Shining Brightly

In Shining Brightly, Silicon Valley pioneer, cancer survivor and interfaith peacemaker Howard Brown shares keys to resilience for successful entrepreneurs, patient advocates and community leaders. He shows us how to reach out through our families, our communities and around the world to form truly supportive connections and friendships. From Howard’s career as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, to his conquering metastatic stage IV cancer twice, to his compassionate outreach as a peacemaker, to his love of sports — this ultimately is not one man’s story. Shining Brightly is a story shared by countless men and women — and may wind up changing your life as well. With each true story he tells in the pages, Howard invites readers to picture how they might join him in shining more light in our world.

“Howard Brown — like one of his mentors, Roger Babson — is truly an ‘angelic troublemaker’ in this work. He seeks to have us face our lives with complete clarity and kindness. Much good can be gained from reading Shining Brightly.”

From the Foreword by Robert J. Wicks, author of Bounce: Living the Resilient Life

“Howard is a wonderful example of a most worthy descendant of Abraham, showing genuine care and hospitality, serving the well-being of his community and other communities, connecting these to one another in mutual respect and bringing blessing to humanity at large.”

From the Afterword by Rabbi David Rosen, International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee

“Shining Brightly is a testimony to storytelling as the most effective way to teach and learn. Howard Brown shares a triumphant journey of overcoming challenges and creating a better world.”

Stephen Spinelli, Jr., President of Babson College

“As a mentor in our American Association for Cancer Research Scientist-Survivor Program, Howard motivates everyone to build mutually beneficial relationships that educate, inspire and ultimately heal. Shining Brightly offers a compelling landscape of possibilities for cancer patients, survivors and indeed anyone who wants to become their best self!”

Anna D. Barker, Co-Founder, AACR Scientist-Survivor Program

“Shining Brightly is Howard’s testament to the transformative power of mentorship. Howard exemplifies the efforts our mentors make to transform the lives of youth, and how in some special cases they go above and beyond and become family for life.”

Cari Uslan, CEO of Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles

“‘Together we can shape history.’ That’s a core belief that animates longtime interfaith bridge-builder par excellence, Howard Brown. The global challenges are so profound that we need all hands-on deck. Shining Brightly, shows how one person, despite facing life-threatening challenges, can help to heal our troubled world by reaching out to other communities at home and abroad. That makes this book such timely and valuable reading.”

David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee

Author Biography

Howard Brown was an author, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, interfaith peacemaker, two-time stage IV cancer survivor and healthcare advocate. Howard was known for his upbeat, funny, and caring personality. He loved being on the basketball court with his friends more than any place in the world, besides maybe with his family at Ogunquit Beach, ME. Howard grew up in Framingham, MA alongside people who would become lifelong friends and where he played basketball for Framingham South. After publishing his memoir, Shining Brightly, Howard often said his favorite chapter in the book was about the joy of playing basketball.Howard earned his degree from Babson College, famous for its entrepreneurial studies program. He served as President for the Alumni Association and helped aspiring high school graduates find a place on campus under the big globe. Howard was first diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after he started his first technology job in Ohio at age 23. An aggressive cancer forced him to retreat home and seek care at Dana Farber. His life was saved by a bone marrow transplant from his twin sister. The marrow would prolong his life for 35 years. In those years, he established himself as a Silicon Valley pioneer in sales of new media, got married and had a “miracle child,” all of which are vivid chapters in his memoir.At age 50, Howard was diagnosed with colon cancer. In his fight, he became known to friends around the world simply as “#HBStrong” and found his footing and solace in the COLONTOWN community. After beating that cancer, Howard dedicated his life to helping other cancer patients by advocating and offering support whenever possible. Howard eventually served as Board Chair Emeritus for PALTOWN, the organization that manages COLONTOWN. And, Howard transformed his struggles into positive media messages from his memoir to a weekly podcast, recording 113 episodes that were downloaded over 350,000 thousand times.At 58, Howard was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia-his third battle with extremely aggressive cancer. He returned to Boston for the final time and received treatment from his original oncologist. This time, the disease proved too much to bear for his body. On May 29, 2025, Howard Brown, son of Marshall and Nancy Brown, twin brother of Cheryl, and father to Emily, died at his parents’ home in Framingham, MA. Howard’s spirit now lives on through the many friends whose lives he inspired through the decades. Dr. Robert J. Wicks received his doctorate in psychology from Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital and is Professor Emeritus, Loyola University Maryland. Dr. Wicks has lectured on the importance of resilience, self-care, the prevention of secondary stress, and maintaining a healthy perspective in 20 different countries around the world as well as at the Mayo Clinic, Harvard Divinity School and on Capitol Hill to members of Congress. He has written and edited dozens of books, including Bounce: Living the Resilient Life and Riding the Dragon: 10 Lessons for Inner Strength in Challenging Times. Rabbi David Rosen KSG CBE, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, is the Jerusalem-based International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee. Awards for his interfaith work have included decorations from Queen Elizabeth II, the Archbishop of Canterbury and a Papal knighthood.