Food as Medicine Summit

Kofi D. Essel, MD, MPH, FAAP, is the inaugural Food as Medicine Program Director at Elevance Health. As a core member of the Health Outcomes Organization team, he works to coordinate with the broader social impact strategy, health equity, and medical policy initiatives throughout the enterprise. He leads efforts in designing innovative approaches to address diet related chronic diseases and social risk using novel food interventions.

Dr. Essel is a board-certified community pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital(CNH) in Washington, D.C. Most recently serving as Associate Professor of Pediatrics and the Director of the George Washington University(GWU) School of Medicine and Health Sciences Culinary Medicine Program. Dr. Essel has dedicated his career to advocacy/research around healthcare and public health workforce training, health disparities, and community engagement, with expertise and national recognition in the areas of addressing diet related chronic disease and food insecurity with patients and families.

Dr. Essel sits on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Obesity Solutions’ Lived Experience Innovation Collaborative and was nationally recognized by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for helping to create an innovative curriculum to enhance pediatric resident trainee skills on nutrition related disease management. Dr. Essel sits on the board of directors for the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and serves as physician advisor for the Partnership for a Healthier America’s “Veggies Early & Often” campaign. Dr. Essel is a member of the executive committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity. He also co-authored a national toolkit for pediatric providers to address food insecurity in their clinical settings with the AAP and FRAC. Dr. Essel earned a B.S. from Emory University with a focus on human biology/anthropology and earned his M.D. and M.P.H. in Epidemiology from GWU.

With a background in market research, innovation, and consulting, Sherry has elevated clients
across the fresh, CPG, and wellness industries, providing forward-thinking insights and practical
strategies. In addition to leading NielsenIQ’s Total Wellness team and industry engagement,
Sherry has been a featured speaker at many national and international industry events, and is
often sought as a media and analyst resource on topics related to consumer health, wellness,
and environmental issues. Sherry’s view of health and wellness spans beyond personal health
and wellness, encompassing how we collectively think about the health of the planet.

Stacey Krawczyk is the Director of Nutrition & Wellness at the American Diabetes Association. She is a Registered Dietitian with significant experience in population health, wellness marketing, and partnership development. She holds a MS in Public Health Nutrition and a BS in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Over the course of her career, she’s crafted compelling nutrition and wellness stories for billion-dollar global food brands, health associations, community programs, healthcare tech, and almost everything in between. A 5th generation farmer, she is grounded in food systems issues that drive her passion for mission-driven branding and social causes.

Pamela Schwartz, MPH, is executive director of community health for Kaiser Permanente. She leads the organization’s national food-security strategy and other social health priorities, including ensuring that social health interventions are integrated seamlessly into care and services provided to Medicaid members and across all lines of business. Under her leadership, Kaiser Permanente has designed, tested, and scaled numerous outreach campaigns to enroll members in public-benefit programs. Pam oversees Kaiser Permanente’s $50 million Food is Medicine commitment, made alongside its role in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.  An early advocate in the Food is Medicine movement, Pam has helped establish the evidence base and business case for addressing food- and nutrition-insecurity at Kaiser Permanente and in health care systems across America.

Jillian Griffith, MSPH, RDN is a Registered Dietitian and public health professional with experience in strategic public-private partnership and corporate responsibility. She serves as the Sr. Health Partnerships Manager for Amazon Access, a team within Amazon’s Worldwide Consumer business focused on designing and implementing retail products and services to meet the needs of underserved customer segments. Jillian’s work within this team focuses on expanding access to healthy foods for the Amazon Access customer through strategic partnerships, while also addressing convenience equity by bringing the ease of online shopping and delivery of nutrient dense foods to more community members.

Jillian started her career working to improve the food environment on a national scale with Partnership for a Healthier America. From there, she focused her efforts locally as a retail dietitian on Giant Food’s Healthy Living Team, where she developed and led Giant’s customer and community engagement strategy for Ward 8 of Washington, DC.  Jillian is also a participant in the Aspen Institute’s Food Fellows Leadership program, where she is leveraging learnings to inform her mission of creating a food culture where healthy choices are inclusive, balanced, and accessible. In short, making the healthy choice the easy choice for all.

Shelley Turk is divisional senior vice president of Health Care Delivery at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL). She is responsible for contracting relationships with providers in Illinois to improve health outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance the quality of care for nearly 9 million members by aligning incentives and results. Previously, Shelley was Vice President and General Counsel for BCBSIL, and general counsel of Health Care Management for Health Care Service Corporation representing Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Shelley earned a Juris Doctor and Health Law Certificate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Spanish from Macalester College. She volunteers on the Women’s Board of the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, and in her free time, enjoys Vinyasa Yoga, Lagree pilates, tennis, and traveling to scuba dive.

John R. Lumpkin, MD, MPH has been President of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation since April 2019. He leads the organization in pursuit of its stated mission to improve the health and well-being of everyone in North Carolina through a focus on: transforming the health care system (including oral health), expanding access to healthy food, supporting a healthy start in life for children, improving the physical conditions where people live, and strengthening the ability of communities to improve health.

In addition to his role as Foundation President, John also serves as Vice President, Drivers of Health Strategy for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. He also currently serves on the board of directors of the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and as chair of Digital Bridge, a multi-sector forum to collaborate on solutions for a nationally consistent and sustainable approach to using electronic health data.

Most recently, John served as Senior Vice President, Programs for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) where he was responsible for the organization’s efforts to transform health, broaden access to stable and affordable health care coverage, build leadership, and engage business toward building a Culture of Health in the United States. Before joining RWJF in 2003, he served as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health for 12  years.
John is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, American College of Emergency Physicians, and the American College of Medical Informatics. Among his previous leadership positions, he is past chairman of the board of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, as well as past chairman of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics. He has also served on, and advised, several federal-level committees and commissions to advance and improve health in the United States.

John is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters. In addition, his many distinctions and honors include the Arthur McCormack Excellence and Dedication in Public Health Award from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, as well as the Jonas Salk Health Leadership Award.

He earned his MD and BMS degrees from Northwestern University Medical School and his MPH from the University of Illinois School of Public Health. He was also the first African American trained in emergency medicine in the country after completing his residency at the University of Chicago, and he has served on the faculty of the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and University of Illinois at Chicago.

John and his wife Mary S. Blanks, MD, a health care mediator, reside in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They have two adult children.

Danielle Nierenberg is a world-renowned researcher, speaker, and advocate, on all issues relating to our food system and agriculture. Danielle is President of Food Tank (foodtank.com) and an expert on sustainable agriculture and food issues. She has written extensively on gender and population, the spread of factory farming in the developing world, and innovations in sustainable agriculture. Danielle is the recipient of the 2020 Julia Child Award.

Danielle founded Food Tank, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with Bernard Pollack in 2013 to build a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. The organization has more than 250 major institutional partners including The Rockefeller Foundation, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the Christensen Fund, IFPRI, IFAD, Oxfam America, Slow Food USA, U.N. FAO, the Crop Trust, the Sustainable Food Trust, and academic institutions in all 50 states.

