Our Story

Akiera (she/her) grew up surrounded by adults who had their own unresolved issues with food. When her obsession with food and her body grew stronger, she believed it couldn’t be an eating disorder — she just had a “little food problem” and could stop anytime she wanted to. Besides, at that time everyone "knew" that non-White people didn’t get eating disorders. It took longer a long time for her to acknowledge her eating disorders and find the right people who could help her heal her trauma in a way that made sense to her, and fit with her upbringing/culture. In 2021, she had met more BIPOC than she could count who were struggling with food and said “I don’t know where to get regular help from people that look like me” -- so she co-built that space. Akiera's career has spanned the gamut of social impact, and she brings experience as a facilitator, consultant, and in developing partnerships in the U.S. and abroad.

Angel Austin (she/her) is the Black, infinifat, and disabled founder of Sacred Space for Fat Bodies. She advocates for superfat and infinifat people, especially those who are Black, disabled, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, Latine, Indigenous, or any other people of color. She brings to Body Reborn a very specific perspective as an infinifat person who has struggled with severe weight stigma, oppression, and the disordered eating that occurred as a result. She's excited serve by representing others closer to her end of the fatness spectrum and helping them receive the support they need that is often severely lacking.

Dr. Jennie Wang-Hall is a licensed psychologist in California who has treated eating disorders at all levels of care since 2011. Jennie is passionate about community building and social justice education for providers looking to learn about liberatory care. Working in various treatment centers and teams with differing approaches, Dr. Wang-Hall has trained in a multitude of approaches and has witnessed the utility and futility of various modalities. These experiences have led her to an eclectic and client centered lens that facilitates empowerment and agency in ED recovery. Core to Dr. Wang-Hall’s approach is attunement to systems of oppression that manifest in both the development and treatment of eating disorders. She integrates attention to ableism, white supremacy, misogyny, cis heterosexism, capitalism, and settler colonialism in her care of individuals from all backgrounds struggling with eating disorders. Serving on the Board of Body Reborn is a profound privilege that represents Jennie's commitment to creating accessible, compassionate care for everyone.

Naomi Tapia (she/ella) is a bilingual, first-generation Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in California. She is passionate about self-compassion, self-acceptance, body image, and the Latinx community. Naomi presented on eating disorders amongst Latinas at the first annual BIPoC Eating Disorder Conference. Naomi is also a published contributor. Her writings can be found in books such as the American Counseling Association’s Counselor Self-Care book. Due to her many experiences with disordered eating, panic attacks, grief, suicidality, sexual assault and more. Naomi hopes to help destigmatize and make treatment accessible for all BIPoC folks.

Nia Patterson (they/them) is a mental health advocate, multi-entrepreneur, influencer, and business owner. They were drawn to serve on the board of Body Reborn because their missions both align with the work that Body Reborn is doing. Nia's experiences with an eating disorder throughout most of their life have left them in a place where most of the work they do seeks to help others with eating disorders recover into a more fulfilling and fun life. Nia sincerely hopes for legislative change in the form of eating disorder action that allows more people to receive equitable, covered treatment and care that is truly beneficial to each person. A cool fact about Nia is that they have a degree in biochemistry from Occidental College.

Patrilie Hernandez (they/she) identifies as a fat, multiracial, neuroatypical, queer femme of the Puerto Rican diaspora. They have worked in the health and nutrition sector as an educator, advocate, and policy analyst for over 14 years which has shaped their understanding of how the pursuit of "health" seamlessly intersects with the built environment, equity, and social justice. It wasn’t until they were diagnosed with an eating disorder in 2017 that they realized how much of their own disordered behaviors and thoughts around food, health, and bodies infiltrated all aspects of their personal life and career. Since then, Patrilie has focused on recovering and healing from their eating disorder, negative body image, and internalized oppression. Patrilie uses their own lived experiences and Body Liberation journey to disrupt the status quo of current health and wellness spaces, including advocating for a weight-inclusive paradigm that integrates social determinants of health that influence individual and community wellbeing. Combining their academic background in culinary arts, anthropology, nonprofit management, public health, and nutrition, Patrilie currently works as a consultant with health departments across the country on expanding nutrition security and health equity efforts statewide. They are also the founder and CEO of Embody Lib and partner with medical, and educational providers in applying weight-inclusive, multi-dimensional frameworks that play a part in reclaiming health and wellbeing for people of the global majority. In their spare time, they like to cook for others, tend to their herb garden and house plants, and look at the moon. Patrilie is spiritually eclectic and loves spending time with their husband and chihuahua.

Robin Thompson (she/her) is the Senior Director of Finance at Democracy Fund, an independent foundation working to ensure that our political system is able to withstand new challenges and deliver on its promise to the American people. As part of the Operations team, Robin supports Democracy Fund by overseeing and planning Democracy Fund’s financial resources. She is responsible for implementing and managing new, efficient systems for the growing and complex organization. Robin joined Democracy Fund in 2017, bringing an extensive background in financial management, auditing, compliance, and operations management. Prior to joining Democracy Fund, Robin worked at other nonprofit organizations managing their finance departments, preparing financial reports, developing and implementing budgets, streamlining processes, and implementing new systems. Robin holds bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Business Information Systems from Stevenson University, as well as the CPA designation in Maryland.