Building What's Next: The Health Equity Engine
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Join AfroTech™ for Building What's Next: The Health Equity Engine. Let's explore the most important conversation today: the connection between health equity and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Technology is rapidly transforming healthcare, and everyone should benefit. This isn't just about code – it's about power, access, and ensuring AI helps us remove barriers to health. Come learn how to innovate and lead, not just to keep pace.
Join us for the Power Hour Reception, starting at 6 PM, and stay for the exclusive first look at the ACE Your Health AI Task Force White Paper. Followed by the "Ask A Doc" segment, where you will hear from the lead author on the Paper, Dr. Craig Watkins, and ask healthcare innovators, Dr. Chris Gibbons, CEO of The Greystone Group, Ashlee Wisdom, founder and CEO of Health in Her Hue, and Dr. Chetan Karyekar, Global Medical Head, Next Gen Immunology at Sanofi, how best to engage with AI in patient care.
Join the Discussion
This is your chance to stop wondering and start mapping out solutions! Bring your questions – big or small – about how you can use AI to feel more empowered and in control of your healthcare journey. Whether you're a tech founder, provider, or someone who cares about their well-being, this program is your guide to building a healthier, more equitable future, together.
Meet Our Speakers
Derrick Johnson
President and CEO, NAACP
Derrick Johnson serves as the 19th president and CEO of the NAACP, a role he has held since October 2017. With a long history of leadership within the NAACP, including vice chairman of the National Board of Directors and president of the Mississippi State Conference, he has been instrumental in guiding the Association through a period of reinvigoration and transformation.
Under Johnson's leadership, the NAACP has taken on numerous impactful initiatives to advance racial justice, expose systemic inequities, and amplify the organization's advocacy for Black communities across the nation. Most recently, he spearheaded the launch of NAACP Capital, a fund of funds aligned with the NAACP's mission of achieving equity, political rights, and social inclusion for Black people and all persons of color. In 2020, Johnson led the "We Are Done Dying" Campaign, which exposed systemic inequities in American healthcare and beyond, further amplifying the NAACP's advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also oversaw the Jamestown to Jamestown Partnership in 2019, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in America.
As the Biden Administration came into office in 2021, Johnson led the charge in calling for a Cabinet-level position dedicated to advancing the nation's issue of racial justice. His efforts culminated in President Biden signing an Executive Order to eliminate systemic racial barriers, ensuring federal policies are rooted in equity.
Dr. Chris Pernell
Director, Center for Health Equity, NAACP
Dr. Chris T. Pernell is a dynamic physician leader and social change agent. In her practice, she focuses on health justice, community-based advocacy, and population-wide health promotion and disease prevention. A celebrated visionary and apostle of public health, Dr. Chris serves as the Director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity. The Center is charged with driving equitable health outcomes and transforming healthcare systems while valuing the whole person.
Prior to joining the nation's oldest and most venerable civil rights organization, she launched The Esther Group, a public health consulting and health equity strategy firm. As founder of The Esther Group, she lives the mandate to dare a future where organizations, communities and systems can innovate for a better world and humanity.
Previously, she served as the first Chief Strategic Integration and Health Equity Officer at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, and led the 1199SEIU Labor Management Project Workplace and Community Health Program.
Dr. Pernell is a fellow and Regent-at-Large for the American College of Preventive Medicine.
Tanisha M. Sullivan, J.D., M.B.A.
Head of External Engagement & Health Equity Strategy, Sanofi
Ms. Sullivan is an award-winning civic, legal and business leader with decades of experience working in and with the life sciences companies. As Head of External Engagement and Health Equity Strategy for Sanofi Ms. Sullivan's portfolio includes US health equity strategy, executive engagement and government relations.
Committed to public service, from 2013- 2015, Ms. Sullivan served in a cabinet level position with the Boston Public Schools as its inaugural Chief Equity Officer. Ms. Sullivan is the President of NAACP New England Area conference.
In addition, she serves as chair of Governor Maura Healey's Advisory Council on Black Empowerment and as a member of the Boston College Law School Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy Advisory Board. She received several business and civic recognitions, including the BBJ 40 Under 40, Power 50, 100 Most Influential Leaders in Boston and BC Law Alumna of the Year.
Dr. Craig Watkins
Ernest A. Sharpe Centennial Professor, Executive Director of the IC2 Institute, University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Watkins's research focuses on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. Craig is one of the Principal Investigators for UT Austin's Good Systems Grand Challenge, a University funded initiative that supports multi-disciplinary explorations of the technical, social, and ethical implications of artificial intelligence. Craig's team explores the societal implications of artificial intelligence, focusing on how implicit biases, for example, in datasets, model formulation, and deployment can lead to disparate impacts, especially in high stakes contexts like healthcare.
As the Director of the IC2 Institute, Craig leads a dynamic Health AI initiative that has: developed models to explore the impact of social determinants of health on mental health outcomes; surveyed safety-net healthcare providers to assess their views regarding the promises and perils of deploying AI in rural and other underserved populations; convened clinicians, researchers, government officials, and community leaders to address Health AI; and collaborated with the Dell Medical School to design more ethical and responsible AI systems in pediatric medicine, oncology, and rural healthcare.
Dr. Chetan Karyekar
Global Medical Head, Next Gen Immunology, Sanofi
Dr. Chetan Karyekar is a seasoned medical leader with over two decades of experience spanning Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, and translational science across immunology, rheumatology, and metabolic diseases. Known for his strategic vision and scientific depth, he has led global teams in advancing breakthrough therapies from early development through launch, with a consistent focus on improving patient outcomes and health equity.
