About Us

Melissa King is a passionate advocate for patients of chronic illness and disease as well as the medical research that can help reduce their suffering. An expert at engaging multiple stakeholders and communicating effectively with varied audiences, she has been a champion for the California stem cell research program since before it formally existed. 

Melissa was previously Executive Director of Americans for Cures, where, for the three years leading up to November 2020 she led the effort to lay the groundwork for Prop 14 and build the patient advocacy coalition needed to get the state ballot initiative passed. In 2020, she was Head of Field Operations for California’s Proposition 14 campaign, which secured an additional $5.5 Billion in funds for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). 

Long before her work on Prop 14, Melissa served as a senior member of the successful 2004 campaign for California’s Proposition 71, which created the CIRM and the California stem cell program. She hired the first several key employees at CIRM to become the very first pioneers of the new state funding agency. 

Melissa played a central role in the formation and building of CIRM, the unique $3 billion research funding agency created by Prop 71. During the first seven years of CIRM’s operation, she worked hand-in-hand with agency Chair and its founding 29-member governing Board responsible for setting the strategic vision for the agency, as well as developing the processes and policies by which CIRM still operates.  

Melissa guided CIRM’s Board through its first 1500+ hours of public meetings, the sale of the first bonds to fund the agency, as well as the development and awarding of the first billion dollars in grants, which included the Facilities Grant Program that leveraged $271 million of CIRM’s funds to attract $880 million in other support which directly contributed to $1 billion in scientific research facilities in California. 

Having worked on both campaigns to create and obtain funds for CIRM, Melissa is now focused on the vision of improved healthspan for all. She works to support the continued success of the research, ensuring that access and affordability of treatments is fully addressed, and the need for more diversity in science, medical research and clinical trials. She serves as a volunteer mentor for SHE CAN, mentoring a young woman scholar from Libera now attending college in the US. She is a board member at Summit for Stem Cell Foundation, serves as Chair of Regions for Wellesley College Friends of Art and is a member and past Chair of the Wellesley Business Leadership Council. 

Melissa has a B.A. from Wellesley College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. 

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissajking1/

Eve Herold is Director of Policy Research and Education for the Healthspan Action Coalition. For the past 30 years she has been a communications executive in the scientific and medical nonprofit sector and a science writer specializing in issues at the intersection of science and society. She has written and spoken extensively about stem cell research and regenerative medicine, age-related diseases, medical implants, robotics and the social and bioethical aspects of leading-edge medicine. She is the past director of the Office of Communications and Public Affairs at the American Psychiatric Association and has served as Director of Public Policy Research and Education for the Genetics Policy Institute. Other positions include Public Education Manager for the Stem Cell Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization promoting biomedical research and education. She is the former managing editor of The Gerontologist, a scholarly journal that explores the many facets of aging and its impact on society. Her 2007 book, Stem Cell Wars, was awarded a Commendation in Popular Medicine by the British Medical Association. Her 2016 book, Beyond Human, has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize in Nonfiction. A new book, Robots and the People Who Love Them: Holding Onto Our Humanity in an Age of Social Robots, will be released in January 2024. She has published numerous articles on a variety of topics in cutting-edge science and medicine.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eve-herold-b0801282/

Jerry Frenz has over 30 years of experience in accounting, budgeting, and forecasting at large multi-billion-dollar corporations, small corporations, and nonprofit organizations. He has a BBA in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater and began his career as a CPA and auditor for one of the “Big 8” accounting firms. In 1992, he became a certified professional consultant and continues to provide consulting services to numerous nonprofit organizations. He conducted training to over 170 nonprofit organizations in South Florida.

His prior corporate experience includes multi-billion-dollar companies involved in strategic planning and helped implement $600 million acquisitions and divestitures. He conducted international budget reviews for operations in Brazil, Australia, South Africa and throughout Europe. He was the Controller of a retail chain of stores in South Florida and was instrumental in taking the company public.

Jerry’s nonprofit experience includes positions as the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer of several 501(c)3 organizations in diverse areas to include regenerative medicine, senior living, youth programs, homeless programs, drug and abuse, and family counseling. 

He was nominated and became a finalist in the CFO Awards for the South Florida Business Journal in the tri-county area. He was an active member of Toastmasters and won several speaking awards.

