Lisa Peyton is the Founding CEO & President of The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness. Her work as a passionate advocate for women’s health was spurred by Mother’s untimely death at age 64 from heart disease in 2006, after which Lisa established Black Women’s Wellness Day, an annual summit now in its 15th year that empowers women and girls to sustain healthy, wellness-centered lives. The Foundation is an outgrowth and progression of this work which has mobilized a movement in Greater Madison and across Wisconsin to intentionally address and improve Black women’s health. In January 2020, Peyton and team opened Dane County’s first Black Women’s Wellness Center after a successful crowdfunding effort that garnered Lisa and FFBWW national recognition as a GoFundMe Hero making significant local impact. Each year, the Foundation reaches and serves over 7,000 women and their families through a broad array of programs, services and advocacy work, and has grown to have national reach through its many strategic partnerships and its growing network of Wellness Ambassadors now representing 15 states across the USA.

Based on her work and impact, Lisa was appointed in 2018 to serve on newly elected Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ Health Policy Advisory Council through which she was able to influence proposed policies addressing maternal and child health and health disparities in our State. In 2020, she was appointed by Governor Evers to serve on the first ever Wisconsin Health Equity Council, a statewide body that recently released a comprehensive report, Building a Better Wisconsin: Investing in the Health and Well-being of Wisconsinites, to advance health equity for all.

Lisa also previously served as Assistant Vice President of Life, Learning and Events at Summit Credit Union (2014-2018) where she and her team led the company’s efforts on Diversity & Inclusion, Employee Wellness, Financial Education, Community Giving, and Corporate Events.

An experienced leader, manager, and educator, Lisa has led impactful work over the past 20+ years spanning the PreK – 16 education, non-profit, women’s health, and financial service sectors. She is actively engaged in a number of local efforts to promote thriving, sustainable communities, and serves on the board of the United Way of Dane County, and previously on the boards of Unity Point-Meriter Health, the Center for Resilient Cities, the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute Advisory Board, Sustain Dane, and A Fund for Women. Among her lasting contributions to community is the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s highly successful DoIT Information Technology Academy (ITA), a pre-college technology training & college access program she conceived, designed and launched with colleagues in 1999 and now in its 24th year.

Lisa has been widely recognized for her work in women’s health, leadership, business, and community stewardship. She is the recipient of a 2022 Brian D. Howell Excellence in Innovation Award by Madison Magazine’s Best of Madison Business Awards, and in 2021 was awarded the Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award which recognizes City of Madison residents who share Erlanger’s dedication to and passion for public policy, civility, individual and human rights. In 2017, Peyton was named among local health innovators on the Madison Magazine’s 2017 M List. In 2016 she was recognized as one of 44 Most Influential African Americans in Wisconsin by Madison365 Magazine. Other honors include the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health Woman of Character Award (2015) for her efforts to mobilize Black women and partners to eliminate health disparities. She is the 2014 recipient of the Public Health Madison & Dane County Leadership Award, 2014 Brava Magazine Woman to Watch, 2014 Distinguished Community Service Award 2014 Distinguished Community Service Award issued by Madison Metropolitan Chapter of the Links, and was nominated an “Everyday Health Hero” by the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation in 2013. Additionally, she is a 2008 UW Alumni Association Forward Under Forty Award honoree for her service and impact on the world by living the Wisconsin Idea.

A Mother of five, Lisa holds a Masters of Science degree in Educational Leadership & Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also a proud former Hampton University student, home of the Pirates, where she completed her first three years of undergraduate studies.

Dr. Michelle Robinson serves as Chief Programs and Partnerships Officer for the Foundation for Black Women's Wellness. Before joining the FFBWW, Dr. Robinson served as the inaugural Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) in the Office of the Secretary where she was responsible for establishing a clear vision and focus for the agency’s health equity work, including programs and policy efforts for statewide workforce planning and equity and inclusion; and complementing and amplifying the work of the related diversity, equity, inclusion, access, wellness and health equity initiatives across all of DHS’s internal and external programs and operations. Dr. Robinson previously served as the Director of the Office of the Inspector General and the Equity and Systems Change Research and Policy Officer (ESCRPO) at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) where she was a member of the Secretary’s cabinet and the agency’s leadership team. As ESCRPO, Dr. Robinson provided strategic leadership and direction on internal and external equity, and health equity initiatives and, as the Inspector General, was responsible for establishing an internal review team and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program for the agency. During her tenure in state leadership, Dr. Robinson served as vice-chair of the Governor’s Health Equity Council (GHEC) – a council charged with creating a comprehensive plan that will achieve long-lasting and equitable health outcomes for all Wisconsinites by addressing health disparities; and is the primary author of its report Building a Better Wisconsin: Investing in the Health and Well-being of Wisconsinites.

Prior to entering state service, Dr. Robinson was a member of the award-winning Race to Equity Project at Kids Forward. She contributed her expertise on disparities and racial equity research, policy, practice, and community engagement.

A committed servant leader beyond her professional capacity, Dr. Robinson works to give back to the various communities she is a part of, serving as a member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education Board of Visitors and the Archer Center’s Advisory Board. The Archer Center, founded in 2001, is described as “where Texas meets the world” and is the Washington D.C. campus of the University of Texas System “providing talented undergraduate and graduate students from across the UT System with the opportunity to live, learn and intern in the nation’s capital.” Dr. Robinson has also served as an advisor to multiple fellows selected in the National Academy For State Health Policy’s (NASHP) Emerging Leaders of Color Fellowship. She was recently appointed to serve as a member of NASHP’s Population and Public Health Steering Committee, a term beginning January of 2024.

