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.

Lawrence Matengula is an accomplished finance and accounting leader with over two decades of global experience helping organizations build strong financial foundations, achieve regulatory compliance, and maintain sustainable growth. With a career spanning public accounting, healthcare, technology, and social enterprise, Lawrence specializes in non-profit accounting, grant compliance, internal controls, and executive advisory.

Throughout his career, Lawrence has served as a trusted partner to executive directors, boards, and international funding bodies. He is recognized for his ability to resolve complex audit and reporting challenges, streamline operations, and restore confidence among stakeholders. Driven by a passion for social impact, he has actively advised community-based organizations on financial governance and co-founded RECAPO Solar Systems in Malawi, an initiative that secured international funding and won the prestigious UN SEED Award.

Lawrence holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Malawi and an MBA from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

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.

Shelly Broussard brings extensive experience in corporate recruitment, talent strategy, and client relations to the African Mothers Health Initiative. As a Senior Partner in Accounting & Finance at Keller Williams Realty, she leads executive search initiatives, helping organizations build high-performing teams and connect with top talent. Her goal is to partner professionals with the right positions, ultimately adding value to people’s lives and careers.

Over her career, Shelly has held leadership positions across talent acquisition, sales management, and business development. Prior to her work with Lucas Group, she served as Director of Talent Solutions at Imprimis, Business Development Manager at Lakeshore, and held roles in pharmaceutical sales with AstraZeneca and corporate training at AT&T.

Combining her business acumen with a dedication to social impact, Shelly serves on the Board of Directors for the African Mothers Health Initiative, supporting the organization’s mission to deliver vital health services, nursing care, and resources to vulnerable mothers and infants.

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.

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.

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.