Meet Our Team & Leadership

Allison Sesso became the President / CEO of Undue Medical Debt in January of 2020. Undue Medical Debt was established for the sole purpose of reducing the medical debt burdens of low-income individuals with limited capacity to pay their medical bills by leveraging donations from people across the country. They have abolished $11,857,900,368 to date for over 7.45 million.

Under Allison’s leadership and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Undue Medical Debt launched the “Helping COVID Heroes Fund” focused on relieving the medical debts of healthcare workers and emergency responders like nurses, home health aids, pharmacists, social workers, hospital technicians, the National Guard and others working on the front lines of the pandemic. It also benefits service workers and others facing financial hardship resulting from the COVID induced economic downturn. Through this effort Undue has abolished over $100 million in medical debt.

Prior to joining Undue Medical Debt, Allison served as the Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York (HSC), an association of 170 nonprofits delivering 90% of human services in New York City.

Under her leadership HSC pioneered the development of nationally recognized tools designed to illuminate risks associated with government contracts, including an RFP rater and government agency grading system. She led negotiations with New York City and State government on behalf of the sector and successfully pushed for over $500 million in investments to address the nonprofit fiscal crisis.

During her tenure at HSC, Allison also led a commission of experts focused on socialdeterminants of health and value-based-payment structures and published the report,Integrating Health and Human Services: a Blueprint for Partnership and Action, that examines the challenges of operationalizing relationships between health and human services providers, offering several recommendations. She also served on the New York State Department of Health’s Social Determinants and Community Based Organizations (CBO) Subcommittee helping to formulate recommendations around the integration of CBOs into Medicaid managed care.

Allison’s work on behalf of the human services sector led City & State to recognize her as a top nonprofit leader in 2018 and 2019, one of the 25 most influential leaders in Manhattan in 2017, and one of New York City’s 100 “Most Responsible” in 2016. She recently received the 100 “Most Responsible” award for the second time for her efforts at Undue Medical Debt.

Allison also serves as the Vice Chair of the nonprofit “Right to Be,” formerly Hollaback!, a global movement working to end harassment through bystander intervention training and storytelling.

Ravneeta Consul is the Chief Operating Officer at Undue Medical Debt. She works closely with the senior leadership to provide the management and vision necessary to ensure that the company has the proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people systems in place to effectively grow the organization and to ensure financial strength and operating efficiency.

Prior to joining Undue Medical Debt, Ravneeta was Director at PwC for over sixteen years. She started work there as a consultant primarily focused on M&A consulting. She went on to hold different roles within the organization such as the lead Director for the Global Financial Services Innovation Center. Her last role was as the Operations Director for Products and Technology team. This group focused on developing products and technology to support the services that the firm delivered to the clients.

She has a BA in Psychology from Utkal University, BA in Psychology and Philosophy from Oxford University (attended as a Rhodes Scholar) and MBA from Yale University.

She is an avid reader, enjoys traveling and cooking comfort foods.

Blanca Godoi is a dynamic Executive Assistant and Administrative Manager renowned for her passion for event planning and coordination and exceptional organizational and administrative skills. With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she brings a unique blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and leadership to her role.

Throughout her career, Blanca has earned recognition for her adeptness in developing and implementing strategies to streamline operations, reduce costs, and optimize resources—all while maintaining the highest standards of service for donors and beneficiaries. Her commitment to organizational efficiency and productivity has consistently bolstered the success of programs and initiatives.

With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Blanca embodies resilience, determination, and adaptability in navigating new challenges. She looks forward to continuing her learning journey and contributing to the welfare and well-being of society as a whole.

William von Mueffling is president of Cantillon Capital Management, an investment firm with more than $14 billion under management. Mr. von Mueffling was previously a managing director at Lazard Asset Management, where he was responsible for hedge funds. Prior to joining Lazard, he was with Deutsche Bank in Germany and France. He earned a BA from Columbia College and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Mr. von Mueffling is a member of Columbia Business School’s Board of Overseers, as well as chair of the advisory board for the Heilbrunn Center for Graham & Dodd Investing. He also sits on Columbia College’s Board of Visitors and founded whosontheballot.org, a non-partisan civic engagement program of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Mr. von Mueffling has served on numerous non-profit boards and chaired the Buckley School Board of Trustees until 2016. Currently, he chairs the investment committee for the American Academy of Berlin and serves on the advisory committee for Europe and Central Asia for Human Rights Watch.

