We Believe in Feeding Freedom.

“I started ByHeart with my sister Mia because I believe that proactive health should start on day 1 with the best nutrition for babies during this most critical stage of development. I was inspired by the opportunity to bring together the world’s pediatric nutrition experts, best-in-class ingredient partners and our passionate and experienced team to translate leading breast milk research into next-generation baby nutrition. My baby girl Zoa is my everything and she, and all babies, deserve to start their journeys with the strongest foundation for health.”

Ron brings over a decade of investing experience in Healthcare and Infant Formula. Prior to ByHeart, Ron founded Consumer Health Ventures (CHV), a company that invests in businesses that improve lives. Prior to CHV, Ron spent 8 years at Visium Asset Management, a healthcare focused investment fund where he was responsible for a $1B portfolio across Pharmaceutical and Consumer Health investments. Ron graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Major in Biological Basis of Behavior and a Minor in Healthcare Management in Wharton. Ron is an active board member of the Vagelos Lifescience and Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania / Wharton.

Parent Hack?
“There can’t be a healthy and happy baby without a healthy and happy parent! Don’t forget to take care of yourself! ”

“I’m so moved by the intimacy and connection that comes from feeding my baby, and feel strongly that every parent deserves to experience this ritual with calm and total piece of mind. I started this company with Ron to empower parents in an overwhelming but beautiful time in their lives – by fostering a new conversation around feeding that is reassuring, intimate, and real.”

Before co-founding ByHeart, Mia was Director of Global Business Development & Partnerships and Global Product Marketing at Huffington Post, AOL, and Verizon, respectively, where she helped brands grow large and loyal audiences online with the power of data & analytics, ad targeting and creative brand executions. Mia has consulted for The Gates Foundation East Africa Coffee Initiative and is an active board member of TechnoServe, a 50-year-old organization that works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. Mia graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Major in Political Science and Minor in Philosophy.    

Parent Hack?
“Like all moms, I’m constantly juggling and recalibrating. Let’s not strive for ‘perfect balance.’ Let’s strive for a rhythm that works today – knowing it may not tomorrow!”

Jamie oversees legal affairs and business development for ByHeart across our ‘farm-to-formula’ supply chain, working directly with our long-term ingredient, R&D, and commercial partners to uphold ByHeart’s high standards of quality, safety, and sustainability at every step. As General Counsel, Jamie built ByHeart’s intellectual property portfolio and oversees all legal matters.

Prior to joining ByHeart, Jamie was SVP and Head of Corporate Development and Procurement at Amneal Pharmaceuticals, and before that SVP and Head of Portfolio and Marketing Strategy at Fresenius Kabi. He also ran IP and FDA litigations at Teva Pharmaceuticals. Jamie received his JD from Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law with Honors, and an M.S. in Bioscience and Biotechnology from Drexel University, where he focused on molecular cell biology. Father to three boys, Jamie enjoys coaching lacrosse and running the youth program that he created in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

Parent Hack?
“With three boys, if you are going crazy, you are definitely doing parenting right!”

Saloni brings a diverse wealth of experience with a background in strategic and operational finance across companies and cultures. She is excited about the opportunity to build infrastructure and system capabilities to bring science, transparency and authenticity to the infant nutrition market and unlock real choices for parents.  

For the past few years, Saloni has worked on various brands including Chobani, Hunter Boots, Dove and Talenti with focus on budgeting, forecasting and identifying growth and margin opportunities. Prior to that she worked in investment banking in NY and Tokyo at UBS and she began her career at KPMG, India. She is a CPA from India and has an MBA from Wharton School of Business. Mother to two amazing kids, she loves hiking and traveling and is also the Treasurer for Common Denominator, a non-profit providing free 1:1 tutoring to kids in NYC.

Parent Hack?
“It does take a village to raise kids – never feel guilty of asking for help”  

As a board-certified pediatrician and neonatologist, Devon believes that early nutrition is the foundation for lifelong health. She oversees clinical development, medical affairs, and pharmacovigilance at ByHeart, and is excited to empower both medical and parental communities with greater clarity around infant nutrition and the science behind ByHeart’s products.

