Meet the Whole30 Team
Whole30 has been changing lives since 2009, when Melissa Urban blogged about a self-designed life-changing dietary experiment. Since then, millions of people have transformed their health, habits, and relationship with food through the Whole30 program; eliminating cravings, improving energy and sleep, relieving symptoms, and discovering lasting food freedom. Let Melissa and the Whole30 team help you create the perfect diet for you; a nutrition plan that is balanced, sustainable, and keeps you looking, feeling, and living your best.
The Whole30 website currently serves millions of visitors a month with readers checking in from more than 100 different countries, and has a combined social media base of more than 3 million fans and followers. Their flagship book, The Whole30, has sold more than 2 million copies. Melissa and the Whole30 team are committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive Whole30 community, where everyone who wants to be a part of the Whole30 movement feels represented, welcomed, and included. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Melissa Urban
Co-Founder / CEO
Melissa Urban is the co-founder and CEO of the Whole30 program, and a six-time New York Times bestselling author. She has been featured by the New York Times, People, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Dr. Oz, and Good Morning America, and ranked #19 on Greatists Top 100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness in 2018. Melissa has presented more than 150 health and nutrition seminars worldwide, and is a prominent keynote speaker on social media and branding, health trends, and entrepreneurship. She lives in Salt Lake City, UT.
Bill Ferrante
Chief Technology Officer
Bill Ferrante is our Chief Technology officer. He lives in San Francisco, California with his cat, Oliver (Ollie for short). He got his start in technology supporting and building data systems for risk mitigation and law enforcement investigations with companies now owned by LexisNexis and TransUnion noted for their contribution to 9/11, Beltway Sniper and countless child abduction investigations. He later shifted his focus to Internet publishing where he supported and later ran the publishing platform for AOL. Today, Bill and his team at ThrottleUp work with digital strategy, build and operate all technology at Whole30.
Shanna Keller
Chief Content Officer
Shanna Keller, our Chief Content Officer, hails from Boise, Idaho, where she lives with her husband Alan and a poorly-behaved terrier named Olly. She has spent her career telling stories of life transformation on social, web, e-mail and print media platforms. In addition to celebrating Whole30 successes and stories online, Shanna loves to cook, read, and climb.
Erica Rozetti
Vice President of Business Development and General Counsel
Erica Rozetti, our General Counsel and Vice President of Business Development comes to Whole30 with a decade worth of experience working in the health, wellness, and sports industry. Erica is a California girl through and through. She was born and raised in the Bay Area. She’s a UC Davis grad and completed her Juris Doctor in San Diego, and she now calls San Francisco home. Erica has a diverse background in both the legal and sponsorship worlds and has worked for companies like CrossFit, Topgolf and NIKE. Erica is a big reader, avid traveler, loves hosting friends for dinner parties, and is still eating and exploring her way through San Francisco.
Melissa Schmidt
Director of Coaching Operations
Melissa Schmidt is our Director of Coaching Operations. She comes to Whole30 with nearly 20 years of experience in project and product management in medical research publications, and she holds a Master of Education degree with focus on adult education for health professionals. Melissa is a wife to Adam, a mom to Henry, and a daughter to Becki, all of whom reside with her currently in Florida. Melissa has a passion for developing efficient, streamlined programs that deliver meaningful content in an accessible format. She believes deeply in the human work of self knowledge and value alignment, both of which were a big part of her first journey through the Whole30 in 2013 – and she believes that work should be available to everyone. She’s a voracious reader, a joyful writer, a big dreamer, an intersectional feminist, an empathic friend, and a recovering perfectionist.
Ashley Maynard
Director of Finace
Ashley Maynard, our Director of Finance, has over 15 years of experience in finance & accounting specializing in the retail food & beverage space, as well as mission-oriented enterprises. A self-proclaimed nerd, she is passionate about numbers and telling the unique story of a business through financial models & reports. Ashley is originally from Georgia, where she graduated from Georgia Southern University with a BBA in Finance. She can usually be found galavanting around New York City with a coffee and camera in hand. She is an avid reader, amateur photographer and last minute flight booker.
