Speaker Biographies

Hasime Adili is Director of Food Services at UChicago Medicine, where she leads Food Services strategy and operations across the medical center and advances initiatives that integrate food into the care continuum by aligning service delivery, clinical workflows, and technology to support patient outcomes and experience. She leads service model transformation, informatics strategy, and cross-functional initiatives that embed food within clinical pathways. Known for translating operational complexity into scalable solutions, Hasime brings a systems-level, data-driven approach to elevating food services as a strategic component of healthcare. She joined UChicago Medicine in 2016 and has held progressive leadership roles in operational excellence and performance improvement.

Virginia Barnes has been the director of Blue Health Initiatives at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas since October 2015. This program aims to improve the health and quality of life for Kansans, investing over $37 million across the state. The key initiative, Pathways to a Healthy Kansas, offers tools and resources to enhance active living, healthy eating, behavioral health and tobacco prevention. Blue Health Initiatives also include a portfolio of grants, sponsorship and projects focused on healthcare innovation, access to healthy lifestyles and health equity. Before joining Blue Cross, Ms. Barnes worked at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. She earned a biology degree from Washburn University and a master's in public health from the University of Kansas. She also graduated from the Leadership Greater Topeka program in 2021 and completed the AHIP Executive Leadership Program in 2025, obtaining her Certified Health Insurance Executive designation. Barnes serves on the boards of the Topeka Community Foundation and Kansas Public Health Association, as well as various advisory committees focused on health improvement. A lifelong Kansan, she resides in Topeka with her husband and daughter and has a son at the University of Kansas.

Haleta Belai is Vice President of Drivers of Health at Centene, a leading provider of government sponsored healthcare, including coverage for more than one million Medicare Advantage members, with a focus on duals. Haleta leads a national team in designing evidence-based strategies, partnerships, and tools to measurably improve health outcomes by addressing root causes of poor health. Haleta holds a BA from Columbia University and an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.

Jeff leads the corporate citizenship, environmental sustainability and public affairs teams at Blue Cross, helping to enhance the company’s brand and reputation through targeted community investments, focused volunteerism, environmental sustainability activities and strategic relationship management with community organizations, civic, business and elected officials. He is responsible for leading the company’s overall impact work (environmental, social, governance) and for strategically linking community, climate action and public affairs initiatives to the company’s business strategy, increasing brand visibility and thought leadership to support overall business goals. Jeff also serves as an adjunct professor at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Jeff graduated from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and earned his master’s in political communications from Emerson College.

Scott is Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Nourish Movement (NOURISH by Clareo) – a multi-stakeholder open innovation platform committed to connecting innovators and their innovations to empower human health through food sustainably. NOURISH brings senior innovation leaders together from across the food, health and tech sectors to accelerate private sector, market-oriented innovation. Scott also leads the food sector at Clareo – a group of new business designers accelerating the future of food for health. He works at the nexus of nutrition, health & wellness and food as medicine, up and down the food value chain and across the health & wellness ecosystem, from start-ups to Fortune 100 firms. He is a featured speaker, panelist and roundtable leader at Food as Medicine Summits, Future Food Tech, Yale Center for Business and the Environment, Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Management and at organizations such as Kraft, Coca Cola, Whirlpool, The National Critical Issues Forum for Healthcare, The National Security Agency, and others.

As Director of Nutrition at The Kroger Co., Laura Brown leads the company’s Food as Health strategy, advancing programs that empower customers to make healthier, more informed choices. Her leadership spans a range of innovative initiatives, including the OptUP® Nutrition Program, the Flexibility Benefits and employer benefit programs in partnership with evermore, and Kroger’s virtual nutrition counseling services, available in 44 states. Laura also plays a key role in shaping research and policy efforts that elevate the role of nutrition in public health. Since joining Kroger in 2021, she has leveraged her clinical expertise as a registered dietitian to support patients nationwide and promote nutrition as a vital component of well-being. In addition to her nutrition and clinical credentials, Laura brings a strong background in content creation, media engagement, public relations, and brand activations. She holds a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Exercise Science from Miami University. Her dietetic internship was completed at Emory University Hospitals in Atlanta.

Elizabeth E. Burger, PhD, MBA, EMT, serves as SVP of Programs & Strategy for Sunflower Foundation, a statewide health philanthropy serving all 105 Kanas counties and the state’s four sovereign Native nations. Burger leads the program team with an expansive portfolio addressing multiple facets of the health spectrum including green space access and public trails; healthcare access and behavioral health integration; nonprofit capacity building; tribal and rural community health; food access and nutrition security; and Food is Medicine. Since 2022, Burger has led the development and initiation of the Kansas Food is Medicine Initiative (KFIMI), one of the nation’s first programs with published data from predominantly rural and frontier regions. Burger is passionate that rural America will not be left behind as FIM advances, noting that geographic distances and sparse populations serve distinct challenges that must be addressed in the name of health equity. Sunflower Foundation has been proud to partner with the Aspen Institute to coordinate convenings on this particular issue. Burger started her career as a TV news producer, then transitioned to health. She owned a personal training business, managed hospital-based wellness programs, worked in academia and research, and served as evaluation director at the American Academy of Family Physicians. Outside of work, Burger is a certified firefighter/EMT and volunteers for her rural fire district and serves on multiple local, state and national boards including County Extension and American Trails. She and her husband are working to create a nature preserve on their rural property in northeast Kansas. Burger loves “rucking” outdoors in any kind of weather and appreciates all peer-reviewed research pointing to the health benefits of coffee, dark chocolate, and any kind of wine.