Devon joined ByHeart from Paidion Research, the only dedicated pediatric clinical research organization in the US, where she served as the Chief Medical Officer and was the medical monitor on numerous clinical trials. A majority of Devon’s academic career was at East Carolina University, where she built a research program for the Department of Pediatrics. Devon’s completed her medical training while serving in the US military. She earned her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University and completed her pediatric residency and neonatal fellowship training at Walter Reed.

Parent hack?

Children just want to be heard. Be present and listen. You will be amazed.

Hilary brings 19 years of leadership experience in the infant and toddler formula and nutrition sectors across quality, regulatory and R&D. Hilary joined ByHeart to build a stringent and sustainable quality program that raises the bar on quality, safety and compliance standards from farm to formula. She plays a leadership role in product development, production and operations from ingredient procurement through final product release.

Prior to joining ByHeart, Hilary was nearly 2 decades at Perrigo/PBM’s infant nutrition and medical product businesses. As one of the earlier employees at PBM, she supported the development and execution of quality systems, clinical trials, R&D, and regulatory filings. She also played a supportive role in the acquisition and integration of two significant infant formula manufacturing facilities in the country. Hilary leads her teams with a focus on proactive quality and safety and a commitment to continuous improvement and accountability. She graduated from Bridgewater College with a BS in Biology.

Parent Hack?
“Don’t forget that everyone can help burp your baby.”

ByHeart’s first hire in 2017, Dr. Jeanne Hoskin brings 34 years of leadership experience from global infant formula companies, such as Nestle, Wyeth, and Pfizer Nutrition, in regulatory, product development and nutrition research. Jeanne not only leads ByHeart’s regulatory and FDA strategy, but also supports company-wide training and system development to ensure we are consistently meeting the highest bar for safety and complying with global infant formula regulations. She also works with marketing on data and evidence-based product claims and nutrition education. Jeanne reminds us daily that we are feeding our most vulnerable population.

At Nestle, Jeanne was Executive Director of Global Regulatory Strategy for 15 years and stewarded regulatory product submissions for global markets including China, Mexico, Indonesia, and Europe. She was also an independent regulatory consultant in food and pharma, specializing in baby nutrition and medical foods. A woman of many talents, Jeanne’s passions extend to cooking, painting, antiquing and caring for her new grandson.

Parent Hack?
“The tone you use with your baby is understood and important – so use it to help your baby sleep at night!”

BJ leads initiatives across performance marketing, commerce, and customer experience at ByHeart, and will guide our digital product development. He is passionate about customer-first digital experiences that can connect people to products in authentic, special, and important ways, and is excited to champion those experiences at ByHeart.

Driven by the intersection of content and commerce, BJ has held positions in audience development and growth marketing, but always with a focus on engaging the end consumer. Before joining ByHeart, BJ built his career at legacy brands Red Bull, The New York Times and Royal Caribbean International. He has thrived as a leader in high-growth environments, most notably at Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop and direct-to-consumer retailer UNTUCKit.

Parent Hack?
“Search the App Store for Baby Hush Hush, scroll to the vacuum cleaner option, thank me later. The app itself looks like it was designed in a time capsule, but is tried and true.”

As a seasoned brand leader and passionate storyteller, Elyssa is focused on building an impassioned community at ByHeart. She overseas all brand marketing, creative and communications, and specializes in strategic positioning and customer engagement. Elyssa is excited to invigorate the baby nutrition market and inspire parents everywhere to join ByHeart’s feeding revolution.

Elyssa started her career at The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, has served as an adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design, School for Visual Arts, and The Cooper‐Hewitt Masters Program, and has authored five books about fashion history, art and culture for Harper Collins. She has been featured as a historian and retail industry expert on Vogue.com, New York Magazine, The New York Times, Vogue, W and WWD magazines, and has contributed to the launch and growth of a number of brands, including Net-A-Porter, Victoria Beckham, Banana Republic, Kiehl’s, as the founding marketing lead for HATCH, and most recently as the Vice President of Brand, Digital Experience and Communications for J.Crew. Elyssa is married to an Israeli who looks French, and is a mama to two boys, two fish and a lizard. She will probably have to get a dog someday.

Parent Hack?
“Keep it light: funny voices, silly faces, and bribery…always bribery.”

