Contributors

Headshot
Host

Val Lego

 Val Lego has been writing about health and lifestyle for nearly 25 years. She spent the majority of her reporting as a television journalist.  Val is mostly known for being an Emmy Award winning accredited health reporter with Fellowships from the Center For Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the California Endowment for Health Care Journalists. Her stories include a wide range of topics from ground breaking COVID treatments to advancements in cancer research and children’s health. 

She is now using her talents to give a voice to perimenopause and menopause to help change the narrative around this stage of a woman's life.

https://valerielego.com/
Headshot
Co-host

Nisha McKenzie, Physician Assistant, CEO and Founder of Women's+ Health Collective

 

 

Nisha is a Physician Assistant, CEO and founder of Women's+ Health Collective in Grand Rapids, MI, and has been in practice in West Michigan since 2002.

A Menopause Society Certified Provider and an AASECT Certified Sexuality Counselor, Nisha is also a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health and a Sex Educator. She mentors and teaches sexual medicine, menopause, and women’s health in OB/GYN residency programs and multiple PA programs, as well as serving on faculty for the University of Michigan Sexual Health Certificate Program and the Modern Sex Therapy Institute. As a sought-after speaker, Nisha presents at medical conferences nationwide, helping practitioners integrate sexual and hormonal health into general health while addressing implicit bias in medicine.


 

Headshot
Editor

Steve Steketee, Founder and President of Shutterwerks Media

Steve has over 25 years of experience in video, animation, and audio production. He is the Founder and President of Shutterwerks Media. The company focuses on creating captivating content, specializing in video production, 2D/3D animation, motion graphics, and digital strategy. 

https://www.shutterwerksmedia.com/

Guests

Headshot
Guest

Amy Bragagnini, Registered Dietition

Amy is a national media representative for the dietetics profession on behalf of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. The Academy is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education, and advocacy. 

Headshot
Guest

Cheryl Bergman, Executive Director/Michigan Women's Health Commission

Cheryl was selected by Governor Whitmer as the Executive Director of the Michigan Women’s Commission (MWC) in October of 2019.  Cheryl shares the same understanding with Governor Whitmer that when women in Michigan thrive, all Michiganders thrive.  She is dedicated to engaging in discussions with women across Michigan about how they may fully participate in Gov. Whitmer’s vision for Michigan’s economy and way of life.

Prior to being selected as Executive Director of the MWC, Cheryl dedicated a major portion of her career to electing women in Michigan.  She worked to elect Michigan’s first female U.S. Senator and Governor, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Governor Jennifer Granholm.  Most recently she served as Senior Advisor to Governor Whitmer’s 2018 election campaign.

Cheryl has a B.A. in Journalism from Michigan State University and lives in East Lansing.  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-bergman-4279434/

Guest appearance on:

Headshot
Guest

Danni Hamilton, Naturopathic Doctor

Danni is passionate about bridging the gap between conventional and naturopathic medicine. Her interest in holistic health began at a young age when she saw her family members improve their well-being 360 degrees solely through diet and herbal remedies. It has since become her life’s mission to help others achieve optimal health using nature’s healing power, while also recognizing the body and mind’s natural ability to heal. Her top priority is finding and addressing the root cause of health issues through thorough testing, which can be often overlooked. 

https://integrativewellnessgr.com/experts/danni-hamilton-nd/
Headshot
Guest

Dr. Rebecca Armstrong, Founder Root Functional Medicine

 

Dr. Rebecca Armstrong if the Founder of Root Functional Medicine where she also  practices. She is also a published author. She wrote the first book in the U.S. on the connection between thyroid function and PCOS and root causes of these two conditions called The PCOS Thyroid Connection.

Dr. Armstrong enjoys the process of innovating and improving the health of her patients.


https://rootfunctionalmedicine.com/about
Headshot
Guest

Dr. Uchenna Ossai, Pelvic Health Physical Therapist

 Dr. Uchenna “UC” Ossai is a sex-positive pelvic health physical therapist, sexuality educator and counselor. Dr. UC is currently serving in the role as assistant professor at University of Utah in Salt Lake City in the Department of Physical Therapy. She is also currently on faculty for the University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Sexual Health Certification Program. Dr. UC has clinical, research, and educational expertise in complex pelvic floor disorders, sexual function and dysfunction that centers intersectionality and biopsychosocial factors. She is a national and international speaker and is on the medical advisory boards for Origin, O.School, and Dame Products. UC embraces always being unapologetically real, happily crunk, and deliciously kind. 

https://youseelogic.com/
Headshot
Guest

Lauren Stanton, Val's Bestie

Lauren Stanton is the owner of Retro Boat Rentals and the Red Dock Bar & Restaurant in Saugatuck, Michigan. She currently serves on the Saugatuck City Council and previously served as the mayor of Saugatuck. 

Prior to becoming a business owner, Lauren was the morning anchor at WZZM (ABC)  in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she met Val. They've been longtime girlfriends for 20 years. 

Headshot
Guest

Rebecca Greier Horton/MillerKnoll Senior Insights Strategist

 Rebecca is honored to lead MillerKnoll’s global ENABLED team that advocates for accessibility so individuals with visible and hidden disabilities can realize their talents and thrive.  She is an International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Associate Professional (AP), an IWBI Faculty, a nationally recognized environmental professional (NREP REM), an internationally certified psychological safety-executive leadership coach (ACC), an ergonomic specialist, and a member of the Global Office Ergonomics Research Committee (OERC). She also represents MillerKnoll on the IWBI Materials Concept Advisory Board as a subject matter expert. https://news.millerknoll.com/Rebecca-Horton

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccagreierhorton/
Headshot
Guest

Ryan Anderson/ VP of Global Research & Planning at MillerKnoll

 Ryan serves as Vice President of Global Research and Planning at MillerKnoll. His team leads MillerKnoll’s research, shares insights across the world, and provides workplace strategy and design advisory services to MillerKnoll customers.

With thirty years of industry experience, Ryan’s work has centered on how the places we inhabit can be better designed to support healthy, inclusive, and productive communities. 

Ryan hosts MillerKnoll’s About Place podcast, is a monthly contributor to Forbes.com, was named one of the Top 55 Remote Work thought leaders by FlexOS, speaks at events worldwide, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, NPR, the BBC, Fortune, Bloomberg, and beyond. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryananderson/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryaningr/