For Liz Benditt, cancer has been part of life for more than a decade. A six-time cancer survivor, Liz has experienced firsthand the physical and emotional challenges that come with treatment and recovery. She also knows what it feels like to receive well-meaning gifts that do not necessarily address what a cancer patient actually needs.
That experience ultimately inspired Liz to create The Balm Box, an Overland Park business that provides thoughtful, functional care packages designed specifically for people going through cancer treatment and recovery.
From Personal Experience to a Business With Purpose
Liz’s first experience with cancer came in 2009, diagnosed with melanoma, followed by additional diagnoses over the years, including breast cancer, thyroid cancer and basal cell carcinoma. Her most recent cancer diagnosis was in 2025.
Her experience with breast cancer in 2017 was particularly influential in shaping the idea behind The Balm Box. After undergoing a lumpectomy and 35 rounds of radiation, Liz knew firsthand how difficult treatment could be.
Friends and family wanted to help, but many of the gifts she received were the traditional cancer-support items: flowers, teddy bears and pink-themed merchandise.
What she really needed were practical things that could make treatment and recovery a little more comfortable.
“What I really needed were burn salves and an ice pack that wouldn’t leak through my clothes,” she continued. “I wanted lotion and stuff to do, because I was tired and couldn’t function – my brain was broken – but you’re still awake. It’s not like I’m sleeping 12 hours a day,” Liz explained in her interview with Startland News.
That realization stayed with her. She began thinking about how she could create something that gave people the opportunity to help while providing cancer patients with things they could actually use.
Closing the Gap Between What Patients Need and What They Receive
Liz eventually conducted a survey to better understand what cancer patients wanted and needed during treatment. The results confirmed what she had experienced herself: there was a significant gap between the types of gifts people purchased and the things patients found most useful.
The Balm Box was created to help close that gap.
The care packages are filled with practical products selected to support people through different stages of treatment and recovery, including:
- Blankets and comfortable items for rest and recovery
- Scent-free lotion and cuticle oil
- Lip balm
- Anti-nausea acupressure wristbands
- Seat-belt pillows
- Coloring books and pencils
- Sweat-free ice packs
- Products designed to help with common treatment side effects
- Patent-pending surgical drain holders developed by Liz after her own breast surgery (see photo below)
Liz says patients consistently rate functional items such as lotion and blankets significantly higher than traditional gifts such as teddy bears and tote bags.
The goal isn’t simply to send a box of products. It’s to let someone going through cancer know that another person understands what they’re experiencing.
Building The Balm Box in Overland Park
Liz officially launched The Balm Box in fall 2020, but the idea had been developing for years. She had already been saving to launch the business when the COVID-19 pandemic changed the trajectory of her career.
After being laid off in 2020 and beginning to teach at the University of Kansas, Liz decided the time was right to make the leap into entrepreneurship.
The business initially operated out of her home, growing from a guest room to the garage and eventually the dining room. As The Balm Box continued to grow, Liz moved the business into an office space in Overland Park in 2024.
That growth is a reflection not only of the need for The Balm Box’s products, but of Liz’s background as an entrepreneur and marketing professional.
With more than 25 years of professional experience, Liz has worked with brands including Hallmark, SONIC Drive-In, Blue Bunny Ice Cream, Mattel Toys, Walt Disney World and Bluetooth. She also earned an MBA and teaches undergraduate business marketing courses at the University of Kansas.
Today, she brings that experience to a business built around something much more personal.
A Business That Keeps Evolving
The Balm Box continues to grow and evolve as Liz looks for new ways to support cancer patients and expand the company’s reach.
One example is the company’s patent-pending surgical drain holders, which Liz developed after her own breast surgery in 2023. Rather than accepting the challenges she encountered as simply part of the cancer experience, she saw an opportunity to create a better solution for others facing the same situation.
Liz Benditt holding up her patent-pending surgical drain holders for breast cancer patients.
That combination of personal experience, research and innovation is at the heart of The Balm Box.
Liz recently became one of four national finalists in the Verizon Small Business Super Pitch competition, earning the opportunity to pitch her business in a Shark Tank-style competition and win tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
For Liz, the opportunity is about more than the prize. It’s another chance to share the story of The Balm Box and represent the Kansas City region on a national stage.
As she looks ahead, Liz hopes to continue growing The Balm Box, explore opportunities to acquire an East Coast competitor and establish partnerships with local hospitals for the company’s surgical drain holders.
Making a Difference, One Box at a Time
Six cancer diagnoses have given Liz an unusual perspective on entrepreneurship. She understands the problem she’s trying to solve because she has lived it herself.
But The Balm Box is also an example of how personal experience can become a source of innovation and impact. What began as an idea shaped by Liz’s own treatment journey, has grown into an Overland Park business helping people across the country navigate one of life’s most difficult seasons.
And at the center of every box is a simple goal: helping someone feel a little more understood, supported and seen.
Visit The Balm Box online to learn more about its care packages and products for cancer patients and their loved ones.
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