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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Monique B. Jones
MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON
Monique is a visionary leader with an extensive background in mental health, violence prevention, philanthropy, and gender & racial equity. Her career and civic interests span the intersections where the lives of those most vulnerable fall victim to structural oppression and inequity. As a thriving Multiple Sclerosis warrior, she uses her experience and platform for education, encouragement, and advocacy.
She brings over 25 years of leadership in the nonprofit sector to her role as the fourth President & CEO for Forefront; Illinois' premier organization focused on connecting philanthropy, operating nonprofits, and their allies to improve the lives of all people in Illinois. Monique led the establishment of the organization’s Racial Equity Collective.
In her past leadership at the Evanston Community Foundation, she led the implementation of racial equity with grant making, fundraising and leadership development. She was successful at increasing the asset size of the organization from $18M to $31M in just five years. Under Monique’s leadership the Foundation established the Evanston Reparations Community Fund, the first of any Community Foundation nationally in support of the City of Evanston’s resolution to support reparations. Of note is her restructuring of the Foundation during the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, releasing grant restrictions, raising $6M. Monique is highly experienced at leading during difficult times.
Monique previously served as Director of Programs for the Chicago Foundation for Women, Director of Violence Prevention for the Cook County Department of Public Health and Clinical Director for the historic Jane Addams Hull House Association. She began her career as a clinical therapist supporting families involved in the Pulaski County (Little Rock, Arkansas) juvenile justice system.
Monique serves on the board of IFF-a Community Development Financial Institution as well as the Illinois Alliance of YMCA’s. She is 2022 Leadership Greater Chicago, Daniel Burnham Fellow. She was recognized as a 2020 Changemaker by Better Magazine and received the 2020 Nonprofit Person of The Year award from the Evanston Chamber of Commerce. She is the recipient of the 2018 NAACP (Evanston North Shore chapter) Community Service Award as well as the 2014 Chicago African Americans in Chicago, Nonprofit Champion of Diversity Award.
Monique is a graduate of The U of A Fayetteville with a B.A in Social Work and UT Austin with a M.S. in Social Work. She is a charter member of the Magnificent Mile chapter of Jack & Jill of America, serving as the chapter’s inaugural foundation chairperson. She has been a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. since 1997, currently with the Chicago Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter as the co-chair for Physical & Mental Health. She enjoys running, biking, golfing, and showing appreciation for life with her husband- Drennon, daughter-Brielle, and two doggies -Ollie & Piper, in Chicago.
Brianna Pearson
VOLUNTEER 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.