side effects of chemo, and creating custom meditations.
“Experiencing our work as a patient has made OpenAI’s mission feel more personal and important,” she said.
Rouch said she was sharing her story to encourage other women to “prioritize their health over the demands of families and jobs.”
“A routine exam saved my life. It could save yours, too,” she said.
Business Insider reached out to OpenAI for comment.
Kevin Weil, the chief product officer at OpenAI, expressed support for Rouch in a reply to her thread.
“We love you @kate_rouch!” he wrote. “Proud of you for telling your story and for being so full of fight.”
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