Perla Terrero
Director of People & Culture
Perla Terrero, our Director of People & Culture, is a daughter, sister, loving aunt and avid fan of all things musical theatre! With a B.S in Marketing & Management and a Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology she brings to Whole30 over 14 years of experience in Human Resources and a passion for ensuring organizations focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and empowerment to create fair and fulfilling cultures. The ability to value, uphold, and advocate for people is why she does this work – getting to do it alongside the Whole30 team is a gift! Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the Bronx, she’s proud to call New York City home.
Liilu Hansen
Senior Executive Assistant
Liilu Hansen comes to Whole30 from the health and fitness industry where she has worked 16 years as an accomplished E-RYT500 yoga teacher and anatomy educator. She’s taught extensively within yoga communities that deal specifically with trauma and addiction, and leads trainings, retreats, and classes throughout the US as well as internationally in Denmark and Vietnam. A self-appointed “Project Manager” in all aspects of her life, Liilu also worked as the executive assistant for a film company prior to joining Whole30. She thrives on supporting the team and connecting with the community. When she’s not working or doing yoga, Liilu enjoys skiing, swimming, and museums and lives in Salt Lake City with her four children and cat.
Jackie Jorge
Senior Communications Manager
As Whole30’s Senior Communications Manager, Jackie Jorge leads our Public Relations efforts. With more than two decades of PR experience within the health and wellness industry, her strong background in media relations and storytelling has led to multiple award-winning PR campaigns. Jackie considers herself an intuitive and mindful marketer and, through her comprehensive skills, she proudly shares her Whole30 passion to the world. A first generation American, Jackie was born and raised in sunny California but celebrates her Argentine-Portuguese heritage through her cooking, traveling and everyday life. In her free time, she gravitates towards outdoor and fitness activities like roller-skating, skiing, hiking and yoga. A mom to three amazing teenagers, she takes every opportunity to re-live her 80’s teenage years with them.
Autumn Michaelis
Whole30 Coaching Program Manager
Autumn Michaelis, our Whole30 Coaching Program Manager, is an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, with a B.S. in Exercise Science from BYU. She has run wellness and aerobics programs at the university and local levels. Though exercise was her first love in the health world, nutrition has become her passion. She is mom to 5 boys (yes 5!) and loves adventuring (hiking, camping, exploring), dancing, running, and creating family-friendly clean recipes.
Stephanie Greunke, RD, PMH-C
Dietitian and Education Manager
Stephanie Greunke is Whole30’s in-house Dietitian and Education Manager. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two sons. Stephanie specializes in prenatal/postnatal nutrition, behavioral psychology, and holds additional certifications in perinatal mental health and fitness. Stephanie has been an advocate of the Whole30 program since 2010, using the program personally and professionally with her clients. She’s also the co-host of the “Doctor Mom” Podcast and the creator of Postpartum Reset, a virtual postpartum nutrition program and community. Stephanie is committed to building a community of parents who encourage each other and share their own experiences so they know they’re not alone and have resources to feel empowered.
Jennifer Kendall
Whole30 Approved Program Manager
Jen Kendall, our Whole30 Approved Program Manager, is a born and raised Floridian who now lives in Utah with her husband Quinn and their one-year-old boy Easton. She graduated the University of Florida in 2010 from the College of Journalism and Communications and has a strong interest in nutrition, health and exercise. Jen has an insatiable appetite for travel and adventure and also loves books, spending time in the kitchen cooking and experimenting with recipes, Crossfit, and enjoying as many days as possible in the outdoors year-round.
Alyssa Anthony
Brand Partnership Manager
Alyssa Anthony, our Brand Partnership Manager, is a proud West Virginian (GO HERD!) living in Austin, Texas with her husband Evan and their two boxers. With a background in marketing and sales, Alyssa has spent the the better part of a decade working with food and beverage brands in the Whole30 Approved network. When she’s not managing projects for Whole30, you can find her scoping out new coffee shops for her Instagram feed or practicing photography.
