Founding Chair

Prof. Gerry Bodeker, PhD, Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; & Dept. of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York,  United States.  Public Health Academic & Clinical Psychologist

Professor Gerry Bodeker, whose doctoral studies were at Harvard, researches and advises on integrative medicine and wellness. He has researched and taught in medical sciences at Oxford for two decades, and is adjunct professor of epidemiology at Columbia University. He works with the private sector, governments and UN organizations, including WHO and the Asian Development Bank, advising on culturally themed wellness policy and strategies. He has published six books and recently co-authored a chapter on Wellbeing and Mental Wellness in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Global Public Health as well as a chapter on the health of indigenous peoples.

Initiative Co-Chair

Alina Hernandez, Organizational Advisor, Germany

Alina Hernandez is an award-winning Wellness program designer, Mayo Clinic trained Health & Wellness coach, author, and industry innovator. Her unique knowledgebase, including Translational Medicine/Science, the Wisdom Healing traditions, and Psychological Stage Development Theories, provides her with a unique lens of Wellness, from an Integral Theory perspective. She is an Advisory Board member of the Gharieni Group, and Co-Chair of the First 1000 Days of Wellness Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute.

Lynne Brick

President, PF Growth Partners LLC, John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, United States

Lynne Brick, BSN, MA, is co-founder of Planet Fitness Growth Partners, operating 75 health clubs throughout the US and Australia. Co-founder of the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, she sits on the board of advisors for Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Lynne’s an international fitness celebrity and has been featured in dozens of exercise videos. She’s the 1990 IDEA Health and Fitness Association Instructor of the Year..

Victor Brick

Co-Founder & CEO, Planet Fitness Growth Partners; Founder, John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, United States

C. Victor Brick, M.Ed., is the co-founder/CEO of Planet Fitness Growth Partners, operating health clubs across the US and Australia. He is the founder of the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation whose mission is to change the way the world treats mental health by integrating holistic approaches into the mental health care delivery system. The Foundation’s big initiative in 2020 was the Never Alone Summit, done on-line with the Deepak Chopra Never Alone Foundation, to combat the mental health effects of the COVID pandemic. Victor sits on the Advisory Board of the Global Wellness Summit and the Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and, with his wife Lynne, was the 2020 recipient of the Global Wellness Summit Debra Simon Award for Leader in Furthering Mental Wellness.

Laura Gamboa

Natura Bisse/Lynne Brick, MA, John W Brick Foundation

Laura Gamboa is the global education and Spa development director for Natura Bissé, with deep passion and understanding for the Spa & Wellness industries, with over 25 years of international experience in these fields. She works in close collaboration with Innovation, Research and Development and she is part of the core team that creates and develops products, treatments, and concepts for Spa & Retail for the company, including the creation of tools that are needed for a successful implementation in the markets where the brand is present.

Fifi Kao

Director & Editor-in-Chief, SpaChina Magazine, China

Fifi was born in Shanghai and joined SinoMedia in 1999 after studying psychology and graphic design in Tokyo. She rose from designer to become Editor-in-Chief of SpaChina Magazine, which this year celebrates its 14th anniversary. As the opinion leader of China’s spa industry, she hosts the annual SpaChina Summit and Awards and publishes industry reports. She has established WellBridge Academy as a training and recruitment platform for the China spa industry. In 2009, Fifi won the Most Creative Woman Director award from China Sorority. In her spare time, she practices Tai Chi and studies Traditional Chinese Medicine. She won silver medals at the Hong Kong International Wushu Festival in 2008 and 2009. Fifi is an international nutrition consultant with IARI (International Accreditation and Registration Institute) and is fluent in English and Japanese. In 2005, she wrote and illustrated a children’s book, and now she is a mother of two children.

Vivienne O’Keeffe

President, Spa Profits Consulting Inc., Canada

Spa and wellness consultant Vivienne O’Keeffe specializes in developing and growing unique concepts for clients throughout Canada. As owner of the boutique agency Spa Profits Consulting, Vivienne curates guest experiences, journeys and develops clean conscious skincare with a focus on the key pillars of wellness and sustainability. In 2020, Vivienne opened Tofino Hummingbird Cottage, an intentionally designed vacation retreat for clients craving respite or sabbatical. Vivienne is a three-time recipient of the Leading Spas of Canada Outstanding Achievement Award and an author at Spa Canada, Spa Inc. and other professional publications.

Dr. Donna Volpitta

Founder & Education Director, Pathways to Empower, United States

As Founder and Education Director of Pathways to Empower, Donna Volpitta, Ed.D. makes the brain science of resilience and mental health easy to understand and apply. Her Resilient Mindset Model, which draws on the latest research in neuroscience, psychology and education, has been applied to areas of leadership from parenting to corporate management. Donna is co-author of the book The Resilience Formula: A Guide to Proactive–Not Reactive-Parenting, author of Neuroworld: A Guide for Teaching the Brain Science of Resilience, and co-creator of the Nametags Education Program. Donna holds Advisory Board positions for One Revolution Foundation and Kids Helping Kids, both of which develop resilience in youth. She is a Global Presence Ambassador for Parenting 2.0 and a member of the Character Collaborative. She is an expert contributor for Understood.org and a frequent presenter at professional conferences.