Food Tank highlights hope, success, and innovative ideas in our food system through original daily publications, research articles, a chart-topping podcast, interviews, and events and Summits in major cities around the world.

Prior to starting Food Tank, Danielle spent two years traveling to more than 35 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America, meeting with hundreds of farmers and farmers’ groups, scientists and researchers, policymakers and government leaders, students and academics, and journalists, documenting what is working to help alleviate hunger and poverty, while protecting the environment.

Ken Erickson is the founder and CEO of IQPay (www.iqpay.com), the revolutionary SaaS platform used by over 4,000 companies for issuing Smart Digital Purchases at 36,000 retail locations nationwide. With a 30-year leadership record in driving consumer and healthcare engagement, Ken is now leveraging the IQPay platform to solving the last mile in Food as Medicine engagement and behaviors.

Prior to IQPay, Ken founded Employer Direct Healthcare, a bundled care solution for healthcare providers and employers, Global Choice Healthcare, the first international medical travel network, and its domestic counterpart, Healthplace America, and Value America. Ken has been sought out as a strategic adviser and partner for numerous ventures focused on healthcare behaviors and outcomes, including St. Jude Medical, Health Lumen, and Audax, which became Rally Health.

Steven Jennings is the Stakeholder Relations and Brand Lead,
Health & Sustainability at Ahold Delhaize USA, implementing the
local healthy & sustainable retailing strategy by engaging with
leadership to focus on four strategic pillars of success; increasing
access to Healthier Choices and Personalized Guidance,
elevating Transparency and Sustainable Products, Reduce Food
and Plastics Packaging Waste while increasing food donations,
and Taking Bold Climate Action.
Steven has spent the last 27 years with the companies of Ahold
Delhaize USA supporting the needs of the associates, customers,
local communities, and the business.
Steven is a Certified Mentor with the American Transplant
Foundation and Volunteer Ambassador for the Gift of Life Program
in efforts to raise awareness and education surrounding organ
donor designation on every one’s driver’s licenses. Steven
donated a kidney to a co-worker in 2012 and speaks on behalf of
living donors across the Mid-Atlantic region.

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Dr. Ameele is a Health Service Psychologist and Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine with nearly 20 years of clinical experience. In his current role as Director of Behavioral Health and Lifestyle Medicine at North Star Health (a Federally Qualified Health Center serving approximately 30,000 patients in Vermont and New Hampshire), he continues the development of integrated patient care with a department of 16 licensed providers, along with interns and post-doctoral fellows. Dr. Ameele has also partnered with Medical Director, Scott Durgin, MD, DipABLM to develop and grow the Lifestyle Medicine department to increase education, treatment and training about Lifestyle Medicine applications for Primary Care and Behavioral Health providers, along with access for patients. Dr. Ameele is currently the project lead for a generous grant from the Ardmore Insitute of Health, where he and colleagues are collaborating with community partners (local food shelf and community chefs) to prescribe whole foods as medicine for the management, reversal and prevention of chronic conditions. Additionally, Dr. Ameele currently serves on the Governing Body of Lore Health, a groundbreaking Accountable Care Organization aimed at providing Lifestyle Medicine informed resources to patients to improve outcomes.

Marianne O’Shea is Vice President of Global Life Sciences for PepsiCo, leading a
dynamic team of experts to guide the nutrition strategy fueling PepsiCo’s innovation
pipeline and portfolio transformation journey. Marianne and her team collaborate with
cross functional teams and business units worldwide to grow PepsiCo’s nutritious
offerings, increasing nutrients of need such as fiber, while reducing nutrients to limit such
as saturated fats and added sugars. In addition, her team is responsible for advancing
research programs to support consumer demand for functional benefits across a range of
areas including digestive health, energy, hydration, sports performance and endurance
and metabolic health. The scientific deliverables of the organization can be found on
https://www.pepsicohealthandnutritionsciences.com/collaborate with cross functional
teams and business units worldwide to grow PepsiCo’s nutritious offerings, increasing
nutrients of need such as fiber, while reducing nutrients to limit such as saturated fats
and added sugars. In addition, her team is responsible for advancing research programs
to support consumer demand for functional benefits across a range of areas including
digestive health, energy, hydration, sports performance and endurance and metabolic
health. The scientific deliverables of the organization can be found on
https://www.pepsicohealthandnutritionsciences.com/ and https://www.gssiweb.org/en

Prior to joining PepsiCo in 2010, she held various R&D roles within several sectors of the
industry including from nutritional ingredient suppliers to both food and supplement
manufacturers. She originally started her career in CPG with Unilever in the Netherlands.

Marianne holds a degree in biochemistry from University College Dublin and has a PhD
in biochemistry and nutrition from Dublin City University. She participated in executive
training in general management from the University of Chicago Booth School of
Business. Marianne is a co-author of more than 50 publications and book chapters and is
a co-inventor on several patents.

Allison Delaney is the Director of Healthy Living at Stop & Shop. She is the founder and leader of the Stop & Shop Retail Dietitian Program, Nutrition Partners. In her role, she oversees the Nutrition Partners program and Stop & Shop’s team of registered dietitians. She also leads the development and execution of Stop & Shop’s health & wellness strategy. Prior to building the Nutrition Partners program, Allison held various roles within the Ahold Delhaize organization over the past 9 years, including time in regulatory, sustainability and most recently working as a Private Brands Category Manager. Allison has been a registered dietitian for over a decade and is passionate about making healthy food and nutrition education easily accessible to everyone. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 little boys!

Sarah Elizabeth Morrow, MA (she/her) is Program Director for Clinical-Community Programs at UPMC for You and UPMC for Kids, UPMC Health Plan’s Medicaid and CHIP plans which serve the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Sarah’s work focuses on the intersections of clinical, community, and government priorities to develop targeted Medicaid programs that meet the health equity and social determinant needs of both members and larger communities. She leads a team focused on identifying and addressing systemic barriers to clinical care, expanding impactful partnerships with community based organizations, integrating provider SDOH efforts into good clinical practice, and prioritizing member needs in pediatric, maternity, and adult populations. She has an active role in statewide efforts to expand community health worker coverage, expand community doula care, and support food and nutrition programs.

Prior to joining UPMC Health Plan, Sarah has held positions with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Alabama. Sarah’s research and community development background includes work on clinical and community food security; clinical SDOH screening; human development; cross-disability activism; and US healthcare systems through an intersectional, anthropological lens. Sarah holds a BA in Anthropology and a BA in Theater from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an MA with a focus in Biocultural Medical Anthropology from the University of Alabama.

Leslie Jefferson is a Certified Nutrition Specialist with a master’s degree in Nutrition and Integrative Health and an MBA in Information Security. As the Community Health Manager for Giant Food, she cultivates innovative food as medicine programing and coordinates solutions for community partner Nutrition Incentive Programs. She enjoys motivating others to find their way to optimum health using a holistic and personalized nutrition approach. As the Co-Chair Prince George’s County Healthy Eating, Active Living Food as Medicine Committee, she used her experience in project management and retail nutrition to create Prince George’s Fresh – a county based food as medicine program. When it’s time to relax she hangs out with an audio book, works on making the perfect pizza dough, or works out with a good ‘HIIT’ video.

