Rise

Hannah Austin MBA, CEO/Founder

SheShatters, LLC

Hannah Austin is a bestselling author, international podcast host, and the CEO of SheShatters. She specializes in the management and prevention of burnout for professionals. She has been featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News.

Before founding SheShatters, Hannah spent 20 years as an executive in the healthcare industry, a role in which she faced immense pressure and witnessed her colleagues suffering the effect of burnout en masse. She became determined to make a change that would impact not only her path in life but also the paths of the many inspiring professionals she knew and worked with. Hannah founded SheShatters in 2021 to help employees and managers with their mental health and find a balance between their personal and professional lives, and on a macro level, leading a movement away from corporate hustle culture.

Nicole Blue Arizona Sales Director

Devoted Health

With over 15 years of experience in the Medicare space, Nicole Blue is a trusted leader in direct-to-customer sales and high-performing sales team development. As Sales Director for Devoted Health in Arizona, she has a deep understanding of consumer behaviors, enabling her to develop targeted sales strategies that align with customer needs and market trends. She is committed to integrity, customer centricity, and empowering sales teams to excel. By fostering a positive, results-driven environment, she ensures that both customer needs and business priorities align seamlessly.

Beyond her professional achievements, Nicole is passionate about fitness and cherishes time with her family—her husband, two stepsons, and four beloved dogs.

Barrie Cohen Owner and Founder

BC Public Relations

Barrie Cohen is the Founder and CEO of Barrie Cohen Public Relations (BCPR), a boutique PR firm dedicated to transforming brands through personalized, strategic communication. With almost a decade of experience in public relations, Barrie has built a reputation for her hands-on, relationship-driven approach, ensuring that each client receives customized strategies designed to elevate their visibility and impact.

Since launching BCPR in 2017, Barrie has worked with clients across a range of industries, including healthcare, nonprofit, finance, and more. She has helped brands secure high-profile media placements in top-tier publications, television segments, and digital platforms. Barrie’s expertise in media relations, brand positioning, and storytelling has positioned her clients as thought leaders, driving brand awareness, growth, and business success.

In addition to her client work, Barrie is passionate about mentorship and education. She frequently speaks at universities and industry events in the US, Canada, and the UK, sharing valuable insights on media strategy, personal branding, and the evolving PR landscape. She enjoys inspiring the next generation of PR professionals, offering advice on navigating the ever-changing world of public relations.

A proud Denver local, Barrie fully embraces the Colorado lifestyle. Whether she’s conquering hiking trails, soaking up the great outdoors with her husband, or simply relaxing with her beloved cat.

Berthine Crèvecoeur West MA, EMBA, CDE® - 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.

Dr. Shannon Decker Founder & CEO

VBC One

Dr. Shannon Decker is Founder & CEO at VBC One, a consulting firm assisting physician groups, health plans and vendors maximize the performance of their value based contracts and offerings. Dr. Decker has more than 25 years experience in health care and most recently led teams in risk, quality, data and analytics, telehealth, COVID response and delegation compliance. Of her more than 25 years of experience in healthcare--17 include working with risk adjustment, quality and Medicare. Dr. Decker has a PhD. in Interdisciplinary Studies, dual MBA degrees--in Finance and in Marketing, as well as an M.Ed. in Secondary Education and a M.Ed. in Administration and Leadership. Dr. Decker is on the faculty at Arizona State University and is also an associate professor in the social and behavioral sciences for Walden and Capella Universities where she chairs and oversees the dissertations of doctoral students. An author of two books and several peer-reviewed articles, and a prolific national public speaker, her interests include the study of human behavior and how social and behavioral theories may be brought to bear in value based care and population health management as a whole.

Dr. Heather Denninston

WELLFIT and FED

Dr. Denniston bridges the connection between personal well-being and professional success for elite leaders and their teams. 

She delivers custom solutions for burnout and stress and provides cohesive habit-training strategies that maximize vitality, productivity, and resilience.

Her Wellness Amplifier Performance Program is sourced from 25 years of private practice and working with companies from small start-ups to global giants like Microsoft. 

As a keynote speaker and coach, she motivates audiences covering topics from health and wellness to stress and resilience. She is the author of Three Day Reset and a regular contributor to several online wellness publications such as Thrive Global and Medium.

Rafat Fields Founder & CEO

Powered To Rise ®

Rafat Fields is a strategist, advocate, and founder of Powered to Rise, an organization dedicated to building digital advocacy platforms that empower mission-driven healthcare leaders and changemakers.

By integrating digital marketing strategy software with proven brand-building frameworks, she helps leaders amplify their voices, grow their influence, and drive systemic change. With a focus on advocacy, brand strategy, and health policy education, Rafat ensures that grassroots innovators gain visibility in the rooms where policies are shaped and resources are distributed.

