Speakers 2013

Here are our speakers from 2013:

Come meet our 2013 Food Allergy Bloggers Conference Speakers!

Colette Martin is a food allergy mom, an expert on how to bake allergen-free, and author of Learning to Bake Allergen-Free: A Crash Course for Busy Parents on Baking without Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Soy or Nuts. When her son was diagnosed with allergies to wheat, milk, eggs, soy and peanuts in 2001, she had to reinvent how her family ate. Having first learned to bake in her grandmother’s kitchen with wheat, butter, milk, and eggs, Colette understands first-hand what it means to transform her kitchen to accommodate multiple food allergies. As she modified her recipes to eliminate the top eight food allergens and gluten, she discovered her own intolerances to wheat and soy. Colette is Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Kids with Food Allergies. You can follow her: Facebook: Allergen-Free Baker  Twitter: @colettefmartin  Pinterest: Colette Martin     Blog: Learning to Eat Allergy-Free  You Tube: AllergenFreeBaker

Joel D. Warady is Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of Enjoy Life Foods, a leading brand in the North American Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly CPG category. Prior to joining Enjoy Life, Joel was Principal of Joel Warady Group, a Marketing, Social Media, and Business Growth consulting firm. Joel Warady Group was the marketing agency of record for a number of small but growing brands looking to raise their brand awareness through word of mouth and guerilla marketing. Joel is a former owner of a US branded CPG company that at its peak had its products sold in over 17,000 retail locations throughout the US, and 56 countries globally. Internationally, Joel is respected as a marketing and social media expert, speaker, and business advisor. He has spoken on the subject of digital marketing, marketing trends, and social media to individuals and groups from Singapore, France, India, Austria, Turkey, Italy, Taiwan, China, Australia, Norway, The Netherlands and the UK, as well as speaking to hundreds of groups and companies in the US. Joel has spent 33 years in a marketing capacity in the retail, publishing and CPG industries, including 6 years at a major supermarket chain, 15 years developing a CPG company resulting in sales that exceeded $30 million (USD), and over 11 years as a marketing consultant and speaker. Twitter @EnjoyLifeCMO

Tess Masters—aka “The Blender Girl” on her wildly popular recipe blog, Healthy Blender Recipes, cook, writer, and green maven shares easy plant-based recipes just about anyone can whip up fast in a blender, mixer, or food processor. Her healthy, allergy-free whole-food concoctions rely on natural flavors and sweeteners only, and are all gluten free. Many are also dairy-, egg-, nut-, soy- and corn-free. The Blender Girl and her recipes have been featured online in the L.A Times, Glamour, Chow, Epicurious, All Recipes, as well as on and in countless other websites, blogs, and publications. Tess is also a regular contributor to the Vegetarian Times, Gorgeously Green, The Balanced Platter, Super Raw Life Magazine, and Go Green America TV. Tess is in high demand as a presenter and recipe developer. In 2012, she partnered with Vitamix as the face of the company’s online technique and recipe videos, and has also shot videos for Chow.com, Driscoll’s, Crisp Root, and others companies shortly to be announced. She has created recipes for Square One Organics, Sprout Living, the Thrive Alive Foundation, and Way Better Snacks, for whom she was also a brand ambassador. In January 2013, Pinterest acknowledged Tess’s wide appeal when they featured her, along with 29 top celebrities and brands such as Katie Couric, Dr Oz, Paula Deen, Today, Starbucks, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, Southwest Airlines, Patagonia, and Esquire Magazine for their global 30 Days of Pinspiration campaign, seen by millions.

Susan Weissman was an English teacher long before she was a mother, but children changed her life in ways she’d not foreseen. Her son Eden is allergic to seven of the “Big 8” food allergens.  She devoted herself to learning about our vexing modern epidemic and parents in the same predicament and began writing about her food allergy experiences as a blogger. Wanting to share “our story” on a wider scale, she was inspired to write a memoir, Feeding Eden: the Trials and Triumphs of a Food Allergy Family. She continues her advocacy at SusanWeissman.com, Huffington Post  Psychology Today and other publications.

Henry Ehrlich is co-author of Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide with Dr. Lawrence Chairamonte and Dr. Paul Ehrlich, board-certified pediatric allergists, and editor of AsthmaAllergiesChildren.com, which they founded in tandem with publication of the book because “medicine moves faster than print.”  A former corporate speechwriter, Henry has also published books on speechwriting, adoption, sleep medicine (co-author), business quotations, and edited Children’s Allergies and Asthma: one of nature’s dirty tricks, an anthology of 89 original pieces from the website.  He is currently writing a book on the work of Dr. Xiu-Min Li to cure food allergies and asthma by integrating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and cutting-edge medical science.

