From Invisible Patient to Powerful Advocate: How Victoria Reese Brathwaite Built We Are ILL After Her MS Diagnosis Left Her Without Answers
When Victoria Reese Brathwaite was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2012, she felt invisible. Her questions went unanswered. Her symptoms were dismissed. And she couldn't see herself reflected anywhere in the healthcare system or the MS community. As a Black woman navigating a chronic illness, she was searching for representation, validation, and practical support. She found none of it.
So she created it herself.
Victoria founded We Are ILL, a 501(c)(3) patient advocacy organization with a mission to redefine what "sick" looks like for Black women living with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. What started as simply sharing her own story grew into a movement to make sure Black women are seen, supported, and equipped to thrive. Today, We Are ILL champions representation in research, advocacy, and education, tackling a gap that had existed far too long in the chronic disease space.
But Victoria didn't stop there. She's also the CEO of Victor Group Creative, a strategic healthcare marketing agency that consults health and wellness organizations on how to authentically reach and connect with diverse audiences through culturally conscious marketing campaigns, brand strategy, and physical event production. As a trusted consultant, she provides expert guidance on patient involvement in publications and research projects, playing a pivotal role in reshaping how information is presented and shared in the medical community.
An award-winning entrepreneur and sought-after public speaker, Victoria captivates audiences with compelling presentations that shed light on the importance of patient engagement and empowerment. Her thought-provoking talks inspire healthcare professionals, researchers, and decision-makers to reevaluate their practices and embrace patient-centered models of care. She's become a leading authority in patient engagement, showing up for her community and bringing more representation to research, advocacy, and education surrounding chronic disease.
In this conversation, Victoria shares how her personal experience of feeling invisible transformed into a mission to amplify patient voices, the challenges she faced building trust in a historically overlooked community while managing her own health, and how she's built a sustainable nonprofit using a hybrid funding model that includes grants, corporate sponsorships, and earned income.
What inspired you to found We Are ILL and what were the main challenges you faced?
I founded We Are ILL after my own MS diagnosis left me feeling invisible—my questions went unanswered, my symptoms dismissed, and I couldn’t see myself reflected anywhere. What started as sharing my story grew into a movement to make sure Black women living with MS and other autoimmune diseases are seen, supported, and equipped to thrive. The biggest challenges were building trust in a community that’s historically overlooked, securing funding without a roadmap, and balancing rapid growth with my own health—but those hurdles shaped the resilient, impact-driven organization we are today.
Did you start the venture alone?
I did found We Are ILL on my own, but I’ve never truly built it alone. From the very beginning, incredible people and leaders have stepped in with guidance, expertise, and resources that shaped our growth. Today I’m fortunate to work with an excellent team that fully understands the vision and continues to make powerful contributions as we expand our impact.
What's your business model, and how have you grown your revenue?
Nonprofits can be funded in many ways—grants, corporate sponsorships, individual donations, membership dues, or earned income like ticketed events or trainings. Most sustainable organizations, including ours, use a hybrid approach to diversify revenue and ensure we can weather changes in the funding landscape.
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