Roxanne Alaniz is a seasoned marketing veteran and entrepreneur with 28 years of experience in the industry. After earning a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, she spent 11 years as a Senior Account Executive at ABC Radio, honing her skills in client relationship management, campaign planning, and marketing strategy. In 2008, she founded Alaniz Alaniz Health, where she serves as founder and CEO, leading the agency’s strategic direction and growth—transforming it into a full-service marketing partner for clients across advertising, digital marketing, public relations, and business strategy. Under her visionary leadership, the firm has earned recognition as a HubSpot Gold Partner, delivered award-winning campaigns, and forged key partnerships within healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

Richard Berman is a seasoned leader in innovation, social impact, and health policy, currently serving as Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the University of South Florida and Visiting Professor of Social Entrepreneurship at the Muma College of Business. His diverse career includes executive roles at NYU Medical Center, consultancy at McKinsey & Company, and service in both U.S. and New York State government. He has also held leadership roles in global diplomacy, academic institutions, and numerous nonprofit and corporate boards, earning election to the National Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike is a board-certified internist and pediatrician who dedicated over 15 years to Cook County Health, where she held clinical and administrative roles—including medical directorships at the Austin Health Center and the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center—and provided inpatient care at Stroger Hospital and community and school-based clinics. In January 2019, she became the first Black woman appointed as Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, leading the state’s pandemic response through March 2022 with nationally recognized clarity and compassion. Since June 2022, she has served as President and CEO of Sinai Chicago, the largest private safety-net health system in Illinois, where she continues her mission to advance health equity through organizational leadership and community partnerships.

Mindi Knebel is a dynamic entrepreneur and founder‑CEO who launched Kaizen Health in 2016, building a HIPAA‑compliant, tech‑driven logistics platform that eliminates transportation barriers to healthcare—a mission born from personal experiences with loved ones in need of reliable rides for treatment schedule. Prior to that, she led operations at the healthcare incubator MATTER (2014–2015) and consulted in strategy and operations at Paragon Consulting Partners (2015–2016), drawing on insights from earlier roles in sales, business operations, finance, and HR across various industries including HelloWorld, O’Brien Veterinary Management, HomeMade Pizza, and American InterContinental University. Additionally, she holds a BA in Psychology and Business Administration from the University of Iowa and an MBA in Human Resources from Colorado Technical University, and she has been a shareholder in the Green Bay Packers since 2012

Mike Shaver is the President and CEO of Brightpoint, formerly Children’s Home & Aid, where he leads strategic efforts to transform child welfare through prevention-focused, two-generation services. With over two decades of leadership in Illinois and Florida, he has driven impactful innovations like FKCaseAIM, a Microsoft-backed platform that significantly improved foster care outcomes. A respected policy advocate, Shaver has influenced child welfare reform across five states and at the federal level, emphasizing data-driven, family-centered approaches.

Matthew McBride has built a strong career in the financial services sector, currently serving as Regional OSJ (Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction) Manager at Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. since January 2011, where he oversees branch operations and compliance across the Cincinnati, Ohio region. Prior to that, he gained formative experience in financial advisory and investment services roles, developing expertise in regulatory oversight, team leadership, and client relationship management. Over his 14+ years with Transamerica, McBride has fostered business growth and maintained high standards of operational excellence within a dynamic, highly regulated environment.

Mary Ann Clark is a seasoned health economics and reimbursement strategist with over 30 years of experience spanning medical technology, data analytics, consulting, payer, and provider organizations. Early in her career, she contributed to the Harvard research team that developed the RBRVS payment system for Medicare, laying a foundation in healthcare finance. Throughout her career, she has held executive and entrepreneurial roles at firms such as Avalere Health, Boston Scientific, Neocure Group, Intralign, Burgess Group, and currently advises through Access Strategy Partners—working with more than 60 companies across 70+ medical products to drive evidence-based value positioning, reimbursement strategies, and market success.

Ken Salyards is an Information Management Specialist at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), where he coordinates health IT and data standards across federal agencies such as ONC, CMS, and FHA. He is a Certified HL7 CDA Specialist and a recognized expert in implementing secure health information systems compliant with HIPAA and 42 CFR Part II, earning multiple Leading Change Awards for his work on behavioral health data initiatives. Ken holds a B.S. from Towson State University and is actively involved in HL7 standardization efforts to advance interoperability in behavioral health systems

Jo Ellen McNamara is the Vice President and Housing + Health Relationship Manager at National Equity Fund, where she leads initiatives that bridge healthcare organizations with affordable housing developers to address social determinants of health. She brings over 25 years of experience spanning municipal government, federally qualified health centers, managed care, community development, and nonprofit consulting. Prior to her current role, she held leadership positions including National Director of Expansion at FreedomCare and drove housing–health integration strategies at UnitedHealthcare, supported by her academic background in Health Innovation and English.

Jim leads Elimu’s Clinical Informatics strategy, bringing over 23 years of expertise in clinical terminology, knowledge management, and information models. He founded PSMI Consulting and has held key roles such as director of Kaiser Permanente’s Convergent Medical Terminology group and senior subject matter expert for ONC medication interoperability. Jim has driven informatics innovations for major healthcare organizations including Partners Health, GE Medical, UCSF, and McKesson.