Dr. Paul M. Ehlrich was educated at Columbia University, trained in pediatrics at Bellevue Hospital at NYU, and allergy and immunology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He is a partner at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Murray Hill, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine, attending physician in medicine and pediatrics at Beth Israel Medical Center, and attending physician at the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary, all in New York City. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He has been featured as one New York’s top pediatric allergists in New York Magazine for more than ten years. He is past President of the New York Allergy and Asthma Society.  He is also co-author of Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide, and a co-founder/blogger for asthmaallergieschildren.com.

Mary Fran Wiley is an award-winning web designer and blogger from Chicago, IL. She learned first learned HTML back when animated gifs were of construction cones and waving flags and not the funny images we see today. These days she designs websites at a leading Chicago web design firm by day and tinkers with her personal pet projects at night. The tagline of her blog, FrannyCakes, is “Finding health & happiness in the gluten-free kitchen.” She writes about finding the positives in living with a chronic condition, managing food allergies (she is allergic to wheat and shellfish) and shares recipes that are even better than their gluten-filled counterparts. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Annelies Zijderveld derives joy in working toward creating community online and offline. A natural networker, she enjoys her role as the online community manager for Attune Foods and delights in seeing people achieve their potential. With over a decade working in food marketing, she is particularly fond of food start-ups that focus on healthier living. She likes surrounding herself with innovative minds, finding their vision ignites her creative spark. Annelies received her BA in Journalism at Southern Methodist University and an MFA in Poetry from New England College. When she’s not at work or attending blog conferences, she can be found singing in her kitchen cooking or taking urban hikes with her husband.

Kelly Rudnicki is the author of the The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy, Fast Family Meals, The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book,  and Vegan Baking Classics.  She’s also the creator of the award-winning blog Food Allergy Mama. Her blog has twice been named Babble’s Top Food Blog and ranked #6 in Healthiest Eating. She has appeared on The Martha Stewart Show, Windy City Live, WGN News, ABC News as well as in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Parents, Parenting, Shape, Family Fun, Woman’s Day, and others. As the mother of five young children, one of whom with severe food allergies, Kelly also spends much of her free time advocating for food allergy awareness and improving school nutrition. She volunteers and speaks on behalf of food allergy organizations such as FARE, and helped write the food allergy guidelines for the Chefs Move to Schools Chicago, an initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama’s Go for the Gold campaign to promote higher standards for food, fitness and nutrition education. Kelly also serves as a Parent Ambassador for Healthy Child, Healthy World. She lives in Southern California with her husband and five children. www.foodallergymama.com

As the Global Head of Digital, Ritesh Patel brings to the table nearly 20 years of professional experience. Ritesh has provided counsel to clients well-versed in the digital arena, as well as corporate and brand teams taking their first steps into the digital world. He has developed comprehensive digital and social media guidelines for several healthcare clients, and created and implemented standards for best practices, as well as detailed initiatives using a variety of digital and social platforms. In the pharmaceutical arena, Ritesh has worked with Novartis where he developed social media efforts for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, creating a social media ecosystem in which patients and caregivers can interact with others having similar experiences. Additionally, Ritesh led the development of an online educational portal for allergic asthma. Ritesh also created the digital strategy and tactical elements for a lung cancer clinical trial program for a top-five pharmaceutical company. The tactics included the development of a mini-site, as well as a comprehensive paid media and Twitter strategy, including creation of the Twitter page and the development of content, and finally, managing the SEO, paid search, and paid social media advertising programs. On the mobile front, Ritesh has guided the creation of a number of mobile applications, such as the Afib Educator for the AFStat disease awareness campaign for atrial fibrillation. The application offers videos and educational information for healthcare providers and patients to help explain disease symptoms and risks. He also managed the creation of the Harmony for Health website and smartphone app to help patients take charge of their diabetes. Mr. Patel is also the parent of a child with food allergies.