Stephanie Carlton, appointed by President Trump to be CMS Deputy Administrator and Chief of Staff, is a health care leader with unique experience across the dimensions of the U.S. health care economy—business, policy, higher education, and clinical. As Acting CMS Administrator until Dr. Mehmet Oz was confirmed by the Senate, Stephanie led the Agency through the early days of working with DOGE, implementing Executive Orders, and running the $1.7T organization. When a Partner at McKinsey & Company, Carlton was a leader in McKinsey's SHaPE Practice with a deep focus on innovation and strategy and led McKinsey’s Center for US Health System Reform. She also co-founded a place-based transformation with 20 community leaders in Texas to improve holistic health outcomes. Prior to McKinsey, she led Medicare Advantage and Medicaid issues on the US Senate Finance Committee (Republican staff) and worked as a labor & delivery nurse at Georgetown University Hospital. Carlton has guest lectured at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, served as a fall 2022 resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, and was on the business school faculty at the University of Texas at Austin. She has served on the boards of the Health Care Cost Institute, Ignite Health Foundation, and the University of Texas McCombs Alumni Association.

Allison Collins, MD is a pediatrician, board-certified lifestyle medicine intensivist, and certified culinary medicine specialist. She works with children, teens, and families to prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic disease through sustainable lifestyle change. Dr. Collins serves as the Director of Lifestyle and Culinary Medicine for Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara in Northern California, where she created Cook for Health, a culinary medicine program, and developed multiple intensive lifestyle medicine programs for both pediatric and adult populations that include Culinary and Food is Medicine at its core. She regularly teaches plant-forward cooking classes, leads culinary demonstrations, and educates patients, physicians, and healthcare professionals on the power of food as medicine. A recognized speaker, recipe contributor, and leader in her field, Dr. Collins earned her B.S. in Psychology and Biomedical Engineering from Tufts University. As a Fulbright Scholar, she conducted pediatric obesity research in Indonesia before completing her medical degree at the University of California, San Diego, where she received the American Nutrition Society Fellowship. She completed her pediatric residency at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford and joined Kaiser Permanente in 2010. Dr. Collins serves on the TPMG Lifestyle Medicine Task Force, the KP National Food Is Medicine Center of Excellence Committee, and the KP National Healthy Picks Committee. She collaborates with local and national food vendors to shape menus across KP campuses—from cafeterias and cafés to staff lounges and hospital meals—aligning food choices with health and environmental sustainability. She is passionate about making Kaiser Permanente a model workplace for wellness, where the healthy choice is the easy choice.

Nate started Barrel Ventures out of a passion to help others disrupt the status quo. Surrounded by entrepreneurs at a young age, Nate became an operator himself as a founder of L3 Hospitality Group and later Wise Apple, a company that set out to change kids' lunch. He has invested in 50+ companies including Olipop, Helaina, Jumbotail, Nowadays, Go Nanas, Confido, and many more. Nate is a graduate of the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University and received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management where he was awarded a Kellogg Scholarship and named a Zell Fellow. In his free time, Nate is a passionate endurance athlete and movie quote savant. He lives in Chicago and enjoys spending time with his wife Ariel and 3 kids Sadie (5), Chase (3), and Maddy (1).

Ipyana is the Chief Health Officer with Meals on Wheels America. In her role, she oversees the development and growth of Meals on Wheels Health, a newly created division of Meals on Wheels America that partners with health care payors and health systems to expand the impact and scope of local Meals on Wheels services to seniors and vulnerable adults who are managing multiple chronic conditions or recovering from recent hospitalizations. Ipyana comes to Meals on Wheels America with more than 20 years of diverse, cross industry experience across the legislative, public policy, health care and data analytics arenas.

Dr. David Dungan MD FACP FAAP CCMS, board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, and culinary medicine, serves as founder and chair of Duly Culinary Medicine. He also currently serves as Vice Chair for the Advisory Board of the American College of Culinary Medicine and recently completed 12 years of service on the Clinical Board of Duly Health and Care, the largest independent multispecialty physician group in the United States. Dr. Dungan is an experienced internist and pediatrician who specializes in high quality personalized healthcare for all ages. For the past decade he has been passionate about food as medicine for his patients and advocates for both healthy food and food security to benefit the patients and communities that Duly Health and Care serves. Dr. Dungan was one of 110 founding physicians of DuPage Medical Group (now Duly Health and Care) in 1999; outside of his medical practice, he serves on the board of the DuPage Health Coalition representing Duly Health and Care and is the chair of the Clinical Practice Committee for the American College of Culinary Medicine. He is the former chair of the Quality Assurance and Utilization Management Committee of Duly Health and Care, and a former board chair for FORWARD (Finding Opportunities that Result in Wellness for All Residents of DuPage), a charitable organization which was dedicated to building community-based systems to counter the growing problem of chronic disease and health disparities. Dr. Dungan is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians as well as a member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He received his medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois and completed his combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Loyola University Medical Center/Foster McGaw Hospital.

