About Moving Hearts

Kelly Perkins Moving Hearts Foundation is a nationally recognized 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, EIN 26-4598076. The foundation is located in Laguna Beach, California, USA. The website is www.movinghearts.org.

Moving Hearts was born in 2009 by heart recipient Kelly Perkins and her husband Craig. Kelly’s post-transplant climbs around the world personify the spirit of living, inspiring and educating people from all walks of life on the value of good health and a purposeful future. The Foundation’s rallying cry is to Move Hearts, both literally and figuratively.

Since 1996, before Moving Hearts Foundation was formed, Kelly and Craig have been working tirelessly with kids/adults, hospitals, foundations, communities, doctors, and major pharmaceutical companies from all over to make a difference. Support for their high-profile projects has come from a variety of generous individuals as well as corporate sponsors, primarily Astellas (formerly Fujisawa), as well as others including Bristol-Myers Squibb and Roche Pharmaceuticals.

The staunchest supporters of any movement are those who have witnessed or been personally touched by its mission. The challenge is to inspire others to reach that same level of commitment so they too recognize and are moved by the value of their contribution.

To reach the masses, the Foundation recognizes we have to do more than just share our message, but show our message, ultimately taking the exposure of organ donation from a fleeting media bounce to a tangible mainstream movement. Kelly and Craig have laid the groundwork for this type of change, as evidenced through their activities captured in various media venues around the world including print (newspapers and magazines), radio, television, and virally (social networking sites). Their ongoing commitment, along with your support, will take participation to new heights.

Kelly is a heart transplant recipient and mountain climber. In 1992, she was diagnosed with viral (idiopathic) cardiomyopathy, which led to congestive heart failure and a heart transplant in 1995. Despite the fact that her donor heart functions differently than her native heart, Kelly continued to pursue her passion for climbing, using each ascent to help shift perceptions of transplantation and inspire participation in organ, blood, and tissue donation. In October of 2025, nearly 30 years after her first heart transplant, Kelly successfully underwent a second heart transplant, further deepening her unique perspective on longevity, resilience, and life after transplantation.

Kelly has climbed such notable mountains as Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Matterhorn, Mt. Fuji, Half Dome, and El Capitan, just to name a few. Remarkably, all of these climbs were completed with her first donor heart, prior to her second heart transplant in October of 2025, underscoring the extraordinary longevity and strength of that original gift of life.

Kelly is a real estate agent in Laguna Beach, California, where she specializes in coastal properties. She is also an internationally recognized advocate for organ, blood, and tissue donor awareness and a sought-after speaker for both private and public organizations. She is the author of The Climb of My Life (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007) and was the co-founder and “heartbeat” behind HydraCoach, Inc., the first portable interactive fluid monitor designed to coach personal hydration needs.

Kelly has been featured in media outlets worldwide, including NPR, CNN, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Self magazine, NBC News’ The Today Show, Oprah & Friends with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Good Morning America, and many others. She studied Health Sciences at the University of Oregon before earning a B.A. in Lifestyle Health from San Francisco State University.

Craig is a veteran heart transplant caregiver and avid outdoor enthusiast who brings a personal commitment to the foundation that compliments the organization’s “moving” mission.

Craig is currently the VP of Data Operations at Imagine This based in Irvine California. He has been a veteran salesman in the Orange County area since the mid 1980’s, starting as a commercial real estate broker in the Newport Beach office of Grubb & Ellis. In early 1997 he joined Overnite Express, a then young entrepreneurial “regional” shipping company, and helped grow their sales up to and through their acquisition by Norco Delivery Services in 2008. Craig held a variety of leadership positions at each of the respective companies including VP of Strategic Sales, Director of Sales & Marketing, and Senior Account Executive. In 2016 Craig invented and co-founded Tele-Stake, the first car friendly, height adjustable directional sign stake that rotates 360° out of a need to help Kelly’s growing real estate business. In 2001 he founded HydraCoach, where he invented and patented the first portable interactive fluid device designed to monitor proper hydration in medical and athletic applications. His HydraCoach product is sold around the world. In 1994, Craig founded CraKel Publications where he wrote and published the Personal Health-Care Organizer, a workbook for patients and caregivers managing chronic illnesses.

