LEADERSHIP TEAM
RAIN
HENDERSON
Principal
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Rain’s North Star and perpetual sense of urgency is advancing the wellbeing of people and the planet.
Rain has spent over 25 years studying, teaching and applying her work in the social sciences to bring together the key leaders who all share a stake in an issue - despite having different perspectives or goals - to create systemic solutions on issues of climate, health, education and social justice.
Elemental clients come at a pivotal point in their growth and we co-design their vision and business strategy with equal parts head and heart to quip all employees to better serve their consumers and community. This includes transformation strategy, social impact campaigns, organizational reorganization, leadership coaching and executive counsel.
Rain teaches health policy and leadership at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public service. She studies neurobiological leadership with the Teleos Institute in Philadelphia. Her philanthropic and pro-bono work includes a focus on access to substance use and mental health support as a co-founder of The Beautiful Boy Fund and trustee of the Harlem Family Institute; on access to healthy food as part of several regional farm-to-table organizations; and on access to maternal and reproductive healthcare with Power to Decide, Planned Parenthood and regional birthing groups. Her corporate social responsibility roles include sitting on global advisory Boards for AstraZeneca, Nestle, McDonalds, PepsiCo, Coca Cola, Glaxo Smith Kline and more.
While the Chief Executive Officer of the Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters she was the key advisor and spokesperson for President Clinton on comprehensive health and wellbeing. Rain helped the Foundation to stand-up multiple nonprofit organizations, led the largest domestic effort to improve the wellbeing of all citizens with the cultivation of more than $200 million in strategic investments from Fortune 500 companies and NGOs; secured a landmark agreement to improve nutrition offerings in all US schools and across 80% of McDonald’s global market; worked with Facebook on the first practices to alert user networks and first responders of members at risk of self harm; led the country’s first effort to create a predictable and affordable supply of Naloxone; and annually produced numerous thought leadership events.
As a founding member of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Rain was instrumental in building the organization from a blueprint to an award-winning non-profit with an impact in 50 states and 30,000 schools nationwide.
Rain has worked as a policy advisor for President Bill Clinton, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, multiple members of the United States Congress and the United Kingdom’s Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, and two former New York governors.
Rain is a noted public speaker and has published numerous reports and articles along with media credits that include Time, the New York Times, U.S. News. Good Housekeeping, The Army Times, World Reports, Fast Company, USA Today and Forbes.
Rain is motivated by the innate goodness of things, her family and a lot of tea. She earned her Bachelor of Art in International Relations, Information Systems and Global Economics and her Master of Public Administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs - all at Syracuse University.
VICTORIA
KUMPURIS BROWN
Principal
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Victoria Kumpuris Brown has spent her career bridging multiple sectors, including the business community, to help children and families lead longer, healthier lives. Victoria joined Elemental Advisors after five years with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) where she developed and implemented a new strategy to engage the private sector to advance social imperatives. This work included landmark investments to develop measures for health and wellbeing for ESG frameworks and convening corporate leaders, sustainability experts, investors and NGOs to create joint pathways for better engagement and corporate reporting on health. Victoria designed and implemented RWJF’s response in the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Harvey brokering new relationships with government authorities and disaster and trauma related NGOs to support long term resilience and recovery while also leading the response for the immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. She also oversaw a series of investments transforming the food and beverage industry to address the childhood obesity epidemic and designed new strategies, policies and practices that support working families.
Prior to RWJF, Victoria served as a founding member and senior vice president at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the Clinton Foundation and American Heart Association. Under her leadership, the Alliance signed a groundbreaking agreement with McDonald’s to increase access to fruits and vegetables across their top 20 markets worldwide, impacting more than 85 percent of global sales. She also negotiated a landmark agreement with the American Beverage Association, Coke, Pepsico and the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group to reduce beverage calories 20 percent by 2025 for all Americans. Brown also created and launched the Healthier Generation Benefit, a collaborative of over 20 health insurers and employers extending first ever health benefits for the prevention and treatment of obesity.
Brown holds a Master of Public Affairs degree with honors from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and a BA in public policy from Washington and Lee University where she serves on the Board of Directors for the Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability. She has published numerous reports and articles and a spectrum of radio, print, and television media credits including U.S. News and World Reports, Fast Company, Forbes and Bloomberg Business Week and is a noted public speaker and has served on global advisory boards to inform action related to sustainability and health for a myriad of consumer product organizations. She is an active community volunteer in her hometown of Dallas who enjoys spinning, travel, and reading just about anything, most of her spare hours are devoted to her family.
VICTORIA@ELEMENTALADVISORS.COM
ADVISORS
ARIELE
LE GRAND
Advisor
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Ariele Le Grand is a psychotherapist and consultant with expertise in facilitation, community engagement and program development. Ms. Le Grand sits on the Board of Directors for The Therapy Center of Philadelphia, a mental health non-profit whose mission is to offer affordable, affirming psychotherapy to women and transgender communities. She consults in the areas of diversity, social impact, and emotional wellness. Ms. Le Grand recently worked with the Policing Project at NYU Law School on reforming policing policy and developing trauma informed models of community engagement. Prior to the Policing Project, Ms. Le Grand worked at the Clinton Foundation, where she coached university leadership teams on strategic planning and managed a national program to promote behavioral health and opioid abuse prevention on college campuses and surrounding communities. She is a past fellow of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, where she worked under former US Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, and partnered with local organizations to build their capacity around sexual health programming.
Ms. Le Grand is an alumna of Spelman College where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She holds Master's degrees in Social Anthropology and Social Work from the University of Oxford and the University of Pennsylvania respectively. She recently earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Temple University, where she also taught fiction and first year writing.