Curt Ellis is an entrepreneur, filmmaker and parent working to reimagine food as a daily source of health, joy, and agency in the lives of kids. Curt is the co-founder and CEO of FoodCorps, a national nonprofit that reaches more than 500,000 students a year with its food education and school nutrition programs. Prior to starting FoodCorps, Curt helped reframe public debate around the Farm Bill with his Peabody-winning documentary, King Corn. A graduate of Yale and a frequent public speaker and source to journalists, Curt has been recognized as a DRK Fellow, a Claneil Emerging Leader, a Kellogg Food and Community Fellow, a New Profit Social Entrepreneur, and an Emerson Collective Dial Fellow. He is a recipient of the Heinz Award, Pearl Award, and GQ Leader Award, and serves on the steering committee of Voices for National Service and the boards of Springboard Collaborative and GreenWave. Curt and his family live on a farm in rural Vermont.

Dr. Erlanger has more than 25 years of investing and advisory experience, with expertise in AgTech, private equity and corporate finance. Prior to Aliment Capital, Phil was the Managing Partner of PREv2 Holdings, an investment firm focused on food and agriculture technologies. Previously, he was a senior investment banker at Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers. Phil has a PhD in Economics and Finance from UPenn and an MBA from the Wharton School.

Amy Flowers is Director of Data Analytics at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). She leads NACHC’s research department, ensuring its work is responsive to the rapidly evolving needs of health centers and grounded in improving quality of care and health outcomes for the diverse communities they serve. Dr. Flowers earned her PhD from the University of Southern California and is a RIVA-trained focus group moderator. Her experience includes developing quantitative and qualitative research methodologies aligned with the quintuple aim, including patient and provider experience, cost efficiency, care quality, and reducing disparities in health outcomes. Prior to joining NACHC, she served as a consultant on hundreds of projects for federal, state, and local government agencies. Through this work, she gained a strong appreciation for early stakeholder engagement, a clear understanding of how disparities affect health, and a lasting commitment to improving access to care and population health.

Emily Gillen, PhD, is the Head of Global Data Partnerships at UCB and a health services researcher with more than 15 years of experience working across the healthcare ecosystem. She has built her career at the intersection of health systems, data science, and policy — spanning roles in health insurance, contract research organizations, and life sciences. Her work has focused extensively on evaluating efficiencies within the Medicare program and supporting research aligned with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, with the goal of improving care quality, equity, and affordability for diverse patient populations.

In her current role, Emily leads UCB’s global data strategy, forging partnerships that expand access to high‑quality real‑world data and enable evidence generation across therapeutic areas. She is committed to advancing data‑driven public health insights by strengthening collaborations with health systems, research institutions, and technology partners. Known for her clarity in translating complex healthcare data into actionable knowledge, she works to ensure that evidence is used responsibly and effectively to inform decision‑making and improve patient outcomes.

Amanda Goldman is an accomplished leader in the healthcare industry with many years of experience. In her current role as the System Vice President of Food and Nutrition Services at CommonSpirit Health, Amanda leads the foodservice & clinical nutrition operations for their national program. Previously, she was the Healthcare Industry Sales Strategist at Gordon Food Service. Prior to that role, Amanda was the System Director of the Catholic Health Initiatives Food & Nutrition Services national program. During that time, she also served as the Director of Diabetes & Nutrition Care for CHI Saint Joseph Health. In addition to serving as the immediate Past Treasurer on the Academy’s Board of Directors, Amanda is also the Affiliate Partnership Director of the Dietitians in Business and Communications DPG. She is the Past Director of Business Development & Past Chair of the Management in Food and Nutrition Systems DPG; and Past President of the Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Amanda also served on the God’s Pantry Food Bank Board of Directors for six years, and recently completed her tenure as Board President. Amanda is a graduate of Miami University and earned a Master’s Degree at the University of Kentucky.

Emily Groden is the founder of Evergreen, one of America’s fastest-growing frozen breakfast companies. Emily started making waffles for her daughters before launching Evergreen in March 2020. Today, Evergreen is carried in approximately 8,500 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods Markets, Sprouts, Kroger, Target, Walmart, and more. Emily’s story has been featured by Good Morning America, The Today Show, and The Wall Street Journal, among other publications. Prior to founding Evergreen, Emily worked for Chef Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas as the General Counsel for The Alinea Group and Tock. Before her pivot into the hospitality industry, Emily practiced law at Kirkland & Ellis as a corporate associate focused on mergers and acquisitions. A lifelong athlete with a passion for food, Emily was a Division I swimmer and is an Ironman finisher and Boston Marathon qualifier. Emily graduated cum laude from Yale College and Harvard Law School. She currently lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters, Evergreen’s number one fans.

