Meet Elizabeth Graves | 2x Cancer Survivor & Founder, Graanted

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Graves and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I am a 2x cancer survivor, and I really wanted to see this diagnosis as a gift. The first time I was really overwhelmed by fear and grief. But the second time, I decided to take notes and create a record of all the things I would love to share with someone else. Graanted is born from that effort – no one should have to navigate this alone. So I created a gift registry which allows people to add items that will make their journey a little easier and I have interviewed fellow survivors about the things that helped them on feel better. I also have podcast style interviews that people can watch and learn about other’s experience and those are really helpful for people who have been diagnosed, but also for their best friends, sisters and moms.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My background is in product & technology – working with teams to bring cool technologies to market. So, when I was diagnosed, I looked for a product I could use to help guide my treatment and healing + bonus points if I could share it with family and friends. I really couldn’t find anything like that out in the world. I kept thinking that the whole treatment experience really felt like there were a lot of us going through a dark forest with our flashlights and I wanted a place where all of our flashlights would shine upon each other and we would see how truly NOT alone we really are. So, that is my intention for Graanted – that it becomes this community space for understanding and healing all together. A place to exchange ideas, helpful tools for getting through treatment and direct loved ones to learn about the experience and what to anticipate. A place to talk through how to support our families and keep our energy up.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
An itinerary for families with tween-ish aged kids would look like spending a couple of hours at places like – Wash Park, Skate City, Bowlero and the Rock & Roll Playhouse at the Bluebird theatre.

An itinerary for Mom’s night out would probably include a patio at North, a stop by Kismet in Lowry and a show at Dazzle.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to shoutout a couple of Colorado based organizations that really made a difference on my journey. Sue’s Gift supports women with gynecological cancers and First Descents provides amazing experiences for adolecents and young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Website: https://www.graanted.com

Instagram: @graanted.co

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethgraves-eg/

Image Credits
No image credits – they’re all mine