Jerry is currently the Chairman of the Board for a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, a Founding Board Member of Collective Impact Group and recently became the CFO of Healthspan Action Coalition.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-frenz-30830618/

Sabrina Cohen is the Founder / President of the Sabrina Cohen Foundation. Born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, Sabrina endured a severe C3-5 spinal cord injury in 1992 at the age of 14 from a car accident. In an instant, Sabrina’s life changed. Despite her injury, Sabrina worked diligently to graduate high school on time with the rest of her class and visited schools to talk about her new life with paralysis, urging and inspiring young students to drive carefully. In 1999, Sabrina graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in Communications, double majoring in Advertising and Psychology and also holds a post-graduate degree in Copywriting from the Miami Ad School.

In April 2004, Sabrina discovered the world of stem cell research through Bernard Siegel, the founder of the Genetics Policy Institute (GPI), a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a legal framework to advance regenerative medicins. She soon became the Director of Public Relations for GPI, traveling nationwide with the organization to attend educational and scientific conferences, including the World Stem Cell Summit at the University of Wisconsin, Harvard University, Stanford University, Baylor College of Medicine at the University of Texas, University of Michigan and at the United Nations.

In 2006, the Sabrina Cohen Foundation (SCF) was established to educate the public about the cause and raise funds for research. In 2012, SCF introduced quality of life initiatives focused on adaptive fitness and recreation programs to its mission. Today, the Sabrina Cohen Foundation is building our nation’s first of a kind Adaptive Recreation Center to provide year-round beach access and fitness programs to the disabled community, designed by Kobi Karp Architects in partnership with the City of Miami Beach.

Sabrina’s media coverage as the Foundation’s spokesperson advocating extensively for research and quality of life health initiatives includes interviews with CNN, NBC, FOX, CBS, ABC, CNN Headline News, Good Morning America, Deco Drive, NPR, Jim Defede Show, WebMD Magazine (nominated a 2009 American Health Hero), The Miami Herald, Ocean Drive Magazine, Self Magazine, Sun-Sentinel and the Wall Street Journal. She has been linked to many political figures, including fellow stem cell advocate Michael J. Fox as well.

As a Professional Life Coach, Motivational Speaker and Disability / Healthy Lifestyle Advocate, Sabrina continuously enjoys taking the time to talk one-on-one with individuals, businesses, community groups, and students at schools and universities. In 2016, Sabrina got her Real Estate license and joined Coldwell Banker Residential to assist clients with special accommodations and accessibility needs. She created Sabrina Cohen Living to further develop the need for more inclusive living spaces and building more inclusive communities by drawing attention to this important niche market.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-cohen-22a06819/

Dr. Desirée Cox, MD, PhD (https://www.desireecox.com) is a Rhodes Scholar, medical doctor, scientist, published author and thought-leader in regenerative medicine with 25+ years of experience in improving quality of life through creativity, stress reduction, resilience and advanced regenerative medicines and longevity technologies. She has earned degrees from McGill University (Canada), Oxford University (UK) and Cambridge University (UK). Dr. Desirée is CEO of the US-based R&D biotech company BioPep (https://www.biopep.com), CEO of the HEALinc Future Health Innovation Summits (now HEALinc360) (https://www.healincfuturehealthsummit.com and https://www.healinc360.com) and CEO of ArtRegen (https://www.artregen.com). Since 2015, she has focused on developing innovative platforms for accelerating global patient access to future health technologies, including spearheading the regulatory framework and protected ecosystem for translational medicine in The Bahamas for US sponsors/scientists seeking to offer safe access to regenerative medicines and longevity technologies to patients outside the US (OUS). 

A true polymath, Dr. Desirée, now based in New York and the Bahamas, has been recognized by the British Medical Journal as a “Renaissance Woman” for her application of psychological medicine to real world problems, and was honored by Pembroke College, Oxford University in 2017. She is also a leader in regenerative art, having been featured in over 25 exhibitions worldwide and in distinguished publications such as British Vogue and British House & Garden. In 2018, Dr. Desirée was an invited presenter at the prestigious 4th Annual Vatican Conference “Unite to Cure: A Global Healthcare Initiative,” alongside speakers such as Tony Robbins, Dr. Peter Diamandis, Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. In 2019, she was the recipient of the International Regenerative Medicine Action Award at the World Stem Cell Summit, held in Miami, Florida. Dr. Desirée has published numerous articles in academic journals and has been a guest lecturer at several respected universities and institutions, such as Oxford University, La Sorbonne University (Paris, France), and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In 2013, the Bahamas (Dr. Desirée’s place of birth) issued a 70-cent stamp into circulation bearing her photograph.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desireecoxgrandchallengeexpert/

