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2026 IMPACT HERO FINALIST
Kadi Mancuso Rice
Vice President of Leasing & Marketing | Tailwind Group
Greater Chicago Area
Giving Meaning to Every Mile
For Kadi Mancuso Rice, running has never been simply about crossing a finish line. It’s about who she carries with her along the way.
Kadi's commitment to philanthropy began as a college student at Indiana University, where she became involved with the IU Dance Marathon. After graduation, she continued that work through the Chicago Dance Marathon, benefiting Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. For nearly nine years, she served on its executive board, helping with fundraising, sponsorships and communications.
It was through that work that Kadi met a young girl named Mia who was battling pediatric brain cancer. Mia was courageous, funny and unapologetically herself, and she left an indelible mark on Kadi. When Mia died in October 2017 at just seven years old, Kadi began searching for a way to carry her memory forward.
She found it in running, and Kadi ran her first Chicago Marathon in Mia's honor, raising money and awareness for pediatric brain cancer at Lurie Children's. In the process, she discovered a philosophy that would come to define her relationship with the sport: “I don’t have to run. I get to run. And if I am going to run, I am going to give deep meaning to every mile.”
Since then, Kadi has completed seven marathons around the world, repeatedly turning the miles she gets to run into opportunities to raise awareness and support causes serving children and families.
"I don’t have to run. I get to run. And if I am going to run, I am going to give deep meaning to every mile.”
Running for Danny
Eventually, Kadi's philanthropic journey led her to the Danny Did Foundation. The organization was founded in 2010 by Mike and Mariann Stanton after their four-year-old son, Danny, died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). Its mission includes raising awareness of epilepsy and SUDEP, improving education and communication, expanding access to seizure-detection and alerting technology, and helping prevent seizure-related deaths.
The connection was also close to home, as Danny grew up in the same Chicago neighborhood as Kadi's husband. For the past three years, Kadi has served as co-chair of the foundation's annual Evening of Hearts & Hugs, its cornerstone fundraising event. Her involvement goes well beyond attaching her name to the cause, and she helps cultivate sponsors, engage supporters, shape the event experience, amplify family stories and introduce new people to the Danny Did community.
In 2026, she returned as co-chair for the 17th annual event, describing one of her favorite parts as watching longtime supporters bring friends, family members, neighbors and colleagues into the Danny Did community for the first time. This is an important distinction because Kadi isn't only raising money for a cause. She's expanding the community surrounding it.
A Marathon of Service
Naturally, running became part of Kadi's work with Danny Did, too. She has run the Chicago Marathon as a member of Team Danny Did, using the race to raise funds and awareness for epilepsy and SUDEP. In reflecting publicly on her running, Kadi said the sport has taught her lessons about resilience, consistency and community while giving her a way to add meaning to her miles.
But her philanthropic footprint extends well beyond one organization. Her volunteer experience includes years supporting the American Cancer Society, Children with Cancer UK, Indiana University Dance Marathon and Chicago Dance Marathon. Even when a cause isn't her own, she's quick to lend her creativity and connections.
The person who nominated Kadi for the Impact Hero Award described how Kadi embraced Wild Tunes, a nonprofit founded by the nominator's 10-year-old son to bring musical enrichment to shelter animals, offering ideas, relationships and creative support. It's a pattern that has followed Kadi throughout her life: find a cause, build a community around it and invite others in.
More Than a Finish Line
Kadi's story isn't ultimately about the number of marathons she's completed or events she's helped organize. It's about what she chooses to do with the opportunities in front of her. Loss introduced Kadi to causes she never expected to champion. Instead of allowing those stories to end there, she has carried them forward through races, fundraisers, conversations and communities that help families feel seen and supported.
The Danny Did Foundation takes its name from the final words of Danny Stanton's obituary: "Please go and enjoy your life. Danny did." Kadi has taken that message to heart. She runs because she gets to run. She serves because she gets to serve. And mile after mile, she uses the life she gets to live to honor the lives and stories of others. For Kadi, the impact reaches far beyond the finish line.
About Kadi
Kadi Mancuso Rice is Vice President of Leasing and Marketing at Tailwind Group and a lifelong advocate for causes supporting children and families. From her early involvement with dance marathons to completing seven marathons in support of charitable causes, Kadi has made philanthropy a consistent part of her life. Today, she serves as co-chair of the Danny Did Foundation's annual Evening of Hearts & Hugs, helping raise awareness and support for families affected by epilepsy and SUDEP.
Grace Hill’s Impact Hero Awards Program recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to help others and make a difference in their local community. Learn more.
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