Members of the collective standing together outdoors
Onward. Together.

A collective, not a consultancy

Equity Is the Word, LLC works publicly as Health Equity 4 All. We’re public health leaders based in Seattle and Cape Town, supporting organizations that serve BIPOC, LGBTQ+, differently abled, asylee, immigrant and sex worker communities.

Vision

Liberating people and communities from systemic and structural barriers that lessen health outcomes.

Mission

To transform healthcare systems into agents of change for historically excluded communities.

What we hold ourselves to

Three commitments we’re accountable for, to the communities before anyone else.

Receipts over statements

We ask organizations to show what changed after the commitment was published, and we welcome the same question in return.

Local before global

Members lead work where they live, in the language of the community. We don’t fly someone in to explain a place they’ve only read about.

Leave the capacity behind

Every engagement is designed to end. What we build gets documented and handed to the people who’ll still be there next year.

Who We Are

The Collective

Public health leaders across twelve countries, each carrying a practice of their own.

Founder & Principal · Cape Town, South Africa
Administrative and policy advocate in communicable disease. Acting Director of the Duke University Sexual & Gender Minority Wellness program. Français Défenseur des politiques administratives en maladies transmissibles. Directeur par intérim du programme de bien-être des minorités sexuelles et de genre de l’Université Duke.
View Profile →: Ace Robinson
Research & Advocacy · Geneva, Switzerland
Activist living with HIV and researcher at Fiocruz Brasília, focused on health and social justice across Latin America. Português Ativista vivendo com HIV e pesquisador na Fiocruz Brasília, focado em saúde e justiça social em toda a América Latina.
View Profile →: Diego Calixto
Education & Media · Southeast Asia
Educator for over a decade, empowering youth through journalism and media programs. Español Educador durante más de una década, empoderando a los jóvenes a través del periodismo y programas de medios.
View Profile →: Eduardo Culbeaux
Jas Florentino
Jas Florentino
New Team Member · Washington, DC, USA
We’re excited to welcome Jas to the collective — full bio coming soon.
Global Health Advocate · Rome, Italy
DDS. Co-founded Egypt’s Dentalia Initiative, promoting dental awareness and community health education for underserved populations. العربية شارك جون كشريك مؤسس في مبادرة دنتاليا في مصر منذ عام 2017 حتى 2022، حيث قاد جهودًا لتعزيز الوعي بصحة الأسنان والتعليم المجتمعي، مما استفادت منه الشرائح السكانية غير المحظية.
View Profile →: John Hanna
Communications & Marketing · Johannesburg, South Africa
Digital marketing producer and project manager with almost 20 years of experience working with African brands and NGOs on health equity communications. Afrikaans Digitale bemarkingsvervaardiger en projekbestuurder met byna 20 jaar ervaring in samewerking met Afrika-handelsmerke en NRO’s oor kommunikasie vir gesondheidsgelykheid.
View Profile →: Nick Jackson
Public Health & Advocacy · Cape Town, South Africa
Public health consultant and advocate based in Cape Town, with over 15 years of experience in HIV prevention, key populations programming, substance abuse and human rights across Western, Southern and Eastern Africa. chiShona Brian Kanyemba inyanzvi yezvehutano hweveruzhinji anogara kuCape Town, ane ruzivo rwemakore anodarika gumi nemashanu mukudzivirira HIV, zvirongwa zvemapoka anokosha(KPs), kushandiswa nezvisizvo kwezvinodhaka, uye kodzero dzevanhu kumaMawodzanyemba, Mabavazuva nekuMadokero kweAfrica.
View Profile →: Brian Kanyemba
Program Management · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
MBA. STEM project manager with over a decade of experience leading large teams and multi-million-dollar programs, including logistics for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Português MBA. Gerente de projetos STEM com mais de uma década de experiência liderando grandes equipes e programas multimilionários, incluindo a logística das Olimpíadas do Rio 2016.
View Profile →: Leandro Maldonado
Leadership Faculty · Washington, DC, USA
Advocate for DEI and health equity, guided by friendship, leadership and service to humanity.
View Profile →: Lauren Miller
Research & Faculty · New York, USA
Associate Professor at the University at Albany. Researches the intersection of HIV prevention, social justice and spirituality, teaching across the US and Southern Africa.
View Profile →: Dr. Robert Miller
Finance & Virtual CFO · Cape Town, South Africa
MBA, ACMA, CGMA, AICPA. Virtual CFO with over 12 years of experience in financial planning, analysis and strategic budgeting, strengthening controls and delivering data-driven insights for sustainable business growth. chiShona Tinashe Stephen Muchenje, MBA, ACMA, CGMA, AICPA, inyanzvi yezvemari uye Virtual CFO ane makore anopfuura gumi nemaviri eruzivo muhurongwa hwezvemari, kuongorora, uye kuronga bhajeti. Anozivikanwa nekusimudzira kushanda zvakanaka kwemari, kusimbisa mitemo yekudzora, uye kupa ongororo dzinobva padata dzinotsigira kukura kwebhizimisi kunogara kwenguva refu.
View Profile →: Tinashe Stephen Muchenje
Programs & Policy · Nairobi, Kenya
HIV response leader for over a decade, building feminist movements from grassroots to global level. Kiswahili Amefanya kazi katika kukabiliana na HIV kwa zaidi ya miaka kumi akijenga harakati za kifeministi na kupigania usawa wa kijinsia kuanzia ngazi ya chini kabisa hadi ngazi ya kimataifa.
View Profile →: Lucy Wanjiku Njenga
Public Health Researcher · Nigeria
PhD in public health, focused on data analysis and equitable surveillance. Led vaccination and HIV testing programs reaching over 25,000 people. Yorùbá Victoria Oluwatosin Owoyele ni oye dokita (PhD) ni ilera gbogbo eniyan. Victoria ṣe ifọwọsowọpọ pẹlu ilera ati awọn apa ilera ti gbogbo eniyan, ni idojukọ lori itupalẹ data, iwoye data iwọntunwọnsi, ati awọn ilowosi ifisi fun awọn eniyan ti a ya sọtọ, pataki ni awọn agbegbe BIPOC.
View Profile →: Dr. Victoria Owoyele
Open Seat
Open Seat
Cape Town, South Africa
We’re growing the collective with members whose practice is rooted in Southern Africa. Know someone who should be here? Tell us.
What We Say To People

“The major difference between public health and thermodynamics is that thermodynamics is easier.”

Ace Robinson, M.P.H., M.H.L Let’s Work Together