Melanie Hall is an accomplished innovator committed to health equity and community empowerment. She has pioneered internal systems change across government, commercial, and nonprofit organizations to help them collaborate with communities to improve access to nutritious food and promote lifelong healthy habits through data-informed solutions. Believing that innovation stems from rigorous research, Melanie excels at multi-year strategies and engaging data interpretation to turn insights into action. From state-wide fruit and vegetable campaigns for SNAP households at the CA Dept of Public Health; to novel WIC resources, staff trainings and merchandising practices that increased program engagement at Kellogg; to launching the first Organic WIC-eligible breakfast cereals at Kashi—each initiative leveraged data and actionable insights to secure funding, ensure organizational commitment, and spark public/private collaboration. Feeding America is a national network of 250+ members who provide food and a combination of training, funding, and/or technology solutions to 60,000+ programs and organizations delivering healthy food and other social determinants of health services to food insecure communities. As Chief Health, Research and Evaluation Officer at Feeding America, Melanie leads Research and Evaluation teams that work to deepen our collective understanding of the scope and drivers of food insecurity in America, while her Health Impact team supports the development of dignified Food Is Medicine solutions that address the unique needs faced by the 47 million people who don’t have access to healthy food. Melanie is a graduate of Tufts University with an MS in Nutrition Communications, she completed her dietetic internship at Frances Stern Nutrition Center and holds a BS in Nutrition Science from the University of California at Berkeley. She lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband, two sons, and two cats.

Javier Haro is a Chicago-based entrepreneur and social impact leader at the intersection of food, health, and economic development. He is the founder and CEO of Cocina Rx, a culturally driven, tech-enabled nutrition company delivering medically tailored meals and precision nutrition solutions, and the founder and executive director of Food Hero, an innovative bilingual culinary school and food business incubator focused on workforce development and entrepreneurship. He also leads Equity Foods Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to building a more equitable local food system. With a focus on food as medicine, workforce innovation, and community-driven economic growth, Haro is pioneering scalable models that integrate culinary training, healthcare, and food entrepreneurship to improve health outcomes and create sustainable pathways for underserved communities.

Terese Hill is the Manager of Food is Medicine Strategy at Fairview Health Services, where she leads the design, implementation, and scaling of system-wide programs addressing food insecurity across clinical and community settings. She oversees a portfolio of initiatives including Fresh Food Rx, medically tailored meals, food voucher programs, and Food Resource Navigation, serving patients across more than 60 care sites. With over a decade of experience in community engagement, food systems, and program management, Terese specializes in building cross-sector partnerships that strengthen local food economies and expand access to culturally meaningful, nutritious food. Her work bridges healthcare and community systems to improve health outcomes, support dignified access to good food,, and advance health equity.

Sheeba Ibidunni leads CookUnity's healthcare sales strategy with an extensive background in healthcare policy and Medicaid. She has spent her career at the intersection of health equity, payer strategy, and clinical program development, helping health plans and care organizations translate nutrition interventions into scalable, reimbursable models. At CookUnity, Sheeba works with Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and commercial health plans to bring medically tailored meal programs to the members who need them most.

Rebecca Ilic, MS, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian with 20 years of experience in clinical nutrition, healthcare leadership, and patient-centered care. She serves as Director of Clinical Nutrition and Diabetes Education at UChicago Medicine, where she leads interdisciplinary teams to advance evidence-based nutrition care and integrate nutrition across the continuum of care. Rebecca is focused on improving access, quality, and consistency of care for complex patient populations while advancing innovative models that position nutrition as a core component of treatment. She also serves as the State Policy Representative for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, supporting legislative and regulatory efforts to expand access to nutrition services and elevate the role of dietitians in healthcare. She is committed to leveraging nutrition to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance the patient experience.

Tonya Johnson is a highly accomplished Registered Dietitian with a diverse background in clinical nutrition, research, higher education, and public health leadership. She holds a Master’s in Food and Nutrition from the University of Central Arkansas and has pursued doctoral studies in Organizational Leadership. Tonya also earned a Certificate of Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America, blending her expertise in nutrition with the art of cooking. Throughout her career, Tonya has led innovative programs that promote wellness and food security, including the development of Culinary Medicine initiatives and the establishment of campus farmers markets and seven food pantries across Arkansas. During the COVID-19 crisis, she organized statewide doorstep food delivery services for those in quarantine. Tonya has collaborated with legislators to support maternal and infant health through the creation of Arkansas’s first Human Donor Milk Bank. Recognized nationally for her impactful work she has been featured in publications and media for her contributions in nutrition and wellness. She is a passionate advocate for using food as medicine and improving access to nutritious foods for all. Her outstanding achievements have been celebrated through several prestigious awards: 2013: Preceptor of the Year 2018: Arkansas Dietitian of the Year 2019: Arkansas Business Outstanding Allied Healthcare Professional 2020: Arkansas Business Healthcare Hero 2024: CommonSpirit National Humankindness Award Winner 2025: CommonSpirit Advancing Leader

Dr Ajay Joseph is an Interventional Cardiologist at Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa Oklahoma .He joined Saint Francis after completing his cardiology training at Rush University under the mentorship of Dr Kim Allan Williams, one of the pioneers in Plant Based Nutrition and Preventive Cardiology, whom he credits for changing the path of his professional life. He completed his internal medicine training at the Cook County Hospital and followed his General Cardiology training with an Interventional cardiology fellowship at Tufts University/ Baystate Medical Center in Massachusetts. He is board certified in Lifestyle Medicine and has completed courses in Plant Based nutrition from Cornell and Culinary Medicine from Harvard.He is the Director of the Lifestyle Medicine Program and the Director of Cardiac Rehab at Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, Oklahoma.In 2022 he launched a pilot Lifestyle Medicine Program for Saint Francis Employees the success of which then led to the launch of the first and only comprehensive Lifestyle Medicine Program in the state of Oklahoma. He is currently working on building a dedicated Lifestyle Medicine Service line at Saint Francis Health System. He is passionate about the power of Lifestyle Medicine in changing the lives of his patients and the community by empowering individuals through a comprehensive, whole-person approach.

Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi leads the strategy and execution of digital health programs for the 6M members of Blue Shield of California. Programs range across high prevalence and high-cost condition domains including conditions such as cardiometabolic, musculoskeletal, gastro-intestinal, mental health and more. Angie has worked to ensure that BSC members have a wide variety of interventions available so that they can get access to the right care at the right time. All programmatic interventions are vetted to ensure quality, affordability and positive member experience. Angie is also leading work to rationalize and scale programs into a digital health marketplace for this leading California health plan, so that members can easily find and utilize programs that are meaningful to them. Lifestyle Medicine practice and programs are at the forefront of Angie’s program strategy as a means to showcase optimal outcomes, value-based care and high member satisfaction. Angie 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. Some of Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi’s notable accomplishments include: • Leading a team to launch a platform of digital health care solutions to prevent, treat and reverse chronic conditions that is available to Blue Shield of California members. • Serving as lead member of Blue Shield of California’s Clinical Governance Committee and bringing lifestyle medicine to the table as a preferred first line therapeutic intervention. • Working with leaders within Blue Shield of California and across the country to mitigate GLP-1 demand by introducing lifestyle-based weight loss approaches into medical policy. • Leading the Food as Medicine work at Blue Shield of California to solve for food insecurity when treating chronic conditions through lifestyle. • Serving as the Blue Shield of California representative for the White House Conference to reduce diet related disease and end hunger by 2030. • Advocating for adoption of innovative digital health programs through speaking engagements at multiple national health care conferences each year. Angie has been at Blue Shield of California for 15 years. Prior to joining Blue Shield in 2010, Angie 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, Angie 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. Angie 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 National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach.

Jim Kirby is the Chief Commercial Officer for Kroger Health. In this role, he is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with strategic partners, suppliers, providers, and payers; generating alternative profit through innovative healthcare ventures; overseeing Kroger’s Prescription Benefit Manager (PBM); implementing a comprehensive food for health strategy; and creating a holistic and interoperable community health ecosystem focused on patient experience and outcomes. Dr. Kirby is an innovative servant leader and has dedicated his professional career to advancing the role of community-based practitioners to change the way healthcare is delivered in this country. His work has positioned Kroger as a leader in medication management, nutrition and wellness services, and vaccine administration. He and his team have also developed interprofessional programs in transitions of care, point-of-care testing, and chronic disease prevention, education, and management. Dr. Kirby has delivered over 50 presentations and publications and was instrumental in creating both a PGY1 and combined PGY1/2 community pharmacy residency program with the University of Cincinnati to train future pharmacy leaders. Dr. Kirby earned his pharmacy degree from Ohio State University and his PharmD from the University of Cincinnati. He has worked as a pharmacist in a variety of settings, including community, mail, hospital, and managed care/specialty pharmacy. Dr. Kirby is a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati, a Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association, and maintains an active role in professional organizations and advocacy efforts.

Julia Koprak is the 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 several agency priorities, including Nutrition Incentive programs, which provide coupons for fruits and vegetables to families with limited resources. She also provides strategic guidance and oversight of policy advocacy and Food is Medicine healthcare partnerships. In this role, Julia serves as an organizational lead on federal grants, national technical assistance, and various 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.

Michael Lawsky serves as CEO of Nutrition for Longevity & President of L-Nutra. L-Nutra’s science focuses on activating cellular reprogramming and rejuvenation to restore functionality and health in multiple organs and systems. The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) and product line encompasses sophisticated, plant-based technology capable of removing cellular waste and reprogramming cells. Nutrition for Longevity uses this Science to power our medically tailored meals business. Michael brings deep experience in the US, Europe and Asia across organizational leadership, board leadership, finance, strategy, distribution & product innovation Prior to taking on these roles, Michael was a Managing Director at UBS, Barclays and Lehman Brothers Investment Banks in senior leadership positions across a number of global business verticals. Michael completed his Masters at Cornell’s Jeb Brooks School of Public Policy and received his BA at Cornell’s College of Arts & Science.

