Debra Meyerson and Steve Zuckerman co-founded Stroke Onward in 2019, and currently serve as volunteer co-chairs of this nonprofit organization. Stroke Onward’s mission is to ensure stroke survivors, families, and caregivers have the resources they need to successfully navigate the emotional journey critical to rebuilding their identities and rewarding lives.
Debra Meyerson is an author, advocate, and a professor at Stanford University Graduate School of Education. Prior to her stroke in 2010, Debra’s academic work focused on feminism, diversity, identity, and organizational change. More on her selected publications here. Debra’s most recent book, Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves after Stroke (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2019) helps stroke survivors and those closest to them think about the process of rebuilding identities after trauma, and navigate the emotional journey that she has found very difficult—and rewarding. Debra is also published in World Neurosurgery where she advocates for rebuilding identity in stroke recovery. In addition to her work with Stroke Onward and her ongoing rehabilitation therapy, Debra currently serves on the board of the Pacific Stroke Association (PSA), the BU Sargent Clinical Advisory Board, and the Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Aphasia Stakeholder Advisory Board (University of Pittsburgh). Debra received her B.S. and M.S. from M.I.T. and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Stanford University.
Steve Zuckerman is Debra’s husband, carepartner, and an unnamed co-author of Identity Theft. He leads the development of Stroke Onward and remains employed part-time as President of Self-Help Federal Credit Union and Senior Advisor to Self-Help’s west coast operations, which he launched in 2006. Self-Help is a nationally recognized nonprofit whose mission is to create and protect ownership and economic opportunity for underserved communities. Steve’s prior work experience includes leadership roles in both private equity and consulting. Throughout his career, he has served on numerous nonprofit boards supporting economic, social and health justice, including Tides Foundation, Positive Coaching Alliance, and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, and currently serves on the BU Sargent Clinical Advisory Board and the ACT for Aphasia Stakeholder Advisory Board (University of Pittsburgh). Steve earned a BA from Yale University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.