Tambra Raye Stevenson, MPH, MA, is an acclaimed community health innovator, patent holder, author, and policymaker. As the founder of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture, Tambra is on a mission to silo smash generations, geographies, and sectors to change the narrative and build a pipeline of Black women and girls leading healthier communities through sustainable food systems in Africa and the diaspora. Additionally, she established NATIVSOL Kitchen, providing crucial Pan-African nutrition education to promote the use of culturally significant foods as a pathway to improved health and well-being.

She celebrates the intersection of food, culture, and identity. This year she served as the guest editor of Eating Well, producing a breakout piece with a talented team of chefs, dietitians, and scholars entitled: “African Heritage Diet as Medicine: How Black Food Can Heal the Community.” And in 2022, Tambra graced the renowned TEDx stage with her inspiring message on how Black women are reclaiming their food as medicine. Her bilingual children’s WANDA book series encourages the reclamation of African foodways as medicine across Africa and the diaspora and inspires young readers to embrace their cultural heritage. Tambra’s contributions to a forthcoming UK-based food-inspired anthology, “Serving Up: Essays on Food, Identity, and Culture,” further exemplify her dedication to promoting a more inclusive narrative surrounding food and its impact on communities.

She holds esteemed food board positions that shape government, industry, and academic policy agendas.  As an executive board member of the USDA’s National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board, she contributes her insights to advance agricultural research and education for improved nutrition outcomes. She serves on the D.C. Food Policy Council, where she co-chairs the nutrition and health working group, driving initiatives that promote access to healthy and culturally appropriate food for all residents. Furthermore, her involvement with the Tufts University Food and Nutrition Innovation Council and the Milken Institute’s Food as Medicine Advisory Board underscores her dedication to nutrition security.

As a Ph.D. candidate at the American University School of Communication, she researches the intersection of media, technology, and health. Her involvement as a communication researcher on the Wasted Food Research Network, a National Science Foundation-funded initiative. She also holds a B.S. in Human Nutrition with a minor in Spanish from Oklahoma State University. She studied community health in the Dominican Republic as a recipient of the prestigious David L. Boren National Security Scholarship. Tambra earned her MPH in Health Communication from Tufts University School of Medicine and pursued MBA coursework in entrepreneurship and healthcare marketing at Boston University Graduate School of Management.

Gaining experience in the social determinants of health, Tambra began her public service career serving in the Secretary’s office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency, the Executive Office of the D.C. Mayor on Women’s Policy and Initiatives, D.C. Victim Services, and at the University of the District of Columbia’s Center for Nutrition, Diet, and Health.

Jessica Rigler began her public health career 20 years ago, serving in varied roles with local, state, federal, and international public health agencies. Jessica was with the Arizona Department of Health Services for 14 years, ending her tenure there as an Assistant Director overseeing the areas of Epidemiology and Disease Control, Emergency Medical Services, Public Health Statistics, Public Health Emergency Preparedness and the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory. In recent years, she worked with the ADHS team to lead critical public health emergency responses including opioids and COVID-19. Jessica is currently the Staff Vice President of Population Health and Innovation at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, leading strategic initiatives to maintain and improve the health of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona members and overseeing the organization’s condition management program. Jessica holds Bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and human development from the University of California, San Diego, and a Master’s degree in public health from Emory University. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist and certified in infection control.

Brad Moore, MD, MPH, FACP, Dip.ABLM is Director of the Lifestyle Medicine Program at The GW Medical Faculty Associates and an Associate Professor at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine.

Moore completed his undergraduate work at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He attended medical school, completed a primary care internal medicine residency, and served as Chief Medical Resident and Chief Administrative House Officer at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [Now Drexel University School of Medicine]. He came to GW in 1993 as a Fellow in Medicine and Primary Care and completed a master’s in public health in health care administration.

He has been practicing general internal medicine as faculty at the MFA since 1995. He holds additional appointments as Associate Professor of Health Services Management and Leadership and of Health Policy in the Schools of Medicine and Public Health at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. He was Medical Director of the GW Physician Assistant program from 1995-2012 and actively teaches in the School of Medicine, PA Program, School of Public Health, and the Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Moore’s scholarly and clinical interests center on lifestyle medicine, asthma, immunization science, preventive medicine, and health care informatics. He has published and spoken in these areas. He is listed as a “Top Doc” in Washingtonian Magazine and a “Top Doc” and “Top Primary Care Physician” in Washington Consumer’s Checkbook.

Research shows that lifestyle choices are the drivers behind chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and some cancers. By optimizing diet, physical activity, sleep, stress management and relationships and by avoiding harmful substances like tobacco, most of these diseases can be prevented and reversed. Dr. Moore is committed to helping his patients make positive lifestyle changes as a first step toward leading healthier lives.

John “Wesley” McWhorter is a professional chef, registered dietitian, behavioral scientist, and food-as-medicine expert. Currently Vice President of Lifestyle Medicine at Suvida Healthcare, he also serves as a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, an advisory council member for the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, and a community board member for the American Diabetes Association in Texas. Dr. McWhorter is dedicated to advancing hands-on culinary medicine education and food-as-medicine programming, focusing on promoting nutrition equity. He frequently publishes academic and practice-oriented research, contributes to textbooks, and has authored an award-winning cookbook. Wesley previously served as an assistant professor at McGovern Medical School and the University of Texas School of Public Health, where he was also the Director of Culinary Nutrition for the Nourish Program. Wesley received his culinary training from the Florida Culinary Institute, his undergraduate degree from Kansas State University, his master’s degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch, and his doctorate in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health in Houston, TX.

With more than 30 years of experience in food and wellness, Jonathan has a
track record for building businesses that make a difference. These include the
first course in culinary nutrition and a nutritional restaurant at The Culinary
Institute of America, development work on nutritionally focused Seasons 52 at
Darden Restaurants, numerous farm-to-table food ventures, and most
recently an impact investment fund for transformative health and well-being.
As Managing Partner of Keen Growth Capital, he and the Advanced
Micronutrition team are providing breakthrough evidence-based nutrition
solutions for health plans, providers, employers, retailers, and consumers to
address the nutritional cause of chronic diseases affecting 6 in 10 adults.
Keen’s commitment to Full Circle Impact™, furthers the fund’s mission by
providing support for emerging food entrepreneurs, food technologies and the
food insecure by donating 5% of fund profits to related not-for-profit entities.
Jonathan graduated from New College of Florida and has earned Masters’
degrees from Cornell University and the New York University Stern School of
Business.

Julia Koprak is Director of Incentives, Healthcare and Policy at The Food Trust, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure delicious, nutritious food for all. Julia oversees the agency’s Nutrition Incentive programs, which provide coupons for fruits and vegetables to families with limited resources. In this program area, she serves as an organizational lead on federal grants, national technical assistance, and coalitions. She has worked in multiple states to create policies and launch programs related to healthy food retail, affordability, and marketing. With many years of experience partnering with a diverse set of stakeholders, Julia strives for inclusive collaborations that forge new connections across sectors. Julia is a graduate of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and the Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute at Bryn Mawr College.

