About Shaping Foundations
Shaping Foundations was founded by four empathetic high school students—Anirudh Koneru, Pooja Shah, Cayla Xue, and Liesha Yenduri—who first learned about rare diseases at Woodbridge Academy, a biomedical magnet school. Moved by the stories of patients and the lack of awareness among healthcare professionals, they founded Shaping Foundations in 2020 to advocate for, raise awareness about, and fundraise for rare diseases. Based in Middlesex County, NJ, Shaping Foundations aims to involve youth and communities everywhere in making a difference for those affected by rare diseases. The journey has just begun, and they invite others to join them in their mission to bring hope and change.
‘Rare’ may imply a minority, but the 30 million Americans battling rare diseases comprise almost 10% of our population. 1 in 10 Americans in your community are fighting rare disease with limited support. At Shaping Foundations, we are dedicated to promoting rare disease awareness in our global community. It is our responsibility to show them that there are people out there to support them, and acknowledging them on Rare Disease Day through lights is the least we can do. As such, we are lighting up notable buildings across the United States and continuing to share rare disease narratives for Rare Disease Day. Previously, we also participated in the Rare Disease Day Blackout.
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