Tim McDonald is a stage IV colorectal cancer survivor who transformed one of life's most difficult chapters into a mission to empower others. His debut book, From Patient to Advocate: Turning Survivorship Into Impact, draws on his own journey from diagnosis to active advocacy — offering a roadmap for patients and caregivers who want to turn their experience into meaningful change.

A Research Advocate with Fight Colorectal Cancer and the Florida Chapter Leader for Man Up to Cancer, Tim serves on patient advisory councils with HOPA and the PAN Foundation. He hosts the Advocacy at Work podcast and Substack newsletter, where he brings together healthcare leaders, researchers, and fellow advocates to explore the evolving landscape of patient advocacy.

By day, Tim brings more than 17 years of community management experience to his work at Raptive, helping creators build engaged audiences. He is the founder of My Community Manager and a former community leader at HuffPost. He has spoken internationally — including in Denmark and Warsaw — on the intersection of community, storytelling, and advocacy.

Tim lives in the Tampa Bay area with his wife and believes that every patient has a story worth telling — and the potential to make it matter.