Leveraging her unique career spanning brand marketing, innovation, trade marketing, and sales, Meredith is thrilled to join the ByHeart team, where she will be focused on bringing authentic and disruptive products to your store shelves, as well as creating solutions that make shopping easier and better in a rapidly changing world.

Meredith’s experience began in consumer packaged goods at Colgate-Palmolive and Reckitt Benckiser, where she had the opportunity to work on brands of all sizes and stages in the personal care and health spaces. She then transitioned to the startup world with her most recent role as VP of Retail at LOLA, expanding it from a DTC-only brand to one sold in multiple categories across the country. Meredith is a runner, eater, world traveler, and self-professed “cool aunt” to the many beautiful and amazing little ones in her life.

Parent Hack?
Don’t be shy about telling your friends what you need!

Heather MacNaughton is ByHeart’s Sr. Director of Regulatory Audit Compliance and is responsible for all the quality system do’s and don’t’s!  Prior to joining ByHeart, Heather had overseen many successful audits with regulatory agencies, retailers and certifying bodies. In Her 36 years in Quality leadership roles at Wyeth, PBM Nutritionals, and Perrigo Nutritionals she led focused teams that were responsible for food safety, quality, compliance and continuous improvement initiatives. Her experience in infant formula manufacturing is unparallel and instrumental to ByHeart’s Organization.  Heather graduated from Plattsburgh State University of NY with a BA in Biology with a Microbiology concentration and a Chemistry minor. 

Parent Hack?
Horses are wonderful teachers.

Pierre is the heart of ByHeart’s “secret sauce”: he helped formulate our first groundbreaking infant formula, as well as many other pipeline projects.

Before joining ByHeart in June 2018, Pierre worked in new product development as a formulator for twelve years at Perrigo/PBM, where he brought new projects through the R&D process from ideation to commercial production, and ensured all products consistently met regulatory and release requirements. Pierre has an Industrial Engineering degree from Limoilou College and a Diploma in Quality Management from the University of Limerick. Pierre surprised no one when he crushed the competition on the basketball court at last year’s company retreat.

Parent Hack?
“Sleep training may not be for the faint of heart, but neither is being up all night.”

As Director of Quality Operations and Supply Management, Samantha is focused on building strong relationships with suppliers and optimizing the supply chain to ensure only the highest-quality ingredients for infants and total transparency for parents.  She brings over 10 years of experience in infant nutrition operations and previously managed a supply chain team for the nutritional division of PBM and Perrigo.  While in this role, Samantha was directly responsible for overseeing planning through to product launch and replenishment of multiple product lines for several key accounts.

Samantha is an instrumental part of the Quality department and provides support from the initial engagement with a supplier and throughout all stages of product development. Samantha graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise.

Parent Hack?
“Go with your gut. You will get TONS of advice, from doctors, family, other parents, friends, internet, media…it can be overwhelming! The bottom line is you have to do what is best for you, your baby, your family.”

As the Director of Community, Kate is passionate about creating ByHeart’s halo of impact and a community of advocates, champions, and friends. She joined ByHeart in 2019 with a passion for increasing access for all parents to healthier nutrition options.  She has spent the last fifteen years working in marketing and strategic partnerships across categories from Fashion to CPG to Health & Wellness, and most recently helped guide Thrive Market’s Business Development team.

Kate created the UCLA Lab Party, an annual fundraiser to support next-generation research for UCLA’s Department of Neurosurgery, of which she sits on the board. Kate graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Diplomatic History.

Parent Hack?
“Treat everyone who helps you like royalty.”

Dr. Gyan P. Rai joined ByHeart as the Director of Regulatory Affairs in July 2020. Dr. Rai is a reputed scientist and a skilled leader with over 20 years of experience in related fields.

Gyan holds a B.Tech in Chemical Technology, a PhD in Biochemistry, and an MBA in Pharmaceutical Management. Dr. Rai used novel molecular biology techniques to pioneer directed evolution mutations of the chloroperoxidase enzyme as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. These new forms of the enzyme were important in chemical synthesis of pharmaceutical drug intermediates. Gyan began his industry career at ADM using metabolic engineering to produce lactate for use as biodegradable polymers. Gyan was the founding Chair of the Biotechnology program at Ivy Tech Community College. Gyan established bioanalytical capability at Mead Johnson developing several novel bioassays to characterize human and bovine milk. Dr. Rai led a Regulatory team launching across several product categories including infant formulas, medical foods, foods, OTCs, and dietary supplements.

