World Food Day 2020 Fireside Chat
Panel Biographies
Dr. Dexter W. Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM, DipABLM
Dr. Shurney is the President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He is also Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs for Zipongo, a San Francisco-based digital health and wellness company that focuses on enabling healthy eating – Healthy Eating, Made Simple”. He is the former Chief Medical Director / Executive Director for Global Health Benefits and Corporate Wellness for Cummins, Inc. Prior to Cummins, Dr. Shurney was Chief Medical Officer of the Employee Health Plan for Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, and held joint faculty appointments as Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Internal Medicine and Public Health, and Adjunct Faculty, Owens Graduate School of Management. Other positions that Dr. Shurney has held include Senior Health Policy Strategist in the Division of Government Affairs for the biotechnology company Amgen Inc., and Chief Medical Officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Additionally, he served as the Chair of the Tennessee Diabetes Prevention and Health Improvement Board, appointed by Governor Phil Bredesen; and was Chair of the Business Strategies Committee for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP).
Dr. Shurney is co-author of the book “Integrating Wellness into Your Disease Management Programs”
A graduate of Loma Linda University, and Howard University College of Medicine, Dr. Shurney is board-certified in both preventive medicine and lifestyle medicine.
Michael Dovbish
Mike serves as Executive Director of Nutrition Capital Network, providing strategic guidance and preparing participating companies for NCN Investor Conferences. Since NCN’s inception in 2007, Mike has worked with presenting companies on their business plans, pitch presentations and overall strategy to best position them for growth and investment. He also identifies and introduces potential investors and strategic partners to companies before, during and after the investor meetings. He has worked with entrepreneurs on their business strategy, capital raising, market opportunity assessment, value proposition and partnership development.
He received a BA degree in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine and an MBA from Boston University.
Dr. Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Arti Prasad MD, is the Chief and Scott F. Davies endowed Chair of Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She practices Integrative Medicine at the Oncology Clinic at Hennepin Healthcare Cancer Center. Dr Prasad is a Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota and holds an adjunct clinical professorship at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona. She graduated from this program in November 2003 as an Associate Fellow under the direction of Dr. Andrew Weil. Dr. Prasad has continually demonstrated excellent leadership skills when she was at the University of New Mexico which in part resulted in her being nominated and accepted into the prestigious Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women. She graduated from this program in April 2005. Under her able leadership, UNM HSC is now a member of the national Consortium of the Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine (CAHCIM). Dr. Prasad grew up in India, has a lifetime of experience with Natural, Ayurvedic, and Integrative medicine, and practices compassion based holistic and Integrative medicine. She has received Certificates of Appreciation for community services rendered at Eye Camps and during the Union Carbide Gas Leakage Tragedy of 1984, Bhopal, India.
Dr. Prasad has received high recognition by her peers during her medical career, including the Dean’s Award of Distinction for Outstanding Faculty Performance. She is involved in medical education, faculty development, and CME. She chairs the Biennial Symposium called SIMPLE (Symposium of Integrative Medicine Professionals in the Land of Enchantment) at UNM. In March 2010, she was awarded a grant from the Weil Foundation to create the nation’s first Integrative Medicine Track for the Internal Medicine Residency program at UNM. She has been listed among the top 100 doctors of Albuquerque by the Albuquerque magazine in years 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. In November 2009, Dr. Prasad was honored by Albuquerque Journal’s SAGE Magazine as one of the 20 women in New Mexico for their accomplishments within the past two decades. In April 2010, she will represent UNM as the selected national delegate for the annual convention of the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP). In May 2010, Dr. Prasad will be awarded the UNM’s Paul Bartlett Re Peace Prize for which she was the “winner alternate” in 2007. Also in May 2010, she was selected as one of 102 women nationwide to represent New Mexico for a national movement called “Vision 2020 – Women in Leadership.”
Adam G. Southam
Adam is Founder/Chairman of GoNo Food Finder Health. He is a broad-based strategic thinker with more than 30 years of leadership, innovation, strategy, invention, business start-up, branding and marketing excellence. He has conceived several patented and patent-pending inventions related to health, fitness, functional and preventative medicine, broadcast media, ecommerce and distribution channel management. His most important invention is his patented Efficacy Engine — a solution for practitioners, patients and people-at-large to use in determining what ingredients are efficacious in the prevention or treatment of disease or the pursuit of fitness or wellness goals. The Efficacy Engine utilizes peer-reviewed clinical studies to deliver its results
He consults with companies internationally and holds positions on several Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards. Southam is engaged to speak at conferences, trade shows, colleges and universities on topics of innovation, branding, patent prosecution & defense, business and channel management. Adam is an exercise fanatic, avid downhill skier, mountain biker and former equestrian. He has a long history of leading charitable events and fundraising initiatives. He is passionate about dance, ballet, theatre, and artistry. His charitable passions are leadership, youth, and wellness. Southam credits his success to countless mentors and advisors and looks to give back and pay forward in mentoring and advising others.