Destiny Davis LPC CRC (formerly Destiny Winters)

Licensed Professional Counselor (mental health therapist), wife, mom - but most of all, human. As someone with personal experience living with chronic pain and illness, I know what it’s like to feel like you’re trying everything, doing everything right, and seemingly getting nowhere. If you’ve ever been told “your labs are completely normal” or “there’s nothing wrong with you” but you’re in constant pain and discomfort, you’ve come to the right place. My main work is with those who experience hard-to-diagnose health issues and syndromes. Things like gastrointestinal problems, arthritic pain, back pain and other bodily aches, and genetic disorders are all within my wheelhouse. We work on things like coping with pain, increasing energy, managing stress, building healthier relationships (with romantic partners, friends, and healthcare professionals), and healing childhood emotional wounds.

David Stukus, MD, is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Nationwide Children's Hospital. He holds multiple leadership positions in the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and is one of twelve allergists invited as a member of the Joint Task Force for Practice Parameters. In 2018, Dr. Stukus was invited to become the first Social Media Medical Editor for the AAAAI, where he produced and hosted their podcast "Conversations From the World of Allergy". He has been named a Top Doctor in Pediatric Allergy every year since 2015. Dr. Stukus is very active on social media and uses his popular Twitter and Instagram accounts @AllergyKidsDoc to dispel myths and combat misinformation. 

Profound lessons of grief, loss, healing, and personal growth have left an indelible mark on my life. As I navigate retirement, I am driven to share shamanism’s wisdom and its alternative healing practices with the world through our podcast, The Urban Grief Shamans. I believe that we need to bring grief literacy out into the open, and that’s precisely what our podcast aims to do. Each episode is a unique journey of discovery, merging spiritual insights with practical guidance for healing and personal growth. We offer an alternative healing path for navigating the complexities of loss and personal challenges. Our conversations are a source of enlightenment, providing a deeper understanding of the healing process, enriched by our personal stories and the perspectives of our guests. Join us on our mission to spread the word about shamanism’s alternative healing practices and make grief literacy more open.

Kyle Dine is an educator and musician who performs at schools across North America raising food allergy awareness. Over the past 6 years, he has performed at over 700 schools and reached over one million students. He has grown up managing his own allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, seafood and mustard. His songs help empower, support, and educate all children. He has released two professional CDs.

Laurel Francoeur is a prominent advocate for people with food allergies, leveraging her personal experiences and legal expertise to champion their rights and raise awareness about the challenges they face. As both a mother of a child with life-threatening food allergies and an attorney specializing in food allergy law, Francoeur brings a unique perspective to her practice. As a practicing attorney, she has provided legal counsel to individuals and families affected by food allergies, offering guidance on issues such as disability accommodations, discrimination, product liability, and school policies. She drafted legislation in Massachusetts to allow easy access to epinephrine for students in classrooms and has testified at the state and federal level about food allergy issues. She has also worked with the Mass. Department of Public Health on food allergy guidelines for restaurants.

Lisa is the Founder of NNMG Food Allergic Families, (originally No Nuts Moms Group). When Lisa’s son was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies to peanuts and tree nuts, she learned as much as she could to educate herself and everyone around her about food allergies. Her search for a food allergy group ended in a dead end, so she started her own group for food-allergic families looking to meet and connect with others. The word about No Nuts Moms Group quickly spread, and requests for local groups in the United States and Canada came rolling in. Lisa gave other moms a chance to start their own local groups, and now No Nuts Moms Group is internationally known for supporting and connecting people with food allergies.  Lisa was also instrumental in getting the Stock Epinephrine Bill passed into law in Michigan. Lisa has helped thousands of families across the country. 

Mark Elvidge co-founded Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, a pioneer in the allergen-free confectionery space with his wife Gail over 27 years ago. Mark has served as President & CEO since 2012 and has transformed a personal need into a thriving brand, delivering premium-quality, peanut and tree-nut-free chocolates that cater to both allergy-conscious consumers and chocolate lovers alike.

Under his leadership, Vermont Nut Free Chocolates has built a dedicated, long-term customer base, strong retail and supplier partnerships, and a reputation for excellence in food safety, product innovation, and craftsmanship. Mark’s ability to build a niche brand while maintaining authenticity has positioned the company as a leader in the specialty chocolate industry and free-from space.

Michael Sawers is a food allergy advocate who has worked with Food Allergy Canada to support young people with food allergies. He is also a singer-songwriter who performs as The M.A.S. Project. The initials stand for Michael Anthony Sawers, and “project” is just that - a work in progress. 

The M.A.S. Project’s music has been featured on numerous Spotify playlists like “New Music Friday Canada” and “Fresh Finds Canada”. He’s headlined classic Toronto venues like The Drake Hotel, and even got a chance to play a corporate show at the coveted Massey Hall. His hopes are high for the musical adventure ahead of him.

@the.mas.project

Nishti is the CEO and founder of Nishti’s Choice, a global clinic specializing in Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy, multiple food allergies, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, histamine intolerance, and eating disorders such as ARFID. An international registered dietitian, Nishti is known for her practical, no-nonsense approach to food allergies and childhood nutrition. As the founder of Nishti’s Choice, she leads a dedicated team of dietitians who provide daily help and support to families worldwide. Nishti’s unique approach blends evidence-based nutrition with conscious parenting, helping parents support their child’s natural ability to eat intuitively—without projecting their own fears and expectations onto them. Her work ensures that children develop a healthy, stress-free relationship with food.

Renata Doerr is a Physician Assistant and mother of four children, two of whom have multiple food allergies. For over a decade, she has been a board member of Greater Buffalo Food Allergy Alliance (GBFAA), a support group for parents and individuals managing food allergies. The group recently became a 501c charitable organization, and is working on educating the community and providing resources for individuals and families managing food allergies. 

Addie Lao is a 9-year-old with multiple anaphylactic food allergies to dairy, peanuts, tree nuts and sesame. Life with food allergies is tough, but it has made her brave!  Her mission is to raise awareness, educate, and advocate for the food allergy community.  She loves to learn how to make safe allergen-free recipes, play tennis and read books.

Robyn Huey Lao is an allergy mom advocate and pediatric nurse practitioner supporting Addie to help make her world more allergy safe. She received her Masters in Nursing from University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in Healthcare Leadership from the University of San Francisco. She was a past president of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)- San Francisco chapter, and she was the founding president of the NAPNAP Sacramento Chapter. She has been the Legislative Chair of NAPNAP Sacramento for the past 3 years.

Sandra Beasley is the author of Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life, a disability memoir. Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, The American Scholar, Virginia Quarterly Review, LitHub, and A Harp in the Stars: An Anthology of Lyric Essays. She has published four poetry collections, including Made to Explode, and she edited Vinegar and Char: Verse from the Southern Foodways Alliance. Honors include an NEA fellowship, the Munster Literature Centre’s John Montague Fellowship, and six DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities fellowships. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Photo credit: Andrew Lightman

@TheEagerTeacher