2026 Partners
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Why Food Health LIVE
A Cross-Sector Conversation on Food & Health
Food Health LIVE brings together leaders from healthcare, food, policy, retail, and technology to explore how food can improve health outcomes and reduce chronic disease.
What You’ll Explore
Where the Food and Health Ecosystem Connects
From health systems and insurers to grocery retailers, food innovators, and public health leaders, the event creates space for collaboration across the entire food and health ecosystem.
The Experience
A Leadership
Gathering Designed for Connection
Held at Williamson Family Farm just outside Nashville, the event combines meaningful discussions, networking, and an immersive setting designed to spark new ideas and partnerships.
Freddie O'Connell - Mayor of Nashville
Food Health Network has been a national force in making a difference in nutrition, health, and vitality. We are honored to have leaders in food and health industry gather and advance healthy food as a standard of care. Thank you for your work and have a great time connecting with each other and with our city.
Key Themes
2026 Speakers
Spence Medford
SVP & Chief
Advancement Officer
The Henry Ford
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Haleta Belai
VP, Enterprise Drivers of Health
Centene
Katie Stebbins
Executive Director, Food & Nutrition Innovation Institute
Tufts Food & Nutrition Innovation Institute
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Emma Davis
Chronic Disease Public Health Program Director
Tennessee Department of Health
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Mandy Katz
Director of Healthy Living
Giant Food
Naima Gardner
Division Director, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity
Indiana Department of Health
Catherine Macpherson
SVP & Chief Nutritional Officer
Mom's Meals
Arielle Zina
VP, Social Drivers of Health and Community Impact
UnitedHealthcare
Dion Dawson
President
Dion's Chicago Dream
Chris Frost
SVP, Chief Medical Officer &
Chief Quality Officer
Lifepoint Health
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Jenefer Jedele
Health Economist
Blue Cross North Carolina
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Bruno Didier
CEO of CookUnity Business
CookUnity
Amanda Ryan
Deputy Director, State and Population Health Group
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Anna Threadcraft
Delta Food Policy Strategy & Development
Delta Air Lines
Dr. Joe Pizzorno
Author & President
Bastyr University
Mark Williamson
Farmer & Owner
Williamson Family Farm
Irina Pelphrey
Former Group VP, Health
Albertsons
Melanie Condon
Sr. Director, Corporate Affairs Strategy & Engagement
Dr Pepper
Caree Cotwright
Former Director of Nutrition Security
USDA
Steven Jennings
Health Partnerships &
Stakeholder Engagement
Ahold Delhaize USA
Sara Zywicki
Chief Product Officer
b.well Connected Health
Gbemi Ogunyomi
Managing Partner
Precision VC
Andy Beckman
Director, Garmin Health
Garmin
Lisa Porter
Director of Medicare Market Solutions
Humana
Deedra Geniesse
Director of Clinical Nutrition
Stanford Health Care
Amy Qazi
Director, Innovation & Programs
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
Zelda Council
Chief of Nutrition
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
Liz Krug
Owner & Farmer
Endless Roots
Farm
Moet Sims-Joe
AVP, Community Health and Impact: IL Division, National Center for Clinical & Community Impact
Advocate Health
Daniel Riff
Head of Government & Non-profit Operations
DoorDash
Tara Schmidt
Lead Registered Dietitian & Host of Mayo Clinic on Nutrition Podcast
Mayo Clinic
Ellis Singer McCue
Founder & Former CEO
Mealogic
Rashim Gupta
Medical Director, NC Community and State
UnitedHealth Group
Carmen Brace
Former SVP, Human Health
Directions Inc
Martin Tull
Chief Impact Officer
American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Sarah Elizabeth Ippel
Founder & CEO
Academy for Global Citizenship
C.J. Sentell
CEO
The Nashville Food Project
Ellen Brown
Founder
Healthcare Actually
Gen Gillespie
Operating Partner
Chicago Pacific Founder
Phylicia Porter
City of Council Member
City of Baltimore
Steve Brazeel
CEO & Founder
Project Foodbox
Stephanie Christensen
Head of Community Health Food Systems Strategy
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
Shaan Chaturvedi
Director, Product Innovation
Samsung
Daphne Briggs-Clark
VP, Health Impact Innovation
Feeding America
Eric Smith
Founder & CEO
Edacious
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Hong Thaimee
Chef & Lifestyle Medicine Advocate
CookUnity
Maja Mazur
CEO & Founder
Healthnix
Michael LaRocca
CEO
PLANTSTRONG
Katie Wilson
Executive Director
Urban School Food Alliance
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Gil Blander
Founder
InsideTracker
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Sonya Jones
Executive Director
Caja Solidaria
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Stephen Lupe
Head, Behavioral Health & Director of Behavioral Medicine
Cleveland Clinic
Clancy Harrison
Founder
The Food Dignity Movement
Krista Yoder
Founder & COO
Food Health Collective
Carter Williams
Founder & Managing Principal
iSelect Fund
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Eric Cooper
President & CEO
San Antonio Food Bank
Ed Gaskin
Journalist
Boston Herald
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Georgie Spurling
Founder & CEO
ARVRA Wellness
Chris Rogers
Senior Managing Director - Healthcare Investmen Banking
Ziegler
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Emily Roach
VP Healthcare Partnerships
Morrissey Market
Daniel Durand
CMO & President
Prenuvo
Yuri Sudhakar
Founder & CEO
Nudj Health
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Anna Lin-Schweitzer
Associate Director, Feeding Change
Milken Institute
Kris De La Torre
Managing Director
Cultivate Collective
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Mory Bahar
CEO & Founder
Personal Remedies
Jake Bowman
Founder
Sustainably Fresh
Julie Greene
Director of Guiding Stars
Guiding Stars Company LLC
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Gerardo Martinez
Owner & Farmer
Wild Kid
Acres
Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn
Executive Director
Pilot Light
Lars Dyrud
CEO
EarthOptics
Peter Skillern
CEO
Reinvestment Partners
Sheeba Ibidunni
Director, Healthcare + Payors
CookUnity
Brandi Harless
CEO & Co-Founder
PreventScripts
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Paul Denslow
CEO & Co-Founder
Intus Bio
Mary Purdy Smith
Managing Director
Nutrient Density Initiative
Michael Pappas
Managing Partner
Pappas Legal & Advisory, PLC
Jason Wilson
SVP, Strategic Partnerships
Partnerships for a Healthier America
Philip Strandwitz
CEO & Co-Founder
Holobiome
Maura Plante
Founder & CEO
Living Hungry
Mashekia Slack
VP Quality Operations
LifePoint Health
Galen Karlan-Mason
Founder & CEO
GreenChoice
Tom Cohen
President & Co-Founder
Panome Bio
Colleen Zammer
VP Varietal Solutions Growth & Corporate Innovation
Bay State Milling Company
Craig Coleman
Founder & Physician Strategy Lead
Coleman Health Services
Matthew Lange
CEO & Chief Science Officer
IC-FOODS
Rebecka Sexton
Founder & Director
PeopleLabs
Bob Jones
Chief Executive Officer
The Chef's Garden
Maggie Troope Biscarr
Co-Lead
The NOURISH Movement
Faith Son
Food Industry SME
Clareo
Brad Fruth
Director Of Innovation
Beck's Hybrids
Stacy Mays
CEO & Founder
Coepland Road Health Ventures
Mike Cangi
CEO & Founder
FareRx