Dr. Robinson has had the esteemed honor of being recognized for some of her many contributions through receiving the 2018 Madison Community Leader Award by Church Women United, the 2018 Collaborator of the Year award by the Progress Center for Black Women, the 2017 Community Justice Award by the Urban League of Greater Madison, and being named one of the University of Wisconsin’s Outstanding Women of Color in Education in 2014. In 2022, Dr. Robinson was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Diversity Award by the State Council on Affirmative Action (SCAA) and the Division of Personnel Management (DPM) Department of the Administration.  The award is designed to "recognize an individual leader in state service who has demonstrated a devotion to inclusivity, diversity, equity, and wellness promotion within their area of influence."

Dr. Robinson holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Sociology with a minor in Educational Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Government and certificates in Ethics and Leadership and Social Inequality, Health and Policy from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Tiffany Green is an economist and population health scientist and a nationally recognized expert in racial/ethnic and nativity disparities in reproductive health. She is currently Assistant Professor of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Green earned her Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her B.A. in economics from Florida A&M University. Her research focuses primarily on understanding the individual-, family-, and structural-level determinants of disparities in women’s health and birth outcomes. Dr. Green’s mission is to shed light on how and why Black women, regardless of socioeconomic status experience the worst maternal and child health outcomes.

Tamara N. Thompson is a Black femme activist, Lactation Counselor, Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Student Midwife. Tamara is a founding member of the Wisconsin Doulas of Color Collective, co-founder of Harambee Village, a community based-doula organization, and Maroon Calabash, a Black Womyn led Reproductive Justice organization. Tamara’s activism work includes the intersections of pregnancy and racism, incarceration, trauma, gender identity, infant loss, trauma, economic status, and access to human milk.

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Ariel Robbins is the Project Manager for the Dane County Health Council Care Coordination project working to eliminate black-white racial disparities in low birthweight and infant mortality through a county-wide technology-based care coordination system. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for the past 8 years on projects with varying focus areas including access to healthcare, health equity and health education. She received her Bachelors of Science in Community Health from the University of Texas at San Antonio and her Masters of Public Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. In her downtime she enjoys volunteer work and is especially proud to mentor black youth who are experiencing adverse homelife situations.

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Gabe Doyle serves as the Chief Health Initiatives Officer with the Foundation For Black Women’s Wellness. He has spent the past 15-plus years leading community health efforts in Milwaukee and Dane County. He began his career counseling victims of violence and designing hospital-supported, community-based programs for victims and their families. In his prior role with Milwaukee Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Gabe led and developed a new division of Community Health Workers focusing on a social determinants of health (SDoH) framework. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and spent 5 years counseling adolescents, adults and families. The persistent social, economic and environmental factors driving disparities across Wisconsin and locally in Dane County inspired Gabe to explore the root causes of inequities, to strategically collaborate, and to effectively organize & align resources towards our most vulnerable communities and members. Prior to joining the Foundation, Gabe led the direction of health investments at a major philanthropic nonprofit in Dane County. While there, he redesigned the health investment process to prioritize funding to center the experiences of Black, Indigenous, Southeast Asian, Latinx/Hispanic and other marginalized communities. As a member of the Dane County Health Council, Gabe worked closely with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness as co-chair of the Black Maternal and Child Health care-coordination initiative and the Saving our Babies Project.

Micaela Berry-Smith serves as Program Manager for Maternal and Child Health Initiatives with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness. She brings to the Foundation an impressive track record of work and service in birth equity leadership, early childhood education, and social entrepreneurship. For over 15 years, Micaela has worked  extensively with children and families in diverse settings, and has led several high-impact efforts including most recently serving as Co-Executive Director of Harambee Village Doulas, and previously as Assistant Director for the YMCA's before and after school programs for middle school children. Micaela has also managed her own Nanny service in the Greater Madison area, matching in-home childcare providers to working professional families. She completed a double major in Early Childhood Development and Art Therapy at Metro State University in St.Paul, Minnesota and is a DONA trained Doula, certified Infant Specialist, certified Lactation Consultant, a Protective Factors and Ages and Stages Trainer, and a former Head Start Teacher. Micaela is a 2019 Madison Magazine MList Awardee recognized as an outstanding Innovator.

Christine Russell serves as Director of Health & Wellness Programs with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness. She brings over 15 years of experience supporting and administering health and wellness programming for hospital systems, global pharmaceutical companies, and national health management organizations, bringing greater health, wellness, and outcomes to employees and families. Christine is also a practitioner with training as a fitness instructor and wellness coach, rounded out by her experience with program implementation, data analytics, marketing, and communications, and leading strategic initiatives. Christine’s passion for community impact has inspired her local work in Greater Madison to support underserved individuals and their families through maternal care, financial, and physical well-being. Her transition from corporate wellness to community health drives her commitment to further support her own community.

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Ravyn Cruse is a University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute Fellow serving a 2-year placement with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness (July 2023 - July 2025). In her role with the Foundation, Ravyn serves as the Black Maternal and Child Health Alliance Coordinator, working to advance efforts to empower and support Black women and birthing people to secure birth equity. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Ravyn completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Fisk University in Nashville, TN, and earned her Masters of Public Health degree from Xavier University in Louisiana. Ravyn’s career interests include advocating for and addressing vulnerable populations' experiences with inadequate healthcare, healthcare access and poor patient experiences. During her graduate career, she has gained experiences in behavioral health, recreation development, emergency planning and grant writing while using her health equity lens to explore gaps and to propose equitable and culturally competent approaches. As a University of Wisconsin Fellow, she continues the mission of the Institute of operationalizing health inequity. With the values and missions of the Foundation of Black Women's Wellness and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Ravyn looks forward to positively impacting the lives of Black women in Dane County while striving to be a Well Black Woman.