Meet Our Team & Leadership

Allison Sesso became the President / CEO of Undue Medical Debt, also known as RIP Medical Debt, in January of 2020. Undue Medical Debt is a nonprofit, charitable institution that relieves medical debt across the U.S., providing financial, physical, and emotional relief to people saddled with medical debt. Undue has relieved $40,673,899,474 to date for over 27.26 million people.

Under Allison’s leadership, Undue Medical Debt has expanded its reach by working with a wide range of health care providers to purchase medical debt, working in partnership with states, counties, and cities on local medical debt relief initiatives, developing its capacity to highlight the impact of medical debt on families, and contributing effectively to the larger conversation around the root causes of medical debt. She has become a prominent voice on the topic of medical debt and is frequently interviewed by media outlets, including CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, the New York Times, and others.   

Prior to joining Undue Medical Debt, Allison served as the Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York (HSC), an association of 170 nonprofits delivering 90% of human services in New York City.  

Under her leadership HSC pioneered the development of nationally recognized tools designed to illuminate risks associated with government contracts, including an RFP rater and government agency grading system. She led negotiations with New York City and State government on behalf of the sector and successfully pushed for over $500 million in investments to address the nonprofit fiscal crisis.  

During her tenure at HSC, Allison also led a commission of experts focused on social determinants of health and value-based-payment structures and published the report, Integrating Health and Human Services: a Blueprint for Partnership and Action, that examines the challenges of operationalizing relationships between health and human services providers. She also served on the New York State Department of Health’s Social Determinants and Community Based Organizations (CBO) Subcommittee helping to formulate recommendations around the integration of CBOs into Medicaid managed care.  

Allison’s work on behalf of the human services sector led City & State to recognize her as a top nonprofit leader in 2018 and 2019, one of the 25 most influential leaders in Manhattan in 2017, and one of New York City’s 100 “Most Responsible” in 2016. She again received the 100 “Most Responsible” award for the second time for her efforts at Undue Medical Debt. She has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2024 and selected for Time Magazine’s 2025 TIME100– an annual list of the most influential people in the world. Most recently she was named as an honoree on The NonProfit Times’ 2025 NPT Power and Influence Top 50 list. Under her leadership, in 2022, Undue Medical Debt received the NYC Imagine award for innovation.  

Ravneeta Consul is the Chief Operating Officer at Undue Medical Debt. She works closely with the senior leadership to provide the management and vision necessary to ensure that the company has the proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people systems in place to effectively grow the organization and to ensure financial strength and operating efficiency.

Prior to joining Undue Medical Debt, Ravneeta was Director at PwC for over sixteen years. She started work there as a consultant primarily focused on M&A consulting. She went on to hold different roles within the organization such as the lead Director for the Global Financial Services Innovation Center. Her last role was as the Operations Director for Products and Technology team. This group focused on developing products and technology to support the services that the firm delivered to the clients.

She has a BA in Psychology from Utkal University, BA in Psychology and Philosophy from Oxford University (attended as a Rhodes Scholar) and MBA from Yale University.

She is an avid reader, enjoys traveling and cooking comfort foods.

Michael Derbes is the General Counsel at Undue Medical Debt and is responsible for all legal matters pertaining to the organization. He advises the senior leadership on legal issues and negotiates on behalf of the organization in its dealings with hospitals and governments. Before his appointment as General Counsel, he worked at an internationally recognized law firm where he provided extensive pro bono services to Undue Medical Debt. He graduated with honors from Spring Hill College and obtained his law degree from Notre Dame Law School where he graduated magna cum laude. In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, and running.

Emily Dougherty is the Associate Vice President of Analytics at Undue Medical Debt. She drives the internal and external reporting processes, collaborating with teams across the organization to identify new areas for measurement, tracking, and improvement. She continually looks for ways to improve and expedite Undue’s processes for more efficient medical debt erasure. She is an experienced healthcare professional with previous roles in analytics & reporting, client management, market operations, and solutions & program design at both start-up healthcare companies and larger insurance providers, with a focus on the Medicare Advantage space. She earned her undergraduate degrees at Xavier University and her graduate degree in public health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Baking, hiking, reading, cheering on her beloved (if not beleaguered) sports teams, and traveling keep her occupied when she’s not on a data deep-dive.  

Blanca Godoi is a dynamic Executive Assistant and Administrative Manager renowned for her passion for event planning and coordination and exceptional organizational and administrative skills. With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she brings a unique blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and leadership to her role.

Throughout her career, Blanca has earned recognition for her adeptness in developing and implementing strategies to streamline operations, reduce costs, and optimize resources—all while maintaining the highest standards of service for donors and beneficiaries. Her commitment to organizational efficiency and productivity has consistently bolstered the success of programs and initiatives.

With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Blanca embodies resilience, determination, and adaptability in navigating new challenges. She looks forward to continuing her learning journey and contributing to the welfare and well-being of society as a whole.

Tristan Collar is a data professional with experience spanning academic research, state government and the nonprofit sector. His skills include helping teams leverage data to define meaningful metrics, measure success and make informed decisions. He enjoys collaborating across diverse departments within an organization to turn complex information into actionable insights. He received a B.A. in Psychology and an MBA from the University of New Mexico. Outside of work, you can find him immersed in a science fiction book, watching a horror film or diving into one of his many interests—always learning something new.