Gyan is a recognized expert in Biochemistry, Enzymology, Proteins, and Lipids. Gyan has presented at several national and international meetings on various topics including Probiotics, Medical Foods, and Nutrition.

Parent Hack?

Patience and encouragement are the best tools to drive motivation and success- not only in parenting, but also in daily life.

As the first People hire at ByHeart, Ann brings over eight years of human resources experience to the team.  Ann is very passionate about the ByHeart mission, and dedicated to fortifying and enriching our community. Prior to joining ByHeart, Ann was the former Head of HR for D2C startup Rockets of Awesome, and has also held people roles at Stuart Weitzman, Stella McCartney and Flight Club.  Ann graduated with a BA in History, Minor in Spanish from Fordham University.

While at “Rockets,” Ann developed a keen interest in parents’ consumer needs and learned a great deal about experiences that are fun and engaging for the entire family. She successfully applied these learnings to both corporate and retail storefront staffing efforts there, and looks forward to cultivating a similar family-focused culture and team at ByHeart.

Parenting Hack?

“Don’t take yourself too seriously. Kids certainly don’t!”

Roxanne is a storyteller with a lifelong zeal for crafting compelling narratives. She brings more than a decade of brand and editorial experience to her role as Content Director and is excited to share ByHeart’s story with a burgeoning community of parents and caregivers. Before joining ByHeart, Roxanne helmed the copy department at The Wing, led a team at eBay, and worked with a vast array of clients in need of everything from subject lines to billboard slogans. She’s contributed to publications including The New York Times, The Village Voice, Vogue, Elle, and more, and graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in English and a secondary field in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality.

Parenting Hack: Laugh early; laugh often.

Bob Perry brings his strong background leading FDA regulated industries to create operational excellence at our manufacturing plant.  Bob oversees the manufacturing business unit with a commitment to uncompromising quality, a passion for mentorship, and for developing the next generation of industry leaders.

For nearly thirty years, Bob has held leadership positions in the medical device, food ingredient and infant formula manufacturing industries, most notably at Abbott Labs and DairiConcepts, co-manufacturing infant formula for the top producers in the world. He holds a BSBA in Economics and an MBA-Quality Systems from Xavier University. Bob’s dream day? Spending time on the water with his four grandkids (as you can see in this adorable photo!)  

Grandparent Hack?
“Diversion! When my 3 yr old grandson is being a handful, I start talking about monster trucks, fishing or spontaneously spot Blippi nearby and he forgets what he was upset about.”

Mike has been consulting for ByHeart since company’s inception. He held the position of Interim Plant Manager during the acquisition and integration of our manufacturing facility and now plays an active role in supporting ByHeart’s quality programs.

With over thirty-five years of quality assurance management experience in the domestic and international infant formula arenas – with manufacturers including Wyeth, Nestle, PBM, and Perrigo– Mike’s global experience as a QA Director extends to plants in Europe, North America, Latin America, Philippines, Singapore and China. Mike’s expertise spans quality systems, regulatory compliance, technical and operational knowledge, and product and process development. He still finds time to explore the wilderness from his home in Minnesota.

Parent Hack?
“As much as they beg, no snacks and no ice cream until they eat some dinner!”

“I started ByHeart with my sister Mia because I believe that proactive health should start on day 1 with the best nutrition for babies during this most critical stage of development. I was inspired by the opportunity to bring together the world’s pediatric nutrition experts, best-in-class ingredient partners and our passionate and experienced team to translate leading breast milk research into next-generation baby nutrition. My baby girl Zoa is my everything and she, and all babies, deserve to start their journeys with the strongest foundation for health.”

Ron brings over a decade of investing experience in Healthcare and Infant Formula. Prior to ByHeart, Ron founded Consumer Health Ventures (CHV), a company that invests in businesses that improve lives. Prior to CHV, Ron spent 8 years at Visium Asset Management, a healthcare focused investment fund where he was responsible for a $1B portfolio across Pharmaceutical and Consumer Health investments. Ron graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Major in Biological Basis of Behavior and a Minor in Healthcare Management in Wharton. Ron is an active board member of the Vagelos Lifescience and Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania / Wharton.