Jerry Ashton is a four-plus decade veteran of the credit and collections industry beginning in 1978 – the same year that the FDCPA (Federal Debt Collections Practices Act) came into existence. In these 40 years in various companies, he and the staff he trained and directed collected literally billions of dollars for their clients. Along the way, a number of those clients included healthcare professionals and practices.

This latter experience proved fruitful when in 2011, Ashton participated in the Occupy Wall Street Movement in New York City’s Zuccotti Park. What caught his attention was a group of activists raising awareness about the plight of unpayable medical debt. He was familiar with that problem from the collector’s side, but not from the debtor’s.

Inspired by their efforts, he enlisted his friend and fellow industry executive, Craig Antico, to join him in providing technical and advisory support for their work. When that  group changed direction and became occupied with other economic causes, the two partnered in creating a 501(c)(3) charity which they named “Undue Medical Debt” in early 2014. On July 25 that year their charity was recognized by the IRS and their work began.

Undue achieved national attention when it was employed by the comedian John Oliver on his “Last Week Tonight Show”  to help him abolish $15 million in medical debt. The charity became an Internet sensation and their work was propelled by the donations that poured in.

Fast forward to October, 2020. Ashton, having reached the original goal he and Craig Antico set to forgive $1 billion in medical debt, announced his retirement and plans to remain on Undue ’s Board. The debt forgiveness tally at that point was $2.7 billion in forgiven medical bills for over 1.8 million individuals and families.

Dr. Oxiris Barbot is a physician, public health practitioner and innovative leader at the intersection of public health and healthcare delivery.  Her commitment to social justice is the common thread through her career in advocating for health equity, children’s well-being, and community health.  She is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Senior Fellow for Public Health and Social Justice at The JPB Foundation.

As Health Commissioner for New York City, Dr. Barbot was instrumental in directing the city’s response to the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic by taking science informed actions that flattened the transmission curve and addressed racial inequities.  Dr. Barbot made a priority of communicating with New Yorkers with candor and empathy, providing trustworthy information and a steady hand to lead the city through and out of its darkest days.   While Commissioner she was named to Crain’s New York Business Notable Women in Health Care and City and State New York Health Power 100 and Non-Profit Power 100.

Dr. Barbot was Commissioner of Health for Baltimore City, from 2010 to 2014.  She started her medical career providing general pediatric care to poor and uninsured families in Washington DC.  Her career has been shaped and inspired by the dignity and courage of the many patients she’s cared for and communities she has served.

Barbot received her B.A. from Yale University and M.D. from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

With more than 40 years of experience in the health care industry, Robert E. Goff is a recognized expert in care delivery, organization and financing. His career spans a wide range of leadership positions as a hospital administrator, managed care executive, consultant, regulator, and association executive. He’s held an academic posting as an adjunct professor in Managed Care and Healthcare Strategic Planning at the New School University, NY. He’s a frequent lecturer to physicians and community organizations. As an entrepreneur, Goff has been responsible for the development of numerous health care businesses, including one of the first for-profit HMOs in New York State, one of the earliest physician practice management companies, a chain of urgent care centers, the first network model Medicare and Medicaid managed care plans in a secondary market, plus provider-based health care business initiatives. Goff recently retired from service as Executive Director and CEO of University Physicians Network, LLC (UPN) in New York City.

As one of the founding partners of Major, Lindsey & Africa, Jon Lindsey built the firm into what is today the world’s leading and largest legal search and consulting firm, with offices in 29 cities around the globe and more than 200 consultants. He has repeatedly been included in Lawdragon’s “100 Leading Legal Consultants and Strategists“. Jon earned his law degree from Columbia Law School, where he was managing editor of the Columbia Law Review, and his B.A. with honors in government from Wesleyan University. After clerking for the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, he practiced with Debevoise & Plimpton, as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, and as Counsel to New York City’s Planning Commission. Jon is currently on the board of the George Jackson Academy and previously served as a trustee of the Spence School. He is the co-author of the book Managing People in Today’s Law Firm (1995), has written and lectured widely, and has served on the board of editors for American Lawyer’s Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report.