Rebecca Hirt-Sherrow began the journey into the world of food allergies the moment her youngest child suffered anaphylaxis after eating a bite of peanut butter cookie.  As an avid traveler and passionate home cook, she shares her love for authentic, traditional and nut-free food on her blog Pure and Peanut Free.  Her recipes and photographs have been featured on sites across the internet, including momfilter, Food Farm Health, and Healthy & Homegrown. Through original recipes that come straight from her kitchen in the gorgeous mountains of Colorado, she inspires others to “Live Beautifully (with food allergies).”  Get to know her through Facebook and see what fuels her creativity on Pinterest. Here are the links: Pure and Peanut Free  momfilter   Facebook   Pinterest   Food Farm Health

Dr. Mark Greenwald – Allergist, and Chief Medical Officer of EpiCenter Medical, which provides provides online anaphylaxis first aid training and Epi-Kits™ (epinephrine kits). Dr. Greenwald’s practice includes immunologically mediated diseases such as Allergy, Asthma and Rheumatology. At the Asthma Society of Canada, he directed the development of 5 award winning educational websites. He works at University of Toronto Hospitals, and teaches at graduate and postgraduate University level at various medical schools. He is a Glaxo Educational Grant recipient. He has twice been the Charles TisdaleResearch Competition winner, he was chosen for the Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award, University of Toronto and the Professional Association of Interns and Residents of Ontario -”Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award.” Dr. Mark Greenwald has organized and/or been chairperson of numerous scientific meetings and has over 150 peer-reviewed presentations and publications to professionals in the field of medicine, and has authored chapters in three medical textbooks. He has directly contributed to disease cure and invented medical devices used clinically. Affectionately known as “Dr. Mark”, he appears frequently on radio and television addressing the issues that affect allergic individuals and their families.   

Michael Kwiecien of My Food Facts. Mike and his two children are lactose intolerant. As a professional engineer by trade, Mike is innovative by nature and designed, developed and launched MyFoodFacts in 2010 to help those not only with food intolerance but with food allergies. MyFoodFacts was one of the first to market in the Smartphone App world that uses the camera as a scanner for barcodes to obtain a list of ingredients and identifies food allergens that you may be allergic to. MyFoodFacts was a Canadian New Media Award finalist as the best mobile App in 2010 and nominated as the 2012 About.com People’s Choice as the best food allergy mobile App. Mike has also consulted Loblaws (Canada), Metro (Canada), Sainsbury (UK), ASDA (Walmart, UK) in the design and development of their food Applications. More recently, MyFoodFacts is collaborating with Sue Ganz-Schmitt (@royallyallergic), author of the children’s book “The Princess and the Peanut” to develop an App based on the story to teach children about food allergies. MyFoodFacts is also collaborating with Pooja Mottl (@poojamootl) in her to be published “3-Day Reset” book (2013) for a 3-Day Reset App that focuses on the healthy food choices and compliments the book.

Elizabeth Goldenberg of Onespot Allergy Blog is an allergy safety expert and lawyer. She is a powerful and trusted voice bridging the gap between Allergists and their patients, and between the victims of allergic injury and the Courts. She has appeared on ABC News, CBC News, CBC The National, Global Montreal, Rogers Daytime, and on radio. Her hugely popular Best EpiPen Belt and Best EpiPen Carrying Case available on onespotallergy.com were the first phase of her mission to ensure life-saving medication is always within reach. In 2012, she co-founded EpiCenter Medical with Allergist Dr. Mark Greenwald, and in April of 2013 they fulfilled their dream to help protect allergic individuals worldwide by releasing a premium online anaphylaxis first aid certification course that is available through the website www.epipentraining.com. Dr. Mark and Elizabeth will soon be releasing patented epinephrine kits “Epi-Kits”, which will hang on the wall like a defibrillator, providing back up epinephrine for those with known allergies, and an emergency injection for those needing rescue with no previously diagnosed allergies.

Lynda Mitchell is the founder and Senior Director of the Kids With Food Allergies (KFA), which is now a division of the nation’s largest and oldest allergy charity, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Lynda’s son, now a college graduate, developed multiple food allergies as an infant.  She was an early adopter of using the Internet, online communities and social networks for health information and support for managing food allergies after her son’s diagnosis.  Prior to founding KFA, she hads 20 years’ experience in hospital management, consulting, teaching at the college level and in conducting training sessions and educational seminars. Lynda received her Master’s degree in Health Information Management with a certificate in Health Informatics from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota.  You can find KFA and Lynda on Facebook, Twitter and at the Kids With Food Allergies website.

Dr. Lama Rimawi, Pediatrician, food allergy mom; the founder of Tasterie; and a graduate of the McGill University Faculty of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She completed her Pediatrics residency at Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital and Yale Children’s Hospital. She has been a board certified pediatrician for over 15 years.  Her company, Tasterie provides great tasting allergy free food from vendors all over the world that meet rigorous allergen testing/manufacturing protocols.