Michele Masucci is a partner in Nixon Peabody’s Healthcare group. She represents healthcare companies in their transactions and regulatory needs, with extensive experience in physician-hospital joint ventures, alternative delivery systems, value-based care, and mergers and acquisitions. Michele has a particular focus in dermatology, dental, ophthalmology, physical therapy, cardiology, radiology, pharmacy, digital health, and AI. She also served as chair of the firm’s Healthcare group from 2010 to 2016.

As a former in-house counsel at a major hospital system, Michele understands that healthcare is not simply another business but has a unique place in the well-being of our society. She brings a holistic perspective to advising healthcare providers and others in the industry on transactional and regulatory matters. She helps clients navigate the complexities of healthcare transactions, including state regulatory requirements, notice requirements, and antitrust issues. Michele’s expertise extends to guiding healthcare providers through the formation and implementation of new operational models, such as value-based contracting, ACOs, bundled payments, and medical homes.

Michele is known for her ability to identify transaction structures that minimize regulatory risks and address licensure, fraud, and abuse issues. Her comprehensive understanding of both state and federal regulatory environments allows her to provide strategic advice to clients involved in healthcare M&A, ensuring compliance and mitigating potential challenges.

Passionate about using her healthcare industry expertise to help those in need, Michele is a long-time board member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor Foundation, supporting initiatives that lift people out of poverty and empower women worldwide. Michele also serves on the board of The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration, working to raise public awareness about the life-changing impact of eye donations. She hopes her dedication to community service and strategic insights will be instrumental in advancing Undue Medical Debt’s mission to abolish medical debt for millions of people across the country, and to educate about policy changes that could make medical debt a thing of the past in a reformed healthcare system.

Michele received her B.A. from Brown University and J.D. from the University of Virgina Law School.

Jose Penabad is an investment executive and co-founder with more than two decades of experience across credit markets, structured finance, and portfolio management. As Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of HCG Fund Management, he was instrumental in the sourcing, deployment, and management of approximately $6 billion in loan purchases spanning consumer, small business, and specialty lending while pioneering investment in a new class of private credit known today as digital finance. Over this span, he helped build successful loan programs while establishing strong relationships with leading fintech companies including Shopify, Square, LendingClub, Upstart, and Kabbage.

Jose also served as an operator and founder, helping lead the scaling of the firm from inception to a 22-person organization while overseeing investment sourcing, strategy, risk management, investment technology development, and management company finances and operations. His earlier career included roles at Morgan Stanley working on the debt restructuring of Telecom Argentina and the Argentine government following their 2001 defaults, private equity buyouts across healthcare and financial verticals at JP Morgan Partners (today known as CCMP Capital), senior financials analyst at SAB Capital where his research and recommendations contributed to the firm’s meaningful outperformance through the 2008–2009 financial crisis, and healthcare financial operations and venture capital investment at the University of North Carolina Healthcare/Rex.

Jose is driven by a belief that data, technology, and analytics can solve problems others have written off as too complex or intractable. That same conviction extends beyond markets: he is deeply motivated by the potential to use his financial and analytical background to create more equitable outcomes for those with fewer resources. It is that interest that drew him to Undue Medical Debt more than eight years ago, where he now serves as Vice Chairman and head of the Debt Abolishment Committee.

Jose graduated from the University of Miami with a BBA and double major in International Finance and Computer Information Systems, summa cum laude.

Dr. Oxiris Barbot is a physician, public health practitioner and innovative leader at the intersection of public health and healthcare delivery.  Her commitment to social justice is the common thread through her career in advocating for health equity, children’s well-being, and community health.  She is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Senior Fellow for Public Health and Social Justice at The JPB Foundation.

As Health Commissioner for New York City, Dr. Barbot was instrumental in directing the city’s response to the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic by taking science informed actions that flattened the transmission curve and addressed racial inequities.  Dr. Barbot made a priority of communicating with New Yorkers with candor and empathy, providing trustworthy information and a steady hand to lead the city through and out of its darkest days.   While Commissioner she was named to Crain’s New York Business Notable Women in Health Care and City and State New York Health Power 100 and Non-Profit Power 100.

Dr. Barbot was Commissioner of Health for Baltimore City, from 2010 to 2014.  She started her medical career providing general pediatric care to poor and uninsured families in Washington DC.  Her career has been shaped and inspired by the dignity and courage of the many patients she’s cared for and communities she has served.

Barbot received her B.A. from Yale University and M.D. from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

As one of the founding partners of Major, Lindsey & Africa, Jon Lindsey built the firm into what is today the world’s leading and largest legal search and consulting firm, with offices in 29 cities around the globe and more than 200 consultants. He has repeatedly been included in Lawdragon’s “100 Leading Legal Consultants and Strategists“. Jon earned his law degree from Columbia Law School, where he was managing editor of the Columbia Law Review, and his B.A. with honors in government from Wesleyan University. After clerking for the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, he practiced with Debevoise & Plimpton, as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, and as Counsel to New York City’s Planning Commission. Jon is currently on the board of the George Jackson Academy and previously served as a trustee of the Spence School. He is the co-author of the book Managing People in Today’s Law Firm (1995), has written and lectured widely, and has served on the board of editors for American Lawyer’s Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report.

Elizabeth Marincola is Senior Advisor for Science Communications and Advocacy at the Science for Africa Foundation, which drives scientific research across Africa. Marincola is an international leader in non-profit management, open access publishing, science advocacy, communications, education and public engagement. She was CEO of the open access publisher PLOS, after serving as a long time PLOS board member. She launched AAS Open Research, an innovative scholarly publication. Marincola was President of the Society for Science & the Public, Publisher of Science News magazine, and Executive Director of the American Society for Cell Biology and the Coalition for Life Sciences. She served on the founding boards of PubMed Central and eLife, and on numerous US and EU advisory commissions on open science. She is currently on the board of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Humanitarian Health. She received her bachelors and MBA degrees from Stanford.

Ram Raju, MD, combines his executive leadership experience in health care with a deep commitment to achieving social equity to improve the health of communities in need.

As the former senior vice president and community health investment officer, he evaluated the needs of Northwell Health’s most vulnerable communities, and provided solutions for them by collaborating with community-based organizations. He’s responsible for promoting, sustaining and advancing an environment that supports equity and diversity, and helping the health system eliminate health disparities.

Prior to Northwell, Dr. Raju served as president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals from January 2014-November 2016. NYC Health + Hospitals has 42,000 employees, 11 acute-care hospitals, five nursing homes, six diagnostic and treatment centers, more than 70 community-based health centers, a large home care agency and one of the region’s largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance, MetroPlus Health Plan.

Dr. Raju also served as CEO for the Cook County Health and Hospitals System in Chicago, the nation’s third-largest public health system, where he improved cash flow by more than $100 million and changed the system’s financial health during his tenure from 2011-2014.

His medical career began at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn and he later served as chief operating officer and medical director at NYC Health + Hospitals’ Coney Island Hospital. In 2006, Dr. Raju became the HHC chief medical officer, corporate chief operating officer and executive vice president. Under his leadership, HHC continued to improve quality, patient safety and health care data transparency.

Dr. Raju served as vice-chair of the Greater New York Hospital Association and currently sits on the boards of numerous city, state and national health care organizations, including the American Hospital Association, the New York Academy of Medicine and the Asian Health Care Leaders Association. Among his numerous awards and accolades, Dr. Raju was selected to Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most-Influential People in Healthcare.” Modern Healthcare also named him one of the “Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare” and one of the “50 Most-Influential Physician Executives in Healthcare.” In 2013, he was named a Business Leader of Color by Chicago United.

Dr. Raju earned a medical diploma and Master of Surgery from Madras Medical College in India. He underwent further training in England, where he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. He later received an MBA from the University of Tennessee and CPE from the American College of Physician Executives.

Dr. Raju currently teaches at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College.

Jeff is a co-founder of HealthCare.com and founder of Pivot Health (acquired by HealthCare.com in Feb. 2018). Following the acquisition, Jeff is President, Insurance Services for HealthCare.com and continues the leadership of the Pivot Health business.

He is a results-oriented leader who has built and grown companies from back-of-envelope ideas to multi-million dollar, profitable and scalable entities with a focus on health insurance and other consumer-centric business models. He is a serial entrepreneur who has started several businesses – four of which have been acquired by publicly traded companies.

Creative thinker who has been a presenter at dozens of national trade conventions. Active marathon runner and member of Seven Continents Club — one of only 200 or so individuals to run a marathon on all seven continents. Cancer survivor, charity activist and motivational speaker.

Previously, Jeff helped create and grow the fully-insured segment at The IHC Group (NYSE:IHC) from $0 to nearly $300 million in revenue in seven years. He led AMIC (NASDAQ:AMIC) to significant direct-to-consumer growth and national recognition.

For the past 25 years, Jonathan has helped launch half a dozen startups in the Seattle area, with companies like Jott, an early mobile speech recognition company that was acquired by Nuance. At Nuance, Jonathan led the research team responsible for building the language models for Apple’s first launch of Siri. Jonathan has also led engineering efforts in the areas of telephony, mobile communications, and call center technology. Most recently he was the vice president of engineering and architecture at Avalara where he led several product engineering teams including the core tax platform and tax content services for 3 years before and 4 years post Avalara’s successful IPO. https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiggs/

With more than 40 years of experience in the health care industry, Robert E. Goff is a recognized expert in care delivery, organization and financing. His career spans a wide range of leadership positions as a hospital administrator, managed care executive, consultant, regulator, and association executive. He’s held an academic posting as an adjunct professor in Managed Care and Healthcare Strategic Planning at the New School University, NY. He’s a frequent lecturer to physicians and community organizations. As an entrepreneur, Goff has been responsible for the development of numerous health care businesses, including one of the first for-profit HMOs in New York State, one of the earliest physician practice management companies, a chain of urgent care centers, the first network model Medicare and Medicaid managed care plans in a secondary market, plus provider-based health care business initiatives. Goff recently retired from service as Executive Director and CEO of University Physicians Network, LLC (UPN) in New York City.

Past long-standing chair of Proskauer’s Health Care Department, Ed Kornreich is a recognized authority on the legal, regulatory and business issues related to health care services.

Ed works primarily on health care transactions, regulatory compliance, health care payment and governance issues for varied providers (both for-profit and not-for-profit), vendors, GPOs, distributors and entrepreneurs. His approach combines sensitivity to meeting regulatory business goals with a comprehensive and realistic assessment of the health care environment, and he is particularly experienced in dealing with the complex issues related to integrated health care systems.

After working for the Legal Aid Society, Ed entered private practice, where he helped represent a major public hospital corporation in a series of reimbursement disputes with the state and federal governments, and counseled New York area hospitals and nursing homes on reimbursement and operational issues. Thereafter, Ed served as General Counsel of St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York. After leaving St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Ed joined Proskauer as a Partner in 1990.

Ed frequently writes and lectures on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, health care integration, not-for-profit law and corporate governance issues, and the application of federal and state anti-kickback and “Stark” laws to health care transactions.

Rebecca Leiba is a Senior Managing Director at Provident Healthcare Partners, and has been part of the firm since 1998.

Rebecca is responsible for leading due diligence, orchestrating interactions between buyers, clients, attorneys, CPAs and consultants through the entire transaction process.  She is responsible for the creation and continual improvement of the Company’s IT programs, including on-line datarooms and CRM platforms. Rebecca also leads the Human Resources department within Provident.

Rebecca is the recipient of the Sigma Delta Tau National Scholarship award. She was nominated as the “Woman Dealmaker of the Year” at the M&A awards in 2003 and 2005, and selected as a Winner of the Annual 40 under 40 M&A Advisor Awards in 2014. In 2021, she won “Women Dealmaker of the Year” at the Annual USA Middle Market Awards.

Prior to joining Provident, Rebecca worked as a Director for the investment banking firm Boston Bay Partners, LLC, and began her career in healthcare at Cornell Medical Hospital.

Rebecca holds a degree from Brandeis University, where she majored in Biology, English and Pre-Medicine, and has continued her education with courses from Boston University, Harvard University, and Vanderbilt University.

Rebecca lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband and two boys. She is involved with a number of charitable organizations and enjoys hiking, swimming, tennis, traveling, and yoga.

Shakeel Mozaffar is a seasoned global executive with a diverse career spanning finance, international relations, and technology. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs & Economics from California Western and a Master’s in International Relations & Economics from the prestigious Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, Shakeel possesses a strong foundation in both academic and professional realms.

His career journey began at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, where he honed analytical skills as a Credit Analyst. This experience laid the groundwork for a successful transition into the advertising industry, where Shakeel excelled as Director of International Advertising and Senior Account Executive at J. Walter Thompson Company on Madison Avenue.

Shakeel’s leadership capabilities further blossomed at Harvard Software Inc. as Vice President, followed by a pivotal role at Polaroid Corporation, where he served as Director of Advertising, International Sales & Marketing, and later as Vice President of Global Supply Chain Management. This experience culminated in his appointment as Vice President of Global Supply Chain and Chief Technology Officer at ICI Plc. in London, UK.

Beyond the corporate world, Shakeel is a dedicated philanthropist. As a Mission Pilot for Angel Flight Northeast, he utilizes aviation skills to provide vital transportation for those in need. This commitment to service was recognized in 2023 with the esteemed National Endeavor Award for Philanthropy in Aviation.

William von Mueffling is president of Cantillon Capital Management, an investment firm with more than $14 billion under management. Mr. von Mueffling was previously a managing director at Lazard Asset Management, where he was responsible for hedge funds. Prior to joining Lazard, he was with Deutsche Bank in Germany and France. He earned a BA from Columbia College and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Mr. von Mueffling is a member of Columbia Business School’s Board of Overseers, as well as chair of the advisory board for the Heilbrunn Center for Graham & Dodd Investing. He also sits on Columbia College’s Board of Visitors and founded Who’s on the Ballot, a non-partisan civic engagement program of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Mr. von Mueffling has served on numerous non-profit boards and chaired the Buckley School Board of Trustees until 2016. Currently, he chairs the investment committee for the American Academy of Berlin and serves on the advisory committee for Europe and Central Asia for Human Rights Watch.

Alexandra Sann is an LA-based freelance Creative Director/Copywriter with over 20 years’ of agency and client side experience creating  impactful brand storytelling across every media. Recent projects include the branding, launch and subsequent content production for Anthopic’s large language model Claude, a docu-series and pr happenings for Dropbox, and the branding, positioning, site design, and social content roll-out for YUMI, a local fresh baby food delivery start-up that is now carried at Target and Whole Foods nationwide.

Prior to freelancing, Alexandra was a Creative Director at Zambeizi where she led projects for the Venmo and Beats accounts. Before that she was a CD at Crispin, Porter Bogusky LA where she headed up the Old Navy and Kraft accounts, and created the Emmy-nominated Grey Poupon commercial, “The Chase.”

Throughout her career Alexandra has worked at  TBWA/Chiat/LA and NY, Ogilvy, Amalgamated, Deutsch, Stink Studios, B-Reel, Toy, Omelet, RPA, Anomoly, and Zambeizi, on big corporate accounts and very small, un-corporate, non-profits. Her work has been recognized by major advertising award shows, passed around the internet, and spoofed on late night TV.

Ruth Lande led hospital revenue cycle teams at an academic hospital and an integrated health system. She has expertise in patient access, operational transformation, and clinician alignment. She has been recognized for initiatives resulting in enhanced financial performance and high value outcomes for physicians, administrators, patients, and employees. She is an enthusiastic traveler and has a MA in International Relations.

Beth Zinda is the Associate Vice President of Provider Relations at Undue Medical Debt within the Debt Operations Team. In this capacity, she leads strategic management and planning related to Undue’s mission of acquiring and abolishing medical debt. She is an experienced healthcare administrator with extensive experience in strategic planning, administrative operations, finance and budgeting, and provider relations in academic medical centers. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and her graduate degree in healthcare administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Mikel Burroughs led a national Secondary Healthcare Debt Buying Company and has over 15 years’ experience in healthcare debt buying and has used that expertise with Undue Medical Debt since inception to create transparency pricing and help abolish civilian and military debt in the billions. He has over 40 years’ experience in the debt and collection industry. He is a retired Colonel from the US Army and US Army Reserves with awards including the Legion of Merit medal, Bronze Star medal, and numerous Meritorious Achievement medals. Mikel volunteers for several veteran nonprofits organizations, plays the drums, and is an avid Harley rider! He has a BA in Management, and MA in Strategic Studies.

Kristen Accardo is the Director of Provider Relations at Undue Medical Debt.

She brings with her over seven years of experience working in Managed Care, with extensive work in the Duals markets, serving Medicare and Medicaid eligible members. Her previous roles include work in provider relations, network contracting and operational strategy. In addition, Kristen was a Doctor of Chiropractic, owning and managing her own private practice. This wide experience has given her insight into both the provider and payor sides of healthcare. She received her undergraduate degree in Communications from The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Northwestern Health Sciences University.

In her spare time, Kristen enjoys hiking, gardening and abstract painting.

Amanda is the Associate Director of Provider Relations. In this capacity, she works to create partnerships with hospital and provider partners to help acquire and abolish medical debt.  Her background is in research, project and program management, leadership collaboration, data and survey analysis. She comes to Undue from the academic hospital setting where she led the Patient Experience Program, working across departments and roles to initiate and manage process improvement efforts. She earned her master’s degree in Macro Social Work (MSW) from the University of Pennsylvania and has an undergraduate degree in sociology from Bates College. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, reading and spending time with family and friends.

Sani Messchi is the Provider Partnership Manager at Undue Medical Debt and assists in debt abolishment processes, provider relations support, as well as FAP and best billing practice reviews. Her background is revenue cycle based and has managed revenue cycle and financial services over IRF, TBI, SNF, LTC units as well as Outpatient Pediatric Therapy offices in KS. She holds multiple degrees: A.G.S, A.S, A.A, B.G.S. as well as being a HFMA CRCR certified member; most recently, she graduated with a master’s degree in organizational communications from The University of Kansas (KU). The highlight of her career was expanding the TBI outreach for a KS facility by working with KDHE and Medicaid MCOs. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering to assist the elderly, playing volleyball and spending time with family and friends. She gains a sense of accomplishment from being helpful to others and by giving back to her community with charity work in Kansas.

Deborah Ruiz Kim is the Project Manager for the Debt Operations Team at Undue Medical Debt. She has a background in project management, operations, data analysis and cross-departmental coordination. Collaborating, building new connections, and improving organization and efficiency are her favorite aspects of project management. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics and psychology from Wesleyan University. During her free time, she enjoys going on walks, checking out new restaurants and dancing.

Jessica McDermott is the Administration & Programs Manager at Undue Medical Debt within the finance and administration team. Her role interfaces between various departments to match up debt with donor requests and manage them to abolishment, and she also onboards all new employees. She earned her undergraduate degree in healthcare management from Metropolitan State University of Denver and her graduate degree from Regis University. She also completed a post-graduate writing program through Harvard Medical School. She has over twenty years experience in healthcare operations ranging from inpatient psychiatry to clinical social work, and she believes in the logic of data and process to support systemic change. Jessica lives with her husband Craig and Sadie, their scrappy rescue dog. She enjoys nineteenth-century gothic literature, museums of any kind, and spoiling movie endings for her friends. A student at heart, she hopes to return one day to school to further explore her interests in history and psychology.

Ashton Henze is the Accounting Manager at Undue Medical Debt. As a detailed oriented accountant, she ensures that the accounting day to day functions are running smoothly and implements new processes where needed to make the accounting system more efficient. With monthly responsibilities to ensure the financial team can provide timely and accurate financial data to our Undue Medical Debt Team.

In her previous role as a client-based controller and internal director, she internally managed a team of four accountants to help successfully train them in internal practices and standard accounting principles. She started as an accountant however, worked diligently and proactively to ensure she was developing skills to continue to grow in her accounting skills. As she progressed to the controller role she managed the accounting system for multiple small nonprofit organizations and prepared and presented financial statements to the organizations board.

Robyn Segal is the Administration and Programs Coordinator at Undue Medical Debt. In this role, she collaborates with other departments to match qualifying medical debt with donations, per donor request, throughout the abolishment process. She also supports ad-hoc administration tasks and her role will continue to evolve with organizational growth. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida and her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Sheffield, UK. Her professional background includes global health program management, Covid-19 outbreak investigations, and Medicaid Expansion outreach and enrollment. She believes that healthcare is a human right, and has experienced medical debt personally, so she is thrilled to use her skillset to support medical debt abolishment for others. Robyn lives with her husband, daughter, and Wheaten Terrier dog. She enjoys spending time outside with her family, rock climbing, amateur woodworking and woodburning, getting massages, and traveling.

Eva Marie Stahl is the VP of Policy, Engagement and Research at Undue Medical Debt. Eva oversees development and implementation of Undue Medical Debt’s policy work and programming, including beneficiary insights, community engagement and research initiatives. She works closely with Undue’s staff to ensure that beneficiaries’ voices and experiences are centered in solutions that address the medical debt crisis. Prior to Undue, Eva was a leader in the health advocacy community for over a decade. During her tenure, she collaborated with national coalition partners to advance healthcare affordability priorities. Eva also coordinated efforts to support health advocates and community partners advancing a health equity agenda that addresses social determinants of health, including economic security. Eva holds a Ph.D. in social policy from Brandeis University and a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. In her free time, Eva enjoys hiking with her two dogs and reading fiction.

