Melissa Etheridge stormed onto the American rock scene in 1988 with the release of her critically acclaimed self-titled debut album. Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Melissa has remained one of America’s favorite rock stars for more than two decades.

Melissa’s artistic and commercial successes have been highlighted by accolades including two Grammy Awards for “Best Female Rock Performance,” a “Songwriter of the Year” honor at the ASCAP Pop Awards, and a career milestone with a victory in the “Best Song” category at the 2007 Academy Awards for I Need to Wake Up, written for the Al Gore documentary An Inconvenient Truth. With massive original hits such as I’m the Only One and Come to My Window, Melissa cemented herself as a musical and cultural icon.

Throughout her career, Melissa has shown herself to be an artist who has never allowed “inconvenient truths” to keep her silent. She publicly acknowledged her sexual orientation at a time when it was considered risky to do so, and continued her activism for Marriage Equality.

After being diagnosed with with breast cancer in October 2004, Melissa appeared on the 2005 Grammy telecast despite losing her hair from chemotherapy, to sing “Piece of My Heart” in tribute to Janis Joplin. As a cancer survivor, Melissa has publicly advocated for the therapeutic benefits of medicinal cannabis.

October 2022 saw Melissa’s return to the theatre with her one woman show, My Window – A Journey Through Life. The critically acclaimed, sold-out run premiered at New World Stages in October 2022, and has plans to move to Broadway in 2023.

Through the Etheridge Foundation, Melissa has continued her activism and public education with a mission to help people heal through the transformative power of plant medicines.

Deborah Klein, JD, has more than 30 years of experience in the music business with expertise including strategy, intellectual property, deal making, touring, merchandise, brand management, royalty statements, film and tv, new technology, online social and retail strategy, recording, marketing and artist relations.

Deb graduated from Suffolk University Law School in Boston with a concentration in intellectual property and contracts. She started her own law practice while simultaneously running the iconic punk label TAANG! Records, releasing over sixty albums in three years. In the early nineties, she started her own management company in Boston, finding and developing indie music icons and working with numerous major and independent record labels.

Deb moved to Los Angeles in 2001 to serve as in-house legal counsel for Spivak Sobol Entertainment as well as manager for Eve Six, Vanessa Carlton, Flyleaf, Yellowcard, Alexi Murdoch and Liam Finn. Spivak Sobol was acquired by The Firm, where Deb worked with artists from Smashing Pumpkins to Korn and Five Finger Death Punch. As GM for Prospect Park, Deborah was responsible for breaking Five Finger Death Punch with multiple Gold and Platinum Albums and multiple top ten singles.

Ten years ago Deb joined Primary Wave as a Joint Venture Partner. Her current roster includes Melissa Etheridge, Cypress Hill, Plain White T’s, Flyleaf, Ashlynn Malia, and Morphine. She loves music and art of all kinds, and when she is not working you will often find her in the kitchen or riding her bike.

Alabama-born Juli Crockett is a bona fide Renaissance woman: singer/songwriter, playwright/theater director, (undefeated) professional boxer and amateur champion, ordained minister, proud owner of a PhD (summa cum laude) from The European Graduate School, leader of the alt-country/Americana genre-defying band The Evangenitals, comedy writer, improviser, and weird mom.

Dr. Crockett has been a trusted compliance consultant to cannabis licensees across the supply chain since 2015. Elected to the CCIA Board of Directors in 2017, over the years Juli also served as Co-Chair of NCIA’s Federal Policy Committee, Chair of CCIA’s Legislative Committee, and a member of CCIA's Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Equity committee.

A published playwright, Juli’s works include 'Void Creation: Theater and the Faith of Signifying Nothing' (Atropos Press) and [or, the whale] (Delere Press). Excerpts of her play 'Saint Simone', appear in the collection 'I Might Be the Person You Are Talking To' (Padua Playwrights Press).

Unique to her career, Juli was also a professional boxer who was featured in Sports Illustrated, US News, and Music Connection Magazine (due to her professional connection to Jerry Boyd, aka F.X. Toole), and the film Million Dollar Baby. Juli retired from boxing professionally in 2002, undefeated at 3-0 (2 KO’s).

