Care.com Ceo's Personal Loss Inspires Empathy and Risk-taking

WHO:

Fast Company - Brad Wilson is the CEO of Care.com.

Fast Company - Ashley Wilson is Brad Wilson's wife.

Fast Company - The couple has three children aged 10, 12, and 13.

WHAT:

Fast Company - Brad Wilson became CEO of Care.com in June 2023.

Fast Company - Ashley Wilson was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer.

Fast Company - Ashley Wilson passed away in 2024, 14 months after her diagnosis.

Fast Company - Care.com was founded in 2006 and was acquired by Barry Diller’s IAC in 2020.

Fast Company - Care.com was sold to Pacific Avenue Capital Partners earlier in 2023.

Fast Company - Care.com offers services including senior care, pet sitting, housekeeping, and tutoring.

Fast Company - Care.com has enhanced verification for families and caregivers and launched in-app video interviewing.

WHERE:

Fast Company - Care.com is an online caregiving marketplace.

WHEN:

Fast Company - Brad Wilson began interviewing for the CEO position in January 2023.

Fast Company - Ashley Wilson was diagnosed with cancer in January 2023.

Fast Company - Brad Wilson became CEO of Care.com in June 2023.

Fast Company - Ashley Wilson died in 2024.

WHY:

Fast Company - Brad Wilson and his wife decided he should continue pursuing the CEO role to show their children they were living and fighting through the illness.

Fast Company - Wilson's personal experience with caregiving deepened his understanding of the needs of families using Care.com.

HOW:

Fast Company - Wilson managed his wife's medical appointments and their children's schedules while utilizing Care.com for household support.

Fast Company - Wilson has become an advocate for caregiving policy in boardrooms and encourages CEOs to consider care-related benefits in their evaluations.

(UPDATED July 20, 2026 12:38 UTC)

Brad Wilson is the CEO of Care.com, a position he took on in June 2023, following a personal journey that included managing his wife Ashley's stage 4 kidney cancer diagnosis in January of that year. Tragically, Ashley passed away in 2024, just 14 months after her diagnosis, leaving behind their three children aged 10, 12, and 13. Throughout this challenging time, Wilson not only balanced his family responsibilities but also became an advocate for caregiving policies, emphasizing the importance of care-related benefits in corporate environments.