Michelle King Robson

Kristin Davis

Todd Hartley

Kelley Howard

Joanna LeBlang

Alan McCann

Tina Tran

Michelle King Robson

Background

Michelle is the founder and President of EmpowHer.com and is committed to helping American women have access to the most current, leading edge health information they need to make the wisest choices for their health and the health of their families. The national outreach program on the agenda for the company will be one of the most ambitious and creative efforts ever seen in the United States.

She is an active philanthropist and community volunteer whose work on various women’s and children’s causes as well as the arts has earned her numerous civic awards and citations.

HerStory

Following a complete hysterectomy, Michelle was transformed from a highly active woman to being unable to function. She saw multiple doctors and took 9 different medications before finally getting the help she needed.

The lack of information and resources on women's health led Michelle to create www.EmpowHer.com, an innovative social networking web site for women focused on health.

Ultimately, Michelle's long-term goal is to reach out to every single woman around the globe, stop their silent suffering, and give all women a voice.

“It's one woman at a time. Women are going to change our health care and I want to help lead that change.” Michelle King Robson

Most Embarrassing Moment

Several years ago, I was working for a company called BFI in San Jose, Calif. That morning, while I was getting ready and in a hurry, a button popped off my skirt. There was no zipper, so I pinned the skirt and ran out the door. When I got out of the car that morning in front of the 20-story building, my skirt came undone -- and I’ll never forget standing there with my pantyhose, my jacket and no skirt.

Kristin Davis

Background

Kristin Davis joined EmpowHer after several years of working as a prolific print reporter for The Arizona Republic, one of the largest metropolitan daily newspapers in the country. She also hosted a political talk show for cable television and worked for numerous corporations in high-profile strategic positions.

HerStory

When I suffered from postpartum depression, I kept insisting that I wasn't depressed. My vision of a depressed woman consisted of lots of weeping, general moping around, hand-wringing, etc. Not a woman who was overcome by nausea a hundred times worse than any morning sickness and vomiting violently when not on the toilet with diarrhea. I was a gastrointestinal specialist's fantasy. And after I was sent to a G.I. specialist, I went through the ringer: had an endoscopy, a colonoscopy,
tests involving dozens of stool samples (so here I felt like total crap and got to mess with it too!), and many, many other pokes and prods. All the while, I couldn't care for my two babies, couldn't even function, much less get out of bed to brush my teeth, and was hospitalized twice for several days at a time for dehydration.

Three months after all this G.I. fun, my G.I. specialist reported that there was no intestinal cancer, and that I should go home, get over it, enjoy my babies and have a nice life.

It was when all seemed lost, when suicide actually seemed the best option that a nurse reached out to me and told me to read Postpartum Survival Guide by Ann Dunnewold. The book saved my life and directed me to the help I needed to get my life back.

Most Embarrassing Moment

Even the sight of a roller coaster makes me queasy. Once, while at an amusement park with a group of friends, including a cute guy I was trying to impress, I went on a spinning tea cup ride and proceeded to get sick. But even more horrifying was the fact that the contents of my stomach flew in the air and smacked my friends in their faces.

Todd Hartley

Background

Todd leads EmpowHer’s Marketing, News & Community. Prior to joining the team he led internet projects for Donald Trump, Rush Limbaugh, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rick Dees and Jim Rome. He also hosted a popular talk show on two for the top stations in Phoenix, Arizona. Utilizing his Internet marketing secrets and without ever paying for a dollar's worth of advertising, Todd has grown his site, PHXnews.com to 3 million hits per month.

HisStory

My grandparents were married for 62 years and were like parents to me. I was very close to them. Three years ago my grandmother passed away on a Thursday morning and I spent the following two nights sleeping next to my grandfather in bed. Until the moment he went into cardiac arrest while laying next to me, I had never advocated for anyone’s health before. I had no place to turn for answers, except the internet.

I’ve got mostly women in my life. My work is dedicated to them and all the other women who keep us health, happy and alive.

Most Embarrassing Moment

When I was in my final semester before graduation at the University of Arizona, I had a teacher that truly didn’t like me. I know; imagine that! Well, I was working at a restaurant in the evenings and my beloved teacher came in with her husband. Not being one to miss opportunities to impress, I walked up to the table and said, “It looks like everyone’s got wonderful things to eat.”

That's when I noticed my teacher's top was open and she was breast feeding.

Imagine that!

Kelley Howard

Background

Kelley has over 26 years of media sales experience, which spans radio, television, newspaper, and includes 10 years of online sales. Kelley most recently started the national online sales department at azcentral.com, which is owned by Gannett. While at azcentral.com, she drove significant national revenue and also developed business in new categories that had not typically advertised online with local newspaper sites, such as movie studios and telecommunications. Upon leaving azcentral.com to join EmpowHer, azcentral.com’s national department was one of the top revenue producing sites for national business among all Gannett local newspaper web sites in the country.

