Joanne Jorissen Chiwaula obtained an B.A. from Brown University in International Development and then studied at the University of California at San Francisco to become a Certified-Nurse Midwife and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. Awed by birth, inspired by women’s strength, and deeply disturbed by both the prolific grief and resounding silence regarding maternal and infant mortality, Joanne is driven by a desire to serve women who often find quality care in scarce supply. She is committed to efforts making birth and childhood safe and joyous experiences for these women and their families.

Abiba Matengula is a registered nurse with over 20 years experience. She is also a founder and director of the Malawian solar energy company RECAPO.

Shelly Broussard has a decade of both permanent and contract recruiting experience. Shelly is currently Senior Partner in the Accounting and Finance Division at Keller Williams Realty. Her goal is to partner professionals with the right positions, ultimately adding value to people’s lives and careers. Shelly built a formal Talent Acquisition function from the ground up at a nearly $1B company, leading the integration of personnel, processes and resources under a single governance structure. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma. Shelly is a mom of two incredible young adults. In her free time she gardens, and cooks, she has also been involved with Girls, Inc., the American Heart Association, and the North Texas Food Bank.

Marcianna (Meera) Nosek is a board-certified nurse midwife and retired associate professor from the University of San Francisco. At USF Marcianna taught maternal child health and social and behavioral health science to nursing and masters in public health (MPH) students. She received her PhD and MSc in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco and MPH from University of California, Berkeley. Dedicated to closing the gap in health disparities, she worked in immigrant communities, organized student immersion trips to the Global South, and focused her research on narrative and community based participatory methods that enable empowerment of vulnerable populations.

Dehlia Ramos Gonzalez has provided bedside nursing care for the past 30 years. She is a Certified-OB Registered Nurse, she holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Concordia University Texas in Health Care Project Management-Education, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. As a clinical nurse educator, she helps new graduate nurses transition into practice in women’s services. Dehlia is an active member of AWHONN and passionately advocates for safe maternal and child care both locally and globally. Dehlia has traveled to Malawi more than 10 times to offer the Joyful Motherhood nursing staff continuing education trainings and help ensure the provision of high quality care. Dehlia’s family is her center, she is married and has four handsome boys who keep her busy with community volunteering, church, and school activities.

Anoop Raman is a family doctor and physician leader who specializes in caring for populations with complex medical and social needs. Since joining AbsoluteCare as Chief Medical Officer of Complex Care, he has helped lead the growth of the care model as it serves the holistic, bio-psycho-social needs of thousands of vulnerable individuals in each of the communities they serve. Additionally, Anoop is a member of the faculty at Columbia University’s School of Public Health, teaching courses on global health, in particular — teaching courses on how to put public health principles into everyday practice to serve high needs populations.

He is passionate not only about delivering on the mission of health equity — providing concierge level care to the people who need it most — but also about developing the next generation of impassioned, mission-driven clinicians. Anoop is a 2025 Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity.

Kim Kessler is the Assistant Commissioner for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Arielle Strem is an experienced business executive and board advisor as well as the founder of Core Birth Collective. Previously, she has worked as a consultant at Ernst & Young & McKinsey & Co. She also spent nearly two decades driving business growth at Nike. She has always had a passion for maternal and fetal health and is a certified international Birth Doula working predominately in the US and The Netherlands. She serves on several non-profit Boards including the International School of Amsterdam and The John Adams Institute. She holds a B.A from Brown University and an MBA from Columbia University. Arielle has lived and worked across Europe, Asia, and the US.