Speaker Biographies

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Driven by a passion for transformative healthcare, I bring over eight years of experience in community health and hold a Master of Public Health with a focus on global health policy. Prior to my current role at Moms Meals, I served as a Case Manager at various Federally Qualified Health Centers, where I designed impactful programs to bridge care gaps using scalable, person-centered solutions, with Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) at the cornerstone. Currently, as the Manager of Healthcare Partnerships at Moms Meals, my priority is to implement nutrition-based solutions to combat health disparities and food insecurity. By partnering with health plans and state agencies, I focus on utilizing the "food as medicine" model through innovative approaches such as Value-Added Benefits, In-Lieu-of-Services, and 1115 Demonstration Programs to deliver medically tailored meals and grocery boxes to vulnerable populations. I am deeply committed to developing groundbreaking solutions to public health issues and am passionate about making a positive impact on at risk individuals and communities.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Nate Wood is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and is board-certified in internal, obesity, and lifestyle medicine. He serves as the inaugural Director of Culinary Medicine at the Yale New Haven Health Teaching Kitchen and was recently chartered with directing the School of Medicine’s longitudinal curricular nutrition “thread” for medical students. Before coming to Yale, Dr. Wood attended culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education. His academic interests are in the growing fields of “culinary medicine” and “food is medicine.” Through this work, Dr. Wood’s ultimate goal is to combine his passions for medicine, food, and education to empower others to enjoy food in a healthy way.

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.