Service Spotlight: Tumor Tactics

Welcome to another edition of #ServiceSpotlight with The Smile Project where we share incredible stories of people doing incredible things in their communities. This week, we are thrilled to share the story of Daniel Zhang, the co-founder and CEO of Tumor Tactics and the National President of STEAMLabs in San Diego, CA. Shoutout to our friends at Matt’s Kindness Ripples On for the connection!  

Liz: Let’s start in traditional Smile Project fashion. Give us a Happiness!

Daniel: Happiness is watching a kid's face light up the moment science stops feeling intimidating and starts feeling like something that belongs to them.

Liz: What is your project/organization?

Daniel: Tumor Tactics is an educational card game about cancer biology, designed for players ages 10 and up. Each player takes on the role of a doctor racing to be the first to fully treat their cancer patient, making real decisions about treatments like chemotherapy, surgery, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, while navigating complications like drug resistance, tumor mutations, and unexpected side effects. Every card in the game is grounded in real oncology, but written in a way that's genuinely approachable for elementary and middle schoolers. We've assembled 100 game kits so far, completed our first in-school workshop at Deer Canyon Elementary in San Diego, and are working toward getting 500 kits into classrooms and communities by the end of the summer. Ten percent of all proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society.

Tumor Tactics is a project of STEAMLabs International, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit I co-founded in 2024 with the mission of bringing hands-on STEAM education to underserved communities across the country. We've grown to 11 chapters in 7 states and have directly impacted over 1,000 students through science nights, school workshops, and summer programs.

Liz: What is the driving force behind what you do?

Daniel: My grandmother raised me, and when I was nine years old, she was diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer. I watched her go in and out of the hospital for eight months. I watched her get weaker and weaker, even though the treatments were supposed to be making her better. And I didn't understand any of it. I didn't understand what chemotherapy was doing to her body, why she was losing her hair, why she was so exhausted all the time when the doctors seemed to think things were moving in the right direction. No one explained it to me, and I was too young to know what questions to even ask.

Tumor Tactics was born from that experience, and from the realization that I was not alone in it. Millions of kids grow up watching grandparents, parents, or siblings go through cancer treatment, and yet most school curricula don't touch the subject until late high school or even college, by which point that early spark of curiosity has often already faded. Cancer gets treated as this big, terrifying, unspeakable thing, when in reality it's a disease that doctors understand deeply and treat every single day. We wanted to pull back the curtain on that, to show kids what oncologists are actually weighing when they decide between treatment options, why certain therapies work on some tumors and not others, what side effects mean, and why they happen. The game doesn't simplify the science. It just makes it accessible at the age when kids are actually living alongside it.

Liz: What does service mean to you?

Daniel: Service, to me, is filling a gap you noticed because you've stood in it yourself. The most meaningful work I've done has never been driven by someone telling me it was important. It's been driven by experiencing a very specific absence and deciding to do something about it. I think that distinction matters, because it's what makes service feel less like a project and more like a responsibility you carry forward on behalf of the people who shaped you.

Liz: How can people get involved?

Daniel: Visit our website! You can learn about the game, download the full rulebook and playmat for free to print and play at home, or purchase the full physical deck for $19.99 with free shipping. We're also in the process of setting up a donation page, and 100% of all donations go directly toward free Tumor Tactics kits for Title I schools in San Diego. We are also setting up a dedicated Tumor Tactics Instagram, so stay tuned! You can also reach out to us directly at: playtumortactics@gmail.com

And, we invite you to follow our sister organization STEAMLabs International on Instagram: @steamlabs_official.

Liz: Anything else you'd like to add?

Daniel: I'll just say that this project grew out of personal grief, but it's been shaped into something real by the generosity of people like Jackie (of Matt’s Kindness Ripples On) and the community that's formed around Matt's legacy. Being connected to The Smile Project through her feels like exactly the kind of ripple effect that work like this is supposed to create, and I'm really glad it found its way to you.

Liz: Do you have a favorite quote or piece of advice to leave us with?

Daniel: "Flourishing isn't just about what roots you. It's about helping others find their roots too."