Elizabeth manages and enhances relationships with a wide variety of new and existing clients and brings to Guiding Stars, knowledge of nutrition and environmental sustainability. She is passionate about food: cooking, baking, consumption, and education on the balance between food choices and their role in human and environmental health. Elizabeth has experience in community, research, and clinical nutrition. Prior to joining the Guiding Stars Company she worked as the Sustainability Manager Harvard Law School. There she was able to work closely on food policy and as part of the working group for the University’s Sustainable and Healthful Food Standards.

Elizabeth earned her master’s in Sustainability and Environmental Management as well as her B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics. She currently resides in Portland, Maine with her two young daughters.

Lisa Coleman, MS, RD, LDN serves as the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for Food and Health at iQPay. In this capacity, she collaborates closely with like-minded partners including food retailers, food banks, community-based organizations, employers, and healthcare organizations to drive impactful food benefit and food as medicine programs. iQPay’s innovative Guiding Spend platform enables organizations to issue branded digital payment cards with pre-determined guardrails using, guiding spending to what matters most. Additionally, the platform provides essential data insights to showcase program impact and ROI to secure future funding and support.

With a robust background in nutrition, public health, and community engagement, Lisa has dedicated her career to advocating for accessible and healthy food solutions. Prior to her role at iQPay, she led health strategy at Giant Food, a beloved food retailer on the east coast.

Lisa’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Nutrition from Illinois State University. Born and raised in Baltimore, Lisa is a self-described Enneagram enthusiast who in her leisure time, enjoys podcasts, spending time on the NCR Trail, and weekends at the beach.

Mandy Katz, MS, RD, CSP, LDN, is the Director of Healthy Living for Giant Food, a regional retailer serving MD, VA, DE and Washington D.C. where she oversees the retailer’s Healthy Living program which focuses on nutrition education, healthy merchandising and food as medicine partnerships. Prior to joining Giant, she worked in food and healthcare marketing servings some of the nation’s largest food companies and providers.

As Executive Director of Duke Health and Well-Being, Dr. Soriano leads a multidisciplinary team in systemwide innovation aimed at effectively addressing gaps in our healthcare delivery structures through health and well-being interventions that are grounded on health equity.  In her food sovereignty work, Dr. Soriano is part of a project that will pair real world access to healthy food and a strengths-based, culturally contextualized teaching kitchen experience for women with high-risk pregnancies. In her group visit design work, Dr. Soriano weaves accessible, culturally contextualized engagement with food and nutrition, primarily through a celebratory, positive psychology frame. Dr. Soriano’s work has centered on designing healthcare delivery structures that create conditions for deep personal transformation, grounded on self-efficacy and positive change-making, as the foundation for both individual healing and community transformation. Dr. Soriano is passionate about planetary health and weaving our personal and collective healing with the healing of our planet. Dr. Soriano is a member of the Board of Directors of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) and a founding member of its Black, Indigenous and People of Color Committee. She also serves as Duke Health and & Well-Being’s Institutional Representative to the Academic Consortium of Integrative Medicine & Health (ACIMH). Dr. Soriano is the former Director for Group Visits and Wellness-Based Healthcare Transformation at Boston Medical Center’s Program for Integrative Medicine and Healthcare Disparities, and former Medical Director for the Tanya I Edwards Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. In her consulting work, Dr. Soriano supports organizations to rethink healthcare strategies through the lens of equity and whole person-whole community health. 

Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi oversees the operations and growth of a suite of clinically proven lifestyle medicine programs for Blue Shield of California’s members.  Kalousek-Ebrahimi and her team work to drive seamless operations, as well as enrollment and engagement in the lifestyle medicine interventions under the Wellvolution brand.  She strongly believes that lifestyle medicine can transform the current health care model by introducing clinically effective, cost effective, and non-invasive lifestyle approaches into the care continuum. She, herself, has incorporated lifestyle medicine into her own life to prevent disease and live in optimal health.  Kalousek-Ebrahimi is strategically working to promote Blue Shield of California’s philosophy that lifestyle is medicine.

Prior to joining Blue Shield in 2010, Kalousek-Ebrahimi worked as the Wellness Program Manager at Visa, Inc. where she created and implemented a new suite of global wellness programs for Visa employees.  Part of her role at Visa was to incorporate Visa wellness programming with health plan offerings so that employees had a seamless experience.  Prior to her time at Visa, Kalousek-Ebrahimi served as the Fitness Director at the Sports Club LA in San Francisco where she oversaw a staff of 60 trainers, nutritionists, and sports coordinators.  In her role there, she also managed new-member fitness programs, trainer education, and direct private training sales.  She has also worked in marketing, business planning, and accounting.

Kalousek-Ebrahimi holds an M.B.A. degree from Golden Gate University, a B.S. degree in Business from the University of California, Haas School of Business, Berkeley, and is a Certified Holistic Lifestyle Coach.

Accomplished Registered Nurse and strategic Senior Leader with extensive experience in quality improvement, creative innovation, new product implementation, care management, investigative, clinical insights, regulatory and compliance accreditation requirements in healthcare settings. 

Akua Woolbright is an expert in plant-based nutrition who specializes in teaching people how to use food to lose weight, feel more energetic, look younger, reduce medications, and prevent and reverse disease.  

Dr. Akua began her career with Whole Foods Market in 2009 when she joined the corporate office in Austin, TX where she helped to create the company’s national healthy eating program. In 2015, she became a founding member of Whole Cities Foundation, which carries out the company’s mission to increase access to fresh, healthy food and quality nutrition information in low-income communities around the country. In addition to teaching weekly classes in Newark, NJ, the Englewood community in Chicago, IL, and other cities around the country, Dr. Akua ran the foundation’s Let’s Talk Food Nutrition and Culinary Education Center in Midtown Detroit where hundreds of students attended healthy eating lectures, cooking demonstrations, and support groups each week. She recently returned to Austin, TX as the global nutrition program director for Whole Foods Market and its foundations.

Prior to joining Whole Foods Market in 2009, Dr. Akua lived in Washington, D.C., where she received her MA in sociology and PhD in nutritional science from Howard University and worked as a public health nutritionist in the areas of breastfeeding promotion, cancer prevention and survival, HIV/AIDS treatment, weight loss, asthma, and international childhood malnutrition.

Akua Woolbright is now the Sr. Program Director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging for Whole Foods Market.

Shaune currently serves as the Director of Community Engagement for WellCare of North Carolina, focusing on strategic statewide and local community partnerships to address the Social Determinants of Health for Medicaid beneficiaries across North Carolina.

Shaune joined WellCare’s Corporate Community Connections team in 2014. Since 2014 she has focused on developing WellCare’s model and approach to addressing the Social Determinants of Health for our most vulnerable populations. Shaune utilizes her experience with government-sponsored health care programs as well as behavioral health and community advocacy to connect individuals to social services in the community, and identify ways to sustain the social safety net as a whole.

Shaune has more than 12 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Prior to WellCare, she served as the Director of Admissions for one of the top behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment centers in the country.