Dr. Jyothi Devakumar is a scientist, entrepreneur and diehard longevity enthusiast. She holds a PhD in biotechnology and her postdoctoral work was in in-vivo delivery systems. She has worked in various sectors of the industry including working as a part of a contract research organization liaising with several ivy league pharma companies in the drug discovery space, as scientific founder and CSO of two startups, and as a consultant in the regenerative medicine and longevity space. Currently she is working for a venture fund, Prime Movers Lab, as Principal Biologist and Partner. She has served on several scientific advisory boards and editorial boards, and she combines scientific management experience with a multi-culture multi-country background.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jyothi-devakumar-683a86212/

William M. Remak is a former Medical Technologist from University of California, San Francisco and has a Masters’ of Science in Public Health Administration from San Francisco State University and a Masters in Clinical Science from UCSF. He is the founder/chairman and CEO of the California Hepatitis C Task Force and Chairman of the National Association of Hepatitis Task Forces. He is also a founding board member of the California Chronic Care Coalition in Sacramento, Ca., Executive Director of the National Working Group on Evidence Based Healthcare in Alexandria, Virginia. He serves on the community advisory board to the VA National Hepatitis C Program. He sits on the community advisory committee and is a former board commissioner of Partnership Health Plan of California. He is a voting member or the World Hepatitis Alliance that provides advocacy and patient engagement in the decision making process on viral hepatitis to the World Health Organization of the United Nations. He is a former board chairman of Impact House, a Transitional Housing Non-profit serving people in recovery and the homeless in Merced, California. He is also a founding board member and president of the FAIR Foundation, a national research advocacy organization seeking reforms in our nation’s organ transplant and NIH research policies. Bill is a core advocate for the political action as an ambassador for the Americans for Cures Foundation that led to the creation of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and sat on the task force that developed its operational strategy. He is a former panel reviewer for the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review’s California Technology Assessment Forum. As a cancer survivor, a two time liver transplant recipient and diabetic he is an ardent patient advocate for chronic diseases and advocate for clinical trials. He currently is senior advisor to the Global Immunization Action Network Team (which he founded) and a WHO partner. He is the recipient of these awards: 2001 Excellence in Community Outreach and Education- American Liver Foundation, 2013 Increasing the Awareness of Viral Hepatitis, 2016 National Health Pioneer Award – Georgia Doty Foundation, 2021 World Stem Cell Summit – Action in Education Award – Regenerative Medicine Foundation. Since 2015, Bill has been a preceptor for the University of San Francisco’s, School of Nursing and Health Professions for the Bachelor’s, Master’s internship programs in Public Health and also for several other prominent universities across the country. Bill is an active member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary in his 37th year. He has written numerous articles and is a well sought after international speaker on patient policy and advocacy issues.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-remak-111a85a/?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Alan L. Jakimo advises companies in the life science and information technology sectors. These companies range in size from start-up to multinational. In life science, he advises companies along a spectrum that includes both pharmaceuticals and medical devices. In the information technology sector, he has been involved in many transactions lying in that sector’s intersection with life science and health care, with growing attention on the application to life science and health care of various types of artificial intelligence. From 2017 through 2022, he served as an investment banker; and prior to that, he spent three decades as a partner at Sidley Austin LLP and one of its predecessors, where his practice covered a range of transaction-oriented disciplines, including securities and venture capital finance, mergers and acquisitions, collaborative development of novel technologies, licensing and intellectual property, and pharmaceutical and health care regulation. He has authored and co-authored several articles relating to stem cell-based regenerative medicine and served as director of the Regenerative Medicine Foundation, where he has played various roles in connection with the annual World Stem Cell Summit. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, where he teaches courses on health care and how law affects the discovery, development, and commercialization of regulated medical products.

Joseph Dawson has an almost twenty year career in communications, advertising and marketing working for both brands and agencies alike. Since 2013, he has held the role of Director of Communications for the Regenerative Medicine Foundation and its flagship event, the annual World Stem Cell Summit, in which he has overseen all communications, media relations, policy and sponsor support. His work has built an incredibly engaged and rapidly growing global audience that is among one of the field’s largest. Additionally, he is a noted advisor and brand consultant for a wide spectrum of companies looking to enhance their digital & social media presence, content strategies, visibility and more.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dawson-46b98b84/

Kevin McMahon is a website developer, graphic designer and multimedia producer for Healthspan Action Coalition.  Kevin is known for his development of visible and content-rich websites, and also his art direction and creative media campaigns. He has a passion for online publications, and loves new challenges related to working for organizations interested in providing education and helpful information about new technology and cutting edge medical innovation that improves everyone’s daily life. Over the past several years, he has helped in the publication and production of websites and video content for the Regenerative Medicine Foundation, the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the World Stem Cell Summit events.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lkmcmahon/