Rise

Marina Acosta Manager of Health Equity

L.A. Care

Berthine Crèvecoeur West CEO

Westbridge Solutions

As a trailblazing force in the world of business strategy and executive consulting, Berthine Crèvecoeur West has emerged as a beacon of excellence and innovation. With a diverse skillset and a passion for fostering inclusive environments, Berthine is a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE)® who brings over two decades of experience to the table.

Berthine has an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business & Technology, an MA in Government & Politics from St. John’s University, and coinciding certifications including a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Certification. She is an alumnus of Leadership Gwinnett (Class of 2017), as well as an Executive Board member of GUIDE, Inc., a member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

Berthine is the recipient of the 2024 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals who have completed over 4,000 hours of service in their lifetime. Berthine is also a TEDx Speaker, Amazon Best-Selling Author, Award-Nominated Podcast Host, and Editor-in-Chief of Global Fluency Magazine. Berthine has been featured in CBS, NBC, Fox, Voyage ATL, Shout Atlanta, 11 Alive News, the Tuff Talk Show and countless podcast interviews. She lives in Gwinnett County, GA with her family and enjoys spending her free time traveling and trying new foods and experiencing different cultures.

JohnMatthew Douglas Sr. Director, Strategic Growth and Partnerships

Smartlink Health Solutions LLC

John Matthew Douglas is a US Army Veteran. He studied Healthcare Business Management & Economics at the State University of New York. He has proven himself to be a lifelong learner and agent of change. He is the co-author and lead author on several noteworthy Social Determinants of Health publications and has consulted Vanity Fair Magazine.

John is an established healthcare business professional with 25 years of diverse healthcare industry verticals business development experience. They include however are not limited to healthcare SaaS technology, Group Purchasing Organization (GPO), Accountable Care and Value Based Care, and Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) subject matter expertise. He is also the founder of Linked In’s first in class SDoH healthcare and community organization leaders’ alliance group, “Social Determinants of Us.”

Notwithstanding notable US healthcare business development accolades, and collaboration achievements he has received the “Mission Award” from the Upstate New York Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and “Special Congressional Recognition” from Congressman Chris Gibson, a New York State “Senate Citation” from Senator Neil Breslin, and additional community volunteer citations from Assemblymen Tony Jordan and John McDonald for his ground breaking iPressForward youth mentorship & community volunteer collaborative.

In addition, in 2020 emerging out of the COVID-19 pandemic he was awarded the New York State, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield “Whole Health Hero Award,” and is also a recipient of the Upstate New York Stakeholder's (National Points of Light Affiliate) “GOBY Community Mentorship Award.” Today, John Matthew proudly represents and serves the Interoperability - Value Based Care business mission of Smartlink Health Solutions, LLC as Sr. Director, Strategic Partnerships and Growth.

Nicole Evans Sr. Manager, Medi-cal Maternal and Infant Health Equity

Promise Health Plan

Nicole Evans, MSW, MBA, holds the position of Senior Manager for Medi-Cal Maternal, Infant & Child Health Equity at Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. Since joining Blue Shield Promise in 2022, she focused on standing up the Medi-Cal doula benefit, which was added by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) in January 2023. Additionally, Nicole has been instrumental in developing a maternal, infant, and child health strategy for Blue Shield Promise’s Medi-Cal birthing members. Her prior roles include serving as the Black Infant Health Program Manager and Director of Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health at the City of Pasadena Public Health Department. Nicole has also held the position of Regional Office Manager at the California Department of Social Services Adoptions Services Branch and Federal Project Director at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and manager for the Fort Worth Healthy Start Program.

Nicole earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. They have also completed coursework at the UCLA/Johnson & Johnson Community Health Institute.

Currently, Nicole serves on the Board of Directors of the Perinatal Advisory Council: Leadership, Advocacy, and Consultation (PAC/LAC). They previously served as a CityMatCH Executive Board member, on the Los Angeles County Medi-Cal Doula Hub Advisory Council, the Institute for Medical Innovation Midwifery Learning Collaborative, the Preconception Health Council of California (PHCC), and the National Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Network Data Research and Evaluation team. They also served as a Texas Healthy Start Alliance Board member, on the Infant Mortality Network, and the Tarrant County Fatherhood Coalition in Fort Worth. Additionally, Nicole has been involved with the Pasadena Pacific Clinics, Early Head Start/Head Start Policy Council, the Los Angeles County and San Gabriel Valley African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) Initiative, and the CityMatCH’s Equity Action Group.

