Our Story

Danielle Butin, MPH, OTR is the Founder and Executive Director of the Afya Foundation, a medical supply recovery organization located in Yonkers, NY. Since its inception in late 2007, Afya has shipped several hundred 40-foot containers packed with recovered humanitarian and medical supplies to more than seventy countries globally. In 2014, the New York State Senate recognized Ms. Butin as a Woman of Distinction for her role in using local medical resources and volunteers to promote global health. In 2017, she was presented with the Woman of Distinction Award from the City of Yonkers.

The Afya Foundation dedicates itself to the support of on-going health missions worldwide, and is an unstoppable force in the realm of disaster relief. Afya’s prompt and effective response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake provided short-term assistance to acute conditions, and later evolved into a network of rehabilitave medicinal clinics that treated thousands disabled by the disaster. Ms. Butin was honored by the Greater New York Hospital Association for Afya’s comprehensive involvement in Haiti.

The Afya Foundation’s approach to aid is not just swift, but efficacious. In 2017, after a tempestuous hurricane season compromised living conditions throughout the Caribbean, several relief organizations found their efforts stymied by challenging distribution conditions and ineffectual communication. Meanwhile, Ms. Butin, drawing upon her ebullience and knack for human connection, bypassed these frustrating circumstances to address the situation with Afya’s characteristic fervor.

In Puerto Rico, this response was made possible by a direct relationship with local doctors. Rather than ship containers to highly congested ports, Afya, with the support of generous donor and partners, chartered more than twenty flights to the island. Once there, supplies were passed to doctors, who travelled to even the most rural parts of the island to establish clinics and provide care. Ms. Butin later parlayed this network into a relationship with Puerto Rico’s Prosecuting Attorney, Rosa Emilia Rodriguez Velez, who had established a taskforce to investigate the conditions of nursing homes and assisted care facilities post-Maria. Afya subsequently directed significant attention and resources to the care of elders throughout the island. In October 2018, the United Hospital Fund awarded Afya a Special Tribute for its work in Puerto Rico.

Afya centers local community and empowerment as the backbone of its work. In its international efforts, Afya takes the lead from doctors and clinics to make sure that patients are receiving care and support tailored to their unique needs. Afya does not operate on a “one-size-fits-all” aid agenda – it rather relies on communication and trust in local leaders to provide custom and comprehensive relief packages.

In placing community at the forefront of its work, Afya has established several programs to aid people in the New York area. Many such programs draw upon Ms. Butin’s background as an occupational therapist. In 2010, Ms. Butin was awarded the Eli Lilly Welcome Back Award for Afya’s special pre- vocational programs for at-risk populations, which provide the opportunity for local men and women to work on skill-development at the Afya warehouse with Occupational Therapy students. In 2011, Ms.Butin received the Lamed Vavnik Award from the J-Teen Leadership in New York for Afya’s educational and volunteer programs for high school students, and she is frequently invited to lecture at college campuses to discuss medical waste recovery. Afya provides engagement opportunities to local folks of all ages and backgrounds, to build community at home while supporting health abroad.

In 2015, Ms. Butin’s leadership role in the Ebola Relief efforts in Sierra Leone was recognized and awarded by Voices of African Mothers and at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting. In 2015, she also received the Brava Smart CEO Award. Ms Butin’s story, and Afya’s incredible work, has been featured in Real Simple Magazine, MORE Magazine, Family Circle Magazine, on the Katie Couric Show and on Good Life Project radio. The Afya foundation has been covered by national sources such as The New York Times and the Washington Post, various initiatives have been highlighted by local news sources.

Before starting the Afya Foundation, Ms. Butin was the Director of Health Services for the East Region of Senior and Retiree Services for United Health Care. In this role, she provided health service leadership for the East Region of the Medicare line of business, which served approximately 300,000 Medicare Members in NY, Ohio and Rhode Island. Prior to her role at United, Ms. Butin was the Manager of the Health Promotion and Wellness Department at Oxford Health Plans, which served approximately 80,000 Medicare members in NY. In the Medicare Division of Oxford Health Plans, Ms. Butin developed a number of innovative health screening, self-management and wellness programs. Ms. Butin has received national recognition and awards for her leadership in the development of health education programs and materials. She served as a board member for the National HMO Workgroup on Care Management for 8 years, and continues to serve on the advisory board for Practice Change Fellows, a grant sponsored mentoring program to develop national leaders in geriatric care.

Ms. Butin received her Masters in Public Health with a specialization in Geriatrics and Gerontology at Columbia University and her B.S. in Occupational Therapy from New York University. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University.

Chestman Art is an art advisory business that helps clients create, develop and grow collections that reflect their taste, vision and budget. Chestman Art works to truly understand its clients and source art from around the world in order to match their criteria, whether they be novice or seasoned collectors. Chestman Art has worked on private and corporate collections alike, in addition to larger creative projects such as hotels. Chestman Art is an active part of the international art community, thereby developing close and longstanding relationships with key galleries, artists, dealers and auction houses that help achieve the best access for clients. Extensive research, combined with a comprehension of market conditions, help inform Chestman Art’s ability to curate unique collections for its clients. Chestman Art always maintains complete confidentiality of its clients.

