Britta McKenna, founder and president of Breast Cancer MyStory, Inc. is no stranger to being an entrepreneur in both the profit and non-profit worlds. Britta was co-owner of the Fox River Outdoor Store riverside in downtown Batavia in the mid 1990's with husband, Steve, which took her through the journey from retail start-up to liquidation four years later. Britta was a founder of the Batavia Parks Foundation, as well as IMSA Kids Institute at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. She also worked as Executive Director of Batavia MainStreet for seven years managing downtown Batavia and leading downtown business recruitment and retention efforts.

Britta's "Builder" and "Innovator" BOSI DNA profile extends to her volunteer side where she helped build the Batavia Riverwalk, was project manager for the recent Riverwalk band shell project, serves on the Batavia Community Garden as Treasurer and is now assisting with the upcoming Riverwalk boardwalk renovation project.

Britta's newest chapter of her entrepreneurial story moves online with a website she started during her breast cancer treatments.  DCICMyStory.com began one year ago to document gaps of information, provide resources and blog about her personal experiences with ductal carcinoma in situ, a stage 0 breast cancer. Today, and over 16,000 hits later, the vision expands with the help of IL SBDC at Waubonsee and the Fox Valley Entrepreneurship Center, where she is also a board member.

Under the guidance of a strategic SBDC team, Britta is expanding the scope of her first site, dcismystory.com by launching a second site, breastcancermystory.org this month in honor of breast cancer awareness.

Britta comments on her assistance from SBDC: "Having a third party take a critical look at my mission, vision and business plan made all the difference. They were able to help me focus on my strengths and to provide the solid direction and thoughtful feedback I needed to move from concept to creation."

The passion to help others affected by breast cancer is evident in the personal nature in which Britta hosts visitors on her two sites. Britta explains that the purpose of Breast Cancer MyStory is to provide a soft online space when the hard diagnosis of breast cancer hits.

As part of her October website launch, Britta announced their national search for breast cancer patients/survivors to represent their type of breast cancer on the site. The goal is to share stories of inspiration and hope for the newly diagnosed as well as to be a place breast cancer survivors can visit whenever they need to connect with someone who understands.

The ball is quickly gaining momentum for Breast Cancer MyStory. Britta is headed to Tampa, FL this month to partner with Toffee to Go, is walking in ACS "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer", and is co-sponsoring Little Company of Mary's "Behind the Scenes with Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Care," free event on Thursday November 26 in Evergreen Park. Knowing Britta, that's just a start.

Britta gives three tips to budding entrepreneurs:

1. Make your passion and purpose meet, for there is no greater fuel for entrepreneurs.

2. Develop and use your business plan as an ongoing reality check.

3. Don't be afraid to seek help or an outside opinion from organizations like SBDC or FVEC.

Britta invites people to visit her sites, but more importantly to share these websites to those newly diagnosed with breast cancer and all those affected by a disease that strikes 1 in 8 women in their lifetime.