Elizabeth Marincola is Senior Advisor for Science Communications and Advocacy at the African Academy of Sciences, which drives scientific research across Africa. Marincola is an international leader in non-profit management, open access publishing, science advocacy, communications, education and public engagement. She was CEO of the open access publisher PLOS, after serving as a long time PLOS board member. She launched AAS Open Research, an innovative scholarly publication. Marincola was President of the Society for Science & the Public, Publisher of Science News magazine, and Executive Director of the American Society for Cell Biology and the Coalition for Life Sciences. She served on the founding boards of PubMed Central and eLife, and on numerous US and EU advisory commissions on open science. She is currently on the board of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Humanitarian Health. She received her bachelors and MBA degrees from Stanford.

Michele Masucci serves as general and special counsel to private equity firms and other investors looking to make investments in health care. Michele helps companies address evolving concepts and capitalize on opportunities emerging from the accelerating convergence of health care and technology. She served as chair of the firm’s Health Care Group from 2010 to 2016.

Michele focuses her practice almost exclusively on representing for-profit health care entities in private equity and other corporate transactions. She currently represents health care focused middle-market private equity firms through their initial acquisitions and various add-ons of portfolio companies. As a former in-house counsel at a hospital, her uniquely holistic perspective helps her guide health care clients juggling day-to-day operational issues and new business ventures. With the Accountable Care movement in full effect, Michele advises clients from the initial analysis of their existing models through the formation and implementation of new operational models, such as value-based contracting, ACOs, bundled payments and medical homes.

Jose embodies the foresight that keeps HCG at the vanguard of Digital Finance Investing. His demonstrated ability to see how trends will evolve into investment opportunities and his rigorous, highly disciplined approach to portfolio management are key drivers behind HCG’s programs.

For the past 17 years, Jose has been an investor in both private and public markets, working in investment roles at JPMorgan Partners and SAB Capital Management. Jose has spent the majority of his career focused on financials and debt strategies. His first major career assignment took place at Morgan Stanley in 2002: working on the debt restructuring of the largest Argentine corporate default.

He has a B.A. in International Finance and Marketing and a B.A. in Computer Information Systems from the University of Miami.

Ram Raju, MD, combines his executive leadership experience in health care with a deep commitment to achieving social equity to improve the health of communities in need.

As the former senior vice president and community health investment officer, he evaluated the needs of Northwell Health’s most vulnerable communities, and provided solutions for them by collaborating with community-based organizations. He’s responsible for promoting, sustaining and advancing an environment that supports equity and diversity, and helping the health system eliminate health disparities.

Prior to Northwell, Dr. Raju served as president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals from January 2014-November 2016. NYC Health + Hospitals has 42,000 employees, 11 acute-care hospitals, five nursing homes, six diagnostic and treatment centers, more than 70 community-based health centers, a large home care agency and one of the region’s largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance, MetroPlus Health Plan.

Dr. Raju also served as CEO for the Cook County Health and Hospitals System in Chicago, the nation’s third-largest public health system, where he improved cash flow by more than $100 million and changed the system’s financial health during his tenure from 2011-2014.

His medical career began at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn and he later served as chief operating officer and medical director at NYC Health + Hospitals’ Coney Island Hospital. In 2006, Dr. Raju became the HHC chief medical officer, corporate chief operating officer and executive vice president. Under his leadership, HHC continued to improve quality, patient safety and health care data transparency.

Dr. Raju served as vice-chair of the Greater New York Hospital Association and currently sits on the boards of numerous city, state and national health care organizations, including the American Hospital Association, the New York Academy of Medicine and the Asian Health Care Leaders Association. Among his numerous awards and accolades, Dr. Raju was selected to Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most-Influential People in Healthcare.” Modern Healthcare also named him one of the “Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare” and one of the “50 Most-Influential Physician Executives in Healthcare.” In 2013, he was named a Business Leader of Color by Chicago United.

Dr. Raju earned a medical diploma and Master of Surgery from Madras Medical College in India. He underwent further training in England, where he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. He later received an MBA from the University of Tennessee and CPE from the American College of Physician Executives.

Dr. Raju currently teaches at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College.

Ted Sann was Vice Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of BBDO North America from 1993-2004. In this role, Ted oversaw the creative work of all of BBDO’s U.S. and Canadian agencies. Sann was also the Chairman and Chief Creative Officer for BBDO New York.

