Our Team
Victoria Marie ReesE
FOUNDER & CEO
Victoria Marie Reese is a renowned expert in patient engagement and advocacy within the healthcare industry. With a stellar reputation as an award-winning entrepreneur, founder, and public speaker, Victoria has made significant contributions to revolutionizing the role of patients in the decision-making process.
Since her own diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in 2012, Victoria has tirelessly worked to amplify the patient voice and challenge the existing norms in healthcare. Her deep understanding of the patient experience and her relentless drive to create positive change have earned her widespread recognition and respect.
A proven Community Builder, Victoria is the Founder and CEO of We Are ILL, a 501(c)3 patient advocacy organization with a vision to redefine what "sick" looks like for Black women living with multiple sclerosis.
Victoria's expertise extends across multiple sectors and a diverse range of stakeholders providing invaluable insights and guidance that have helped these organizations navigate patient engagement strategies and improve patient-centered approaches.As a trusted consultant, she provides expert guidance on patient involvement in publications and research projects. By championing patient involvement in publications, Victoria has played a pivotal role in reshaping how information is presented and shared in the medical community.
As a sought-after public speaker, Victoria captivates audiences with her compelling presentations that shed light on the importance of patient engagement and empowerment. Her thought-provoking talks inspire healthcare professionals, researchers, and decision-makers to reevaluate their practices and embrace patient-centered models of care, further solidifying her position as a leading authority in patient engagement. Her transformative contributions continue to shape the healthcare landscape, empowering patients and reshaping the industry as a whole.
With her unparalleled expertise, dynamic speaking abilities, and unwavering commitment to patient empowerment, Victoria Marie Reese is undeniably an influential figure in the field of patient engagement and advocacy. Her insights and guidance are indispensable for anyone striving to create meaningful change and improve patient outcomes in the healthcare ecosystem.
As a Black woman living with MS, she shows up for her community, aiming to bring more representation to research, advocacy, and education surrounding the chronic disease.
Ashley Ratcliff lundy
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Ashley M. Ratcliff is a business owner, bestselling author, communications professional, invisible illness advocate, and speaker who lives to tell stories in myriad formats.
Ashley joined We Are ILL in May 2022, and has since launched her enamel pin business, Poppy + Monarch. The company offers wearable flair for the chronically chill and their cherished ones, sparking confidence and conversation so you can be your whole self in style.
She began her career in print journalism after graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she studied sociology and professional writing with an editing emphasis. Ashley previously spent nearly six years at Snap Inc., which has brought Snapchat, Spectacles and Pixy to the world.
Ashley co-authored a collection of short stories titled Stories 4 Women, focusing on the beauty and diversity of the woman’s experience. The book earned an honorable mention in the Hollywood Book Festival.
Being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in March 2018 ignited Ashley’s passion for supporting and uplifting Black women living with MS and other chronic illnesses. Noticing the dearth of representation of Black women and the lack of information for newly diagnosed patients, Ashley wrote Jesus Year, a self-help memoir that caters to both segments of MS patients.
Publishing Jesus Year — her first solo book — during the COVID-19 pandemic is one of Ashley’s proudest achievements. The book became a bestseller on Amazon in April 2021, and she released the audiobook version, which she narrated, in December 2021 on the anniversary of the print release.
Ashley M. Ratcliff Website
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lianca lyons
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Lianca, who joined We Are ILL as an executive assistant in 2022, serves as our Director of Operations. She is committed to helping small businesses grow. Over the past 15 years, she’s assisted every type of CEO imaginable from large corporations to tech startups, always providing solutions, not excuses. She also doubles as a professional problem solver, a strategic partner with critical thinking, and a caring and trusted confidant. In 2013, she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder II and her purpose since the day of her diagnosis has been: “I Vocalize to Normalize and Destigmatize.” Her TEDx Talk, Bipolar: A Gift from God, details her mental health journey and has over 25k views. She actively shares her story in an effort to further de-stigmatize mental illness and to normalize what it looks like to actively manage your mental health.
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Brianna Pearson
PROGRAM MANAGER
Brianna Pearson is a young professional, wife, mother and MS advocate ready to help redefine what sick looks like.
Brianna joined the We Are ILL team to manage its volunteer program. She is elated to be working with an organization who shows unwavering support for Black women living with MS. Feeling the sense of isolation after being diagnosed firsthand, continues to fuel her passion for advocacy.
Graduating with a B.A. in Health Information Management, Brianna started her career in healthcare in 2014 after becoming a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA). She is now working for a revenue cycle management company as a Senior Analyst in Chicago, Illinois.
While August 17, 2021, marked her two-year wedding anniversary, it also signaled an incoming diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. After the initial shock and adjustment to her new normal, Brianna spent the next year or so becoming stable and searching for a familiar community. In November 2022, she found We Are ILL and attended Wellness Week(end).
It was that weekend that inspired Brianna to shift her focus to sharing her journey in the hopes of helping others from an underrepresented point of view. She went from searching for community to becoming a stark voice in the MS community.
Brianna went on to become a member of the National MS Society’s Emerging Leaders Board and helped raise over $100,000 at her first fundraising event. She has fearlessly shared her story across various platforms, including Rush Medical Center, WebMD, WAI and blogs within the community.
Amber Cunningham
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Amber Cunningham is a mother of two children and a fur baby living in Raleigh, NC. She is a hard-working woman who is passionate about helping to redefine what "sick" looks like as We Are ILL's Membership Chair. After waking up on her daughter’s 7th birthday not able to see out of her right eye, Amber’s life changed. It was swiftly after this tragedy that Amber was diagnosed with MS in April 2019.
Not having many places to turn to, she began searching online for others going through this disease like her as well as more information. Amber also began sharing her journey on social media as well and meeting many people to connect with. Amber became a Volunteer Ambassador for the National MS Society and began participating in many local and virtual events.
In November 2022, Amber attended her first Wellness Week(end) and simply fell in love with We Are ILL. Being in a space with beautiful Black women who looked like her going through the same things was an experience like no other. Between Wellness Week(end and participating in different events for the MS society, a fire was lit in her. Amber began to use her voice and be much more vocal in the MS community she became a part of.
Amber feels that being able to share her story and journey and be a safe haven for other MS warriors is truly a blessing. Although MS is not what anyone hopes to hear they have, she has turned her diagnosis into a positive and chooses to always view it in that manner.