Parent Hack?
“There can’t be a healthy and happy baby without a healthy and happy parent! Don’t forget to take care of yourself! ”

“I’m so moved by the intimacy and connection that comes from feeding my baby, and feel strongly that every parent deserves to experience this ritual with calm and total piece of mind. I started this company with Ron to empower parents in an overwhelming but beautiful time in their lives – by fostering a new conversation around feeding that is reassuring, intimate, and real.”

Before co-founding ByHeart, Mia was Director of Global Business Development & Partnerships and Global Product Marketing at Huffington Post, AOL, and Verizon, respectively, where she helped brands grow large and loyal audiences online with the power of data & analytics, ad targeting and creative brand executions. Mia has consulted for The Gates Foundation East Africa Coffee Initiative and is an active board member of TechnoServe, a 50-year-old organization that works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. Mia graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Major in Political Science and Minor in Philosophy.    

Parent Hack?
“Like all moms, I’m constantly juggling and recalibrating. Let’s not strive for ‘perfect balance.’ Let’s strive for a rhythm that works today – knowing it may not tomorrow!”

Guy Oranim, along with his business partner, Sharon Rechter, conceptualized and co-founded First Media in 2006. First Media began as a cable channel called BabyFirst, geared towards babies and their mothers, and has now grown into a multi-platform, content publisher dedicated to the savvy millennial woman, with over 1.7 billion monthly video views on Facebook, and in over 60 million US TV homes.

Guy began his professional journey at an early age. After he completed his LLB at Tel Aviv University and passed the Israeli lawyer bar exams, he started his military service as a lawyer and later, as the president of a military court. Switching gears towards his passion, he received his MBA in marketing and later became the EVP of strategic planning at BBDO, handling multiple international accounts such as Pfizer, Henkel, SONY etc.

Parent Hack?
“Swaddling a newborn is like rebooting a laptop – solves 90% of all problems.”

Joshua Kazam is a co-founder and Partner of Two River, where he has served as partner since its inception in 2004. Joshua is a co-founder, officer and director of Allogene Therapeutics. Inc. (ALLO). He is a co-founder and partner of Vida Ventures, LLC, a life science investment firm, and was a co-founder and director of Kite Pharma, Inc., where he served on the Board of Directors from inception until its acquisition by Gilead Sciences, Inc. in 2017. Joshua also serves as a director of several privately held companies including Kronos Bio, Inc., Hubble Contacts, ByHeart Inc, and Breakthrough Properties, LLC.

Joshua is a Member of the Wharton School’s Undergraduate Executive Board and serves on the Board of the Desert Flower Foundation. He received his B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Parent Hack?
“My advice as a parent – feed them peanuts early and don’t wash the pacifier when it falls on the floor!”

Hemi Zucker is a Managing Principal of OCV. Mr. Zucker joins from j2 Global (NASDAQ:JCOM), where he has served as the CEO since 2008. Prior, Mr. Zucker was j2’s President, COO, CMO, and the company’s CFO during its 1999 IPO. Mr. Zucker helped co-found j2 Global in 1996 and grew the organization into a global platform that offers services in 50+ markets and employs 2,500 people across 15 countries. Under Hemi’s leadership, j2 expanded its business lines into cloud services, patent licensing, and digital media. Mr. Zucker executed over 160 acquisitions, making j2 one of the most acquisitive tech companies in the U.S.. During his tenure, he grew j2 Global’s revenue to over $1.1 billion.

Previously, Mr. Zucker worked at Motorola in the U.S. and Israel. He helped launched Israel’s first cellular company, consolidated Israel’s paging industry through M&A, and later also worked on an early wireless data commercial network in the U.S. Mr. Zucker has served on several boards, including LegalZoom and has invested in several funds whose focus span IoT, big data, adtech, and student housing. He is also an advisor/minor shareholder in cloud and fintech companies. Mr. Zucker holds a B.A. in Economics from Tel Aviv University. Hemi serves as a Board Member for the following portfolio companies: Invoice2go,  Social Native, Red Carpet.

Parent Hack?
“A baby organically fed – clears your head !”

Dr. Arie Belldegrun has had a distinguished career as a visionary surgeon, scientist and life sciences entrepreneur. Arie co-founded and serves as Executive Chairman of Allogene Therapeutics, a biotechnology company with a mission to catalyze the next revolution in cancer treatment through the development of allogeneic CAR T therapy. Arie also founded Kite Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovation cancer immunotherapies, and served as Kite’s Chairman, President and CEO until its acquisition by Gilead Sciences in 2017. Arie was closely involved with the founding and advancement of biopharmaceutical companies Cougar Biotechnology, Cell Design Labs, and Agensys.

He currently serves as Chairman of Two River Group, UroGen Pharma, Kronos Bio, and Bellco Capital, and as co-Chairman of Breakthrough Properties. He is a Co-Founder and Senior Managing Director of Vida Ventures, a life science venture group with offices in Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.    

Arie is also Professor of Urology, Director of the Institute of Urologic Oncology, and holds the Roy and Carol Doumani Chair in Urologic Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Arie completed his M.D. at the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem, his post-graduate fellowship at the Weizmann Institute of Science and his residency in Urological Surgery at Harvard Medical School.

Parent Hack?
“Throw them into the pool on day 1: it’ll teach them that – in life – you either sink or swim!“

Amy is a managing partner in the New York office and focuses on investments in healthcare companies. She currently serves as executive chair of SQZ Biotech, as well as Lyndra Therapeutics, where she was co-founder and the company’s initial CEO. She also represents Polaris as a director of Cyclerion (NASDAQ: CYCN), DewPoint Therapeutics, Kallyope, and Volastra. Amy joined Polaris in 2014, at which time she assumed the role of CEO of Arsia Therapeutics, a Polaris-backed company later acquired by Eagle Pharmaceuticals. She also manages the LS Polaris Innovation Fund which was formed in 2017.

Prior to joining Polaris, Schulman was the general counsel of Pfizer, president of Pfizer Nutrition, and was instrumental in its sale to Nestle for $11.85 billion in 2012. Soon after, Schulman became the president of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.

Schulman has received numerous awards including Xconomy’s 2017 Newcomer Award, Scientific American’s 2015 Worldview 100 List, Fierce Biotech’s 2014 Top 15 Women in Biotech, and Fortune Magazine’s 2013 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. She is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School and serves on the Board of Directors of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALNY). She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wesleyan University and earned her JD from Yale Law School.

Parent Hack?
Learn to read an analog clock before a digital watch, tie shoelaces before graduating to Velcro and no television until you’ve mastered chapter books. And remember a good cry never hurts.

Josh Bradley is the Chief Investment Officer at Bellco Capital. Josh oversees Bellco’s investment strategy and works closely with its portfolio companies and strategic partners. Josh also serves on the board of directors of several privately held companies, including Breakthrough Properties, ByHeart and First Media. Prior to joining Bellco Capital, Josh practiced law at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, London and Sydney. During his time in private practice, Josh advised private equity firms, banks, corporations and governmental organizations on strategic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, financial restructurings and joint ventures. Prior to his time in private practice, Josh clerked for the Honorable Robert R. Beezer on the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Josh received his B.A. with distinction from the University of Virginia and his J.D. from the University of Virginia’s School of Law, where he served as Articles Editor of the Virginia Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Parent Hack?
“Invest in a good walking or jogging stroller – your health and your baby will thank you!”

Mike Tully is an investor at D1 Capital Partners, a $10Bn investment fund founded by Dan Sundheim in 2018. D1 invests in market leading franchises and technology platforms globally and their portfolio includes Stripe, Instacart, Sweetgreen, Shippo, Unity Technologies and Outset Medical.

Prior to D1, Mike was a Principal at Shumway Capital, an analyst at Valiant Capital and began his career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley. Mike graduated from UPenn in 2011 where he was Captain of the rugby team. While Mike does not have any kids of his own, he comes from a big family with 4 siblings and over 40 first cousins.

Parent Hack?

Every parent needs to identify the “Fun Uncle.”

Dr. Sharon Donovan received her PhD in Nutrition at the University of California at Davis and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She is a Professor and Melissa M.Noel Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.  Research in Dr. Donovan’s lab focuses on optimizing intestinal and cognitive development of neonates, development of the gut microbiome and health outcomes, and prevention of childhood obesity and picky eating in children.