You can read more and follow on Facebook; on Twitter @tasterie,  Pinterest; and the Tasterie blog.

Leila Miyamoto, a.k.a. The Ninja, has an outlook on life that’s simple: Love it, live it, laugh at it, and ninja kick anything in your way to happiness! She is the creator behind the blog “Don’t Speak Whinese” and believes life is fun when everyone stops complaining about it. She is a self published author, community manager since the dawn of the interwebz, writer of hilarious Haiku and inspired by making a difference in the world. She is a mother and two of which that have food allergies. Her oldest daughter has was diagnosed with over twenty life threatening food allergies when she was an infant. They have been taking on the challenges of the world, with gusto, ever since. Leila’s digital existence isn’t focused just on food allergies but about how any obstacle can be met, weighed and overcome with the right attitude and plenty of  laughter.

Michael Pistiner, MD, MMSc is the content provider for AllergyHome a free, food allergy education website. He works as a pediatric allergist for Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. He volunteers at Boston’s Children’s Hospital and is a food allergy educator and advocate. Dr. Pistiner is a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics where he is a member of the Council of School Health and Section of Allergy & Immunology, and a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology where he is a member of the Adverse Reaction to Food Committee and co-chair of the Food Allergy Awareness in Eating Establishments sub-committee. He serves as a voluntary consultant for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, School Health Services. He is chair of the Medical Advisory Team for Kids with Food Allergies Foundation, serves on the board of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, New England Chapter, and member of FAME’s National board. He is the recipient of awards from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network in 2009 and 2010, as well as the American Medical Association Young Physician Section Community Service Award (2010) for his work on the Food Allergy Awareness in Restaurants Act. Additionally, he is the author of Everyday Cool With Food Allergies, a children’s book designed to teach basic food allergy management skills to preschool and early school age children and co-author of Living Confidently with Food Allergy, a free food allergy handbook.

Jan Hanson first became committed to educating her family and others about food allergies when her youngest son was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies in 1992 at 1 ½ years of age (her older son was diagnosed with several food allergies at the age of eighteen, as he headed off to college).  She founded Educating For Food Allergies, LLC (EFFA) in 2001, and provides consulting services and educational workshops to parents and school personnel throughout New England.  EFFA is a registered provider of Professional Development Points with the Massachusetts Department of Education and meets the requirements of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing to provide contact hours for continuing education for the state’s nurses.  Her expertise is in all aspects of food allergy management in the school setting, and over 300 Massachusetts school nurses have attended one of her training sessions. She has been a popular speaker for support group meetings for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, New England Chapter, for over ten years.  Jan has been a presenter at the Food Safety Conference sponsored annually by the University of Rhode Island, and at the Visions of Community 2013 conference sponsored by the Federation for Children with Special Needs held in Boston, MA.   She is the author of Food Allergies: A Recipe For Success At School.  Information, Recommendations and Inspiration for Families and School Personnel, published in September, 2012.  She also wrote a guest editorial on the topic of food in the curriculum and the food-allergic student for asthamallergieschildren.com., posted in June, 2013.  Jan received her Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from Boston College.  More information about her work can be found at www.foodallergyed.com and on Linkedin, and on Facebook at Food Allergies: A Recipe For Success At School.    

April Runge is a marketing research consultant and mom, but declares she should have honorary credentials as a special needs educator, specialty diet chef and triage nurse while raising their two children with different medical conditions—allergies, asthma and epilepsy. April co-authored her first children’s picture book Gordy And The Magic Diet after being inspired by her daughter’s harrowing, yet successful, battle to control her catastrophic epilepsy through a highly restrictive dietary therapy.   April is determined to help other children navigate the journey of living on any restricted diet. April has been a dietary therapy coach in her local community with recent speaking engagements at AutismOne, the International Dietary Therapy Symposium for Pediatric Epilepsy and writer workshops for elementary-aged children in the Chicago suburbs.

 Rebecca Black is one of the leading health and fitness experts in Central Ohio. She created Bexa Body Fitness, a private fitness studio, which appeals to all demographics aspiring to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Rebecca, who we recently diagnosed with celiac disease, uses her blog, Pretty Little Celiac, to share information about all aspects of celiac disease including the mental and emotional component, which is lacking for newly diagnosed patients. Each week, Rebecca takes her blog on the air with a podcast, which can be found on both iTunes and BlogTalkRadio.  Columbus Business First newspaper selected Rebecca as one of 2013’s Forty Under 40 rising business stars. Her blog, Pretty Little Celiac, won WEGO Health’s online health activist award for Rookie of the Year 2012 and The Buckeye Journal placed Rebecca on their cover and a feature article for Celiac awareness month. As a motivator and role model, Rebecca has a unique connection with her audience that stems from her own personal journey toward wellness. Her book about overcoming adversity will be published this fall, just in time for the conference! Rebecca can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and iTunes.

Laurel Francoeur graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and a minor in Philosophy. She is also a graduate of Suffolk Law School and has been a practicing lawyer since 1996. She is a support group leader for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and served on their board of directors. She was on the FAI (Food Allergy Initiative) Steering Committee and is now on the FARE Steering Committee.” She has appeared on ABC News talking about her experiences as a parent of a food allergic child. She has drafted legislation in Massachusetts which now gives students easier access to life-saving medication, and Laurel has also testified at the state and federal level about food allergy issues. She is the author of “How to Advocate for Your Food Allergic Child: A Manual for Getting What Your Child Needs at School.” She is also co-founder of Greenlaurel Documents, an online source for food allergy tools including automated health care plans and restaurant cards.

 Caroline Moassessi has spent the last 13 years raising two food allergic and asthmatic children.  She is the author of the blogsite www.gratefulfoodie.com.  She recently worked on the passing mandated stock epinephrine law in the State of Nevada as the lead advocate. She currently sits on the American Lung Association (ALA) National Assembly and advocacy committee, is Secretary/Treasurer for the ALA of the Southwest region and is past chair of the Board of Directors for the American Lung Association in Northern Nevada.  Caroline is deeply committed to serving our food allergy and asthmatic community.  She co-founded the non-profit, Northern Nevada Asthma and Food Allergy Parent Education Group, and still serves as its president. She is also a member of the national Food Allergy Research and Education’s Support Group Advisory Council and is a certified Open Airways for Schools educator and a Safe@School instructor. Caroline is a member of the National Allergy and Anaphylaxis Council and is one of the Circle of Moms top 25 Food allergy Bloggers. Caroline has a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management and has traveled the world as a trainer in this industry. She still enjoys reading, making jewelry and good food. She lives in Reno with her husband and two children.

Alisa Fleming founded the largest dairy-free website, GoDairyFree.org, in 2004, which is now host to over 2 million unique special diet visitors per year. She has since written and published the best-selling dairy-free book, Go Dairy Free: the Guide and Cookbook for  Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living, published another best-selling vegan author, and co-produced several ebooks. In 2011, she also joined Allergic Living Magazine as a columnist, advancing to the role of Senior Editor in 2012. Alisa successfully turned a mission-driven hobby into a diverse, rewarding career that offers multiple streams of income from publications, advertising, freelance writing, editing, and recipe creation. She will answer your questions on how you can enjoy work in this field that is both personally and financially gratifying.

Nona Narvaez founded the Anaphylaxis & Food Allergy Association of Minnesota (AFAA) in 2001 after the diagnosis of their son’s multiple life-threatening food allergies. She now serves pro bono as AFAA Executive Director. Ms. Narvaez received a national award for drafting and spearheading food allergy laws, including epinephrine in Minnesota ambulances (2002); epinephrine in Minnesota schools (2004); amino acid elemental formula agreement with Minnesota medical insurance companies (2007); St. Paul Restaurant Task Force and Ordinance (2009); and school stock epinephrine (2013). She has provided legislative analysis to Congressional Members on the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (2004) and food allergy legislation in other states; and policy analysis to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In addition, Ms. Narvaez serves on the national Food Allergy Research Education (FARE) Advocacy Leadership Council, FDA Food Code Rule Revision Committee for Minnesota, and national Conference for Food Protection (CFP). Ms. Narvaez developed curriculum and regularly trains school and restaurant staff on food allergy management. She has 14 years of food service experience and is a Certified Food Manager, and she is member of the food industry’s Touchpoint Resource Pool and the Food Safety Partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Agriculture. She also serves on the AFAA Board of Directors. Before starting AFAA, Ms. Narvaez was a public policy analyst for the Minnesota Legislature and U.S. Congress, and a freelance writer.  www.minnesotafoodallergy.org 