I had been overweight most of my life. At age 41, I decided to stop the insanity of life long yo-yo dieting and pursue a more long-term solution to my weight problem, which was to seek out a doctor to perform weight loss lap band surgery.

I spent hours online pouring over hundreds of web pages about the procedure as well as trying to find a reputable doctor. I spent lot of time within an online community called Yahoo Bandsters which was made up of like-minded women who had either had the procedure or were getting ready to select a doctor to have it done. Although Yahoo Bandsters was extremely cumbersome in the way it was set up, it was an invaluable tool to talk with other women about their experiences with doctors who were performing this procedure. It took me over two months of research online, and during those two months I developed online friendships with many other women who were scheduled to get their lap-bands put in on by the same doctor.

I ended up loosing a little over 100 lbs over a year and a half. When Michelle King Robson had approached me about joining EmpowHer.com, based on my past health-related experiences I jumped at the opportunity to join a company that is committed to improving access to care for all women.

Fifteen years ago I was an Account Executive at a leading news talk radio station where the Governor of Arizona, (at the time Fife Symington) came once a month for his monthly radio show. When the Governor came to the station he traveled with an entourage of secret service agents and staff. He arrived at the radio station and was waiting in our lobby with his enormous entourage. I was coming out of the restroom and had to walk through the lobby back to my office. Once I got through the large lobby filled with people including the Governor, and was getting ready to sit down at my desk, my sales assistant came in with a sheepish look on her face. She proceeded to tell me that I had my skirt tucked up into the waist of my panty house. All I could do was laugh, thinking how I just paraded through the filled lobby with my underwear showing.

Joanna LeBlang

Background

Joanna LeBlang’s official title is Web site and Marketing Director, but her real function at EmpowHer is as the “keeper of the site.” Joanna basically has her hands in every aspect as it relates to the site and is involved in the project management of multiple departments. Joanna formally worked at a major Web site hosting company, where she handled the marketing management of several sites and managed the marketing communications efforts for the company. Prior to her work there, she established a highly profitable direct marketing division for a major student loan provider in Arizona.

HerStory

I found the need for a site like EmpowHer before and after having my c-section. I had a high-risk pregnancy and my doctor told me I needed a c-section. I was surprised that the doctor’s office did not have any printed information about c-sections, and I had to gain most of my knowledge from asking friends who had had one. Still, even with trying to do research on my own, I was surprised by how much I didn’t know about this process. I also wasn’t aware or prepared for the pain I had immediately after the surgery or in the months following it.

Most Embarrassing Moment

When I was a teenager I went to religious school at night. In those days, I could do splits pretty easily and was always showing off that I could do them. Well, it serves me right, because one night, right before class I did a split in front of all of my classmates -- and split my pants open in the process! If that wasn't bad enough, I had to spend the rest of the night in class with split-open pants!

Alan McCann

Background

Alan McCann comes to EmpowHer.com with more than 20 years of experience in technology business management, marketing and sales companies in both the U.S. and Canada including powerhouses like ATI Technologies and DivX. McCain has extensive experience in digital media and internet company leadership from early stage through to public companies.

HisStory

My passion for EmpowHer comes from the lifelong struggles my wife, Geri, has had with endometriosis and the subsequent challenges she had getting pregnant. Thanks to her strength in advocating for herself and the blessing of finding an ob/gyn who dealt in fertility, we now have two early teen sons.

Most Embarrassing Moment

When we were trying to get pregnant, I had to get tested … I was told that I was good on count, but was told they were slow.

Then, I was asked if I did anything to them?

I said I thought I was supposed to keep them warm.

When they asked me what I used, I admitted to using a hot water bottle.

Tina Tran

Background

Tina is the online community manager for EmpowHer.com where she oversees forums, blogs and works on content. Prior to taking the position at EmpowHer.com, Tina worked for a television station Web site for eight years in Phoenix and is an award-winning newspaper reporter.

HerStory

While I’ve had the good fortune of good health so far, I understand the importance of sharing health information. It’s a point that was driven home to me in the Spring of 2005 when my father – who embodied the strong, silent type -- died from a massive heart attack. About a year prior to his heart attack, my father began drinking red wine and taking supplements – two activities he had dismissed as ‘hooey’ in his younger days. In hindsight, it became apparent me that he was suffering in silence, treating his own symptoms and likely experiencing serious pain. Those around him can’t help but wonder if he would’ve shared or opened up about his condition or if we would’ve reached out with some information, things could’ve turned out differently.

Most Embarrassing Moment

While working as a reporter, a couple friends and I took a media tour of Chase Field, where the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team play. The tour led into the bowels of the ballpark, which housed a small jail cell – undoubtedly built for unruly fans after a few too many. As a joke, we stepped inside the cell and left a cell phone message with my husband saying we were in “Diamondback Prison.” Not hearing the laughter in my voice message, my husband called all of my family members telling them I was in prison, although he couldn’t quite make out where. He then proceeded into downtown Phoenix in search of the now-infamous ‘prison’ with the intent of bailing me out of jail.