Her work bridges the gap between frontline impact and decision-making power—because advocacy isn’t just about being heard; it’s about creating access, influence, and sustainability.

Ana Handshuh Principal

CAT5 Strategies

Ana Handshuh, Principal at CAT5 Strategies, is a government programs executive with expertise in creating and implementing corporate programs for the healthcare industry. Her background includes Quality, Core Measures, Care Management, Benefit Design and Bid Submission, Accreditation, Regulatory Compliance, Revenue Management, Communications, Community-based Care Management Programs and Technology Integration. Ms. Handshuh currently serves on the Board of the Resource Initiative and Society for Education (RISE), the preeminent national professional association dedicated to managed and accountable care financing and delivery. She is a sought after speaker on the national healthcare circuit in the areas of Quality, Star Ratings, Care Management, Member and Provider Engagement, and Revenue Management. Her recent consultancy roles have included assisting organizations create programs to address the unmet care management needs in the highest risk strata of membership, document their processes and procedures, achieve accreditation status, design and submit government program bids, institute corporate-wide programs and create communications strategies and materials. She possesses sophisticated business acumen with the ability to build consensus with cross-functional groups to accomplish corporate goals. Ms. Handshuh served as the Vice President of Managed Care Services at Central Florida Inpatient Medicine (CFIM). In this role, she provided leadership and strategy on CFIM projects and collaborations with physicians, risk entities, hospital health care systems, and health plans. CFIM is the largest Hospitalist group in Central Florida, with 70 providers discharging over 50,000 patients annually from multiple hospitals across two health care delivery systems and 24 skilled nursing facilities. At CFIM Ms. Handshuh previously served as the Vice President of Operations. Prior to those assignments, she worked with Precision Healthcare Systems as their Vice President of Quality Improvement. In that capacity, she led the IPA’s Quality efforts and collaborated with payers on implementing programs to move the needle on Quality and Star Rating initiatives. Ms. Handshuh also served as the Director of Corporate Program Development at Physicians United Plan. In this role, she led the Quality Management and Corporate Communications departments and spearheaded the development of innovative integrated technology solutions to drive business excellence and Star Rating achievement initiatives. For the past fifteen years Ms. Handshuh has taken an active role in redefining and implementing changes that have led to improvements and greater efficiency within Government programs and healthcare delivery. Prior to joining Physicians United Plan Ms. Handshuh was the founder of I-Six Creative. Under Ms. Handshuh’s vision and leadership, I-Six Creative provided expertise in the areas of managed Medicare benefit design, MSO/IPA operations, provider network strategy, new market launches, technology integration, corporate communications and quality improvement.

Analese Hill BSHCA, Clinical Excellence Performance Coordinator- Safety and Quality Improvement

Novant Health Medical Group

Analese is a Clinical Excellence Performance Coordinator at Novant Health, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and high-quality healthcare for all individuals. She collaborates with the safety and quality improvement team to support medical group clinics by refining workflows, providing actionable data insights, and assisting clinic administrators and providers in achieving key quality metric goals. With expertise in quality metrics, EPIC systems, and data analysis, Analese plays a behind-the-scenes role in driving clinical improvement and supporting better patient outcomes. She also serves as an antibiotic steward, working to educate providers and patients on the importance of safe and effective antibiotic prescribing. Known for her strong communication skills and collaborative approach, Analese partners with colleagues across the healthcare system to implement new initiatives, explore innovative solutions, and deepen her impact on patient safety and care excellence.

Ashley Perrott MD, Senior Physician Executive for Ambulatory Quality

Novant Health

Dr. Ashley Perrott is a Family Physician and Senior Physician Executive for Ambulatory Quality at Novant Health.

Since joining Novant Health as a family physician in 2007, Dr. Perrott has held various leadership positions, including submarket leader and market leader for the Community Health and Wellness Institute. She also serves on the Novant Health Triad Region Board of Trustees, the HealthTeam Advantage Medicare Advantage plan board, and Forsyth Country Day School Board of Trustees.

Dr. Perrott earned her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and her medical degree from SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine. She completed her Family Medicine residency at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Quantic School of Business and Technology.

Jennifer Sarrett Founder

Disruptive Inclusion

Dr. Jennifer Sarrett is a culture strategist and founder of Disruptive Inclusion, where she helps health and science organizations build inclusive, collaborative teams. With a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies, her expertise spans systems thinking, social science, and organizational culture — giving her a unique lens on how to solve complex workplace challenges. She’s trained healthcare professionals, led academic equity programs, and now consults with research and clinical teams to design people-first strategies that drive both engagement and impact.