At Sanofi, Chetan leads the Next Gen Immunology Medical team, shaping strategy across early- and late-phase assets and partnering across R&D, regulatory, and commercial functions. He also drives collaboration models that connect patients and payers to the development of novel therapies. He is committed to making Sanofi a scientific powerhouse for patients with immune-mediated diseases, strengthening capabilities in Dermatology and Pulmonology while expanding into Rheumatology and
Gastroenterology.
Prior to joining Sanofi, Chetan served as Vice President of Late Development, Immunology at Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), where he led clinical development for rheumatology and rare diseases. He also co-chaired Janssen's Race to Health Equity initiative, fostering inclusive clinical research and community partnerships.
Ashlee Wisdom
Founder and CEO, Health in Her Hue
Ashlee Wisdom is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Health In Her HUE, the premier digital health platform aimed at reducing racial health disparities by leveraging the power of technology, media, and community to improve health outcomes for Black women and women of color.
Wisdom holds over a decade of experience working across the healthcare industry at companies such as Weill Cornell Medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals, and Junto Health. Her previous roles span grants management, clinical research and consulting strategic healthcare investors.
As a public health innovator and an advocate for equitable access to quality care, Ashlee has successfully raised over $4 million in venture capital funding to advance Health In Her HUE's mission.
Ashlee currently serves on the boards of Peer Health Exchange and We Are ILL. Her impact in the field has been widely recognized; she was named an Aspen Institute Healthy Communities Fellow in 2022, received the First in FemTech Award by FemTech Focus, and was honored as a Top 50 in Digital Health by Rock Health in 2021. Ashlee's thought leadership has been featured on Good Morning America, CBS News, ESSENCE, EBONY, Business Insider, Forbes, Vogue, among others, and she has shared her insights on health equity in a TEDx talk.
Dr. Chris Gibbons
CEO, The Greystone Group, Inc.
Dr. Gibbons is a digital health innovator, entrepreneur, physician and scientist. His career has been dedicated to solving some of life's most challenging health problems including improving health among underserved populations and using digital technologies to improve health beyond the walls of the hospital. He is the Founder and CEO of The Greystone Group, a digital health innovation and healthcare transformation firm. Greystone is a thought leader in the application of technology to improve health. Through its team of Johns Hopkins-trained experts are constantly exploring new ways to leverage digital technologies to address the challenges facing the health sector. Dr. Gibbons is also a visiting Professor at Duke University School of Medicine.
Dr. Gibbons is an advisor to global health interests, particularly in the Caribbean and on the continent of Africa.
Previously, he served as the Associate Director of the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute and the Chief Health Innovation Advisor at the Federal Communications Commission's Connect2Health Task Force.
Shevann Steuben
Houston NAACP 1st Vice President & Member of National Board of Directors
Shevann Steuben is a dynamic leader, dedicated advocate, and proud native of San Francisco, California. She is an alumna of Baylor University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communication Studies, and she is currently pursuing her MBA at Hampton University, further honing her strategic and leadership skills.
Shevann's commitment to civic engagement and social justice is deeply rooted in her involvement with the NAACP. She currently serves on the NAACP National Board of Directors, is the 1st Vice President of the NAACP Houston Branch, and is the Advisor of the Texas NAACP Youth & College Division. She was honored as the 2024 & 2025 State Advisor of the Year by the NAACP Youth & College Division.
Professionally, Shevann is a Management Consultant specializing in change management and learning. She is also the founder of B RARE Consulting, which provides expertise in marketing, communications, leadership, organizational effectiveness, and organizational development.
Stephen Williams
Houston NAACP Health Committee Chair
Stephen Williams is NAACP's Houston Chapter's Health Committee Chair and longstanding NAACP Member. Stephen is also the former Director for the Houston Health Department (HHD). Prior to serving as the Health Director in Houston, Mr. Williams also served as Administrator of Public Health and Deputy Director of Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department and Executive Manager, Travis County Health Human Services and Veterans Services.
He received his Masters in Public Administration from Baruch College, City University New York, Masters of Education from the Auburn University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Social Work from Huntingdon College. He also serves on several boards of community, professional, and civil rights organizations. He is a past president of the Texas Association of Local Health Officials.
Dr. Tony Price
Senior Fellow, Center for Health Equity
Tony serves as the Senior Fellow within the Center for Health Equity at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, where he leads national initiatives aimed at eliminating health disparities and advancing health equity. In this role, Tony provides strategic leadership on key projects and leverages his expertise in chronic disease prevention, exercise, and physical activity to support healthier outcomes in
historically underserved communities.
Prior to joining the NAACP, Tony was a Senior Research Associate at the Georgia Health Policy Center, where he served as the Technical Assistance Lead for projects supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. There, he provided guidance to rural communities across the U.S. to enhance capacity and improve health outcomes through innovative, community-centered approaches.
Tony is passionate about collaboration and connection, often acting as a bridge between partners and resources to maximize impact. He currently serves as a member of the Georgia State University Alumni Association Board of Directors and as the Strategic Advisor - Mission Delivery and member on the national Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the Arthritis Foundation. He is also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), committed to advancing accessible and inclusive health education.
Dr. Tony Price is a recent recipient of the de Beaumont Foundation's 2025 40 Under 40 award.