Jeff is a co-founder of HealthCare.com and founder of Pivot Health (acquired by HealthCare.com in Feb. 2018). Following the acquisition, Jeff is President, Insurance Services for HealthCare.com and continues the leadership of the Pivot Health business.

He is a results-oriented leader who has built and grown companies from back-of-envelope ideas to multi-million dollar, profitable and scalable entities with a focus on health insurance and other consumer-centric business models. He is a serial entrepreneur who has started several businesses – four of which have been acquired by publicly traded companies.

Creative thinker who has been a presenter at dozens of national trade conventions. Active marathon runner and member of Seven Continents Club — one of only 200 or so individuals to run a marathon on all seven continents. Cancer survivor, charity activist and motivational speaker.

Previously, Jeff helped create and grow the fully-insured segment at The IHC Group (NYSE:IHC) from $0 to nearly $300 million in revenue in seven years. He led AMIC (NASDAQ:AMIC) to significant direct-to-consumer growth and national recognition.

For the past 25 years, Jonathan has helped launch half a dozen startups in the Seattle area, with companies like Jott, an early mobile speech recognition company that was acquired by Nuance. At Nuance, Jonathan led the research team responsible for building the language models for Apple’s first launch of Siri. Jonathan has also led engineering efforts in the areas of telephony, mobile communications, and call center technology. Most recently he was the vice president of engineering and architecture at Avalara where he led several product engineering teams including the core tax platform and tax content services for 3 years before and 4 years post Avalara’s successful IPO. https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiggs/

Ruth Lande led hospital revenue cycle teams at an academic hospital and an integrated health system. She has expertise in patient access, operational transformation, and clinician alignment. She has been recognized for initiatives resulting in enhanced financial performance and high value outcomes for physicians, administrators, patients, and employees. She is an enthusiastic traveler and has a MA in International Relations.

Mikel Burroughs led a national Secondary Healthcare Debt Buying Company and has over 15 years’ experience in healthcare debt buying and has used that expertise with Undue Medical Debt since inception to create transparency pricing and help abolish civilian and military debt in the billions. He has over 40 years’ experience in the debt and collection industry. He is a retired Colonel from the US Army and US Army Reserves with awards including the Legion of Merit medal, Bronze Star medal, and numerous Meritorious Achievement medals. Mikel volunteers for several veteran nonprofits organizations, plays the drums, and is an avid Harley rider! He has a BA in Management, and MA in Strategic Studies.

Michael’s career spans 25+ years, specializing in health care revenue cycle management and consulting, he has assisted health care providers in optimizing their billing, collection and business process outsource operations. He is proficient at cultivating relationships at the C-Suite level, working closely with hospital clients and physician groups to ensure the fiscal viability of their organizations.

Prior to joining Undue Medical Debt, Michael served as Director, Business Development for the Western Region at Jacobus Consulting. In this regional sales role, he was tasked with identifying and securing new healthcare opportunities leveraging a full suite of clinical, revenue cycle and technology consulting services.

Jeannine Freeman is a seasoned professional in business administration with a specialization in debt operations management. With over two decades of immersive experience, she has established herself as a visionary change leader. Jeannine’s journey into the realm of debt operations began with a deep-rooted personal understanding of how burdensome and crippling medical debt can be to individuals and families. Throughout her career, Jeannine has honed her skills across various sectors, including hospitality and healthcare. Her ability to analyze business processes and devise innovative process improvement solutions have been pivotal in assisting Undue Medical Debt in optimizing their debt portfolios. Jeannine’s dedication has resulted in sustainable growth toward increasing RIP’s ability to have a positive impact in the communities we serve.

Sani Messchi is the Provider Partnership Manager at Undue Medical Debt and assists in debt abolishment processes, provider relations support, as well as FAP and best billing practice reviews. Her background is revenue cycle based and has managed revenue cycle and financial services over IRF, TBI, SNF, LTC units as well as Outpatient Pediatric Therapy offices in KS. She holds multiple degrees: A.G.S, A.S, A.A, B.G.S. as well as being a HFMA CRCR certified member. The highlight of her career was expanding the TBI outreach for a KS facility by working with KDHE and Medicaid MCOs. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering to assist the elderly, playing volleyball and spending time with family and friends. She gains a sense of accomplishment from being helpful to others and by giving back to her community with charity work in Kansas.