JEAN
WIECHA
Senior Researcher
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Jean Wiecha is nationally known for her work in childhood obesity and chronic disease prevention, with over 25 years of research and leadership in community, academia, and state government settings. Her main interest is in translating science into effective, scalable health promotion interventions, especially for vulnerable populations. For example, Dr. Wiecha led development, dissemination and evaluation of the National AfterSchool Association Healthy Eating and Physical Activity standards, which have been adopted by major national youth-serving organizations serving more than 10 million U.S. children and teens. Areas of expertise include intervention design, mixed-methods policy and intervention evaluation, promoting and assessing physical activity and nutrition, community-based participatory research, and implementation and quality improvement. Dr. Wiecha uses theoretical frameworks from implementation science to guide her work and has a strong publication history in community and school-based obesity and chronic disease prevention. Her work has been funded by federal and foundation sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Partnership for a Healthier America, the Clinton Foundation, Kansas Health Foundation, and others. She resides with her family in Massachusetts.
KIMBERLY
DOTSON BROWN
Leadership + Development Advisor
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Kim helps clients attain meaningful goals, achieve success, and live more purposeful lives. She works with clients to maximize their strengths, enhance their personal brand, and strengthen working relationships. Throughout her life, Kim has demonstrated her dedication to helping others learn how to bounce back from obstacles and live authentically. Kim spent over 20 years in the financial services industry, holding leadership positions in Fund Accounting, Legal Operations, and Human Resources. Kim also serves as an adjunct professor in the Business & Entrepreneurial Studies program at Lincoln University. Kim’s formal education includes a B.S. degree in Accounting from Lincoln University, an MBA from The Pennsylvania State University, a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification and a Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) certification. Kim is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership at Eastern University and resides in Delaware.
KIMBERLY@ELEMENTALADVISORS.COM
SARA
COUPPAS
Advisor
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Sara Couppas brings people together to solve multi-sectoral challenges that improve health and well-being for communities, families, and individuals. As a consultant, she creates innovative programs and identifies significant opportunities for increased impact in program development and execution. She is currently working with the American College Health Association on multiple campus-based initiatives in partnership with the CDC and the National Institutes of Health, including increasing COVID-19 vaccinations by combatting misinformation and strengthening behavioral mitigation strategies, and building a precision medicine program to improve health and address critical health disparities. She recently collaborated with The Food Trust on a state-wide strategic plan for the New Jersey Department of Health to improve health equity through increased access to, and consumption of, local fruits and vegetables.
In previous years, Sara worked as the Senior Program Manager for National Health for the Clinton Health Matters Initiative at the Clinton Foundation. She developed and led the Strong Families, Thriving Communities Initiative through a partnership with the County of San Diego to address the diverse social determinants of health for children and families involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Moreover, in collaboration with CHMI’s Community Transformation Sites, she built programs of sustainable change in college health, employee health in small to mid-size businesses, and access to sports for undeserved youth. Prior to joining the Clinton Foundation, Sara spent 7 years at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation building healthy, sustainable K-12 environments where kids learn and play, and several years at the American Heart Association promoting physical activity and healthy eating. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her family.
TAREN
ROBINSON
Director of Events
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Taren Robinson believes in the power of ideas... creative, inspired ideas that combine innovative thinking with the proven ability to deliver ideas that allow you to achieve more than you ever thought possible. With over 20 years of high-end event management, she owns and operates a full-service event planning company and previously served for 14 years as the special events manager and advance liaison for President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. Her approach is artistry, planning and production with a true passion for creating extraordinary events. From live event production to business meetings, she transforms and elevates her clients’ brands. With flawless productions and measurable ROI, she delivers. The firm services clients in all aspects of promotion, planning and talent handling. As a highly respected member of the event planning community, Taren has a body of work that includes working for the former president of the United States, William J. Clinton for more than a decade, the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Law Enforcement Executives and Administrators. She also has heavy ties to the entertainment industry and has worked with many celebrities in various capacities. Taren often lends her talents to non-profits as volunteering is near and dear to her heart. Currently, she is an active board member for the Girl Scouts of Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma; the Timmons Arts Foundation, and a key contributing board member for the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. An Arkansas native, she studied Education at the University of Central Arkansas. In her free time, she enjoys travel, interior decorating and designing jewelry as the owner of a concierge jewelry company.
TERESA
SHYR
Research Associate
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Teresa is a graduate student at New York University pursuing her Master's in Public Administration with a speciality in Advocacy and Public Action. Her current work spans across qualitative research, civic engagement, and the intersection of culture, community, and social justice. A graduate from the Eastman School of Music, she holds a Bachelor's in Music Education with certificates in Arts Leadership and World Music and has previously held roles working in community organizing, arts administration, and music education. She resides in Brooklyn.
TRICIA
GEHRLEIN
Director
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Tricia Gehrlein is a health professional with 30+ years’ experience working within the hospital, clinic and public settings. She is a Board Officer for JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio and has worked as the Director of Population Health for the Morongo Basin Healthcare District, a Special District of the State of California, which owns and operates two Federally Qualified Health Centers. In this role, Tricia oversaw programs that furthered the District’s mission of improving the health of its residents by focusing on clinic process improvements, health education, quality and community collaboratives. Prior, Tricia served as the Director of Community Health Transformation for the Clinton Foundation. Working with national and regional thought leaders, she was responsible for the strategic design and implementation of policy and systems change within targeted communities across the United States to improve health outcomes. An alumnus of the College of the Desert, Tricia received her B.S. in Business and Management from the University of Redlands and her M.B.A. from Western Governors University. Tricia resides with her family in the Coachella Valley of California.