As a result of Craig’s personal experiences, he has become a global crusader for organ and blood donation. In addition to appearing on multiple television programs, as well as in magazines and newspapers, Craig and his wife are sought after speakers by private and public organizations. Craig earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a minor in Business in 1983 from the University of San Francisco. He resides in Laguna Beach, California where he has been happily married to Kelly since 1987. Traveling the world, climbing mountains and living a purposeful existence are just a few of the characteristics that make up Craig’s zest for life.

Lou was a human resources management major at the University of San Francisco, graduating in 1983. His academic and extra-curricular contributions earned him a nomination to the Alpha Sigma Nu Honors Society at USF. Mr. Dumont moved to Los Angeles to study law at Pepperdine Law School, earning his law degree in 1986.

Over the years, Mr. Dumont has gained valuable experience in defending liability claims on behalf of both governmental entities and insurance carriers. He has also been involved in handling environmental litigation concerning asbestos and toxic chemicals, as well as matters involving business, real estate and family law.

Mr. Dumont is currently licensed with the State Bar of California and the United States District Court. He is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association, and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel. He is active as a recruiter and fundraiser for USF and is active working with juvenile delinquents through the L.A. County Bar Association.

Lou resides in the South Bay area with his wife, Elizabeth, and their daughter and son.

Linda is a Pediatric Nurse working in the Emergency Department at Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Previously she worked at Children’s’ Hospital of Orange (CHOC) in Orange, California for 20 years. Linda’s practical experience encompasses all facets of pediatric care including general pediatrics, emergency/trauma, medical/surgical, oncology, and neonatal.

At the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, Jon is Associate Director for Clinical Affairs, Director of Advanced Heart Disease and Director of the Heart Transplant Program. In addition, Dr. Kobashigawa holds the DSL/Thomas D. Gordon Chair in Heart Transplantation Medicine. He is a past President of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation and served as Chairman of the American College of Cardiology Committee on Heart Failure and Transplantation, which has significant influence on the national health policies of the United States. He has published extensively in the field of clinical heart transplantation and has chaired a number of ground-breaking multi-center clinical trials. Currently serving as President of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, Dr. Kobashigawa continues to be at the forefront of new advances in heart transplantation.

After earning his bachelor’s at Stanford University, Dr. Kobashigawa earned his medical degree at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He performed his internship and residency in internal medicine followed by a fellowship in cardiology at the UCLA Medical Center.

Eric N. Marton is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Agentic Healthcare, Inc., a healthcare technology company focused on using intelligent AI to improve the patient experience and support more human centered care delivery. He is also the former Chief Strategy Officer for Verity Health System.

Previously, Eric served as Executive Director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and President of the California Heart Center Foundation.

Eric began his healthcare career in the early ’90s as a managed care contract negotiator representing hospitals and medical groups for the University of California – first with UCSF and later with UCLA.

In 1996, Eric became Executive Director of University Cardiovascular Medical Group (UCMG) at UCLA. While maintaining its busy private practice, UCMG built one of the largest heart transplant and heart failure programs in the world. Among his other responsibilities, Eric regularly consults for healthcare and venture capital organizations and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for several companies. He is also a frequent guest speaker at institutions such as the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA, the Marshall School of Business at USC, and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In 2007, Eric became a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

Lauren is the former President and Chief Ambassador of the Foundation for America’s Blood Centers, which supports the independent blood centers that collect half the U.S. blood supply. She is also the author of the memoir, Zuzu’s Petals: A True Story of Second Chances (In The Telling Press, © 2011), which chronicles her experience with near-fatal preeclampsia. In addition, she has a proven track record as a powerful and compelling speaker and storyteller. Since 2001, she has delivered more than 200 narrative advocacy talks in person, speaking directly to over 55,000 people. She has also given over 220 media interviews, reaching over 6 million people via television, radio, and print.

Prior to becoming a patient advocate/speaker, Lauren Larsen spent eighteen years in the corporate world. Past management roles include vice president of marketing for the 3DO Company, an entertainment software company; vice president of marketing for Thomson Learning, one of the world’s largest educational publishers; director of marketing for Simon & Schuster; and brand manager for The Pepsi-Cola Company. She also worked as an independent marketing consultant for various smaller clients.

Lauren holds a B.A. from the University of Arizona, and an M.B.A. with an emphasis in Marketing from U.C.L.A.’s Anderson School of Management.

In her spare time, she and her husband assist Sudanese political refugees and are currently launching a well-drilling program in the war-torn areas of Southern Sudan. Lauren, Jeff, and daughter Clare live in Boulder, Colorado.