As a Data Analyst at Undue Medical Debt, Vishal leverages his expertise in streamlining data processes and enhancing the ease of data ingestion and documentation, significantly contributing to the organization’s mission. His unique approach to simplifying complex data sets not only facilitates smoother operations but also empowers colleagues by making data more accessible and understandable. With a rich background that spans not just the healthcare but also the finance industry, he brings a blend of technical acuity and practical experience to the table. Beyond his professional endeavors, Vishal enjoys hiking, fitness, and reading books. Vishal, also plans to continue his education further by pursuing his MBA within the upcoming year.

Jessica McDermott is the Development Liaison Manager at Undue Medical Debt within the finance and administration team. Her role interfaces between various departments to match up debt with donor requests and manage them to abolishment, and she also onboards all new employees. She earned her undergraduate degree in healthcare management from Metropolitan State University of Denver and her graduate degree from Regis University. She also completed a post-graduate writing program through Harvard Medical School. She has over twenty years experience in healthcare operations ranging from inpatient psychiatry to clinical social work, and she believes in the logic of data and process to support systemic change. Jessica lives with her husband Craig and Sadie, their scrappy rescue dog. She enjoys nineteenth-century gothic literature, museums of any kind, and spoiling movie endings for her friends. A student at heart, she hopes to return one day to school to further explore her interests in history and psychology.

Joseph has spent nearly two decades securing and administering large, collaborative grants for various industries. They include Rutgers University Behavioral Health Sciences, New Jersey Medical School, and Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. He also developed and maintained grant projects for local, national, and international non-profits to advance empowerment and equitable opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and groups. Driven by his concerns for health, welfare, and socioeconomic issues, he enjoys working with organizations for the funding to solve these challenges.

Eva Marie Stahl is the VP of Public Policy & Program Management at Undue Medical Debt. Eva oversees development and implementation of Undue Medical Debt’s policy work and programming, including beneficiary insights, community engagement and government initiatives. She works closely with RIP’s staff to ensure that beneficiaries’ voices and experiences are centered in solutions that address the medical debt crisis. Prior to RIP, Eva was a leader in the health advocacy community for over a decade. During her tenure, she collaborated with national coalition partners to advance health care affordability priorities. Eva also coordinated efforts to support health advocates and community partners advancing a health equity agenda that addresses social determinants of health, including economic security. Eva holds a Ph.D. in social policy from Brandeis University and a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. In her free time, Eva enjoys hiking with her two dogs and reading fiction.

Lindsey Zischkale is a health policy professional with extensive clinical and research experience. They previously worked with individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental health diagnoses, with the aim of improving systems of care available to people with complex health needs. Lindsey’s work focuses on centering the voices of people with lived experience in the health care realm to develop equitable, actionable policy solutions. They hold a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Dallas and a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin.

Camila Salvagno is a Uruguayan-New Yorker and anthropologist by training, whose interest in (and experience with) the complex sociocultural dynamics of NYC underpin her work in supporting public health initiatives. She is a qualitative researcher with experience performing community outreach, facilitating community organizing and conducting action research (AR).

Previously, Camila served as the bilingual Community Development Program Coordinator at Sure We Can, New York City’s only nonprofit recycling center. There she helped develop the Alliance of Independent Recyclers (formerly the Canner Advocacy Task Force), a working group of independent NYC recyclers (also known as canners) in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to make possible a new degree of organization-community feedback. Camila created new opportunities for canner voices to be heard, both within the community and without.

As Undue’s bilingual Program Manager for Constituent Services, Camila is integral in engaging with constituents and communicating Undue’s mission—both to recipients and the public. She leads a small but integral team in engaging Undue beneficiaries for feedback, storytelling, and research.

Medical debt relief is the output and beneficiary voices provide a vital input. Through one-on-one interviews, Camila is leveraging the language, impressions and interpretations provided by beneficiaries to contribute to the narrative around medical debt’s harmful impacts that Undue is building. Elaborating on the consequences of medical debt and benefits of relief is a pathway to enriching Undue’s policy priorities. Recipients share their emotional perspectives and their journey with the physical, financial, and mental health implications of medical debt. Beneficiaries describe diverse experiences and interpretations of living with medical debt, but ultimately, they are telling a communal story. Health, justice, and dignity across all spaces are important to Camila. She is honored and excited to apply her energy and expertise to Undue’s mission.

