Leadership Council for Healthier Communities Launch

September 30, 2025
New York City

Watch Live 10am Eastern Tuesday, September 30

Leadership Council for Healthier Communities Launch

The Leadership Council for Healthier Communities (LCHC) is the first and only national council designed to bring leaders from across sectors together to co-create solutions and measure results.

LCHC isn’t about replacing what companies are already doing. It’s about connecting, aligning, and scaling those efforts, whether that’s addressing maternal health, tackling obesity and cardiometabolic disease, strengthening nutrition and food security, or responsibly applying new tools like artificial intelligence to improve access to care. In short: it’s a place where a cross-sectoral group of leaders can turn goals into outcomes, and strategy into results.

On September 30th, join likeminded leaders for a session that will feature a thought-provoking discussion on the role we all play addressing the health of communities across the country.

Date & Time

Tuesday, September 30th
9:30-1:30 Guests and LCHC Founding Members
1:30-3:30 Founding Members Only

Location

The Cornell Club
6 East 44th Street
New York, NY 10017
Ivy Room (4th Floor)

Conference Schedule: September 30, 2025

9:30 am

Arrival & Breakfast

10 am

Welcome & Introductions

Jean Accius, PhD

Jean Accius, PhD
President & CEO

10:05-11 am

Panel Discussion: Healthy Communities, Healthy Economies

Healthy communities fuel strong economies and resilient workforces. This discussion highlights how organizations can partner to build trust, strengthen community well-being, and create lasting opportunity.

Moderator:

Sabrina Spitaletta, Senior Director, Public Health, Employer Action Exchange, Milken Institute

Panelists:


Abu M. Arif, President, Ameriprise

Ashwin Vasan
Ashwin Vasan, Senior Fellow, Health Policy & Management, Yale School of Public Health

Andre Belelieu
Andre Belelieu, Head – Financial Services Industries, World Economic Forum

Courtney Gray Haupt
Courtney Gray Haupt, Global Health Co-Chair & US Chair, Health, Edelman

11 – 11:25 am

Leadership Dialogue: Centering Community Voices

Solutions are strongest when they reflect the experiences of the people they serve. In this conversation, Dr. Nichols shares her journey — including her own experience surviving a heart attack — and why elevating community voices is essential to shaping solutions that last.

Moderator:

Kimberly Blackwell

Kimberly Blackwell, CEO, PMM Agency, Founder & Visionary, Excelerateher, Corporate Director, LP/GP

Guest:


Dr. Sandra Nichols, Founder and CEO, The Samaritan Health Project, Inc.

11:25-11:45 am

Leadership Dialogue: Addressing Gaps and Building Hope

Drawing from her experience as a front-line physician and thought leader, Dr. Blackstock highlights the most urgent gaps she sees in how Americans access care and opportunity. She will reflect on how those gaps affect families and communities every day, and why they can only be addressed through ambitious, cross-sector collaboration.

Moderator:

Mikki Taylor
Mikki Taylor, Editor-at-Large, Essence

Guest:

Dr. Uché Blackstock
Dr. Uché Blackstock, Physician, Author & Founder, Advancing Health Equity

12:45 – 1:15 pm

Closing Wisdom

Drawing on decades of global leadership, experts share insights on how we can work together to advance community health, and what global efforts can teach us about strengthening communities here in the U.S.

Caryl Stern
(recorded) Caryl Stern, Former President & CEO, UNICEF USA and Former Executive Director, Walton Family Foundation
Philanthropy, Health, and Humanity: Applying Global Knowledge at Home

Deb Garcia
Jean Accius, PhD and Deb Garcia, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières – USA
What the World Teaches Us About Building Healthier Communities

1:30 pm

Guests/Non-LCHC Members Depart

1:30 – 3:30 pm

LCHC Founding Members Closed Session

LCHC Founding Members

Thank You to Our LCHC Founding Members for Your Leadership and Vision

Conference Venue

The Cornell Club
6 East 44th Street
New York, NY 10017
Ivy Room (4th Floor)