Katie Byerly serves as the Associate Vice President of Programs at Undue Medical Debt, where she leads strategic initiatives and partnerships that advance the nonprofit’s mission and influence upstream policy change to eliminate medical deb.

Throughout her career, Katie has focused on the social and structural factors that shape our health beyond clinical care. She brings experience from a range of sectors, including local public health, translational research, philanthropy, organizational development, strategy consulting and the federal government. Her public health journey began as a field assignee in the CDC’s Public Health Associate Program. Katie is passionate about cross-sector collaboration and building partnerships that address structural injustices to improve health and well-being.

She holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including a BA in Anthropology and BSPH in Health Policy and Management, and an MPH in Health Behavior from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Katie enjoys spending time at the ceramics studio and growing, cooking and eating plants. Originally from North Carolina, she now calls Detroit home.

Sophie Sahaf is the Senior Director of Research and Partnerships at Undue Medical Debt, where she leads research strategy and partnerships in pursuit of Undue’s mission to end medical debt. 

Sophie has spent nearly two decades in leadership roles across government, advocacy and direct service organizations, with a focus on economic mobility and fair markets. She most recently served as the Director of Workers and Economic Opportunity at the Domestic Policy Council and as a policy advisor at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where she collaborated with the White House and federal agencies to tackle the burden of medical debt.

Sophie completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Tufts University. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Lindsey Zischkale is a health policy professional with extensive clinical and research experience. They previously worked with individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental health diagnoses, with the aim of improving systems of care available to people with complex health needs. Lindsey’s work focuses on centering the voices of people with lived experience in the health care realm to develop equitable, actionable policy solutions. They hold a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Dallas and a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin.

Camila Salvagno is a Uruguayan-New Yorker and anthropologist by training, whose interest in (and experience with) the complex sociocultural dynamics of NYC underpin her work in supporting public health initiatives. She is a qualitative researcher with experience performing community outreach, facilitating community organizing and conducting action research (AR).

Previously, Camila served as the bilingual Community Development Program Coordinator at Sure We Can, New York City’s only nonprofit recycling center. There she helped develop the Alliance of Independent Recyclers (formerly the Canner Advocacy Task Force), a working group of independent NYC recyclers (also known as canners) in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to make possible a new degree of organization-community feedback. Camila created new opportunities for canner voices to be heard, both within the community and without.

As Undue’s bilingual Program Manager for Constituent Services, Camila is integral in engaging with constituents and communicating Undue’s mission—both to recipients and the public. She leads a small but integral team in engaging Undue beneficiaries for feedback, storytelling, and research.

Medical debt relief is the output and beneficiary voices provide a vital input. Through one-on-one interviews, Camila is leveraging the language, impressions and interpretations provided by beneficiaries to contribute to the narrative around medical debt’s harmful impacts that Undue is building. Elaborating on the consequences of medical debt and benefits of relief is a pathway to enriching Undue’s policy priorities. Recipients share their emotional perspectives and their journey with the physical, financial, and mental health implications of medical debt. Beneficiaries describe diverse experiences and interpretations of living with medical debt, but ultimately, they are telling a communal story. Health, justice, and dignity across all spaces are important to Camila. She is honored and excited to apply her energy and expertise to Undue’s mission.

Camila serves as a bilingual research assistant at the bioethics research institute, the Hastings Center, where she works with a small research team on the “All of Us Motivations Study”. Camila is an MFA candidate in Integrated Media Arts (IMA) at Hunter College. Through video, she queries the ephemeral, adventures in appreciation, and the myth of self-realization.

As Program Manager for Community Engagement, Gregory works on programming Undue Medical Debt’s national impact on the local level through strategic partnerships and community advocacy. Currently, Gregory oversees two community impact pilot sites, partners with Communities Joined in Action – a national network of community health collaboratives, and manages several initiatives at the organization related to community impact, strategy, and programming. Gregory’s background is in urban planning and social policy. He has worked across the New York City nonprofit sector and lives in Brooklyn, where he likes to swim with Team New York Aquatics and frequent his local public library.

Sarah Jarrell is the Constituent Liaison at Undue Medical Debt and has a passion for people and public health. She’s worked in program management at global health nonprofits, direct service at community clinics, and as a coordinator in health research labs. Throughout these professional experiences, she has developed the tools to become an advocate for others.

After earning her bachelor’s degrees in psychology and social work, she took time off to live abroad before returning to UT Austin to obtain her master’s degree in social work. Some of her certifications include Project DPro, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. Sarah lives in Texas, and enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, and starting new books before finishing the one she was already reading.

Anna Roberts brings over six years of experience in corporate relationship management, with a strong track record in collaboration, partnership-building, and strategic thinking. In her previous roles, most recently at Girls Who Code, Anna successfully led initiatives that deepened corporate engagement, drove revenue growth, and strengthened organizational impact. Anna leads Undue’s corporate fundraising efforts and cultivates meaningful partnerships to support its ongoing work. Passionate about eliminating medical debt, Anna is dedicated to contributing her expertise to the organization’s continued success. She holds a B.A. in English and History from the University of Georgia. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, running, and a few cups of coffee.

