Anabella Aspiras, RN, MPA
FOUNDER
Anabella’s passion for improving health care has taken her from community hospitals in the United States to West Africa to the White House – and back again. Anabella worked as an ER, ICU, and PICC nurse at hospitals in the US Northeast region for six years before becoming an Oncology Administrator at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Anabella punctuated her domestic health care work with stints abroad in Haiti twice, Guyana, and Sierra Leone – most recently to assist in Ebola containment efforts in 2015. In 2016, Anabella joined (then) Vice President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Task Force as an Obama Political Appointee to ensure Task Force deliverables addressed patient access challenges. Currently, Anabella works at a health-tech company in New York City.
EDUCATION
University of Maryland | B.A. Major: Government & Politics
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing | B.S. Major: Nursing
New York University | M.P.A.
Elijah B. Berry, RN, MBA Candidate
Vice president
Elijah B. Berry was born in Missouri and grew up on a Black-owned Century Farm founded by his great-grandfather in 1875. As an undergrad, Elijah attended St. Johns College and received a degree in the Classics and the History of Math, Science, & Philosophy. Upon graduation, Elijah moved around doing carpentry in Antarctica, teaching high school biology and chemistry in Mississippi, and working for a commercial studio in Los Angeles. In 2013, Elijah graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Nursing degree, and went on to become a nurse and Lieutenant Junior Grade in the U.S. Public Health Service, focusing on care within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Today, Elijah lives in Seattle and works in Business Development at Amazon. Elijah currently attends the University of Washington Foster School of Business and cares for six domesticated chickens and a family of deer who live on his property.
EDUCATION
St. Johns College | B.A. Major: History of Math, Science, & Philosophy
University of Alabama at Birmingham | B.S. Major: Nursing
University of Washington Foster School of Business | M.B.A. (Expected 2020)
Sam Charner, MBA
treasurer
A DC-area native, Sam spent six years working in admissions and college counseling in New York City before attending the MBA program at Michigan’s Ross School of Business. At Ross, Sam pursued an academic focus on social impact in a wide variety of areas and was involved in a range of organizations, including the Center for Social Impact and Net Impact, where he served as chapter leader. During business school, Sam also worked on a consulting project with a Peruvian conservation nonprofit and interned at a corporate social responsibility consulting firm. Sam currently serves as Senior Manager, Community Engagement at Net Impact, a national non-profit that seeks to mobilize next-generation leaders to use their skills and careers to make a positive impact on the world.
EDUCATION
Vassar College | B.A. Major: Political Science & Organizational Development
Michigan University Ross School of Business | M.B.A.
B. Cameron Webb, MD, JD
board member
Dr. B. Cameron Webb is a physician and lawyer who works at the intersection of health and social justice. He is an Assistant Professor in the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where he serves as the Director of Health Policy and Equity and works as a hospitalist. During a year as a 2016-17 White House Fellow – spanning the Obama and Trump administrations – his portfolio included education policy, workforce development and criminal justice reform work through President Obama's My Brother's Keeper initiative, as well as White House health care policy work in both administrations. Dr. Webb is a passionate champion for health equity and is committed to advocating for the health needs of underserved and marginalized communities. He has served on several non-profit boards and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Doctors for America.
EDUCATION
University of Virginia | B.A. Major: Interdisciplinary Studies
Loyola University Chicago School of Law | J.D. and Health Law Certificate
Wake Forest School of Medicine | M.D.
Herfa Maria Brown, BSN, RN, MSJ
board member
Herfa has always had a passion for helping people, so it was no surprise to her family and friends that she ended up in a health care career as a Registered Nurse (RN). Herfa has had a diverse nursing career, from the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU), to the Medical ICU (MICU), to one of the top Burn ICUs in the country – the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. An informed interest in understanding different aspects of health care led Herfa to the Seton Hall University School of Law, where she earned a Masters of Science in Jurisprudence (Health Law). She was also an Adjunct Professor/Clinical Instructor at Columbia University School of Nursing for several years. While still in New York, Herfa sat on the Practice Standards Committee while working at Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, assisting in rewrites of policy and procedure for her department as well as other areas in the hospital. Most recently she relocated to Atlanta, GA and transitioned to a Director role in clinical management. Herfa has served as Director of Health Services and Case Mix for a Long-Term Acute Care facility in Georgia and is currently a Legal Nurse Consultant for a nationwide law firm.
EDUCATION
Molloy College | B.S. Major: Nursing
Seton Hall University School of Law | M.S. Jurisprudence, Health Law
Charles O. Ayeni, BSN, CRNA
Board member
Charles O. Ayeni was born in Ibadan in the Oyo State of Nigeria and came to the United States when he was 18 years old. Following a brief stint as a Computer Engineer, Charles returned to school in 2006 to complete an accelerated Bachelors of Science in Nursing and launch a career in health care. Charles worked as an RN in Oncology and Telemetry at NYU Medical Center before joining the Burn ICU at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. In 2011, Charles began at the Rutgers School of Nursing (formerly UMDNJ) to complete a Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia. Today, Charles practices as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) at East Orange General Hospital and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey. Charles is a proud husband and father of three.
EDUCATION
Rutgers University | B.S. Major: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Rutgers University School of Nursing (formerly UMDNJ) | B.S. Major: Nursing
Rutgers University School of Nursing (formerly UMDNJ) | M.S. Nurse Anesthesia
Mercedes Reyes, MBA
board member
Mercedes always dreamed of a career helping others. In 2005, her dream became a reality when she joined New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP) as a Practice Administrator. At NYP, Mercedes experienced rapid professional advancement, however, she grew increasingly frustrated with the systemic challenges of providing optimal care to all patients. To better understand the lasting strategies required to overhaul hospital systems, Mercedes returned to school and obtained a Master in Business Administration from Baruch College. Today, Mercedes is the Director of Patient Services at NYP’s Weill Cornell campus, overseeing the Patient Experience of over 800 inpatient beds and over 60 outpatient care areas. Through her education and leadership experience, Mercedes has become a hands-on and results-driven health care management professional determined to develop and launch innovative processes for improving patient care. In her free time, Mercedes enjoys time with her husband and three children.
EDUCATION
St. John’s University | B.A. Major: Sociology
Baruch College | M.B.A