In her time at WellCare, Shaune has overseen the launch and rollout of the proprietary and award-winning Community Connections Social Determinants of Health model across multiple markets, and served as lead for the Community Connections team on all RFPs and new business development efforts for WellCare. Over the course of her time at WellCare, she has met with more than 350 nonprofits and community based organizations across the U.S. in an effort to launch and expand WellCare’s Community Connections mode, including in North Carolina.

Shaune grew up in New York, attended college at American University in Washington, D.C., and currently lives in Raleigh, NC. In her free time she enjoys photography, playing guitar and piano, and her mindfulness/mediation practice.

Lori Taylor has been with Blue Cross NC since 2014 and has worked in the health care industry for almost 25 years.

As the Drivers of Health Program Lead, Lori develops test and learn interventions using a research and design approach, leads the implementation project team, and collaborates with organization stakeholders to develop business cases, KPI’s and evaluation plans. Lori’s first test and learn pilot was published as a proof of concept in the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst edition April, 2023.

I watched my close friend, Eric, be taken by cancer in six months’ time. My vibrant and energetic friend suffered from mouth sores that made eating painful, resulting in rapid weight loss and, ultimately, succumbing to his cancer. His family and friends searched, but did not find, safe and clinically appropriate symptom management support. I thought that if this could happen to Eric and his family, it must be happening to many people.

I left my career on Wall Street and spent two years researching the scientific literature regarding the symptom and side effects experienced by cancer patients and interviewing cancer patients, caregivers, and the medical professionals who treat them so that I could create a solution to address these unmet needs in a scientific and clinically appropriate manner. I found that nutritional strategies are effective in managing the symptoms of cancer and cancer treatment and represent an effective lever to improve outcomes and lower cost of care. The result of this research is Ina ®, a virtual “Intelligent Nutrition Assistant” chatbot who provides personalized nutritional strategies for symptom management 24/7 “on demand” via SMS text on a smartphone.

Licensed by healthcare enterprises and provided free of charge to cancer patients and caregivers, Ina ®, provides the support Eric and his family were searching for.

Suzanne is a dedicated Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist with over fifteen years in the field. As an advocate for nutrition and health, she’s worked in various clinical and community-based settings, providing direct patient care and program development. In her current role as a Clinical Dietitian Specialist at Intermountain Health, she’s honored to work on nutrition security and Food as Medicine initiatives to improve health equity and reduce nutrition-related disparities for patients. 

Suzanne’s training includes a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology from Brown University and a Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Utah. Her master’s research focused on a public health nutrition intervention with WIC participants. Outside of work, Suzanne enjoys sharing time with family, friends, and rescue dog Annie, learning to garden with her neighbors, and adventuring on the trails near her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Ms. Freishtat is the Senior Director of Feeding Change with the Milken Institute. She is an experienced director, transformative leader and strategist with a 20-year track record developing and implementing food system policies and programs. Holly served as Baltimore City’s first Food Policy Director and Chief of Food Policy & Planning where she founded and directed the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative. Holly spent over a decade building an equitable and resilient food environment by creating policies and programs that directly impact health & economic disparities. As a result, Baltimore City has become internationally renowned for innovative food governance and leadership. Holly has received national and international recognition for her public speaking skills and food systems expertise. She has presented at 125 international and national speaking engagements and has been interviewed by CNN, NBC, Huffington Post, Politico and the Associated Press. In addition, Holly has been awarded numerous accolades for her contributions to food systems, including the Mayors Medallion for Meritorious Service Award, Maryland Daily Record’s Top 100 women, and the 2016 Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Award. Freishtat has served as a food systems strategist, agricultural marketing director, nutrition educator, and grower. She holds an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University, a B.S. in Nutrition from the University of Vermont, and an executive certificate from Carey Business School.

Kerry Hackworth, MS, RD, LDN is food and nutrition expert with over a decade of experience, proudly as a registered dietitian. Her educational journey began at Purdue University, where she achieved a double major with honors in dietetics and nutrition, fitness, and health. Continuing her pursuit of knowledge, Kerry completed her master’s degree and dietetic internship at Rush University in Chicago.

In her current role, Kerry serves as the Director of Nutrition Affairs at National Dairy Council, contributing to the reputation of U.S. dairy. Simultaneously, she owns a small nutrition consulting business, providing personalized 1:1 telehealth sessions for medical nutrition therapy. Kerry also has past work experience in corporate wellness, retail marketing and as a media spokesperson where her contributions have garnered recognition, with features in various national media outlets such as Health.com, Fox News, Chicago Tribune, Eat This, Not That, GoodRx Health and more.

Beyond her professional commitments, Kerry is a devoted mom, dog mom, and wife. As an avid foodie, she delights in exploring culinary experiences, and her passion for world travel allows her to immerse herself in diverse cultures. Her mission is to connect with individuals seeking personalized nutrition guidance, sharing her wealth of experiences and knowledge to enhance their well-being. Follow Kerry on Instagram at @DietitianKerry.

As Director, Capacity Building and Leadership for Healthy Communities, Valerie leads grantmaking and partnerships that support community-driven priorities, cross-sector collaborations, and cultivates technical assistance and training opportunities for leaders creating change in communities across NC. Valerie is co-leading grantmaking for 10 Healthy Food Prescription community-based programs – including building capacity for Food is Medicine through a community of practice, convenings, and technical assistance to strengthen their program models to become a vendor of choice with healthcare. Valerie has seen the transformative nature of food as medicine through her own lived experience and is a champion for nonprofits to get their fair share of the funding that makes these interventions possible. She resides in Chapel Hill with her husband, twin boys and a stubborn mini Bernedoodle.

As part of the Nutrition Innovation & Policy team at Sifter Solutions, Jessica Tea, MBA, RDN, is a Senior Nutrition Specialist and a nutrition subject matter expert on Sifter’s food as medicine digital solutions. She has a BS in Clinical Nutrition from UC Davis and completed the joint MBA/dietetic internship program at Dominican University. As a dietitian, she has honed her skills in various practice settings, providing medical nutrition therapy. Jessica’s passion for nutrition, technology, and health has led her to the digital health space.

Dr Shreela Sharma is Professor of Epidemiology, and founding Director of the Center for Health Equity at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, Texas. Dr. Sharma is a behavioral epidemiologist with specific research interest in food insecurity, nutritional epidemiology, population health, systems science, and health disparities and has designed and evaluated the impact of partnership-based food prescription approaches across diverse health systems and populations. Dr. Sharma is co-founder of Brighter Bites, a nationwide non-profit dedicated to providing fresh produce and nutrition education to low-income children and their families, including produce prescription programs in pediatric clinical care settings. She also co-leads the Health Equity Collective, a systems coalition to improve care coordination for social determinants of health in the Greater Houston region. Dr. Sharma has a PhD in Epidemiology and is a registered dietitian in the state of Texas.

