Our Team

Jesse (he/him/él), originally from Southern California, is a recent Boston College graduate with a BA in Political Science and a minor in International Studies with an overall thematic concentration in Ethics and International Social Justice. With local community non-profit work experience during his summers in his hometown, Jesse has worked on helping children and families enjoy resources addressing youth development, family wellness, MFT and counseling services. He is passionate about all things social justice, which includes healthcare reform and believes in the ability to unite and strengthen all patients in America by being able to connect with them via intercultural competence.

Audrey (she/her) has worked in advocacy communications for over five years, most recently at M+R, where she led earned media strategy for reproductive rights, criminal justice, housing, food advocacy, and humanitarian campaigns. She has also worked as an organizer for local, state, and federal campaigns across the country. Originally from the Bay Area, California, Audrey is a graduate of University of California Berkeley (Go Bears), where she double-majored in Sociology and Theater Performance studies. She is passionate about making health care accessible to all Americans, and believes in the power of uplifting patients’ voices in the news in order to influence legislation.

Merith’s commitment to health equity began nearly two decades ago working alongside young people living with type 1 diabetes in Ecuador. Her formative grassroots organizing combined with a master’s degree from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine motivated her to co-found the 100 Campaign in 2012, aimed at reframing the narrative around insulin access as a human rights issue and reducing the barriers to access.

Most recently, Merith served for eight years as executive director of Universities Allied for Essential Medicines in North America, an international, student-driven organization that seeks to improve access to and affordability of life-saving medicines researched and developed at universities. In March 2020, she launched the Free the Vaccine for COVID-19 campaign via UAEM and, in conjunction with the Center for Artistic Activism, to advocate for equitable access to COVID tests, treatments, and vaccines.

Merith is a connector, a movement-builder and a creative. She also serves on the Technical Advisory Committee of the ACCISS study addressing the Challenges and Constraints of Insulin Sources and Supply. She speaks French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Sarah (she/her) has six years of experience working as a registered nurse in community health and critical care nursing. She decided to enter health policy after seeing the many barriers encountered by her patients as they tried to access affordable health care. While studying health policy, Sarah became disturbed about the realities of the pharmaceutical industry and eager to make an impact on drug pricing policy.

Sarah received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from UNC Chapel Hill and her MPH in Health Policy from Harvard University.

Wendy is a seasoned operations professional in the health care sector with a primary focus in HR administration, lobbying compliance, and finance/budget tracking. Her experience includes five years as VP of Operations at the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO) and 10 years as Sr. Manager, State Government Affairs & Operations at CVS Health.

Danny Finley (he/him) works to recruit, grow, and organize the Patients for Affordable Drugs’ patient community. Before working for P4AD, Danny worked on several political campaigns as an organizer and spent a year in Brazil as an English Teaching Assistant through a Fulbright grant. His belief in the possibility of an equitable health care system where patients can afford the drugs they need brought him to P4AD and inspires his daily work. He is a graduate of Tulane University, where he studied Economics and Finance through the Altman Program in International Studies.

Emily (she/her) brings years of digital strategy experience to P4AD from her years working for political campaigns and consulting firms. As digital director, she works to elevate the fight for lower drug prices online and to mobilize the patient community through social media. Emily is passionate about stopping Big Pharma’s influence on elections and politics. 

Emily received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communication at American University in Washington, D.C. 

Natalie has worked in health care policy both at the state level and on Capitol Hill. She is excited to bring her combination of advocacy and legislative experience to the fight for lower drug prices. Natalie graduated from Swarthmore College with a degree in political science and history and is committed to increasing access to high-quality, affordable, equitable health care for all.

Fabiola Matos-Ruiz recruits, organizes, and grows our patient community by continuing ongoing conversations and building relationships with patient advocates. Before joining P4AD, Fabiola was finishing her master’s degree in public administration at Northeastern University, where she was awarded an Excellence Scholarship Award and was a CAP Fellow during the Summer of 2022. She believes that everyone should have access to an equitable and affordable healthcare system in which patients are able to afford their prescriptions without having to decide between paying their bills or paying for the drugs that keep them alive. Fabiola grew up in Puerto Rico and has been passionate about helping the community and advocating for those whose language might represent a barrier when obtaining services and amplifying their voices. Now through P4AD, she will be able to carry her Latino roots to DC and help incorporate more of the Latino community in P4AD.  

Ian (he/him) is interested in creating equitable change through storytelling and lifting up marginalized voices. Before coming to P4AD, Ian worked as a field organizer in rural North Carolina for the 2020 election and interned at The Hub Project, working on healthcare and tax justice campaigns. He is a graduate of UNC Charlotte, where he studied English and Political Science.