Joe Greenberg is a bon vivant-in-training and student of human connection. He has worked in California, New York, and now Nebraska as a production manager in television, community organizer, and blossoming counselor respectively. Joe is a graduate student at the University of Nebraska, nearing completion of a master’s degree in social work (MSW).

Anna Symonds joined The Etheridge Foundation in February 2022 as our first ever Program Manager, and became our Executive Director in January 2023.‍

Anna is a plant medicine advocate and activist who speaks regularly about the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis, psychedelics, and entheogens. She has directly educated thousands of people about cannabis science, including law and policy makers at the local, state, and national levels.

Anna is also a retired Women's Premier League rugby player, and an Ambassador for the nonprofits Athletes for CARE, the Last Prisoner Project and the Concussion Legacy Foundation. She holds an MA in Communication and served on the Oregon Cannabis Commission's Research Leadership Subcommittee from 2020-2021.

Sylvia Kim is honored to serve as a strategic advisor for the Etheridge Foundation, leveraging her expertise to further their transformative mission of healing the root causes of opioid use disorder.

Sylvia is also the Founder & CEO of Rebel For Good – a strategic consulting firm specializing in catalyzing capital for good. With an ecosystem-building approach to capital formation, Sylvia works with visionary investors and impact-driven leaders who use their power for good.

As an award-winning human rights lawyer turned investor, Sylvia has dedicated her career to empowering underserved and underinvested communities and has a successful track record of initiating and growing mission-driven ventures.

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Sylvia practiced criminal law as both a defense attorney and as an Assistant Crown Attorney. Sylvia received her Bachelor’s Degree at Queen’s University, her Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School and completed her Master of Studies in International Human Rights Law (LL.M. equivalent) at Oxford University.

Vanessa Kanter is Day to Day Manager with Primary Wave, where she works closely with Deb Klein. She contributes to the Etheridge Foundation's business operations, helping behind the scene to make things go smoothly.

Vanessa holds a BA in Business of Creative Enterprises from Emerson College. She is passionate about social justice, mental health, and music! In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, hiking with her pup, Louie, and reading.

Steven Girmant’s experience in the music industry spans over 45 years, from his humble beginnings loading trucks, culminating in his role as Tour Manager. For more than 31 of those years, he has had the privilege of working closely with Melissa Etheridge, witnessing her personal journey with plant medicines and her evolution into an advocate.

A passionate supporter of Indigenous Rights, Steven aligns closely with the Etheridge Foundation’s mission to educate the public on psychedelic research. 

After losing his youngest sister to addiction, Steven is dedicated to supporting groundbreaking scientific research into plant medicine and psychedelic treatments, particularly for opioid use disorder, by developing nature-based therapies that go beyond conventional pharmaceutical approaches.

Kate O’Connell, LCMHC, LCAS, serves as Clinical Director of Therapy Services at GPW, overseeing trauma and addiction treatment for clients prescribed ketamine and Spravato in North Carolina, with GPW locations also in Fort Lauderdale and New York City. Specializing in EMDR, Kate applies a trauma-informed, addiction-aware approach to promote holistic healing. In alignment with the Etheridge Foundation’s mission, she supports research into ketamine, psilocybin, and other plant-based treatments for OUD. As a Clinical Certified Supervisor (CCS), Kate mentors new therapists, advocating for stigma-free, compassionate care and advancing psychedelic therapies in addiction recovery.

Delilah Panio has been in the capital markets for over 20 years. She is currently Vice President of U.S. Capital Formation for Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) based in Southern California. In this role, Delilah advises U.S. companies on the opportunity to list and raise capital on Canada’s premier equity markets. Previously, Delilah spent 10 years at TSX and TSXV in business development and strategy in Toronto. She has advised many companies from bootstrapping to I.P.O. and of private and public financing options in Canada and the U.S.

Delilah is also the founder of Fortuna Funding which provides practical and intentional guidance on accessing aligned capital, particularly for female founders. She is an active investor, frequent speaker, advisory board member, Coralus Activator, and a partner with UBS and Coralus on Project Female Founder (a global investor-readiness program).

Delilah holds an MBA in Enterprise Development and a BA in English and has completed a certification as a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner.