Meg Gibson is the Associate Director of Philanthropy at Undue Medical Debt, where she focuses on cultivating leadership gift donors and the peer-to-peer campaigns program. She brings a unique blend of experiences in sales, healthcare and nonprofit fundraising, united by a strong commitment to mission-driven work. Prior to joining Undue Medical Debt, Meg worked with the Environmental Research and Education Foundation, where she deepened her dedication to purpose-driven initiatives and creating meaningful impact.

Meg holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, as well as a Bachelor’s in Nutrition and a Master’s in Oriental Medicine from Midwest College of Oriental Medicine.

Outside of work, Meg enjoys staying active with her two boys and cherishes opportunities to read and travel whenever she can. She is also kept on her toes by Finn, her mischievous dog who loves joining virtual meetings and sneaking treats straight from the pantry.

Ben Mackey is the Associate Director of Philanthropy Database Management. He leads the strategic design and management of the organization’s CRM systems. Ben develops and maintains software and data processes that allow the Philanthropy Team to cultivate relationships and achieve fundraising goals. He’s driven by a passion for continuous improvement and strengthening connections. Ben brings extensive development and software experience from over a decade in the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining Undue, Ben led CRM operations and strategic planning at institutions including The Franklin Institute, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Natural Lands and the Please Touch Museum. When he’s not advancing Undue’s mission, Ben enjoys an ongoing reading challenge with his son, Henry, exploring new trails with his dog Ruby and wife Rachel, and planning for the next season of his garden.

Olivia Gustafson is the Philanthropy Manager on Undue Medical Debt’s Philanthropy team, supporting all aspects of Undue’s development function. She provides administrative and operational support to the team while also working closely with individual supporters and Undue’s Medical Debt Relief Alliance (MDRA). Olivia is particularly passionate about meticulous CRM management, process improvement, and building lasting relationships with Undue’s community of supporters, advocates, and partners. Olivia has over six years of nonprofit experience. Prior to joining Undue Medical Debt, she worked with international education and humanitarian organizations, including AMIDEAST and Save the Children, where she managed grant administration, donor stewardship, and proposal development for a range of international exchange and humanitarian programs. Originally from New Jersey, Olivia holds a B.A. in International Studies and French. Outside of work, she enjoys live music, exploring new food around NYC, and spending time with family and friends.

Courtney Werpy Story is the Vice President of Government Initiatives at Undue Medical Debt. She leads the newly established Government Initiatives department, overseeing government contracts and programs to effectively address medical debt at scale.

Courtney began her career as a high school teacher in New Orleans, where she developed a passion for community service and addressing systemic challenges. Prior to joining Undue, she served as the Director of Administration and Planning for the City of New Orleans, where she managed the City’s American Rescue Plan Act funding and lead city-wide initiatives in budgeting, infrastructure, public safety, and disaster response.

Courtney holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Disaster Management, both from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She lives in New Orleans and enjoys traveling, running, live music, and spending time with her husband and twin boys.

Jonathan is a software developer at Undue. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, and a master’s degree from George Washington University. He also brings 8 years of software engineering experience from Lockheed Martin. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling and photography, having visited over 40 countries.

As a software developer at Undue, my main responsibilities include building out and maintaining our internal-use software. In addition to building out new software features, our team has emphasized improving both the efficiency of our processes as well as the reliability of the data that we provide. Throughout my 3+ years at Undue, I’ve enjoyed focusing on large data extraction, transformation, and analysis, all of which are crucial steps in debt acquisition and reconciliation. Moving forward, as Undu continues to grow, I am excited to work on scaling and accelerating the processes within our tech stack to meet new and larger requirements.

Before joining Undue, I attended Chapman University where I studied software engineering. Shortly after graduating in 2020, I joined Undue as a part-time junior developer. In the following months, I gained invaluable experience and expanded my skill set significantly. As I became more comfortable developing both back-end and front-end features, I joined the Undue team as a full-time developer.

In my spare time, when the weather permits, I enjoy exploring New York’s diverse culinary scene, frequenting comedy clubs, and venturing outside of the city for camping trips and barbecues. On colder and cozier days, I enjoy exploring different types of film as well as playing poker, chess, and various other games with friends. Sometimes, when I’m not weary of staring at code, I delve into my personal coding projects which I find enjoyable and fulfilling.

Maksat Sadyrov is a DevOps and Infrastructure Engineer at Undue Medical Debt, specializing in implementing and maintaining multi-cloud infrastructure. He focuses on optimizing CI/CD pipelines, automating cloud infrastructure deployments, and ensuring scalability. Maksat holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and several industry certifications in cloud technologies, including AWS and Kubernetes. Outside of work, he enjoys drawing and playing chess.

As a Project Manager at Undue Medical Debt, I orchestrate the seamless execution of our digital initiatives in alignment with our overarching mission. With an eye for detail and a knack for strategic planning, I ensure that our projects not only meet deadlines but also exceed expectations in delivering innovative solutions.

My journey into project management was paved with diverse experiences, including stints in logistics and safety science. Leveraging this multifaceted background, I bring a unique blend of technical expertise and interpersonal skills to the table, fostering collaboration and driving cross-functional teams towards shared goals. Whether it’s implementing agile methodologies or mitigating project risks, I thrive in dynamic environments where adaptability and problem-solving are paramount.