Jessica Chestman received her BA in Art History from Emory University, and her MA in Art Business from Sothebys. Jessica founded Chestman Art in 2008, and currently resides in New York City with her husband and three boys.

Lauren B. Cramer is a New York-based attorney, arts advocate, and storyteller whose career bridges law, education, and creative expression. A Trustee of Syracuse University and alumna of its College of Law (’94), she chairs the Philanthropy and Tax-Exempt Organizations Practice and co-chairs the Arts Practice at McLaughlin & Stern LLP, advising cultural and educational nonprofits, private foundations, and intergenerational families across the U.S. and globe.

Lauren is Chair Emeritus of Syracuse’s College of Visual and Performing Arts Advisory Council and has lectured at the University at Buffalo, Syracuse, NYU Stern School of Business, and Dance Data Project’s Raising the Barre series, supporting emerging leaders in the performing and visual arts. In 2024, she was recognized by CityWealth Magazine as Powerwoman of the Year for her legal non-profit work.

Along with Art2Hearts, Lauren currently serves on the boards of National Dance Institute, Forward Global, and the Green-Wood Historic Fund—organizations that reflect her belief in the arts as a catalyst for education, creativity and community. She also serves as fiduciary for several private foundations supporting arts, educational, medical, and Jewish causes.

A storyteller at heart, Lauren has appeared on The Moth stage with stories “certified true by those who tell them.” An obsessive Trekkie, she and her daughters were featured on the History Channel’s 40 Years of Star Trek documentary, and she’s still waiting for the day The Moth hosts a Star Trek–themed night.

Founded in 2008 by Miguel Khoury and Ruben Ayala, MAC Hospitals is a leading hospital provider in Mexico dedicated to making high-quality, affordable medical services accessible to all Mexicans. MAC Hospitals currently operates 20 hospitals spanning 17 cities in Mexico. The Hospitals MAC model includes locations in Aguascalientes, León, Celaya, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Irapuato, Mexicali, Puebla, San Miguel de Allende, Tampico, Los Mochis, Querétaro, and Los Cabos, as well as locations in Mexico City, Boca del Río, Mérida, and Guanajuato under the MediMAC model. MAC Hospitals is a multidisciplinary healthcare provider with several core areas of focus, including hospital, surgery, intensive care, emergency care, pharmacy, imaging, and diagnostic services, among others. MAC Hospitals employs nearly 4,500 professionals in Mexico between the operation of existing facilities and the construction of new hospitals. Visit www.hospitalesmac.com for more information.

Barbara Merinoff Albert has spent her entire career giving back to children throughout the world with a particular focus on the African Continent. A graduate of the University of Michigan Barbara she spent several years as a Tour Guide for Micato Safari’s working across east and South Africa. She was previously an executive at Grey Advertising where she focused on marketing for Global Enterprises. Barbara has helped build America Share which sponsors orphans and homeless children to go to proper boarding schools in Kenya. She also works with Hope For Life which trains young women in Kenya for technical jobs that allows them to work in industries outside of agriculture increasing family income significantly. She has received a Humanitarian Award for her work in Africa. Barbara also serves on the board of Sunbelt Beverage which is one of the largest wine and spirits distributors in the United States.

Philip O. Ozuah, MD, PhD, is the President and CEO of Montefiore Einstein, a premier academic health system comprised of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System, which includes 13 member hospitals and more than 300 ambulatory sites, and 7.5 million patient encounters per year across New York City, Westchester County, the Hudson Valley and beyond. A nationally recognized physician, leader, executive, researcher, teacher and author, Dr. Ozuah leads an organization with 10,000 physicians and 53,000 employees. An NIH-funded researcher and award-winning educator, he also served as Professor and University Chair of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein (CHAM).

Dr. Scher specializes in pediatric orthopedic surgery, with special interests in children’s foot deformities including clubfoot, cerebral palsy, fractures in children and pediatric hip disorders.

Dr. Scher graduated from the Duke University School of Medicine in 1993 and completed his orthopedic residency training at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in 1999. He then received fellowship training in pediatric orthopedic surgery at the Children’s Hospital of San Diego, renowned for its longstanding tradition of innovation and leadership in pediatric orthopedics.

Dr. Scher’s primary focus is the clinical care of children with musculoskeletal conditions, ranging from simple fractures to severe congenital and developmental disorders. He also serves as co-medical director of The Leon Root Motion Analysis Laboratory, where advanced technologies are used for both research and clinical decision making to improve how children walk.

Dr. Scher’s other academic and leadership roles include service as the education director of the pediatric orthopedic service at HSS, lectures at regional and national courses on pediatric orthopedics, and involvement in various committees within the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Club of New York, and the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.

Tietz spent 27 years at Ernst & Young (EY), including more than 15 years as Managing Partner of EY Israel. Prior to his role as Managing Partner, he was Head of High-Tech Cluster at EY Israel from 2000 to 2007, where he advised and counseled many Israeli tech founders and CEOs. Mr. Tietz is the Chairman of the Friends of Sheba Medical Center. He advises Sheba’s Management on innovation and transformation and is a director at Sheba Impact Ltd. – Sheba’s TTO. In addition to Sheba, Mr. Tietz is also actively involved in community and philanthropic initiatives as Co-Founder and Chairman of Birthright Excel.