Mark Walker, Chairman and CEO of Performance Kitchen, the leading Food Is Medicine® company revolutionizing the US Healthcare System. Performance Kitchen specializes in the use of Medically Tailored Meals to treat chronic disease. Mark is one of the leading experts in the country on the new industry of Food Is Medicine, which is the application of healthy food paid for by the US Healthcare System. Mark is a CPA and the founder of Dugout Ventures, an athlete-based investment group with Hall of Fame baseball player partners like David Ortiz, Nolan Ryan and Barry Larkin.

Austin is a  professional change agent, connector of dots, and storyteller. Throughout his career he has driven partnerships and built coalitions across every sector and every level of government, from City Council to the C-Suite of Fortune 500s, to the Executive Office of the President. His aim is always to convene diverse stakeholders and the public to address tough, systemic problems with pragmatic optimism. At Highmark Health, Austin is a director on the team tasked with developing and executing the strategy to address social determinants of health and health related social needs for the patients, members, and communities the organization serves. Highmark health is a blended health organization with six million members spanning 50 states, a 14-hospital provider system in Western PA, and several diversified businesses – with a strong regional focus in DE, NY, PA, and WV. Previously, Austin served as the public relations lead for Deloitte’s government and public services sector, which provides consulting services to 47 states, every cabinet level agency, and hundreds of colleges and universities. Austin also spent four years in the federal government with the US General Services Administration where he worked to make government work better and cost less by advancing the President’s Management Agenda. Prior to public service, Austin worked in multiple non-profits where he designed and executed issue and legislative campaigns to advance voting access and health care reforms. Austin earned his master’s degree in international development from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and French from Transylvania University.

On January 22, 2019, Dr. Utech was appointed for the Title 38 Senior
Executive Service (SES) Equivalent position of National Director, Nutrition
and Food Services (NFS), Veterans Health Administration – Central
Office (VHA-CO), Washington, DC (virtual Houston, TX). In her
appointment, Dr. Utech serves as the Nutrition Field Advisory Committee
executive manager and oversee all NFS policies and programs, strategic planning, national
external & internal partnerships, and serve as the VA’s primary subject matter expert for nutrition
& food services.
From April 1, 2019 to March 25, 2020, Dr. Utech served as Acting Chief Officer for Specialty Care
Services, Veterans Health Administration – Central Office (VHA-CO), Washington, DC. In this
capacity, she led 26 medical specialties, national program directors, and programs in an interim
capacity.
She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in
Houston. Her professional interests are environmental sustainability in procurement/waste
streams, promoting and conducting nutrition research, expanding strategic partnerships for greater
impacts, and data analytics to improve Veteran outcomes.
Recent awards include being the 2015 Commencement Speaker and Hallmark Alumni Awardee at
Texas Woman’s University. Recent peer-reviewed publications have been on the topics of
nutrition support, nutrition education and diabetes.

Megan Bowman is a Registered Dietitian, serving as the National Nutrition Food Security Program Coordinator for the VHA Food Security Program Office. She received her Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from Montana State University in 2005 and her Master of Science in Human Nutrition from Arizona State University in 2007. Megan is a Health and Aging Policy Fellow and sits on local and national committees geared at ensuring Veteran food security and quality management. She has also held an adjunct faculty position at Salt Lake Community College teaching Nutrition Science, for the last 10 years.

Michael Cabonargi serves as Regional Director of the Great  Lakes Region (Region V) of the U.S. Department of Health and  Human Services (HHS), responsible for Illinois, Michigan,  Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and 34 indigenous tribal  nations.  

HHS is with you on your journey through life – from child care  to Medicare. HHS is the second largest federal department  behind the U.S. Department of Defense, including agencies  such as the U.S. Public Health Service, CDC, FDA and NIH. As Regional Director, Mike ensures the Department maintains close contact with state,  local, and tribal partners and addresses the needs of communities and individuals served  through HHS programs and policies. 

Mike brings to HHS a demonstrated track record of public service, stakeholder  engagement, coalition building and program review and improvement. He most recently  served as the Chair and Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review, the nation’s  largest property taxation appeals court. Prior to that, Mike was an award-winning senior  attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he investigated and  litigated a wide variety of cases, including insider trading, offering fraud and  pyramid/Ponzi schemes. Previously, Mike served an aide to U.S. Senators Dick Durbin  (D-IL) and Paul Simon (D-IL). 

Mike was named a fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago, which brings together leaders  from a variety of fields to study some of Chicago’s most urgent challenges in education,  race relations, health care, crime and economic development. Mike’s extensive board service includes the Illinois Governor-Elect’s Budget and Innovation Transition  Committee, Illinois Comptroller’s Ethics Commission, University of Illinois College of Law  Alumni Board, Loyola Academy Bar Association, North Suburban Bar Association, Milan  Committee of Chicago’s Sister Cities Program, the Board of the Joint Civic Committee of  Italian Americans, the District 39 Educational Foundation and the Federal Executive  Board of Chicago. 

Mike received his BA in Political Science and Foreign Affairs from Miami University and  his JD with honors from the University of Illinois College of Law. Mike served as a law  clerk to the Honorable William Hibbler of the Northern District of Illinois.

Ashlee Roffe, MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC, is the Director of Nutrition and Community Health at Endeavor Health, Swedish Hospital, a 312-bed nonprofit safety net hospital located on the north side of Chicago, Illinois. Ashlee oversees the Clinical Nutrition team and Community CARE, the hospital’s circle of programs that exist to honor the human dignity of all by expanding the reach and definition of healthcare. Ashlee holds an MS in Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a BS in Health Sciences from Bradley University.

Sandra is a Public Affairs Specialist for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Midwest Regional
Office. The Midwest Region includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and
Wisconsin. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works to end hunger and improve food
and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school
breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans
over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and
affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being.
In her role as a public affairs specialist, Sandra supports internal and external communications
and fosters partnerships and stakeholder relations in the Midwest for FNS’ nutrition assistance
programs. She works with Congressional members and staffs, local and state agency staff and
elected leaders, and not-for-profits and businesses. Sandra facilitates the Midwest’s Anti-
Hunger Partner Network which is comprised of over 300 individuals or organizations interested
or involved in administering any of FNS’ programs or its mission.
Sandra began her career with FNS in 2009. Since that time, she served in various positions in
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) before joining the Public Affairs team in
2022. Prior to joining FNS, Sandra worked in various capacities for the Michigan Department of
Health and Human Services, administering public assistance programs such as SNAP.
Sandra is a member of USDA’s Integrating Nutrition into Health team, fostering awareness,
collaboration, and increased engagement on USDA’s approach to promoting and elevating food
and nutrition security as well as USDA’s key equities integrating nutrition and health to help all
in our country thrive.

Bradd Williams is on a mission to help people live better lives through personalized holistic care.

Bradd is a Healthcare Executive with over 20 years of experience building and leading organizations. His experience includes growing organizations with more than $1B in revenue, managing clinical operations for hospital programs, and running start-up organizations.

Today he leads growth for Homestyle Direct. Homestyle Direct is a leader in delivering medically tailored meals direct to patient’s homes.

Donyel B. Barber is a native of Gaston County, North Carolina. She attended Gaston County Public Schools and is a 1996 graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree. 