Lawanna Gaddy Principal Consultant

LTMG Health Care Consulting

With an extensive background in care management and leadership within managed care, particularly in Medicaid populations, Lawanna excels in driving quality care and ensuring healthcare excellence. As a Registered Nurse and Certified Case Manager, she is deeply committed to empowering case managers with the tools necessary for success. Her expertise emphasizes the critical role of quality documentation in achieving healthcare accreditation, and improving patient outcomes. Passionate about the impact of effective care management, Lawanna inspires professionals to enhance both client benefits and organizational performance through robust educational and practical strategies.

Christopher Gonzalez Health Equity Program Manager

Arizona Complete Health

Dr. Christopher Gonzalez has experience in the physical-behavioral-intellectual health fields and has worked in direct care to administration. With expertise in a variety of evidence-based practices ranging across awareness-prevention-intervention. With a background in academia, health, and DEIBA, Dr. Gonzalez applies a universal precautions to achieving health equity approach to his work within the requirements, guidelines, and innovations connected with the Health Equity umbrella. Including but not limited to developing and implementing cultural competency and language access plans, managing CLAS, drivers of health, ICD-10 Z codes, closed-loop referral, whole person care, language access, and health literacy.

His motto as a leader and educator is to provide all people with the opportunity to learn.

“All people are unique, and as a leader, educator, advocate, and equity specialist it is my responsibility and passion to embrace diversity. Every person has the right and should be given the chance to change their future, and my position is to provide them with the tools, informed choice(s), and health equity opportunity to help themselves make the change and transform their life”.

Anthony Hutcherson Harm Reduction Coordinator

Charles County Dept. of Health

Anthony is proud that his love of leopard print cats has allowed him to raise and provide over $1 million in scientific grants to improve the lives of all cats on the Board of Directors of Everycat Health Foundation and The International Cat Association where he chaired the Intentional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. He has bred & shown the best cat in North America, appeared as a guest on The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, NPR and in the New Yorker, New York Times and Washington Post as well as successfully clone his cat.  In March 2024 he published in the journal Current Biology with colleagues at Stanford University the discovery of two new genes in cats, the first African American to identify a new gene in a dog or cat. Anthony is currently Harm Reduction Coordinator for the Charles County Dept. of Health and instructor of Community Health at the College of Southern Maryland in La Plata, MD.

Thomesha Johnson Community Resource Coordination, Supervisor

WellCare of North Carolina

Thomesha is the Supervisor of the Community Resource Coordination team at WellCare of North Carolina, where she leads a dedicated team of Community Health Workers focusing on addressing several disparities such as housing, food, utility insecurity and more. A proud graduate of North Carolina Central University, Thomesha holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from NCCU and is a certified Community Health Worker III in the state of North Carolina.

With a strong commitment to health equity, Thomesha is passionate about advocating for members and communities across North Carolina, ensuring they have access to the resources needed to achieve positive health outcomes. Through leadership and collaboration, Thomesha strives to make a meaningful impact in addressing social determinants of health and improving overall community well-being.

Valerie Martinez Cheif Health Equity Officer

Promise Health Plan

Angie Miller Integrative Physical and Mental Health Specialist

Angie Miller Wellness

Angie Miller, M.S., LCMHC, CWC, is a Global Wellness Speaker who champions the intersection between physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. A Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, Author, and Renowned Fitness Expert, Angie empowers organizations worldwide with evidence-based strategies for mental and physical wellbeing. She hosts NASM's Strong Mind, Strong Body podcast and delivers international keynotes on mental fitness, emotional intelligence, boundary-setting, and building resilient teams through times of change. A professional development educator for the National Academy of Sports Medicine and former university instructor in Stress Management and Sport Psychology, Angie brings clinical expertise to organizational wellbeing. She is recognized as a catalyst for workplace transformation, building cultures of confidence and collaboration that achieve peak performance without burnout.

Angela Mott

Angela N. Mott D.HSc(c) is a community service leader focused on Health Equity and Drivers of Health. Her expertise includes public policy, global feminism for diasporic populations, and global health. She has led community health interventions for incarcerated women and pregnant teens in urban areas and has built partnerships with local organizations and policymakers in under-resourced communities to drive social innovation and achieve lasting positive impact.

She is an ambassador for the Sean Memorial Medical Center in Uganda and is researching integrated health screening methods for women in rural Mbale to develop culturally attuned screening models and training programs for volunteer healthcare workers.