Richard (Rick) Leach is Executive Director of Arizona State University’s Food is Medicine Initiative and a Professor of Practice in the College of Health Solutions. He leads a nationwide effort to address dietrelated disease by integrating nutrition into the U.S. healthcare system and reshaping Americans’ relationship with food. In this role, Leach works across healthcare systems, employers, communities, and policymakers to scale evidence-based nutrition interventions in Arizona and build a roadmap for national adoption. Leach brings more than three decades of leadership experience across government, the United Nations, nonprofit organizations, academia, and the private sector. Prior to joining ASU, he served as President and CEO of World Food Program USA (WFP USA), the organization he established to strengthen U.S. engagement with the United Nations World Food Programme. During his ten-year tenure, he led bipartisan efforts to expand U.S. food security programs, built a robust congressional advocacy operation, and developed private-sector partnerships that enhanced WFP’s global humanitarian response. Under his leadership, WFP received record U.S. government funding and advanced a strategic framework linking food insecurity, instability, and U.S. national security interests. Earlier in his career, Leach directed global and national initiatives addressing public health, environmental protection, and human rights. He was appointed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create and lead the federal government’s National Immunization Outreach Program. He has also led major initiatives with the World Health Organization, including developing a global strategy to halt the production and trade of counterfeit drugs, and with the World Wildlife Fund, where he launched the Living Planet Campaign to promote biodiversity protection across the globe. Leach has advised and collaborated with U.S. congressional leaders, the White House, international agencies, academic institutions, and private-sector partners on issues ranging from hunger and nutrition security to pandemic preparedness and response. He has published on international human rights and micro-enterprise development and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His board service includes Winrock International, the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, and George Washington University’s Planet Forward initiative. Leach holds a Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, from California Western School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in political science, with honors, from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Catherine Macpherson, Chief Nutrition Officer & Senior Vice President Healthcare Strategy, joined Mom’s Meals in 2017. In this role, Catherine works closely with health plans and other health care partners on their nutrition programs to ensure they meet clinical, quality, cost saving, member experience and social determinants of health objectives. She also leads the field sales team, pilot programs and national policy work for the organization. Prior to Mom’s Meals, Catherine served as Vice President of Medication Adherence and Immunizations at Walgreens, led Healthcare Product Strategy at WebMD and managed health and wellness programs for Ceridian, the National Institute of Health and the American Institute for Cancer Research. Catherine received her Master of Science degree in Nutrition from the University of Minnesota and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan. She is also a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Catherine has also served on numerous scientific advisory boards, and has advised health and wellness companies including Retrofit, Livongo and eMindful.

Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark MD, ABOIM is a nationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of Integrative Medicine. She is the Director of Integrative Nutrition and Advocacy at Endeavor Health, Clinical Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Culinary Medicine program at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, and faculty for the U Of AZ Integrative Medicine and Ayurveda Fellowship. Dr. Maker-Clark has spent two decades studying integrative medicine, nutritional science, botanical medicine, mind-body medicine, and natural childbirth in health clinics all over the world. She started the Food is Power program on the South Side of Chicago in Chicago Public Schools to empower youth with health literacy, through a curriculum that focuses on decolonized food education, food justice and sovereignty. Dr Maker-Clark was recognized as a national leader in food justice activism with a Castanea Fellowship from 2019-2022 and the Mesa Refuge Michael Pollan Fellowship in Food Journalism in 2021. She has been honored with several awards for her contributions to the field of integrative medicine and is a widely requested speaker, passionate about sharing knowledge and experience to help communities thrive. Dr. Maker-Clark believes in transforming the way we think about medicine and looks to ancient wisdom and modern struggles as opportunities to heal with the medicines that are all around us. As a woman of color, a community organizer, and integrative physician and thought leader ,her work aims to help communities be well nourished- the heart of healing in our society and country. Her upcoming book Medicine for All People-Science and Ancient Wisdom for Revolutionary Healing will be published in 2026, and is a compelling call to nourish what ancestral health wisdom has been forgotten.

Dr. Ed McDonald is a trained chef and board-certified gastroenterologist dedicated to improving health through nutrition education. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where he developed a passion for community health and created programs training hip-hop artists and barbers as health educators. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Northwestern, a fellowship in clinical nutrition at the University of Chicago, culinary training at Kendall College, and a gastroenterology fellowship at Rush University Medical Center. Now an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of Adult Nutrition at the University of Chicago, Dr. McDonald teaches culinary medicine and researches small intestinal disorders, obesity, and health disparities. His work has been funded by the NIDDK and featured in national meetings and leading journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine.

John “Wesley” McWhorter, DrPH, MS, RD, LD, CSCS is vice president of lifestyle medicine for Suvida Healthcare, national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and advisory council member for the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative. A professional chef and dietitian, Dr. McWhorter is also a behavioral scientist, strength and conditioning specialist, cookbook author, and food as medicine expert. His research and work focus on nutrition equity and closing the divide between culinary literacy and nutrition education and policy through hands-on culinary medicine education. In addition to culinary school, Dr. McWhorter graduated from Kansas State University and earned a master’s degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch and a doctorate in health promotion and behavioral science from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health. (Houston, TX).

Calley is a Senior Advisor at the White House - focusing on healthcare and nutrition policy. He is the co-author with his sister, Dr. Casey Means, of Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health, which debuted at #1 on the NYTimes and Amazon lists - and has sold over 1 million copies. He co-founded Truemed, a company which has helped over 500,000 people use medical spending on food and exercise to reverse chronic disease. He has started nonprofits that have raised millions of dollars for research and advocacy to reverse chronic disease. He has appeared on podcasts such as Joe Rogan, Skinny Confidential, Megyn Kelly, and Tucker Carlson (where the episode with his sister was the most shared podcast of 2024). He is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard Business School.