Donyel served as a Child Protective Services worker in Gaston County for nearly 9 years where she conducted investigations of child abuse and neglect. From 2004 until March 2016, she served as the Executive Director of Family Promise of Gaston County which is a program dedicated to helping families in crisis and in homeless situations regain their independence and self-sufficiency. As director, she helped numerous homeless families transition back into their own homes as well as prevented many under employed individuals from becoming homeless through the services she was able to provide. Donyel currently serves as the Director of Health Equity Initiatives at Kintegra Health, a Federal Qualified Health Center in North Carolina. Since 2016 Donyel has led the charge of promoting community engagement, while identifying social drivers leading to poor health, with the overarching goal of improving the overall health of the community. Through her work, The Healthy Highland Partnership was formed and led to the establishment of a social enterprise, “RAMS Kitchen.” RAMS which stands for “Really Amazing Meals with Soul” provides healthy and affordable meal options in a grab and go style at a retail site. RAMS Kitchen also host pop-up farmers markets providing “produce bags” to customers. The RAMS Kitchen Mobile Food Unit travels to various locations throughout the community to serve as an extension to the retail site. Donyel also established the Food Is Medicine Initiative which offers meal prescriptions and meal delivery to patients of Kintegra Health, Public Health, and Home Healthcare agencies.      

Donyel has contributed to the betterment of the community and beyond through various civic and social affiliations. She currently serves as a Board member for the following organizations: Diversified Business Professional Association, Warlick Family YMCA, Ashbrook Foundation, The Carrie E. and Lena V. Glenn Foundation and Communities Joined In Action. Donyel is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is Past President of the sorority’s Gastonia Alumnae Chapter and currently serves as Parliamentarian and member of the Policies and Procedures and Social Action committees. She is a charter member of the Gastonia Piedmont Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and member of the Piedmont NC Chapter of The Links, Inc.  

In 2012 Donyel received the “Community Service Award” from The Gastonia Las Amigas and the “Omega Citizen of the Year” from the Epsilon Upsilon Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Donyel was named one of Mecklenburg Times “50 Most Influential Women” for 2013. She also received the 2014 Dr. Edward D. Sadler, Jr. Award from the United Way of Gaston County. In 2016 Donyel received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her commitment to a building a stronger nation through volunteer service from the President of the United States of America, President Barack Obama. Donyel was named the 2017 (Non-Elk) Citizen of the Year by the State of North Carolina Elks Convention. In 2019, Donyel received the Gaston Together MLK Unity Award and was awarded the Grassroots Political Engagement Award during the 2019 Communities Joined In Action Conference in Seattle, Washington. In 2021 Donyel was awarded the Gaston Regional Chamber’s Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award and she received the Mark Redding Health Transformation Award at the Communities Joined In Action Conference in 2022.  November 5, 2019 Donyel made history as the first African American female to be elected to serve on the city council for the City of Gastonia. She was re-elected in 2023 and is currently serving in her 2nd Term.

Ken Neumann is the passionate founder and CEO of Youtopia, focused on “Making Vibrant Health and Longevity to 120 a Simple and Achievable Reality” for all. A visionary entrepreneur with an engineering and business background, he excels in identifying opportunities and leading transformative ventures. He has driven over $500 million in annual revenue and $5 billion in total revenue in diverse industries. Ken’s ventures span pharmaceuticals, energy tech, software, team development, and real estate. Recognized by Training Magazine as a Top 12 CEO, his businesses earned prestigious awards like the National Housing Quality Award and Top Technology Company of the Year.

Martin is a strategist & systems thinker advising organizations and communities on collaborative solutions to complex problems.

Focusing on the vital intersection between impact strategies, business objectives, and market forces, Martin advises partners on how to imagine, fund, pilot, and scale innovative impact projects & campaigns. He currently serves as Senior Deputy Director of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine & also as a senior advisor for health, social impact & environmental initiatives.

Previously, Martin served in many senior leadership positions in the field of environmental sustainability & the outdoor recreation industry, including serving as the Founding Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance, leading the organization from a handful of founding teams into an international coalition of hundreds of professional & collegiate sports teams integrating sustainable practices throughout the sports industry today.

Martin has designed & facilitated sustainability workshops worldwide & been an invited speaker at numerous events including The White House Sports & Sustainability Summit, Sustainable Brands, GoGreen New York, Beyond Sport Summit, Oregon Sport & Sustainability Summit, Arena Network Conference, Sustainable Opportunities Summit, Green Sports Alliance Summit, AASHE, Collegiate Athletics Facilities Summit, PlantStock, Reducetarian Summit, Regional Innovation Forum, Sport Positive Summit, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the Global Impact Institute.

Public recognition & awards include Good Magazine’s 100, Pivotal Leader, Portland Business Journal 40 under 40 award, Better Bricks Emerging Leader Award, & Sustainable Business Oregon’s 15 People to Watch.

Dr. Erica David-Park obtained a BA in behavioral biology from Johns Hopkins University prior to obtaining her MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and has clinical experience in the management of patients with functional deficits and complex chronic medical concerns.  Dr. Park has served as an Associate medical director for Amerigroup NJ, Senior medical director of Post Acute Care/ Home Solutions/DME at Evicore Healthcare and Associate Chief Medical Officer/SVP Decision Support at Carebridge.  Dr. Park is currently the Market Chief Medical Officer for Amerihealth Caritas, Community Health Choices.  Throughout her career she has been a strong advocate for underserved populations including those receiving Medicaid and individuals with disabilities.  Dr. Park stresses the importance of food and nutrition as an essential part of overall health and has developed initiatives to increase nutritional education and access to healthy food for the underserved. Dr. Park is an expert in value-based care and has been instrumental in creating methods to support safety and independence in home settings.  Dr. Park also volunteers as a Clinical Director for Special Olympics New Jersey and is a member of the Medicaid and CHIP Child and Adult Core Set Workgroup and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Innovative Payment and Practice Models Committee.

AK Kritt (she/they) is a Registered Dietitian with a focus on food access and community health. Their career is rooted on the intersection of sustainable urban agriculture and food access. Currently serving as the Community Nutrition Manager at Endeavor Health – Swedish Hospital, AK leads the Community Nutrition team in empowering individuals and communities to achieve optimal health through accessible and evidence-based nutrition education, ensuring everyone has access to nutritious food, and the treatment of chronic diseases through medical nutrition therapy and community support.

In their role as Swedish Hospital’s Community Nutrition Manager, AK has developed the Food Connections program which provides short term and long term connection to sustainable food resources for hospital patients and employees. Their commitment to fostering a healthier community is further demonstrated by the establishment of an onsite U-Pick farm, enabling hospital employees to access free, fresh fruits, and vegetables at any time.

Dr. Stephen Devries is a preventive cardiologist and executive director of the Gaples Institute Nutrition and Lifestyle Education, an educational nonprofit with the mission of advancing the role of nutrition and lifestyle in medicine. The award-winning nutrition course for health professionals developed by Dr. Devries and the Gaples Institute Nutrition and Lifestyle Education is now required in the curriculum of 9 medical schools and has been taken by over 6,000 clinicians.