Camila serves as a bilingual research assistant at the bioethics research institute, the Hastings Center, where she works with a small research team on the “All of Us Motivations Study”. Camila is an MFA candidate in Integrated Media Arts (IMA) at Hunter College. Through video, she queries the ephemeral, adventures in appreciation, and the myth of self-realization.

Ernest Modarelli serves as the Government Initiatives Manager at Undue Medical Debt, bringing over a decade of experience in government operations and public policy. In his role, Ernest spearheads collaborations with state and local governments nationwide, leveraging his extensive background in public administration, stakeholder engagement, and project management to forge systems and practices that successfully abolish billions in medical debt.

Prior to joining Undue Medical Debt, Ernest held pivotal roles in government and community relations at two leading transportation authorities, where he was instrumental in managing major infrastructure projects. His commitment to public service is further evidenced by his tenure as a Policy Advisor to Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York State Executive chamber, and his active participation on Manhattan Community Board 4, where he was appointed for four terms.

Ernest’s dedication to civic engagement extends to his board membership with the Chelsea Hell’s Kitchen Pedestrian Safety Society since 2011 and his roles as a delegate for the State Judicial Nominating Convention and a member of the Manhattan Democratic Committee.

In addition to his governmental and civic endeavors, Ernest founded Policomm, a digital communications firm, in 2016, demonstrating his prowess in strategic communications. His academic foundation is solid, with a master’s degree in public administration from the City University of New York, underscoring his deep understanding of public service and policy.

Beyond his professional sphere, Ernest is passionately engaged in creative arts. He is a prolific writer with an extensive portfolio of comic books, poems, screenplays, short stories, and novels. Ernest’s artistic talents also encompass painting, photography, sculpture, and furniture design, showcasing his multifaceted creativity and innovation.

Ernest Modarelli’s diverse expertise and dynamic approach significantly contribute to Undue Medical Debt’s mission, demonstrating a profound commitment to making a tangible difference in the lives of those burdened by medical debt. His leadership and vision are pivotal in advancing the organization’s goals and ensuring the success of its partnerships with government entities.

As Program Manager for Community Engagement, Gregory works on programming Undue Medical Debt’s national impact on the local level through strategic partnerships and community advocacy. Currently, Gregory oversees two community impact pilot sites, partners with Communities Joined in Action – a national network of community health collaboratives, and manages several initiatives at the organization related to community impact, strategy, and programming. Gregory’s background is in urban planning and social policy. He has worked across the New York City nonprofit sector and lives in Brooklyn, where he likes to swim with Team New York Aquatics and frequent his local public library.

As Program Associate of Constituent Services, Ryan Nason is integral in managing mission-oriented beneficiary satisfaction, processing and reviewing testimonials provided by Undue beneficiaries, and helping sustain beneficiary engagement for storytelling & insights.  Their work helps keep Undue’s mission, donors & partners, and policy priorities informed by the debt relief stories of beneficiaries. They aim to help destigmatize the experience of medical debt through bringing visibility to the stories and voices of Undue’s beneficiaries.

As someone who grew up in an uninsured family, they quickly became aware of the crushing weight of medical debt. As a result, they developed a passion for creating a more just and equal health system. In 2023, Ryan interned at Connecticut Citizen Action Group where they assisted with research surrounding state healthcare policy. As an undergraduate student, they wrote and conducted a research thesis illustrating the impact of growing housing inequality in Danbury, CT. Their paper analyzes how this problem forced local residents into an affordability crisis, further intensified by insufficient state housing policies. Ryan holds a BA in Political Science from Western Connecticut State University.

Outside of Undue, they hold a passion for volunteering and local community organizing, as well as expressing themselves artistically through hobbies like creative writing.

Dina Magnes is the Student Engagement Program Manager, working to raise awareness among youth and young adults about the issues of medical debt, and build an engaged community in support of Undue Medical Debt’s mission.

In early 2017 Dina volunteered for Undue Medical debt and as of May 2017 has held various positions supporting the organization and its growth.

Prior to working with Undue Dina was a creative fashion designer and business owner, passionate about producing quality designs, building strong teams, developing talent and creating business strategies for growth, which she applies in her work with Undue.

Dina is a certified leadership coach, trainer and facilitator, she holds a diploma in advanced coaching from NYU, and is certified in facilitating and designing workshops with the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method.