Delilah has a very personal experience with plant medicines catalyzed by a breast cancer diagnosis in 2019. She is very passionate about access to the medicines with integrity and discernment.

Allison Feduccia, PhD is a neuropharmacologist, psychedelic researcher and educator. She is the co-founder of Psychedelic Support, a platform for education and to connect with psychedelic practitioners, and Project New Day, a 501(c)3 nonprofit on a mission to help people overcome addiction and actualize mental health through the responsible and legal use of psychedelics.

Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Dr. Christopher Nicholas is Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health with expertise in clinical and experimental trial design, training, and neuroimaging in the field of psychedelics. His research examines the clinical efficacy and therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelics and other psychoactive compounds for addiction (alcohol, opioid, and methamphetamine use disorders), trauma, chronic pain, and depression. Dr. Nicholas is also a supervisor for the UW Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program, and provides specialty clinical services focused on opioid medication management and taper in the context of chronic pain, addiction, and trauma.

Juliana Mulligan is a psychotherapist, formerly opioid dependent and formerly incarcerated, and has been a working member of the ibogaine treatment community for twelve years.

Juliana has a Masters in Social Work from NYU and a certificate in Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy from The Center for Optimal Living, where she was the Psychedelic Program Coordinator for three years. She currently runs Inner Vision Ibogaine, which supports people in preparation and integration around ibogaine treatment.

Juliana has worked in multiple ibogaine clinics, presented at various psychedelic and harm reduction conferences, and is the author of the Guide to Finding a Safe Ibogaine Clinic. She has taught about ibogaine at Charite University in Berlin and Southwestern College in New Mexico and has written for multiple publications about ibogaine, including Double Blind Magazine and Chacruna.

Deidra is a licensed professional counselor, providing individual therapy that includes a focus on addiction and trauma. She is also a person in long term recovery from opioid and alcohol addiction, with 27 years of sustained abstinence.

Deidra previously served as Clinical Director for Substance Use Disorder Services within a Local Mental Health Authority (LMHA), directly supervising clinicians and direct care staff for a 32-bed residential facility, detox unit and outpatient treatment services.

Deidra believes that there is not just one way to restoration or recovery. She is passionate about ending the stigma of addiction and helping people free themselves from the bondage of substance abuse, trauma, and mental illness, and restoring themselves to a life filled with love and compassion.

Lauren’s professional background is rooted in helping individuals with substance use disorder and mental health concerns, partnering with non-profit organizations, and working with community-based action plans.

Early on in her career, Lauren became aware of the struggles that modern society’s approach has upon supporting people affected by these concerns. An article about how transformative plant-based medicine may help those with eating disorders piqued Lauren’s inquisitive nature, influenced her perception on how psychedelics can be used for healing, and marked a pivot in Lauren’s career.

Lauren has spent the last few years writing for the health and wellness industry as she completes her doctorate degree in health psychology. It is her mission to provide education regarding the safety and sacredness of plant-based medicine and mental health, as well as self-connection and interconnectedness.

A single album cover changed Darren Melchiorre's life, and today, he is an innovative and up-and-coming art director for the music and entertainment industries. At the heart of Darren’s designs is passion. He believes in the undeniable connection of music and image, elevating each album cover with dedicated emotion and energy.

Darren created the visual design for Melissa’s album One Way Out and the cover art for her single Juliet. With an MFA from the prestigious School of Visual Arts, Darren is also a proud member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Darren considers it an honor to support the Etheridge Foundation’s work. After experiencing several people in his life battle drug addiction, the Etheridge Foundation’s mission is one that he champions – believing deeply that we can discover new methods to stop the pain, the struggles, and the devastating effects opioid addiction has on so many in this world.

Lynn Gleim has been a leading Volunteer for the Etheridge Foundation since 2021, helping to plan, coordinate, and run fundraising events.

Partnering with the Etheridge Foundation holds a personal place in her heart, as her family has also been touched by the opioid epidemic.

Volunteering and running silent auctions have been Lynn's jam since 2006 when she held her first board position with Support For The Kids. She also currently serves on the board of The Power of a Shower, a nonprofit that provides mobile shower services for the unhoused community in the Venice Beach, CA area.