Angela is a strategic leader who focuses on directing vision and resources to facilitate significant changes in historically underserved communities. She is passionate towards enabling communities to attain quality health and wellness.

She holds a Bachelor’s in Public Policy, a Master’s in African and African Diaspora studies, and a Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies. Additionally, she has a Fostering Workplace Diversity  Certificate from Yale Executive School of Management and is completing her Doctorate in Health Sciences.

Jasmine Radcliff Resource Specialist, Housing

WellCare of North Carolina

Jasmine Radcliff is the Housing Specialist for WellCare of North Carolina. Her daily work involves anything pertaining to housing which can include, finding shelter space for our homeless population, or partnering with credit unions to assist members in buying a home, and everything in between. Jasmine obtained her doctorate in Community Care and Traumatology from Liberty University and is a certified Community Health worker in the state of North Carolina.

Jasmine covers all 100 counties in North Carolina and works to establish partnerships with community organizations that are mission-aligned. Her hope is that these partnerships will open doors for members to obtain safe, sustainable, and affordable housing.

Jessica Rios Director of Health Equity

Community First Health Plans

Jessica Rios, MPH, is the Director of Health Equity with Community First Health Plans. In her role, Jessica is currently working to lead Community First to Health Equity and Health Equity Plus Accreditation. She leads the organization in data collection and creating strategies around removing social determinants of health for Community First members.

Jessica received her master’s degree in Public Health in 2021 and joined Community First just over a year ago. Prior to her role with Community First, Jessica worked for the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Jessica was recently awarded the Healthcare Innovation 40 under 40 award.

Jennifer Sarrett Founder

Disruptive Inclusion

Dr. Jennifer Sarrett is an expert in organizational culture strategy, specializing in workplace inclusion, accessibility, and team dynamics. With a background in academia, health, science, and DEI, she applies research-driven methods to help organizations design cultures where employees can thrive.

Drawing on Universal Design* principles, Dr. Sarrett works with leadership to remove barriers to engagement and belonging—without introducing new ones. Her approach fosters collaboration, creativity, and resilience, leading to stronger teams and better outcomes.
She specializes in healthcare, science, biotech, nonprofits, and academia, with a particular focus on designing inclusive cultures as well as disability and neurodiversity in the workplace.

Jasmine Smith Manager, Care Coordination

WellCare of North Carolina

Jasmine C. Smith works as Manager, Care Coordination for WellCare of North Carolina (WNC) and has over 20 year of experience leading large, complex community, philanthropic and diversity initiatives. In this capacity, Jasmine provides strategic leadership to the Community Health Worker and Care Coordination teams at WellCare of North Carolina.

Jasmine lives by Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” As a result, she proudly volunteers in several capacities including: Regional Foundation Member-at-Large, Jack and Jill of America, Inc; Board Member, Jack and Jill of America Foundation; Board of Visitors, Johnson C. Smith University; National Charity League, President and Founder of the Eno River Chapter; and Durham Chapter of the Links, Inc.

Jasmine holds a BA in Communication Arts from Johnson C. Smith University, a MS in Organizational Change and Leadership, the Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) certifications. She is also a proud certified Community Health Worker through the NC Community Health Worker Association! She has been married to her husband for over 21 years and together they are raising their 16-year-old daughter.

Erin Vickers Health Equity Program Manager

CDPHP

Erin Vickers joined CDPHP in December of 2018 and currently serves as health equity program manager. In this role, she is responsible for developing the health equity strategy for CDPHP, including identifying health disparities, and implementing solutions to address them with the overall goal of improving health outcomes. Erin previously served as an account executive on the self-funded team where she was responsible for managing and administering medical plan benefits for a defined book of business. To ensure clients’ needs were met, Erin worked closely with both internal and external stakeholders.

Prior to joining CDPHP, Erin gained expertise in several industries, including telecommunications and security software, engineering, and robotics, and learning management systems and educational software. This diverse background has enabled Erin to adapt easily in new environments and offer a unique perspective to the challenges facing her clients and colleagues.

Erin earned a B.S. in Business Administration and Psychology from Roberts Wesleyan College. She also holds a New York State License for Life, Accident, and Health. Erin completed a certificate program at Cornell University studying Diversity and Inclusion and is pursuing her MBA at Southern New Hampshire University. Erin also currently serves on the Unity House Board of Directors and the Junior Board of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Erin resides in Latham, NY, with her husband, daughter, and son. Originally from Boston, she is an avid New England sports fan. In her free time, she enjoys exercising, family dinners, and retail therapy.