Nancy Davis was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. In 1987, she moved to California and now resides in Los Angeles with her husband and children. She is a dedicated philanthropist, jewelry and clothing designer, and author. Most importantly, she is a full-time mother and raised her five children with incredible devotion. Nancy was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 33 in 1991. After being told by her doctors that she would be “lucky” to operate a remote control on her TV, she realized she was too young and too busy to let the disease stop her life in its tracks. She was determined to devote her time, relationships, and resources to finding a cure. Nancy has tremendous hope, courage, and strength, and is tireless in her efforts to find a cure for MS in her lifetime.
In 1993, she founded the Race to Erase MS, an organization dedicated to funding audacious research through its Center Without Walls program to find a cure for MS. The first Gala fundraising event was an intimate ski getaway weekend in Aspen, Colorado. The Gala then eventually moved to Los Angeles as a spectacular celebrity benefit held annually and celebrated its 30th anniversary this past year. To date, the Race to Erase MS has raised over $56 million for multiple sclerosis research. When Nancy was first diagnosed, there was no known cause, cure, or drugs on the market for MS, and a true lack of hope. There are now 26 FDA-approved drugs to help stop the progression of MS with more exciting therapies coming through the pipeline. Nancy and the foundation are proud to have funded the scientific discoveries that led to the development of the fifteenth drug to receive FDA approval in March of 2017 known as Ocrevus. The studies were carried out over a period of many years at UCSF in work supported by Race to Erase MS. For the young person being diagnosed with MS today, there is so much hope for living a productive lifestyle and eventually finding a cure for MS.
Nancy Davis created her Peace and Love Jewelry line during the production of her 2002 Race to Erase Gala with Tommy Hilfiger. During this time, the world felt turbulent, and she and Tommy decided the theme of the gala event should be Peace & Love to Erase MS. Davis stated, “The feeling was to take us back to a time in our world when peace and love was a simple, powerful message.” The event’s symbol became a heart with a peace sign nestled in the middle. As a thank-you gift to performers Natalie Cole, Donna Summer, and Sela Ward that year, Nancy made necklaces bearing the powerful symbol. Upon seeing the jewelry, many in attendance wanted to learn where they could find more for their family and friends. And thus, Peace & Love Jewelry by Nancy Davis was born. The iconic pieces can be seen on the likes of Halle Berry, Brooke Shields, Nicole Richie, Paris and Nicky Hilton, Sharon and Kelly Osborne, and Avril Lavigne, amongst others. For men, the icon has been interpreted in cufflinks bearing peace signs, Buddhas, and elephants with raised trunks, in 18-karat gold with diamonds. The cufflinks have been seen on personalities including Tommy Hilfiger, Bill Maher, Don Henley, and Elton John amongst others. Peace and Love Jewelry has been featured on QVC and EVINE LIVE. In 2019, Evertalk TV launched her Peace and Love talk show with special guests including Dee and Tommy Hilfiger, Stacey Bendet, Francis Fisher, Anne Heche and Thomas Jane, Allan and David Osmond, and esteemed MS research scientists from her Center Without Walls program at Race to Erase MS.
In 2018, Nancy Davis and her son Jason Davis founded Cure Addiction Now, a foundation dedicated to finding a cure for substance use disorder. It is with great sadness that Jason passed away in February of 2020, but his spirit lives on in his family’s mission to fund ground-breaking research to find therapies to help stop the vicious cycle of substance use disorder and help people not only detox but stay in permanent recovery from addiction. Nancy carefully cultivated the most renowned scientific dream team to find the cause and ultimate cure for substance use disorder. Nancy is committed to revolutionizing the system of how substance use disorders are treated both physically and emotionally. It is a dual diagnosis of addiction and mental health. The evidence is indisputable that one cannot be treated without the other and they go hand-in-hand. The philosophy of CAN is simple – to assemble the most stellar group of scientists in the field to work as a team, communicate, and never duplicate research. She has proven the success of this innovative platform as evidenced by the ground-breaking multiple sclerosis research accomplished at Race to Erase MS.
