Twill's CEO Honored in Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Crain's New York Business Award 25 "Whole Health Heroes"

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As part of its mission to materially and measurably improve the health of all New Yorkers, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, in partnership with Crain’s New York Business, is pleased to announce the 25 honorees of the 2022 Empire “Whole Health Heroes” Awards. Empire and Crain’s created this program to honor and celebrate individuals who are committed to the whole health of New Yorkers. This year’s awards focus on recognizing those who are committed to innovation and leadership.

“We have more than 85 years of history working with New Yorkers, and during those years, we have seen many reinventions in this incredible city,” said Alan J. Murray, President & CEO of Empire BlueCross BlueShield. “This year’s winners represent New Yorkers who have embraced the spirit of reinvention, contributing to our communities with innovation and leadership. These honorees exemplify how New Yorkers are collaborating in ways that align with our mission, and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue to honor this excellent work.”

Frederick P. Gabriel, Publisher and Executive Editor of Crain’s New York Business, said, “The individuals we’re recognizing are what make New York the world capital of innovation and we’re excited to be able to honor them for their efforts.”

The awards honor leaders who are:

• Leading the innovation of a drug or medical treatment, new testing procedure and the like. This covers, but is not limited to, an innovation as it related to asthma, cancer, or diabetes treatments, as well as the heart health of New Yorkers.
• Establishing and implementing employee wellness strategies within their organization to promote mental and overall health.
• Demonstrating a passion in using their influence to advance financial health within their community or for the benefit of New York’s underserved communities. This could include offering financial wellness programs to help individuals take control of their finances, reduce financial anxiety, and set them on the path to better health.
• Using their influence to advance social health within their organization and broader community. This could include a nominee’s charitable or philanthropic work, company sustainability efforts and the like.

The 25 honorees, listed in alphabetical order, are as follows:

1. Leonard Achan, President and CEO, LiveOnNY
2. Ivelyse Andino, Founder and CEO, Radical Health
3. Tomer Ben-Kiki, Co-founder and CEO, Twill
4. Ramona Cedeno, CEO of FiBrick & Author of Simple Choices Big Rewards in Money
5. Christine Colligan, President, Korean-American Parents Association of Greater New York
6. Marco Damiani, CEO, AHRC New York City
7. Ross Ellis, Founder and CEO, STOMP Out Bullying
8. Carley Graham Garcia, Head of External Affairs, Amazon / New York City
9. Zachariah Hennessey, Executive Vice President / Chief Strategy Officer, Public Health Solutions
10. Jill Johnson, CEO and Co-founder, Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership
11. Shaba R. Keys, Associate Vice President / Strategic Initiatives, Columbia University
12. Josh Klein, CEO, Emerest, Royal Care, the U@PERKS Program
13. Sallie Krawcheck, Founder and CEO, Ellevest
14. Herrick Lipton, CEO, New Horizon Counseling Center
15. Christine McMahon, CEO, The Fedcap Group
16. Mark L. Meridy, Executive Director, DOROT
17. Dr. Richard Park, CEO, Rendr / Co-founder, Ascend Capital Partners / Founder and former CEO, CityMD
18. Pedro Rodriguez, Founder and Executive Director, La Jornada
19. Angel Santini, Vice President of Special Projects, Events, Marketing and Public Relations, Acacia Network
20. Suchi Saria, CEO, Bayesian Health
21. Aaron Shiffman, Founding Executive Director, Brooklyn Workforce Innovations
22. Ellyn Shook, Chief Leadership and Human Resources Officer, Accenture
23. Shabazz Stuart, Founder and CEO, Oonee
24. Freeman Su, Executive Director of Northeast Region, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
25. Eileen Torres, Executive Director, BronxWorks

All honorees will receive a crystal award to commemorate their selection on this list and will be featured in a print and digital section in Crain’s New York Business and on https://www.crainsnewyork.com/empire2022, published on November 7, 2022.

Crain’s New York Business will also honor these individuals and their organizations at an in-person celebratory luncheon on November 10, 2022, at 12 p.m. ET, at Manhattan Manor, which will feature opening remarks by Victor DeStefano, General Manager of NY Commercial at Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Frederick P. Gabriel, Publisher and Executive Editor at Crain’s New York Business. The event will also feature a keynote address by Alan J. Murray, President & CEO, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, as well as a panel moderated by Victor DeStefano with three of the Whole Health Heroes: Leonard Achan, President and CEO, LiveOnNY; Ramona Cedeno, CEO of FiBrick; and, Suchi Saria, CEO, Bayesian Health. The panel will focus on the impact of connections to New York City, supporting and re-energizing our city, and will also delve into each honoree’s involvement in benefiting their communities.

The Crain’s New York Business newsroom did not participate in the judging or selection of the honorees.

About Empire BlueCross BlueShield in New York

Serving New Yorkers for more than 85 years, Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) is on a mission to materially and measurably improve the health of New Yorkers. Empire is the largest health insurer in New York supporting more than four million members and more than 38,000 business, union and small employers in New York. Empire is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc., independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serving residents and businesses in the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York State. Additional information about Empire is available at www.empireblue.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at @empirebcbs and on LinkedIn.

About Crain’s New York Business

Crain's New York Business provides news, information, analysis and connections on all facets of New York through the prism of business. Through its daily news coverage on crainsnewyork.com, its weekly coverage in print, its newsmaker forums and topical events that bring together the city's diverse business communities, Crain's New York Business is the leading source of information on the New York economy, the companies, industries and institutions that operate here and the entrepreneurs and innovators who drive the city's growth.