Cynthia Bissett Germanotta is President of Born This Way Foundation, which she co-founded with her daughter Lady Gaga in 2012, with the goal of supporting the wellness of young people and empowering them to build a kinder, braver world. Under Cynthia's leadership, Born This Way Foundation has connected with tens of thousands of young people across the country and around the world, launched innovative youth-focused programming, and conducted cutting edge research to improve the understanding of mental wellness. Cynthia, Lady Gaga, and Born This Way Foundation have been the recipient of numerous honors from organizations including the National Council for Behavioral Health, the Family Online Safety Institute, the National Association of School Psychologists, the Anti-Defamation League, Teachers College - Columbia University, and Logo. Cynthia is a former telecommunications executive whose career in sales & management spanned twenty-five years. A graduate of West Virginia University, she went on to earn her Masters Degree in Public Administration from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Cynthia was born and raised in West Virginia and now resides in New York City.