Dr. Donovan has ~ 200 peer-reviewed publications and receives grant support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), foundations and the food and pharmaceutical industry. She served as President of the American Society for Nutrition for 2011-2012 and currently serves as the President of the International Society for Research on Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML) for 2018-2020.

Bruce German received his PhD from Cornell University, joined the faculty at the University of California, Davis in 1988 and is currently Director of the Foods for Health Institute and professor, at University of California, Davis. The goal of our research is to build the knowledge necessary to improve human health through diet. The model we use is lactation, the product of millennia of constant Darwinian selective pressure to produce a complete diet to nourish, sustain and promote healthy infants to be healthier, happier and active humans. 

Dr. Bo Lönnerdal has an active research program in pediatric nutrition at University of California, Davis, where he has mentored a large number of students and visiting scientists from all over the world. Dr. Lönnerdal’s research has focused on bioactive components in breast milk, the effect of breast milk on the recipient infant and mechanisms underlying the protection against infection. He has done substantial research on infant formulas and performed clinical studies on breast-fed and formula-fed infants. His research also includes the micronutrients iron and zinc: how they are secreted into milk and how they are utilized from breast milk and formula by the infant. He has extensive collaborative projects in China, Peru and Sweden.

He received his master’s and doctorate degrees in biochemistry from University of Uppsala in Sweden, and has been Professor of Nutrition at UCD since 1980. Dr. Lönnerdal has published more than 700 scientific articles, book chapters and books and is currently a member of the American Society of Nutrition (ASN), the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) and the International Society for Research on Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML). He is on the Editorial Board of several scientific journals and has served on several Expert Panels for the WHO.

Dr. Zeisel is the Kenan Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Nutrition in the Gillings School of Global Public Health and School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Zeisel earned his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1975, was a resident in pediatrics at Yale University from 1975–1977 and earned his PhD in nutrition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980. Dr. Zeisel is the Director of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute and Director of the UNC Nutrition and Obesity Research Center (one of 12 centers of excellence funded by the US NIH), North Carolina. Dr. Zeisel and his research team focus on the essential nutrient choline which is especially important during pregnancy and lactation, as choline is critical for brain and eye development. Dr. Zeisel has authored more than 380 scientific publications.

Jillian Trabulsi, PhD RD is an Associate Professor & Associate Chair of Nutrition in the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. She earned her Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences at The University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Nutrition and Growth at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Trabulsi has over 25 years of experience in the field of nutrition, including work in clinical, industry, and academic settings. Her scientific contributions include studies related to the effect of diet composition on health outcomes and the application of energy balance principles to assess growth and nutritional status in healthy individuals and in those with chronic disease. Her research is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health as well as private foundations and her work is published in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Michael Rosenbaum received his undergraduate degree from Amherst College and his medical degree from Cornell University. After completing his residency at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and a fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at The New York Hospital, he spent 9 years in the laboratory of Dr. Jules Hirsch at Rockefeller University. He and Dr. Rudolph Leibel were then recruited to Columbia University Medical Center where he is currently a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and Associate Program Director of the Clinical Translational Science Award.

Dr. Rosenbaum’s research interests focus mainly on body weight regulation in adults and the development and prevention of obesity in children. His studies range from crosstalk between the lowly adipocyte and the highest cortical centers of the brain to the molecular physiology of skeletal muscle, human feeding behavior, and the microbiome. He is also a frequent op-ed contributor in numerous media outlets and a practicing pediatrician.

Catherine Field is a Nutrition professor in the Department of Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta. Her research program centers on the effect of nutrition on the immune system. Current research includes establishing the role of polyunsaturated fats on immune development, the use of fatty acids in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and identifying the association between nutritional status and maternal mental health and infant neurophysical development. She has published more than 260 peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Field received the McCalla and Killam Professorships from the University of Alberta and the Earl Willard McHenry Award for Leadership in Nutrition from the Canadian Nutrition Society. Dr. Field is Past-President of the American Society for Nutrition, is a member of the CIHR advisory board for INMD and an Associate Editor for Advances in Nutrition.

