Sara Reed
Founder & CEO | Minds iHealth Solutions
Staying involved in the community always intersects with my professional work. With the senseless murder of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky in 2020, I felt called to move from Connecticut back to Kentucky to utilize my resources to assist with community-based initiatives intersecting with mental health. Since my return, I've joined the healthcare leadership committee of AntiRacism Kentucky- a coalition focused on bipartisan policy to help eliminate institutional racism within the state and local government. My non-profit, the Women's Global Empowerment Initiative, also raised and donated over $8,000 in 2020 for community bail funds for those freedom fighters on the frontlines, with Louisville, KY being one of the areas funded. As a health industry entrepreneur, reducing racial inequities in healthcare must have an intersectional, multi-sector approach.
Dr. Jennifer Pierre
Founder & CEO | JenteelNature Health
My mission is to increase access to preventative medicine in communities lacking access to quality care. As a physician and public health professional, I empower individuals through health education from both a micro and macro lens, with the goal of reducing chronic disease mortality. I regularly host health workshops and participate in various speaking and empowerment events. My podcast, Seeking Wellness: Our Bodies Explained is a platform used to inform and discuss various health topics affecting Bridgeport and surrounding Connecticut communities. My business, JenteelNature Health also offers targeted public health programming to address health disparities in disadvantaged populations.
Dr. Maysa Akbar
Founder | Integrated Wellness Group
I have always believed in the pay it forward philosophy. That is why I’ve always made an concerted effort to be existing and living in my community as much as I am working in my community, and most importantly, as much as I am making investments in my community. That is why I live in New Haven, pay taxes in New Haven and participate in all things related to New Haven. I believe in this feedback loop is important in order to create, foster and sustain economic development especially for BIPOC individuals. It’s an important and meaningful way to participate in the growth of the community.