Advance Health Equity Around the World

Harvey is a retired NBA player after 11 years playing for both the Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers. He comes from a basketball family; his twin brother Horace Grant is a four-time champion with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers and his son Jerami Grant currently plays for the Denver Nuggets. Harvey is now focusing his investments on healthcare, and wishes to use his platform and network to support The Body Agency Collective and girls health issues.

Debra Messing is an Emmy award-winning actress, producer, social justice and human rights advocate. She is the cohost of an activism focused podcast called “The Dissenters.” Debra Messing is best known for her Emmy & SAG Award winning role as “Grace Adler” on NBC’s Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated comedy series “Will & Grace.” Film credits include the award winning “Searching,” “Along Came Polly,” “The Wedding Date” “Nothing Like The Holidays,” “The Women,” and most recently, “The Dark Divide.” Messing was honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, The Women In Film’s Lucy Award, The Gracie Allen Award, American Comedy Award, among 50 nominations. Messing is the Global Health Ambassador for PSI focusing on HIV/AIDS. She has traveled extensively in Africa in this role and testified before the House Foreign Affairs sub-committee on Africa and Global Health and spoke at the International AIDS conference. Messing supports HRC (Human Rights Campaign), Times Up, Everytown for Gun Safety, Mom’s Demand Act, the ACLU, ERA Coalition, The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Marley’s Mutts among many other organizations. Messing has been honored by the HRC for being one of the world’s greatest supporters to the LGBTQ+ community both on screen and off screen, and by The Trevor Project with The Trevor Life Award for her contributions to the LGBTQ+ community. Messing is also a founding member of The nonpartisan civic engagement organization i am a voter.

Amita is an Associate Professor and Director of the Maternal and Child Health Program in the Department of Prevention and Community Health, at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. At the age of 20, Professor Vyas journeyed to Calcutta to work alongside Mother Teresa in the Missionaries of Charity. She saw what the social determinants of health and well-being really mean to vulnerable populations, and from that extraordinary experience decided to pursue a career in public health. Today, her work focuses on reproductive health care, adolescent health, and the health and development of immigrant children and adolescents. She is also an expert in multi-level research methods and evaluation. She also holds an adjunct position in the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Tonya is the Executive Director of the Global Access to Cancer Care Foundation (GACCF). The foundation supports the global fight against cancer by partnering with clinicians and Universities to provide critical technology, education and training in low to middle income countries in Asia, Africa, India, and South America to treat victims who currently don’t have access to adequate care.

Tonya comes to GACCF from AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, where she served as Director of Strategic Partnerships overseeing revenue generation and strategy for the organization’s conferences and educational events. In her role, Tonya leads efforts to build lasting relationships with key supporters, identify and recruit new sponsors and funding sources, manage sales and revenue as well as strategic planning for future growth.

Prior to her time at AdvaMed, Tonya served as the Director of Sales for HR Tech software in New York City and Director of Customer Services at DEI, an online education company. After receiving B.A. in Communications and Business Tonya has continued to stay active in the University of Colorado (CU) Soccer and Crew sports programs. She still is currently rowing, coaching and playing for nationally recognized clubs.

She has lived and worked around the world supporting innovative technologies for health and child welfare. She has held numerous leadership and mentorship positions both locally and internationally for health, wellness and youth charities such as Boys and Girls Club, Volunteers of America, Youth at Risk, Grass Roots Soccer and Special Olympics programs.

Tonya is a dynamic leader, who is passionate about reducing the education gaps in radiation therapy and increasing resources to provide effective treatment solutions that will impact all cancer patients and reduce the global cancer burden.