Laura Sheriff, RN, MSN, CPC, CRC Risk Adjustment Industry Expert

Laura Sheriff is a highly experienced and skilled professional in the healthcare industry, with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in risk adjustment, quality improvement, and population health analytics. With her background in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace Managed Care, as well as her leadership abilities and certifications as a professional coder and risk coder, Laura brings a unique set of skills to her consulting work with physician groups and health plans.

Celina Sullivan JD, BSHCM, Regional Director, Medicaid, Care Delivery and Operations (CDO) Central (Continuity of Care (CoC) Hub, CDO Escalations, CDO Execution Excellence and Quality)

Kaiser Permanente

Celina M. Sullivan, JD, BSHCM, has over 24 years of healthcare leadership experience. She has led highly successful and thriving Quality Programs, Population Management, Chronic Conditions, and Outpatient Service Lines teams across California, with a focus on Medicaid patient populations.

Recently, she successfully established clinics and sustainable workflows focusing on health equity, specifically, increasing the rate of controlled hypertension for Black & African American patients, and diabetes control for Latinx patients.

Celina’s volunteer work centers around helping women and children access resources to rebuild their lives. She has volunteered at Building Futures, a shelter committed to providing safe refuge for women and children. Celina also volunteered at La Casa De Las Madres, an organization committed to helping domestic violence survivors, and providing crisis response.

Tashique Thomas MBA, Health Equity Leader with Experience in Public and Private Settings

Tashique Thomas is a visionary leader and Founder & CEO of Consultd, with over 15 years of experience driving innovation, growth, and impact across healthcare, government, and retail sectors. As the founder of Consultd, she has built a premier consulting firm specializing in healthcare transformation, strategic growth, and cross-sector partnerships. With a career spanning roles at Walmart Health, UnitedHealthcare, and the U.S. Navy, she delivers transformational results through cross-sector collaboration, strategic partnerships, and data-driven execution. She is a dynamic speaker known for blending strategic vision with practical tools, offering organizations and audiences actionable blueprints to build equitable, high-performing systems. Through Consultd, she has helped numerous organizations navigate complex healthcare challenges and achieve breakthrough results.

Natasha VanWright RN, MBA MS MA CCM

Founder & CEO Natasha VanWright Coaching

A visionary healthcare leader with over 25 years of experience, Natasha VanWright has transformed clinical operations, health equity programs, and executive coaching for women of color in healthcare. Natasha’s expertise spans clinical leadership, strategy, operations, business development, and medical cost reduction. Natasha bridges the gap between patient care and business strategy to drive sustainable impact.

As SVP of Clinical Operations at Belong Health, Natasha developed the SNP and ACO Care Management programs and leads the organization’s clinical strategy to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. Her career includes clinical and leadership roles at NYU Langone Hospital, VNS Health, Urban Health Plan, WellCare/Centene, Centerlight, and Healthfirst.

Committed to advancing health equity, Natasha serves as a Board Member for Community Healthcare Network (CHN), supporting 14 federally qualified health centers across New York City. As a passionate advocate for leadership diversity, Natasha founded Natasha VanWright Coaching to provide executive and life coaching to women of color in healthcare. Through her work as a certified coach, Natasha empowers women of color in healthcare with the tools to lead with authenticity, navigate career transitions, and thrive in executive roles.

Natasha is an active member of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business Recent Alumni Council, Westchester Women’s Agenda, Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, and the National Black MBA Association. She frequently speaks on healthcare innovation, leadership, and diversity, sharing her insights at industry conferences and leadership panels.

Natasha holds an MBA from the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, an MS in Healthcare Leadership from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and an MA in Nursing Education from Pace University, alongside undergraduate degrees from Pace University and Fordham University

Tess Waresmith Financial Educator, Speaker, Investor

Cathy Yows Cathy Yows, MSN, RN, CGRN, CRCST, RN Resource Specialist, Surgical Services, Instructor of Nursing, academic medical center

Catherine Yows, MSN, RN, CGRN, CRCST is a RN Resource Specialist focusing on high-level disinfection and sterilization at an academic medical center located in Phoenix, AZ. She has over 30 years of healthcare management and nursing experience in multidisciplinary, complex academic medical centers in the clinical areas of Surgery, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Oncology in both the acute and outpatient settings.  Administrative experience in managing procedural, outpatient, and inpatient practices, including financial and personnel issues, leading information system development and implementation, capital purchasing, development of policy and procedures to ensure adherence to Joint Commission and CMS regulatory mandates, working with physicians and allied health teams, directing quality initiatives, and developing short- and long-term strategic plans.