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 a 7x New York Times best-selling author who specializes in helping people establish healthy boundaries and successfully navigate habit change. She has been featured by the New York Times, People, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Today Show, and Good Morning America, and , and is a prominent keynote speaker on boundaries, building community, health trends, and entrepreneurship. She lives in Salt Lake City, UT with her husband, son, and a poodle named Henry.
Ashley Maynard
Vice President of Finance
Ashley Maynard 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.
Mike Beasley
Principal Software Engineer
Mike Beasley has over 20 years of experience with developing software and being a coffee addict. Mike has managed and developed for agency clients, integrating with their internal IT teams and becoming partners with marketing departments. With a Master’s in Information Systems, he brings a variety of skills to the table making applications holistic and easier to navigate. Mike is excited to support and grow the development aspects of the Whole30 community.
Alyssa Anthony
Director of Branded Content
Alyssa Anthony is a proud West Virginian (GO HERD!) living in St. Pete, FL with her husband Evan and boxer Casper. 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 at the beach.
Melissa Schmidt
Director of Education
Melissa Schmidt 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.
Vanessa Chang
Director of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Vanessa Chang brings to Whole30 over 10 years of CPG experience and a lifelong obsession with food. Her passion has helped brands grow their product lines in fine cheese, artisan meats, and refrigerated foods. A self-proclaimed food nerd, avid forager, and Certified Cheese Professional (yes, there is such a thing!), Vanessa is always on the lookout for the latest in delicious food products that nourish and enrich our daily lives. Vanessa grew up in the Western U.S (Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, Utah), currently living in the Bay Area where she enjoys the outdoors, a good cup of coffee, and supporting all the amazing emerging food producers in the area.
Josh Somers
Director of Licensing
Josh Somers brings over 10 years of brand & CPG licensing experience. Along with managing intellectual property, Josh built a non-profit organization called IndoorHoops, a pickup basketball network with over 30,000 members across NYC, Philadelphia and Chicago. A healthy habit junkie, the opportunity to grow the Whole30 mission and values via strategic partnerships is Josh’s primary objective.
LaTasha Benn
HR Manager
LaTasha comes to Whole30 with over 15 years of Human Resources experience, specializing in Talent Acquisition. Her professional experience ranges from working with high-performing leaders in fast-paced, deadline driven environments to driving successful recruitment strategies across all levels of an organization. LaTasha is also an entrepreneur and former Make-up Artist / Esthetician who recently decided to transition her business model from make-up to a women’s athletic apparel brand designed to promote self-love, inner beauty, and women empowerment.
Liilu Hansen
Senior Executive Assistant
Liilu Hansen comes to Whole30 from the health and fitness industry where she has worked 20 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. She is passionate about her work with Whole30 and thrives in her position supporting the HQ team and connecting with the community. As a single parent to four busy teenagers, Liilu fills any spare time she gets with traveling and reading.
Jennifer Kendall
Whole30 Approved Program Senior Manager
Jen Kendall 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.
Autumn Michaelis
Digital Content Producer
Autumn Michaelis is an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, with a B.S. in Exercise Science from BYU. Though exercise was her first love in the health world, nutrition has become her passion. She created the blog Wholefoodfor7, sharing easy and budget-friendly Whole30, Paleo, and gluten-free + dairy-free recipes for families. In August 2022, Autumn released the newest Whole30 Endorsed cookbook, Whole Food for Your Family.
Stephanie Kelley
Senior Content Manager
Stephanie joined the Whole30 team in 2018. During the workday, you’ll catch her pouring over all things social media, setting up camera and lighting equipment to create Reels and TikToks, and searching for the perfect gif to share on Slack. Stephanie brings creativity and forward-thinking to everything she does, and continually challenges herself to learn new things.
Michael Kontomanolis
Senior Email Marketing Manager
Mike Kontomanolis was born and raised in exciting New York City and currently resides in sunny Miami, Florida with his partner Ben and their pup 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.
Liz Parrent
Whole30 Recipes Senior Manager
Liz Parrent is our Senior Manager of Whole30 Recipes. She comes to Whole30 with over a decade of CPG and content marketing experience in the health and wellness space. Having been a part of Primal Kitchen’s founding and pre-acquisition team, Liz holds a deep passion for the Whole30 community and the transformative power of a whole foods-focused lifestyle.
Lindsay Rhodes
Project Manager
Lindsay Rhodes currently resides in the beautiful city of Chicago. 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 enjoys 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.
Paige Carnahan
Branded Content Coordinator
Paige Carnahan comes to us with a background in marketing in the Health and Wellness industry. Paige’s passion for effective communication and paid media lends to her project management skills in her role as a Branded Content Coordinator. She’s a proud Floridian, currently living in Atlanta with her husband, Spencer, and her hound dog, Zoey. Outside of work, you can normally find Paige at a concert, reading a book, or trying a new restaurant!
Brittney Olaes
Email Program Coordinator
Brittney Olaes currently resides in Southern California with her fiance and feline furbaby, Rhea. She attended California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), earning a B.S. in marine biology. She comes to Whole30 with 10 years of experience in program development and marketing with a local non-profit aquarium (just ask her for all the fish puns!). Brittney did her first Whole30 in September 2016 and it sparked her passion for food, wellness and what it truly means to be healthy. She’s excited to engage the Whole30 community and help others to transform their health, habits and relationship with food.
Betsy Karr
Community Management Specialist
Betsy Karr is a Whole30 Certified Coach, yoga instructor, and avid hiker. Betsy is the daughter of Mexican Immigrants who taught her the value of hard work, discipline, and integrity. Betsy loves connecting with the Whole30 community and brings an unparalleled positive, can-do attitude. She’s passionate about motivating people to push past self-doubt and is committed to helping people heal from the inside out.
