Meet Our Staff
We love our staff. It’s the time, dedication and attention to detail by these folks that makes everything we do possible. They are creative, talented and committed to making a contribution.
Marketing Director
Akanksha Daga
Marketing Director
New Jersey, USA
[email protected]
Akanksha brings over a decade of business and marketing management experience and passion. She adds her digital expertise in outreach and spreading Lipedema awareness. She collaborates with the marketing team to align with Lipedema Simplified & Lipedema Project’s values and vision.
Operations & Events Director
Ayla De Vera
Operations & Events Director
Philippines
[email protected]
Ayla joined the team right before the COVID pandemic hit in 2020. She provides technical support for our lipedema community, oversees events, and ensures that the backend processes are running smoothly. She believes in doing even the smallest things with a great heart.
Social Media
Sheila
Social Media Manager
The Netherlands
[email protected]
Sheila is the Social Media Manager of the Lipedema Simplified Team since June 2022. She thrives behind the scenes, crafting impactful strategies, captivating visuals, and compelling narratives that ignite engagement across our social media channels. As an introvert, she’s not just managing our online presence; she’s fostering a community and shaping a movement.
Julie Stewart
Social Media Community Coordinator
North Carolina, USA
[email protected]
Julie Stewart has just joined the team July, 2023 as the Social Media Community Coordinator for Circle. Julie joined Lipedema Simplified Tribe in June, 2022 and jumped right in as an active participant in the community. Her experience in Education, Music Performance and Curriculum Development gives her an insight that is helpful when communicating within Circle. Julie’s desire to advocate within our community is a welcome addition to the team and our community.
Jani Nash
SEO Specialist
Philippines
[email protected]
As a seasoned digital marketing specialist, Jani leverages his expertise in search engine optimization and digital marketing to drive exceptional online engagement and optimize brand visibility. With a passion for data-driven strategies, he stays at the forefront of the ever-evolving digital landscape.
About The Lipedema Project
The Lipedema Project was founded in 2014 by Dr. Mark L. Smith, MD, FACS and Catherine Seo, PhD to begin the research and treatment for lipedema, a chronic fat disorder. Lipedema is a disease involving abnormal fat deposition that can result in pain, immobility, and lymphatic disturbances. Lipedema progresses over time often developing lymphedema, a chronic condition called lipolymphedema.
With obesity reaching epidemic proportions and anti-fat bias prevalent in healthcare, it becomes critical that patients are correctly diagnosed, that resources are invested in understanding this disease and how it can be treated, and that patients have the support, knowledge, and options to manage these chronic conditions.
Currently, The Lipedema Project, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization devoted to increasing awareness and providing education, research, and treatment for lipedema through online and face-to-face programs and building community.
The lipedema documentary is available for viewing on Facebook, Lipedema – The Disease They Call FAT.
The book is available on Amazon, Lipedema – The Disease They Call FAT: An Overview for Clinicians.