Anne F. Russell, BSN, RN, AE-C has specialized in food allergy for 20 years after initial clinical and administrative experience in Pediatrics, Critical Care and Neonatology. Her extensive leadership experience in the food allergy field includes serving as President of Food Anaphylaxis Education, Inc., a Michigan nonprofit, and as Food Allergy Program Coordinator & Administrative Specialist in a university based Allergy & Immunology Division. She has provided presentations and staff training on food-induced anaphylaxis to numerous schools, daycares and churches. She has also presented on food allergy management at state and national conferences for school administrators, school nurses, physicians, clinical nurses, dieticians and public health nurses. Anne has also collaborated on food allergy related state legislative policy. As a School Health Director, she created and directed a health service program including coordinating individualized student health plans, training staff in anaphylaxis prevention, identification and rescue and providing staff oversight. Anne served on Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s (now FARE) Member Advisory Council, collaborated with Food Allergy Initiative (now FARE) and is recipient of a FAAN Make a Difference Award. As food allergy clinical nurse educator and case manager in primary pediatric & allergy clinics, she created patient/staff food allergy education materials; coordinated and monitored oral food challenges; provided case management and anticipatory guidance counseling; initiated staff education on food allergy daily management needs and coordinated food allergy clinic policies and conferences. Anne is Nursing Faculty at Spring Arbor University in Michigan. She is a certified asthma educator by NAECB board examination and food allergy writer for Association of Asthma Educators (AAE) newsletters. She also serves on AAE task force initiatives. She is a guest food allergy writer for www.asthmaallergieschildren.com and contributing author for Children’s Allergies & Asthma: One of Nature’s Dirty Tricks. She has published about food allergy patient education in clinic settings and school food allergy management in peer-reviewed Journal of Asthma and Allergy Educators. She is also collaborating with AllergyHome. She is inspired by her son who manages multiple food allergies, asthma and eczema while enjoying graduate school studies, a busy social life and sports. Anne credits countless families coping with food allergies that opened their world to her trusting that by sharing their struggles and needs it would ultimately help educate others. She posts about food allergy on LinkedIn and on Twitter as @AllergyEducator.

Veronica LaFemina is the vice president of communications at Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), where she leads the organization’s efforts to increase awareness of food allergy as a serious and growing public health issue. For the past decade, she has directed national strategic communications initiatives designed to garner attention for important health issues, including food allergy, HIV/AIDS, mental health, and the health of veterans and their caregivers. Veronica launched her first health-related blog in 2005 and has been passionate about making health research and information easier to understand, access and share by leveraging social media and other online platforms ever since. Having grown up in a food allergy family, she is also committed to helping all those who are managing the disease have the information and resources they need to stay safe and live well with food allergies. You can find Veronica on Twitter and get connected with FARE on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the FARE website and blog.

 Dr. John Lee is a pediatric allergist at Boston Children’s Hospital who is deeply committed to raising food allergy awareness to the community.  He is the Director of the Food Allergy Comprehensive Evaluation, Treatment, & Support (FACETS) Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, a coordinated care clinic consisting of allergists, nurses, dietitians, social work, and psychologist working together to address the many “facets” of food allergies.  He is also the co-founder and web developer of AllergyHome.org, a website providing free educational materials about food allergy to families, schools, and physicians. In addition, Dr. Lee serves as co-Director of the Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases Program, a multidisciplinary clinic to provide integrated care for eosinophilic esophagitis and related disorders.  He trained in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, and allergy & immunology at Boston’s Children’s Hospital.  Since completing his fellowship, he has remained on faculty at Boston Children’s Hospital and is an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

CYBELE PASCAL aka “The Allergy-Friendly Cook”, is the author of three bestselling cookbooks, Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking, The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook (Martha Stewart’s #1 book pick for her show 2010),and The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook. She has appeared on The Martha Stewart Show, the Food Network, the Today show, Good Morning America Health, PBS, and NPR. She is a leading blogger in the field with an award-winning website, and lectures and teaches nationally. She is also the Food Editor ofAllergic Living Magazine. Pascal serves as a Celebrity Ambassador Who Cares for FARE, and is the founder and president of Cybele’s Free-to-Eat, a line of gluten-free foods that are free of the top eight allergens. Her allergy-friendly cookies were recently featured on the TODAY Show as the “Healthiest Packaged Sweet”! For more information, visit www.cybelepascal.com
www.cybelesfreetoeat.com
FB: AllergyFriendlyCook, CybelesFreetoEat
Twitter: @cybelepascal, @cybelesFTE