Paolo Manzoni, MD, PhD is coordinator of the Italian Society of Neonatal Infectious Diseases, affiliated with the Italian Society of Neonatology in Italy. He is a founding Board Member of the Excellence Research network on RSV named “Resvinet” since 2014. Dr. Manzoni earned his medical degree and specialization in Pediatrics from the University of Torino School of Medicine in 1989 and 1993, respectively, and conducted his residency in pediatric pulmonology and fellowship in infectious diseases and immunology at Azienda Ospedaliera OIRM.

Dr Manzoni has served on the Board of Directors for the Italian Society of Neonatology, of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, and of the World Association of Perinatal Medicine. He is an associate member of the American Society for Pediatric Research and the Italian Society of Neonatology and Pediatrics. He is also an external consultant for Pediatrics and Neonatology for the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA) and for the Pediatric Committee at the EMA (Europe Medicine Agency). He is co-founder of the Charity and Scientific Foundation “Crescere insieme al Sant’Anna.”

Dr Manzoni’s primary research interests include pediatric and neonatal infectious diseases, fungal infections and prevention, human milk bioactive nutrients, RSV related diseases, retinopathy of prematurity, and neonatal nutrition. He is the author of approximately 180 research articles published in peer-reviewed Italian and international medical journals, and Editor/Associate Editor of a number of peer-reviewed, leading international Journals.

Bridget Young, PhD, CLC is a pediatric nutritionist who conducts academic research in human milk composition. She has worked with countless families working through formula tolerance issues, helping them find the perfect feeding solution for their baby.  As a mom of two boys herself, Dr. Young understands how stressful infant feeding (and all the gassy messy issues that come along with it!) can be.  She is passionate about reducing some of that stress so parents can just focus on bonding with their baby. 

Through her website: BabyFormulaExpert.com, she uses her expertise to educate both parents and pediatricians about the nutrition science behind infant formula with the goal of helping all parents feel empowered and confident in the feeding decisions they make for their special baby. 

Yvan Vandenplas studied medicine and trained in pediatrics (1981-1986) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He became Head of the Unit for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition in 1987, and is Head of the KidZ Health Castle at the University Hospital Brussels (UZ Brussel) and the Chair of Pediatrics since 1994.

Yvan’s main interests are gastro-esophageal reflux (diagnostic procedures, treatment), eosinophilic esophagitis, infant nutrition, probiotics and prebiotics, cow’s milk protein allergy, functional gastrointestinal disorders and Helicobacter pylori. He has published many original research and review papers on topics such as infant nutrition, gastro-esophageal reflux and functional gastrointestinal disorders. He is now one of the associate editors of the Journal of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. He is also the chair of the ESPGHAN Special Interest Group on “Gut Microbiota & Modifications”. Yvan has more than 450 publications listed in Medline, and over 1000 oral presentations at different international meetings.

Shara Wagowski has over 10 years of experience in nutrition counseling.  Shara completed her dietetic internship at New York-Presbyterian Hospital followed by a fellowship in pediatric nutrition at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. Prior to joining Brown & Medina Nutrition, she worked as a clinical dietitian at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital gaining experience caring for a wide range of patients in both the adult and pediatric populations. She then went on to provide medical nutrition therapy for the division of pediatric gastroenterology & nutrition at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children’s Health. 

Shara is currently at Brown & Medina Nutrition, a nutrition practice in NYC, where she provides private nutrition counseling.  Shara is a Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition.

Dr. Zink has been an integral part of the global food safety industry for over thirty years and has an extensive background in overseeing food safety programs in various food manufacturing operations. Dr. Zink began his professional career as a professor in Microbiology at Texas A&M University and as a professor in Microbiology, Immunology and Food Science at the University of Arizona. Dr. Zink worked for Campbell Soup Company as a Manager of Process Microbiology and for Nestle, where he worked in Quality Assurance for the Carnation Company and served as Director of Food Safety for Nestle USA. Prior to joining IEH, Dr. Zink was employed as a Senior Food Scientist with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2002 and served as the Senior Science Advisor for the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).

Dr. Zink has presented as a keynote speaker and advised numerous national and international organizations on domestic and international concerns regarding food safety, the outbreak of foodborne illness and recalls. Dr. Zink is the past President of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). He is currently a Certified Food Scientist with the International Food Science Certification Commission and a Certified HACCP Instructor by the International HACCP Alliance. Dr. Zink is also the author of over thirty-five peer-reviewed scientific publications in the field of food safety.