Outside of the professional realm, I’m an avid gamer, cinephile, and world traveler, constantly seeking new experiences and perspectives. I have a special appeal to thrillers, particularly those directed by Christopher Nolan (Inception). I’ve had the opportunity to travel to over 15 countries, with Zanzibar standing out as my favorite destination thus far.

As a Data Analyst at Undue Medical Debt, Vishal leverages his expertise in streamlining data processes and enhancing the ease of data ingestion and documentation, significantly contributing to the organization’s mission. His unique approach to simplifying complex data sets not only facilitates smoother operations but also empowers colleagues by making data more accessible and understandable. With a rich background that spans not just the healthcare but also the finance industry, he brings a blend of technical acuity and practical experience to the table. Beyond his professional endeavors, Vishal enjoys hiking, fitness, and reading books. Vishal, also plans to continue his education further by pursuing his MBA within the upcoming year.

Daniel has directed communications for Undue Medical Debt since 2017 and established the nonprofit’s earned media strategy. He has executed the approach for all public facing initiatives and announcements, helped cultivate Undue’s collaboration with local campaigners and spearheaded the nonprofit’s approach to gathering testimony from beneficiaries of medical debt relief. Between 2018 and 2021 Daniel facilitated 9.5 billion media impressions, with billions more following. Undue (aka “Undue Medical Debt”) has been featured in virtually all mainstream, national publications in the U.S. including NPR, CBS Sunday Morning, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, CNN, The Associated Press, The New York Times, Modern Healthcare and many more.

Daniel has since expanded to lead Undue’s marketing efforts as well, overseeing the nonprofit’s rebrand and associated paid efforts to increase awareness and drive more donations towards the abolishment of burdensome medical debts.

Before joining Undue Daniel was an experienced communications professional working with diverse clients including The Central Park Conservancy, The French Institute-Alliance Francaise, Pfizer, Google, Virgin Hyperloop and Monica Lewinsky.

Daniel’s work on Undue’s “Helping COVID Heroes” campaign (to erase medical debts for front line workers during the early pandemic) earned him “Best Fundraising Campaign” from PR News in 2021.

Daniel is a lifelong Brooklyn resident and graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Drama & Psychology, and a minor in French & Francophone Studies. In his free time, he’s a comedian and improviser primarily at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade.

Morgan Telesford is the Communications Manager at Undue Medical Debt and has a passion for storytelling and marketing. She’s worked with other nonprofits such as the American Diabetes Association, Habitat for Humanity of NOVA, and the American Chemical Society; from nonprofits and startups to the education sector and sports entertainment space, she has harnessed many tools to become a strategic communicator.

After earning her B.S. in Sports Management from Syracuse University, she returned to Syracuse’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and received her M.S. in Communication with an Advertising focus. Some of her certifications include Google Ads Display, HubSpot Social Media Marketing, Yoast SEO, and the Trade Desk. Morgan lives in Washington, D.C. with her dog Waffles, and enjoys long walks with him, exploring new cuisine with friends and family, and traveling.

Emily Brostek is the PR Manager at Undue Medical Debt. With 15 years of experience in public relations, strategic communications, and health policy advocacy, Emily is committed to destigmatizing medical debt and amplifying the voices of those impacted by barriers to affordable care. 

Throughout her career, Emily has worked at the intersection of public relations and healthcare advocacy, securing coverage in major national outlets like The New York Times, NPR, and The Associated Press. Emily has worked on strategic communications for NORC at the University of Chicago, the National Academy for State Health Policy, and for clients such as the National Eye Institute and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. She previously served as Executive Director of Consumers for Affordable Health Care where she led efforts to advance healthcare access and affordability in Maine, including a state-wide campaign to enroll Maine kids in coverage.  

Emily holds a Master of Public Health and Certificate in Interdisciplinary Health Communication from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and a bachelor’s degree from Colby College. She’s based in Portland, Maine where she is living her homesteader dreams with her husband, a small menagerie of dogs, cats, and chickens, and the biggest garden she can squeeze onto a quarter of an acre. 

Angelina Edwards is the Communications Coordinator at Undue Medical Debt. She is passionate about encouraging empathy and challenging the status quo through storytelling and centering underrepresented narratives. She has a background in journalism, strategic communications, earned media and digital media strategy and audience development.

Prior to working at Undue, she was a Communications Coordinator at Community Catalyst where she authored blogs and content for social media, transitioned the organization to a new PR software and spearheaded a weekly organization-wide content aggregation project to uplift relevant news and media analysis.

Angelina earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with minors in Spanish and women’s and gender studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She lives in Kansas City, MO, where she was born and raised. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring coffee shops, record stores and thrift stores in the area and having craft nights with friends.

Bringing a wealth of experience from the retail industry, Emily transitioned her passion for meaningful causes into the realm of social impact. In 2020, she joined Undue Medical Debt, spearheading their social media initiatives.

As a dedicated consultant, Emily specializes in supporting mission-driven entities, particularly small businesses and non-profits. Her expertise spans a range of areas, from crafting effective social media strategies and brand marketing to developing impactful newsletters, coordinating events, and executing advertising campaigns.

Emily holds a degree from NYU and earned her MFA from l’Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode in Paris, bringing a unique blend of creativity and strategic thinking to her work. Beyond her professional pursuits, her interests encompass a love for theater, an appreciation for architecture, a flair for cooking, and an unmatched knowledge of pop culture. Her multifaceted skill set and dedication make her an invaluable asset to the mission of Undue Medical Debt.