Marisa Clemente is the Vice President of Major Gifts at Undue Medical Debt. In this capacity, she oversees the development of transformative philanthropy by connecting value-aligned donors together to impactfully serve the Undue community. As a seasoned fundraising professional, Marisa has had extensive development experience in both the cultural & higher education sectors. She is inspired by creating meaningful philanthropic impact and fostering altruistic mindfulness.

Prior to joining Undue, Marisa led individual giving efforts at The New York Public Library, Brown University, and the University of Chicago, among other institutions. When Marisa is not focusing on Undue’s philanthropic efforts, she enjoys trying to read a book a week, perfecting her banana bread recipe, and spending time with her rescue dog.

Scott G. Patton is the Vice President, Development for Undue Medical Debt.  He has worked as an administrative and fundraising professional in the nonprofit sector in-house and as a consultant for a decade and enjoys serving a field that addresses challenges and inequity in the human experience.  Favorite previous employers, clients, and boards include Seattle Opera, Curious Theatre, Arch Mission, and Music in the Mountains. Outside of medical debt relief, Scott is interested in cycling and the performing arts.

Briani Netzahuatl is a Development Associate at Undue Medical Debt. In this capacity, she serves on the Individual Giving Team, where she communicates directly with donors to build relationships and maximize impact during the campaign and donation process. Her background in digital marketing, non-profits, and journalism emphasizes her commitment to community-building and dynamic storytelling to increase the greater good. Briani graduated from Columbia University, where she studied English and History with a focus on immigration and race. When Briani is not collaborating with donors to further Undue’s mission, she enjoys exploring the city’s thrift stores, baking her famous chocolate chip cookies, and enjoying indie films.

Charles Russek is a seasoned Senior Software Engineer with a passion for leveraging technology to drive social impact. Currently, he serves as a key member of the technical team at a non-profit organization dedicated to abolishing medical debt for individuals and families in need. Charles’s commitment to this cause is reflected in his innovative approach to software development, where he harnesses his expertise in fintech and data pipelines to streamline processes and maximize efficiency.

With a background in fintech, Charles brings a deep understanding of financial systems and technologies to his role. His experience in this sector has equipped him with the skills necessary to navigate complex data structures and develop robust solutions tailored to the unique challenges of the non-profit space. Charles’s ability to architect data pipelines that integrate seamlessly with existing systems enables his organization to analyze vast amounts of financial data efficiently, empowering them to make informed decisions and maximize their impact.

Beyond his technical prowess, Charles is driven by a desire to make a tangible difference in the lives of others. He is deeply committed to the mission of his organization and works tirelessly to ensure that every line of code he writes contributes to their overarching goal of alleviating medical debt burden. Charles’s dedication, combined with his technical expertise, makes him an invaluable asset to the team and a driving force behind the organization’s success in achieving its mission.

As a software developer at Undue, my main responsibilities include building out and maintaining our internal-use software. In addition to building out new software features, our team has emphasized improving both the efficiency of our processes as well as the reliability of the data that we provide. Throughout my 3+ years at Undue, I’ve enjoyed focusing on large data extraction, transformation, and analysis, all of which are crucial steps in debt acquisition and reconciliation. Moving forward, as Undu continues to grow, I am excited to work on scaling and accelerating the processes within our tech stack to meet new and larger requirements.

Before joining Undue, I attended Chapman University where I studied software engineering. Shortly after graduating in 2020, I joined Undue as a part-time junior developer. In the following months, I gained invaluable experience and expanded my skill set significantly. As I became more comfortable developing both back-end and front-end features, I joined the Undue team as a full-time developer.

In my spare time, when the weather permits, I enjoy exploring New York’s diverse culinary scene, frequenting comedy clubs, and venturing outside of the city for camping trips and barbecues. On colder and cozier days, I enjoy exploring different types of film as well as playing poker, chess, and various other games with friends. Sometimes, when I’m not weary of staring at code, I delve into my personal coding projects which I find enjoyable and fulfilling.

Eric is the beneficiary letter coordinator, acting as liaison to the multiple print vendors Undue uses to deliver the good news their debt has been bought and canceled! His role also includes letter template development and vendor communications for specialty mailings.

Eric has been in the financial industry for over 20 years, all within the information systems and technology areas. He has managed application development and infrastructure administration teams, but his passion is providing support to end users and delivering creative digital solutions to unique needs.