Evelyn Sanguinetti is an attorney and public servant who served as the 47th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 2015 to 2019, becoming the first Latina to hold the office in the United States. Prior to her tenure as Lieutenant Governor, she practiced law as an Assistant Attorney General and in private legal practice, and also served as an adjunct professor at The John Marshall Law School. After leaving public office, Sanguinetti became the executive director of HOPE Fair Housing Center, leading efforts to combat housing discrimination, and later ran for DuPage County Clerk

Evelyn Gallego, MBA, MPH, CPHIMS, is the CEO and Founder of EMI Advisors LLC, an 8(a) certified small minority-owned business based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She established EMI Advisors to provide value-driven health data management advisory services, focusing on bridging the gap between health information technology policy and business requirements. Her expertise encompasses digital health interoperability, health IT policy, care coordination, and social determinants of health. Gallego has played a significant role in several national interoperability initiatives, serving as the Program Manager and Subject Matter Expert for projects such as the HL7 Gravity Project, the ONC STARS HIE Technical Assistance Program, and the NIH/AHRQ Multiple Chronic Care electronic Care Plan Project. She is also a co-founder of the Gravity Project, a public collaborative focused on developing data standards for social determinants of health. In addition to her professional endeavors, Gallego contributes to nonprofit organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors for United Community, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the well-being of individuals and families in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Gallego holds an International MBA from the Schulich School of Business in Toronto and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy from George Washington University.

Dr. Ruchi S. Gupta, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and serves as a clinical attending at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, with nearly two decades of experience as a board-certified pediatrician and health researcher. She is the founding director of the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR), renowned for her epidemiological work on food allergy and asthma, including investigations into prevalence, prevention, disparities, and management strategies. Dr. Gupta holds an MD from the University of Louisville, completed her pediatric residency in Washington and fellowship at Harvard/Boston Children’s Hospital, earned an MPH at Harvard, and has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications along with influential books and media contributions on food allergy.

Dr. Michael Bloom is a Professor of Global and Community Health at George Mason University, where he specializes in teaching epidemiology and researching the effects of environmental pollutants on human reproductive and developmental health. His work focuses on endocrine-disrupting chemicals—such as phthalates, PFAS, and PCBs—and their impacts on fertility, fetal outcomes, and health disparities, with support from NIH and collaborations in Romania and China. He has authored nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications and over 100 presentations, and has earned recognition as a Fulbright Scholar, NIH Merit Award recipient, and Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology.

Dr. Chevon Rariy previously served as a Venture Partner at Takeda Digital Ventures, where she led strategic investments in digital health and virtual care innovation. Before that, she was the Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Strategy at Amazon Care, spearheading enterprise virtual health initiatives. Earlier in her career, she was Director of the Telehealth Program and Medical Director of Endocrinology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, overseeing telehealth expansion and endocrine care for cancer patients.

Dorri McWhorter is known for her leadership role in the nonprofit sector, particularly in organizations like YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. She has a background in transforming organizations with a focus on innovation, technology, and social change. McWhorter has also been involved in various initiatives aimed at improving economic mobility and creating more equitable communities.

Christine Rohan is currently the CEO of Vasowatch, a position she has held since May 2022, leveraging her extensive executive experience across both startups and large corporations. Prior to that, she served as Managing Partner at Inflection Point Advisory LLC beginning in January 2021, and was the Managing Director of Innovation at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association from August 2016 to November 2020. Earlier in her career, she held several leadership roles at GE—including Customer Experience Executive, Key Account Program Executive, Strategic Marketing Executive, and Global Services Growth Executive—spanning from 2004 through 2016.

Dr. Ashlesha Patel is the System Chair of Family Planning at Cook County Health, where she leads reproductive health services at a major Chicago public hospital. Simultaneously, she holds a professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Feinberg, with a prolific publication record focused on contraception, reproductive health, HPV vaccination, and maternal-fetal health. Board-certified and a trusted expert in her field, she also holds MPH, MS, and quality‑focused credentials, and directs multiple funded research initiatives with global reach.

Abigail Ingram is the Executive Director of the Polsky Exchange at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center, where she leads community-engaged entrepreneurship programs serving South and West Side small business owners. Previously, she launched and served as the inaugural Director of DePaul University’s Women in Entrepreneurship Institute—designing accelerator programs, teaching entrepreneurship courses, and empowering female founders. An entrepreneur and attorney, she earlier founded a boutique law firm advising startups and launched a music studio in Denver in 2009 while exploring sustainable business models.

Abdou Bah is a public health executive with a focus on health equity and medical management. He currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer at EmblemHealth, where he leads initiatives to improve healthcare access and outcomes for underserved communities. Previously, he held leadership roles at ConnectiCare, overseeing medical management and health equity programs. Throughout his career, Bah has been recognized for his contributions to healthcare innovation and policy, earning accolades such as being named to Crain's New York Business' "Notable Leaders in Healthcare" list.