Dr. Devries is an adjunct associate professor of nutrition at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he teaches a course to Harvard public health and medical students on Integrating Nutrition into Clinical medicine: The Role of Health Professionals as Change Agents.

Dr. Devries lectures internationally on the importance of nutrition and lifestyle in medicine, with past presentations ranging from the Royal Society of Medicine in London to the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology in Thailand to Head Start parent programs in Chicago.

Dr. Devries and his work in nutrition have been featured in many media outlets, including The Washington Post and National Public Radio.

Henry Crews serves as the Executive Director of the Green Rural Redevelopment Organization (GRRO), a nonprofit dedicated to sustainable agriculture, healthy food systems and economic development in Vance, Granville and neighboring rural counties in eastern North Carolina. Together with his partner Ardis Crews, Henry embarked on this transformative journey into healthy food systems and rural revitalization upon retiring and returning to his hometown of Henderson, NC.

Under Henry’s leadership, GRRO has formed strategic partnerships with local and state government agencies, research institutions, school systems hospitals, insurance companies and foundations, fostering micro-market farms, healthy food delivery operations and educational programming all geared toward creating thriving rural communities. Through walk-up farm stands, mobile farmers markets, wellness on wheels programs and GRRO’s 38 foot mobile RV resource unit, the organization is ensuring access to fresh, healthy produce, medical screenings, along with other mental health and well-being resources in economically-challenged areas.

GRRO’s flourishing Healthy Food Prescription Program is gaining state-wide recognition, providing 40 rural jobs and delivering over 750+ healthy food boxes a week. This program leverages resources from the council of governments, local hospitals and several insurance companies to provide nutritious food options to the community, promoting both health and economic growth. Henry’s vision and strategic use of available resources have fueled GRRO’s growth, contributing greatly to the health and economic vitality of rural eastern North Carolina.

Krista Yoder, MPH, RDN, PMP, PBA, FAND, is an executive, business analyst, social entrepreneur and registered dietitian nutritionist. She is the COO of Eat Ahara ® , an innovative Food-is-Medicine organization driving
culturally-relevant food and registered dietitian solutions at scale. Krista is a fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics where she serves on the board of directors. Her published work includes the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Journal of Experimental Biology, Journal of Nutrition Research and Practice, and Contemporary Pediatrics.

Gideon Adams is the Food Bank’s Vice President for Community Health and Engagement.
Gideon spent many years in Africa and witnessed hunger in its rawest form. On moving to the
USA, he was saddened and shocked by the level of food insecurity here and was moved to get
involved with the fight against this insidious threat.
Previous positions include Senior Manager, Programs and Outreach at the Food Bank of
Central & Eastern North Carolina and Operations Management of another of the Feeding
America network food banks in the state. Prior to this he held operational and project roles in
the private sector.
Among other things, he is responsible for strategic planning and implementation of partnerships
and programs that will work to “shorten the lines” of those living with food insecurity and to
increase access to nutrition education and information, including assistance in application for
SNAP and other safety net benefits.
The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has been a leading organization in the fight
against food insecurity, in the State, for over 40 years. Traditional services include the sourcing
and distribution of procured foods through a network of community partners (including
emergency pantries, congregate feeding sites and shelters), administration of Federal safety net
programs and a variety of child and senior nutrition programs.

Randi Shubin Dresner joined Island Harvest Food Bank in 2001 and serves as its president and CEO. She leads a team with a shared vision of a hunger-free Long Island. 

Their work tackles real-life issues by investigating and addressing the root causes of poverty, hunger, and food insecurity, resulting in actionable, innovative programs that truly impact our community. 

While the organization distributes and supports more than 16 million pounds to Long Island neighbors in need, they are determined to do more than distribute food. In alignment with this objective, Island Harvest Food Bank has formed robust advocacy efforts to advance its work, developed a Workforce Skills Development Institute, and manages an organic farm, greenhouse, and Giving Gardens across Long Island. 

Before joining Island Harvest Food Bank, Randi enjoyed a successful career in various non-profit sector roles. She was a partner in a fundraising and development consulting firm. She made her mark at several organizations, including The March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, The Viscardi Center and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  

Randi was an adjunct faculty member at Long Island University and Molloy University for 25 years and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from St. Joseph’s College in 2013. Randi Shubin Dresner is a lifelong resident of Long Island, NY.

Elise August, MPH is a Manager of Health Systems Innovation at Feeding America. In her current role, she leads Feeding America’s Food as Medicine program, in which food banks partner with the healthcare system to provide patients experiencing food insecurity with access to nutritious food.  In previous roles, Elise has worked for community-based organizations and global food & beverage brands, addressing topics ranging from nutrition education and program evaluation to food labeling and regulatory compliance. Through this diverse background, she developed a passion for bridging gaps between sectors and fostering collaborations that reduce disparities, alleviate hunger, and improve health. Elise holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and a Master of Public Health degree, both from The Ohio State University.

Dwight Schultheis is a Director at Instacart Health, the company’s initiative designed to increase nutrition security, inspire healthy choices, and scale food as medicine programs. In his role, Dwight is dedicated to working with healthcare organizations to build and expand food access and nutrition programs for patients, employees, and members. As one of Instacart’s first dedicated health leaders, Dwight has been instrumental in launching innovative partnerships with healthcare providers and has established strategic partnerships with leading associations, nonprofits, and more. Prior to Instacart, Dwight helped lead Corporate Development teams at both Athenahealth and CVS Health, and led Partnerships at Jabra Hearing and Truepill. In 2022, Dwight was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Board of Directors at MassVentures. Dwight lives in Boston with his wife and two teenage children.

Josh is co-founder and CEO of Season Health, the only integrated Food-as-Medicine Platform that enables people to eat well and live well. By combining evidence-based clinical care with access to affordable medically-tailored meals and groceries, Season empowers individuals and their families to make informed, sustainable choices, measurably improving both health outcomes and quality of life. Josh is also co-founder and former CEO of Plated, which shipped millions of meals to over 95% of the United States before being acquired by Albertsons grocery brands in 2017. He has a lifelong interest in health and nutrition. Josh received his MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech.

Michael Pappas is an innovative leader who uses his background in professional services, statistics, law, and sales to provide a holistic client-centered experience for his customers. His training and professional background combines digital services innovation, client-centered approaches, and human-centered design to offer unique perspectives to better solve modern problems and achieve strategic and operational goals. Mike’s training includes a Juris Doctor along with Bachelor’s degrees in statistics and cognitive psychology. He has spent the past 17+ years working in professional services leading high-performing teams, designing innovative digital services solutions, and minimizing legal and regulatory risks in high growth businesses.

Founder and CEO of Attane Heath, on a mission to provide everyone with affordable, inclusive access to the right foods and resources they need to improve their health. I also founded the Food Equality Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to food access for those living with chronic conditions, while reducing racial and economic disparities with dignity and empathy.

I’ve held advisory roles with hospitals, co-investigated research papers with major universities, provided testimony to the FDA, and presented about issues of food insecurity for patients with specific dietary needs. My work is rooted in lived experience and backed by evidence-based science.