Sarah Elizabeth Morrow, MA (she/her) is an applied medical anthropologist. She currently serves as the Program Director for Clinical-Community Programs for UPMC for You and UPMC for Kids, UPMC Health Plan. Her role focuses on targeted Medicaid programs that meet the health equity and HRSN needs of both members and their larger communities. Sarah has worked on Pennsylvania's efforts to expand community health worker coverage, expand community doula care, and support food and nutrition programs. Food security and food as medicine have been key efforts across her career, reaching over a decade, three states, and two counties. Currently, she leads partnerships around produce prescriptions, medically tailored meals, maternal-child health, and more vital intersections health and social needs. 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.

Culinary Director(Aramark) for UChicago just celebrated 1 yr Prior: Exec Chef 3 for Children’s National DC Prior: Exec Chef 3 NSA , Fort Meade, MD Prior: Exec Chef 3 Medstar Hospitals in dc, Maryland and Virginia areas.

Paul Norton is a Senior Director at BluePath Health, a consulting firm that works with a broad spectrum of public and private organizations nationwide to increase efficiencies and improve access to health and social services for people in need. He leads the firm’s Food as Medicine portfolio and its New York office. Paul brings nearly 15 years of experience at the intersection of healthcare policy, technology, and value-based care. His work focuses on helping organizations build the data, technology, and operational infrastructure needed to implement and scale innovative care delivery programs. Prior to BluePath, Paul was Associate Director of Product at Oscar Health, where he led B2B partnerships in Medicare Advantage and Small Group markets. He previously led policy efforts at Manifest MedEx to advance California’s statewide data exchange framework and held product strategy roles at athenahealth focused on value-based care. Paul holds an MBA and MPH from UC Berkeley and is based in New York City.

Anna Richardson has been with The Good Acre for 9 years and currently leads TGA's Market Access team, supporting their farm-to-institution work and direct-to-consumer sales. The Good Acre prioritizes expanding opportunities for growers who have been historically excluded from wholesale markets. Since 2020, the hub has seen exponential wholesale growth, particularly in the sectors where local agriculture is part of solutions addressing food insecurity. Anna is honored to co-design partnership solutions that facilitate connecting individuals facing hunger with high-quality, locally grown food while ensuring market access for farmers.

Rebecca Sarac is a registered dietitian and the Medically Tailored Meals Program Lead at CookUnity, where she bridges the gap between culinary excellence and clinical nutrition. She works directly with CookUnity's network of professional chefs to translate evidence-based dietary guidelines for chronic conditions — including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer — into meals that people genuinely want to eat. With deep expertise in Medi-Cal and value-based nutrition programs, Rebecca brings a rare combination of clinical rigor and real-world program experience to the Food as Medicine conversation.

Dr. Sunny Sharma is a double board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, dedicated to preventing chronic disease through plant-based nutrition and lifestyle interventions. With extensive experience in preventive healthcare, value-based care, and population health, Dr. Sharma believes that food is the most powerful form of medicine, capable of preventing up to 80% of chronic diseases and premature deaths. A passionate advocate for plant-forward diets, exercise, and holistic wellness, Dr. Sharma practices in the very community where he was born, striving to make a lasting impact on public health. As the Regional Medical Officer for Ascension Medical Group Illinois, he leads initiatives to improve healthcare delivery, provider performance, and education on social determinants of health—key factors influencing long-term well-being. Dr. Sharma is also an MDVIP-affiliated concierge physician, offering a personalized, membership-based healthcare model that provides his patients with longer appointments, same- and next-day visits, advanced diagnostic screenings, and a proactive approach to wellness. Through his MDVIP practice, he is able to offer highly individualized care, with a focus on disease prevention, nutrition, and lifestyle optimization, helping patients achieve their healthiest, most vibrant lives. Through his work as a physician and healthcare leader, Dr. Sharma integrates evidence-based medicine with lifestyle-driven solutions, empowering both patients and healthcare providers to embrace sustainable, preventive healthcare approaches.

Dr. Shreela Sharma is Professor & Vice Chair of Epidemiology and Director, Center for Health Equity at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, TX. Dr. Sharma is a behavioral epidemiologist and a registered dietitian. She serves on the research planning group of the American Heart Association Healthcare x Food Initiative and has several research initiatives supporting design, implementation and evaluation of Food Is Medicine interventions across diverse health systems and populations including high risk pregnant and post-partum mothers, patients with diabetes, and pediatric populations.

Dr. Susan Elizabeth Spratt is a Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, and Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke School of Medicine. She is also the Senior Medical Director of the Duke Population Health Management Office. She is board-certified in Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition by the American Board of Internal Medicine and board-certified in Informatics by the American Board of Preventative Medicine. She is also the Co-Chair of the North Carolina Diabetes Advisory Council. She is interested in population, technology, and policy solutions to improving the health of people living with diabetes and other chronic diseases. Her hobbies include ballet, crochet, painting, growing heirloom chrysanthemums, and playing the flute.

