Tommy DeRoia Success Foundation – President

Our President, Rose DeRoia, is a licensed pharmacist and also serves as a board member for another recovery-focused nonprofit organization, Unicorns & Polka Dots.

Since 2016, Rose has continually refined her approach to engaging with individuals in recovery, their families, lawmakers, and broader communities impacted by addiction. Through the powerful lens of personal experience, she has shared her and Tommy’s story across a wide range of platforms—including schools, universities, courtrooms, podcasts, healthcare settings, correctional facilities, corporations, and public forums.

Each engagement is thoughtfully tailored to resonate with its specific audience, maximizing the impact of our mission: to support those whom the world often misunderstands.

Featured Media & Educational Content

  • Hope Village YouTube Channel Highlight — “Rose and Tommy: The Devastating Effects of Stigma”
  • Podcast Appearances:
    • Chronic Curiosity, Episode #24 with Lisa Arnold
    • Cleveland Thrive Peer Support Podcast
  • Developed & Co-led a four-part educational series on addiction for Cardinal Health employees

Academic & Institutional Engagements

  • Recurring Guest Lecturer at Case Western Reserve University, Graduate School of Social Work — Addiction and Overdose Deaths
  • Keynote Speaker at StellaFest 2024, hosted by Stella Maris, Cleveland’s oldest rehabilitation facility
  • Invited Speaker at Kenyon College for the “Opioid Crisis Roundtable”
  • Featured Presenter to the Cleveland Clinic Medical Staff
  • Panelist/Speaker for the Catholic Medical Association of Cleveland on community addiction issues
  • Presenter at the Mental Health Conference at NeoCOM in Rootstown, OH

Community Outreach & Advocacy

  • Recurring Speaker at Grafton Correctional Institution & Reintegration Center, addressing incarcerated individuals
  • Monthly Speaker at numerous addiction recovery centers, including:
    • Stella Maris
    • New Day Recovery
    • Parkman Recovery
    • First Step Recovery
    • Safe Harbour
    • Glenbeigh
    • Rays Recovery
    • Midwest Rehab…and others
  • Keynote Speaker at the Unicorns & Polka Dots Kickoff Event at The Music Box, Cleveland
  • Recognized Speaker at Waves of Awareness 2024 — Cleveland’s largest addiction epidemic awareness event
  • Invited Presenter at State Farm’s “Good Decision Week”, speaking in Cleveland-area schools
  • Guest Speaker for Cornerstone of Hope clinical staff on addiction-related topics
  • Participant in the Portage County Roundtable with Senator Rob Portman — “Addiction in Our Community”
  • Speaker at an Ohio Department of Commerce event in Cleveland for financial professionals: “How Addiction Impacts Finances”