Michael Kontomanolis
Email Marketing Manager
Mike Kontomanolis, our Email Marketing Manager, was born and raised in exciting New York City and currently resides in sunny Miami, Florida with his partner Ben and their pups Bubba & Fasco. He has spent most of his career in the ever-evolving world of digital and email marketing and has always had a strong passion for wellness and health, which has now led him to Whole30. Aside from career and dog-dad duties, Mike and his partner love to travel the world and explore new cultures and wonders. They have been fortunate to visit incredible places like Indonesia, Australia, Africa, among others, and frequently visit Greece, where Mike’s family is from.
Stephanie Kelley
Social Media Content Manager
Stephanie Kelley, our Social Media Content Manager, lives in Denver, CO and is a wife, mom and wanna-be shredding guitarist with an immense love for meeting and connecting with people. She thrives on sharing her life experiences, whether it’s writing a blog post about overcoming a personal struggle, creating a new song with her drummer husband, or simply sharing what she’s making for dinner. These experiences all matter to her, especially if she’s using her creativity and making meaningful connections along the way.
Chelsea Long
Content Manager
Chelsea Long, our Content Manager, lives in San Diego with her husband and three kids. Formerly an English as a Second Language instructor at the University level, Chelsea shifted her interest to holistic health after giving birth to her son. Her degrees in Communications and Education serve her well as she works with the Whole30 team to support content and branded content projects. Chelsea is a registered yoga teacher (RYT 200) and is passionate about helping others find healing through yoga, meditation, and nutrition.
Nuala Schoen
People & Culture Content Coordinator
Danielle Nuala Schoen (Nuala), our People & Culture Content Coordinator, lives amongst community in the mountains of western North Carolina. She is a massage therapist (LMBT) and RYT-200 yoga instructor with a background in social work. Nuala is passionate about redefining health and wellness in order to center the self-determination and self-actualization of each unique individual, and thereby, the actualization of the collective. When she’s not supporting Perla in building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive Whole30 community, Nuala enjoys ecstatic dance, contact improvisation, creek dips, travel, and sharing Whole30 meals with her loved ones.
Lindsay Rhodes
Digital Marketing Coordinator
Lindsay Rhodes, our Digital Marketing Coordinator, currently resides in Ann Arbor, MI. She attended Butler University where she received her B.S. in Marketing and a minor in Strategic Communication. Previously, Lindsay has worked for management consulting firms as a marketing consultant and as a campus recruiter. A huge sports lover, Lindsay loves playing basketball, volleyball, and beach volleyball in her free time. When she’s not diving for a ball, she enjoys reading, traveling , and spending time with friends.
Shannon Canaday
Community Management
Shannon Canaday moderates the Whole30 forum and Facebook page. She lives in Chilliwack, British Columbia in Canada with her husband. Shannon comes to us from a 20-year career where she’s acted as an Account Manager for major national brands, a Customer Service Representative and an Administrative Coordinator. She enjoys a mostly quiet life of cooking, reading and entertaining and loving on family. She can also be found most often on a sunny day riding her Harley Davidson around the absolute glory that is the Fraser Valley.
Sarah Steffens
Recipe Creative
Sarah Steffens, our Recipe Developer, has a B.A. in Business Administration, Public Relations from The Master’s College in Southern California. After years of experimenting with nutrition and recipes in her own kitchen, she now works as a Personal Chef in Los Angeles, cooking meals that support her client’s intention to physically and mentally thrive. She has catered several independent film sets, making it her goal to optimize the energy and well-being of each creative crew. When Sarah is not cooking Whole30 and Autoimmune Protocol meals, she is likely exploring mid-century sites in L.A., taking photographs, listening to an audio book or hiking at Griffith Park.
Virginia de Vries
Whole30 Graphic Designer
Virginia de Vries is Whole30’s graphic designer. With a passion for creativity, Virginia has always been excited to study and practice new forms of art and design. While mainly focusing on graphic design, her other favorites are photography and illustration. Since discovering Whole30 in late 2015 she has completed several rounds, and is continually learning of the deep role that food plays in each of our lives. In her off-time she enjoys doing projects around her home, caring for her growing collection of houseplants, or hiking in the desert. She, her husband, and five cats currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona.