Jolene Tanner is the senior director of community health and social impact programs for UnitedHealth Group. She collaborates with health care providers, community-based organizations, and cross-sector partners at local and national levels to design and implement community health strategies that address health disparities, expand access to care, and support sustainable collective impact. Jolene’s earlier career in human resources leadership informs her approach to partnership, talent development, and organizational effectiveness. She holds a MA in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota and a BA in Psychology from the University of St. Catherine.

Jim Thorne is currently President, Nourish Ventures and Senior Vice President, Partnerships and Strategy for Griffith Foods Worldwide Inc. Prior to his current leadership role, Jim was the Vice President, General Manager for Griffith Foods Canada from November 2014 to October 2017. Jim has over 36 years of experience in the food industry. With an MBA from Queen’s University Canada, Jim has worked for Nabisco, Campbell Soup and Maple Leaf Foods in a variety of marketing, sales and general management leadership roles. Prior to joining Griffith Foods in 2014, Jim was President and CEO of Marsan Foods based in Toronto Canada.

Martin Tull is a strategist and systems thinker who designs collaborative solutions to complex problems. As the Chief Impact Officer of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Martin advises ACLM's strategic and community partners on imagining, funding, piloting, and scaling innovative impact projects and campaigns that improve human health and grow the field of Lifestyle Medicine. With an executive leadership background in environmental sustainability and the outdoor recreation industry, Martin previously served as the Founding Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance, transforming it into an international coalition of hundreds of professional and collegiate sports teams integrating sustainable practices. Martin has facilitated workshops globally and spoken at numerous prestigious events, including The White House Sports & Sustainability Summit, Sustainable Brands, the Global Impact Institute, and the Clinton Global Initiative. Recognized for his contributions, Martin has received accolades such as Good Magazine’s 100, Pivotal Leader, and the Portland Business Journal 40 under 40 award.

Dr. Jon Van Der Veer founded Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care which is dedicated to transforming healthcare accessibility and affordability. Offering a wide range of medical services—including Direct Primary Care and 24/7 urgent care—Exemplar Care prioritizes patient-centered solutions that address existing challenges in the healthcare system. Partnering with Hy-Vee, Inc. in 2024, strengthens our commitment to helping patients live easier, healthier, and happier lives. Dr. Van Der Veer’s clinical interests include diabetes and hypertension management.

Adam Wallace is a Director of Health, the company’s initiative to increase nutrition security, inspire healthy choices and scale food as medicine programs. In his role, Adam works with health plans and healthcare organizations to build and expand food access, nutrition security and food as health programs that drive improved clinical outcomes and engagement using Instacart Health technology. As one of Instacart’s first dedicated health leaders, Adam joined the company following more than two decades of experience in healthcare.

Josh Weiland is a results-driven operations leader dedicated to building systems that drive impact, sustainability, and community connection. As Vice President of Operations at 412 Food Rescue, he oversees strategic planning, logistics, and team development for one of the region’s most innovative social-impact nonprofits. Under his leadership, the organization has strengthened its operational infrastructure, improved efficiency, and launched new partnerships that expand food access and reduce waste across Western Pennsylvania. Josh’s approach blends tactical execution with empathy and clarity—rooted in his belief that sustainable progress comes from empowering people and designing equitable systems. A Chatham University graduate in Sustainability, he is passionate about advancing mission-driven innovation, cultivating resilient teams, and amplifying the power of collaboration to solve complex community challenges.

With over 30 years of experience in clinical and community practice and medical education, Dr. Yepes-Rios' work is driven by a passion to deliver care that uplifts every patient and student. Her Primay Care practice focuses on the prevention and management of chronic diseases, emphasizing the importance of access and utilization of healthy, culturall relevant foods for improved health and health outcomes. As the Medical Director of the Cleveland Clinic Food as Medicine strategy, Dr. Yepes-Rios collaborates with community partners to design and implement programs addressing food insecurity in vulnerable populations, including children and pregnant mothers. By listening to the community needs, Cleveland Clinic was instrumental in collaborating with Meijer to address a food desert near main campus. In line with Cleveland Clinic's commitment to combating childhood hunger, programs have been developed that include vouchers for healthy food delivery, food pantries guided by expert dietitians, and the establishment of a teaching kitchen to serve the community and patients. Dr. Yepes-Rios earned her MD degree and training in Internal Medicine at the George Wasington University School of Medicine and is a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar from Yale University.

Kelleen Zubick is the Managing Director of Health Systems work at Share Our Strength, a national organization focused on ending childhood hunger and poverty. She oversees strategic partnerships aimed at enabling health systems to tackle food and nutrition insecurity for children and families, emphasizing policy levers and increasing access to nutrition programs. Current initiatives include the Medicaid Food Security Network, School Based Health Centers as Nutrition Hubs, Benefits Integration in Care Coordination and Healthy Families Produce Rx in rural Louisiana. Since joining Share Our Strength in 2014, Kelleen has also served as the Colorado Director for Cooking Matters, an evidence-based nutrition education program. Passionate about integrated solutions for nutrition security, she has contributed to policy forums such as the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution to Advance Social Determinants of Health, the Root Cause Coalition’s Food Security working group, and Colorado’s gubernatorial Food Systems Advisory Council.