Eric has a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, and is certified as a business intelligence professional. He enjoys traveling, carpentry, landscape design, and being involved with his community.

Maksat Sadyrov is a DevOps and Infrastructure Engineer at Undue Medical Debt, specializing in implementing and maintaining multi-cloud infrastructure. He focuses on optimizing CI/CD pipelines, automating cloud infrastructure deployments, and ensuring scalability. Maksat holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and several industry certifications in cloud technologies, including AWS and Kubernetes. Outside of work, he enjoys drawing and playing chess.

As a Project Manager at Undue Medical Debt, I orchestrate the seamless execution of our digital initiatives in alignment with our overarching mission. With an eye for detail and a knack for strategic planning, I ensure that our projects not only meet deadlines but also exceed expectations in delivering innovative solutions.

My journey into project management was paved with diverse experiences, including stints in logistics and safety science. Leveraging this multifaceted background, I bring a unique blend of technical expertise and interpersonal skills to the table, fostering collaboration and driving cross-functional teams towards shared goals. Whether it’s implementing agile methodologies or mitigating project risks, I thrive in dynamic environments where adaptability and problem-solving are paramount.

Outside of the professional realm, I’m an avid gamer, cinephile, and world traveler, constantly seeking new experiences and perspectives. I have a special appeal to thrillers, particularly those directed by Christopher Nolan (Inception). I’ve had the opportunity to travel to over 15 countries, with Zanzibar standing out as my favorite destination thus far.

Daniel has directed communications for Undue Medical Debt since 2017 and established the nonprofit’s earned media strategy. He has executed the approach for all public facing initiatives and announcements, helped cultivate Undue’s collaboration with local campaigners and spearheaded the nonprofit’s approach to gathering testimony from beneficiaries of medical debt relief. Between 2018 and 2021 Daniel facilitated 9.5 billion media impressions, with billions more following. Undue (aka “Undue Medical Debt”) has been featured in virtually all mainstream, national publications in the U.S. including NPR, CBS Sunday Morning, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, CNN, The Associated Press, The New York Times, Modern Healthcare and many more.

Daniel has since expanded to lead Undue’s marketing efforts as well, overseeing the nonprofit’s rebrand and associated paid efforts to increase awareness and drive more donations towards the abolishment of burdensome medical debts.

Before joining Undue Daniel was an experienced communications professional working with diverse clients including The Central Park Conservancy, The French Institute-Alliance Francaise, Pfizer, Google, Virgin Hyperloop and Monica Lewinsky.

Daniel’s work on Undue’s “Helping COVID Heroes” campaign (to erase medical debts for front line workers during the early pandemic) earned him “Best Fundraising Campaign” from PR News in 2021.

Daniel is a lifelong Brooklyn resident and graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Drama & Psychology, and a minor in French & Francophone Studies. In his free time, he’s a comedian and improviser primarily at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade.

Morgan Telesford is the Communications Manager at Undue Medical Debt and has a passion for storytelling and marketing. She’s worked with other nonprofits such as the American Diabetes Association, Habitat for Humanity of NOVA, and the American Chemical Society; from nonprofits and startups to the education sector and sports entertainment space, she has harnessed many tools to become a strategic communicator.

After earning her B.S. in Sports Management from Syracuse University, she returned to Syracuse’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and received her M.S. in Communication with an Advertising focus. Some of her certifications include Google Ads Display, HubSpot Social Media Marketing, and the Trade Desk. Morgan lives in Washington, D.C. with her dog Waffles, and enjoys long walks with him, exploring new cuisine with friends and family, and traveling.

Bringing a wealth of experience from the retail industry, Emily transitioned her passion for meaningful causes into the realm of social impact. In 2020, she joined Undue Medical Debt, spearheading their social media initiatives.

As a dedicated consultant, Emily specializes in supporting mission-driven entities, particularly small businesses and non-profits. Her expertise spans a range of areas, from crafting effective social media strategies and brand marketing to developing impactful newsletters, coordinating events, and executing advertising campaigns.

Emily holds a degree from NYU and earned her MFA from l’Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode in Paris, bringing a unique blend of creativity and strategic thinking to her work. Beyond her professional pursuits, her interests encompass a love for theater, an appreciation for architecture, a flair for cooking, and an unmatched knowledge of pop culture. Her multifaceted skill set and dedication make her an invaluable asset to the mission of Undue Medical Debt.