Meet the Academy of Food Allergy Counseling’s Advisory Board
Who We Are
Javier Evelyn, BA
Business Advisor
Javier Evelyn is the Founder & CEO of digital health drug delivery company Alerje, where they create and deliver innovation that transforms the lives of over 220M families worldwide living with food allergies to help make every moment count.
In addition to being a founding team member of MedTech Color, he currently sits on the boards of the Accelerate Blue Fund at the University of Michigan, MATTER Health, AdvaMed Accel, and the ‘Case for Investment’ Advisory Committee at Rock Health. Previously, he was named as an awardee of the inaugural Black Founders Fund by Google for Startups, made the 2019 Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40 list, served as the 2017 Google x CODE2040 Detroit EIR, and served as a Millennial Advisory Board Member at First Independence Bank.
Prior to these endeavors, Javier led the development of mobile app projects for a multi-billion dollar health insurance company/pharmacy benefit manager, and was a founding team member of an independent insurance agency where he led in sales and management. Originally from Broadview (Chicago), IL, he received his Bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University.
Paige Freeman, PHD
Behavioral Healthcare Advisor
Dr. Paige Freeman is a psychologist who has navigated her child’s food allergy for the last 15 years. She provides telehealth services in 32 states to support adults, children (10+), and parents navigating food allergies.
Dr. Freeman is passionate about educating food-allergic individuals (and their families and friends) about the very real psychosocial stressors of managing food allergies. She enjoys writing articles and participating in interviews and podcasts as a way to elevate the discussion of the effect of food allergies on mental health.
Dr. Freeman is a frequent contributor to FARE and is one of only a few alpha-gal-informed mental health providers in the United States.
Alice Hoyt, MD, FAAAAI
Chief Medical Advisor
Dr. Alice Hoyt is the allergist who leads the Hoyt Institute of Food Allergy. She has been practicing academic, evidence-based medicine for over a decade. Before medical school, she earned a degree in nutrition, so she is well-versed in navigating the complexities of food allergies. She then completed training and earned board certifications in internal medicine, pediatrics, allergy, and immunology. During her fellowship at the University of Virginia, she launched a now national allergy-focused non-profit organization. At Vanderbilt University, she continued her food allergy-focused efforts before transitioning to the Cleveland Clinic, where she helped launch its Food Allergy Center of Excellence. Check out Dr. Hoyt’s publications on PubMed.
After working at such world-renowned institutions, Dr. Hoyt is excited to share her knowledge of food allergy with families in her home state. In addition to leading the Institute, Dr. Hoyt hosts the top-ranked food allergy podcast Food Allergy and Your Kiddo and chairs the nationally recognized non-profit organization Code Ana. Connect with Dr. Hoyt and learn more about The Hoyt Institute of Food Allergy, Code Ana, and the Food Allergy and Your Kiddo podcast.
Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC
Chief Advisor & Founder
Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC, is a licensed clinical professional counselor recognized for her expertise in food allergy parenting anxiety. She is the author of May Contain Anxiety: Managing the Overwhelm of Parenting Children with Food Allergies (Johns Hopkins University Press) and the founder of FoodAllergyCounselor.com, an educational resource focused on the mental health impact of food allergies on families.
Tamara has 20+ years of clinical experience and is regularly invited to speak and present for national organizations including FARE and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, as well as academic medical programs such as Stanford University’s food allergy program at the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research. She is on Spokin’s “Top 100 Women in Food Allergy” list and has been highlighted in Healio’s “Women in Allergy” series. Tamara provides food allergy counseling for parents and therapy for women and mothers through her private practice, offering virtual therapy to clients in Illinois, Florida, and Ohio.
A thought leader, content innovator, and relationship builder at heart, Tamara founded the Food Allergy Counseling Directory and its professional therapist network (now AFAC).
Olga Kagan, PhD, RN
Healthcare Advisor
Olga Kagan, PhD, RN is a registered nurse, researcher, and educator with experiences across different healthcare settings inside and outside of the United States.
Dr. Kagan has been serving on boards, committees, and taskforces within New York state, national, and international organizations, including the NYAM, SONSIEL, AAAAI, and HIMSS. Dr. Kagan has been invited to contribute to textbooks, articles, and presentations in areas of healthcare informatics and innovation, health policy, and anaphylaxis education, and to serve as a mentor and judge at healthcare innovation events. Dr. Kagan was recognized for her work with elected officials on legislative initiatives to improve the health and welfare of vulnerable individuals and received several awards for her contributions to research and leadership.
Lori Moussapour, MA, LCSW
Behavioral Healthcare Advisor
Lori Moussapour, MA, LCSW, is a therapist, coach, consultant, and educator, who has decades of experience working with individuals, families, and institutions in a variety of fields related to mental health and wellness, culture and language, and belonging and inclusion.
In the last 10 years, one of her primary focuses is helping people with the social and emotional burdens of living with food allergies. Lori has both a Master’s Degree in Education and a Master of Social Work, as well as years of advanced training in areas such as Emotional Literacy (Yale University Center for Emotional Intelligence), Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. She has a private practice, To Empower U, and heads an integrative psychotherapy group practice, called The Therapy Collective. Lori serves as an advisor to Equal Eats, whose mission is to support eating out safely, despite dietary restrictions, and she leads a peer consultation group through the Academy of Food Allergy Counseling
Francesca Rose, BA
Community Advisor
Francesca Rose has served as President of the Utah Food Allergy Network (UFAN) since May 2021, after having served as board secretary from 2018-2021.
Her food allergy advocacy journey began 18 years ago when her youngest daughter was born with a food allergy to all milk proteins.
Francesca is an active volunteer in her community and church and cares deeply about helping the world be a better place for everyone. In addition to advocating for safe inclusivity for those with food allergies, she has advocated for women, families, and children at the United Nations and other venues.
She is motivated by the belief that serving others through education and advocacy creates positive change in the world. Francesca has a Bachelor’s degree in Math and Music. As a freelance cellist and cello instructor, she has taught private cello lessons for 30+ years and currently maintains a private cello studio. Francesca enjoys reading and learning new things, gardening, kayaking, appreciating great art, and hanging out with her family and dog.