IIN Celebrates Its Diverse Community of Changemakers

Spiritual leaders, healthy food activists, women’s health champions, chefs, bestselling authors, and more make up our community of students, graduates, and visiting teachers.

The IIN community is an inclusive group of people of all races and ethnicities from all over the world. We are so proud to support this community in our endeavor to reverse the global health crisis, which includes fighting systemic injustice and racism.

We can only reach this goal by providing opportunities to learn and grow from people whose voices are often not heard.

Below, we’ve highlighted black students, graduates, and visiting teachers who are doing incredible work every day to spread the ripple effect of health and happiness in so many different capacities and using their IIN education to transform not only their health but also the health of their communities.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of inspiring people to look to for content, knowledge, and resources. We encourage you to continue seeking out leaders and business owners in not just the health and wellness space but all spaces – art, design, education, advocacy, literature, criminal justice, etc. – to support black people and non-black people of color in their work to create a healthier, happier world. We commit to doing the same.

Students and Graduates

Haile Thomas, IIN graduate and founder of the HAPPY Org – Focusing on holistic education initiatives for youths, Haile – one of IIN’s youngest graduates – infuses her passion for holistic health and well-being into this incredible nonprofit organization. Even in this new reality, HAPPY provides virtual education opportunities for young people to hear from and get inspired by artists, entrepreneurs, activists, and entertainers from around the world. Haile has been creating beautiful and powerful free content through her Instagram around anti-racism, having revolutionary conversations, and how to show up and fight against injustice.

Agatha Achindu, IIN graduate and founder of Yummy Spoonfuls – After moving from Africa, where she grew up on a farm eating fresh and local vegetables, Agatha grappled with the quality of food on the supermarket shelves in the United States. As someone already passionate about health and well-being, she began prepping healthy baby food not just for her and her newborn son but also for busy mothers, which then blossomed into her company, Yummy Spoonfuls, a line of organic, clean baby food that’s accessible to all.

Jenné Claiborne, IIN graduate and author of Sweet Potato Soul Cookbook – A vegan chef, author, YouTuber, and blogger, Jenné found healthy eating only after she left home and went to college. Her health and wellness journey brought her to veganism, which has drastically improved her own physical and mental health. Jenné is on a mission to bring healthy and delicious food to the world, which she’s doing one recipe at a time.

Koya Webb, IIN graduate and founder of Get Loved Up – Koya is an internationally recognized yoga teacher, celebrity Health Coach, author, speaker, and vegan activist whose mission is to combat mental health issues and social injustices. Through her yoga and lifestyle community, Get Loved Up, Koya teaches physical, mental, and spiritual health with yoga, daily self-care practices, plant-based nutrition resources, and eco-friendly living tips.

McCall, IIN graduate and holistic home expert – As both a Health Coach and holistic home expert, McCall created her business to give people resources to level up their most sacred space: their home. She is passionate about the importance of taking a deeper look to determine how to create a home that reflects your inner most dreams and goals so that your best self shines through.

Letitia Richards, IIN graduate and founder of Peace of Food and The Peace of Food podcast – After a health epiphany, Letitia completely transformed her life to become the vibrant, thriving person she is today. As a full-time Health Coach, Letitia helps women get unstuck, achieve their wellness goals, develop healthy lifestyle habits, and seek balance in their lives. Through her coaching, ebook, and podcast, Letitia shares her expertise on veganism, spirituality, gardening, and much more so you can “peace” together the many aspects of wellness for a healthier life.

Paris Alexandra, IIN graduate, cofounder of BK Yoga Club, and creator of Curves4Fitness – As a certified yoga instructor, plus-size fitness model, and IIN Health Coach, Paris uses song, poetry, and movement to inspire self-love. She also supports curvy athletes and creatives in engaging in healthy lifestyle practices that honor both their physical body and creative spirit. With this background, she helped cofound BK Yoga Club, a body positive yoga studio, and Curves4Fitness, a brand celebrating holistic health for people of all sizes.

Charlette James, IIN graduate and founder of J~Rapha’s Well Health Coaching – Charlette is an eight-year breast cancer survivor helping others diagnosed with cancer thrive in their bodies after diagnosis.

Jeremiah Wallace, IIN graduate, Leadership in Health Coaching Award winner, and founder of RenewYou Health and Fitness – Jeremiah helps clients reach their full potential and achieve wholeness in mind, body, and spirit through his tiered coaching programs that blend nutrition, fitness, and mental and spiritual health.

Stephanie D. McKenzie, MBA, MA, CPC, CSSC, IIN graduate, Leadership in Health Coaching Award winner, and founder of The Healing Firm – Stephanie is not only an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach but also a certified relationship coach and “renowned love expert.” Through her company, The Relationship Firm, she realized that people needed more support around other areas of their lives aside from relationships. The Healing Firm applies the “Sozology” method, which focuses on a six-dimensional approach to health to help people become mentally, emotionally, relationally, historically, spiritually, and physically fit.

Len Jefferson-Springer, IIN graduate, Leadership in Health Coaching Award winner, and founder of Len’s Kitchen – Len is a “restorative eating coach, 30-minute recipe developer, and busy-life balance seeker.” Len totally encompasses the primary and secondary food concepts as well as how important it is to embrace bio-individuality, bringing these concepts into her work to help busy women reclaim their time and their health.

Sakinah Bunch, IIN graduate, Leadership in Health Coaching Award winner, and founder of Cleangoodeats – Sakinah is an army veteran, wife, and mother of three, combining her passion for health and wellness with her desire to empower families to take control of their health and improve their relationship with food. Sakinah offers private coaching in addition to food education services, bringing families back to the kitchen and the table to share meals with food that the entire family can enjoy.

Jeanette Jenkins, IIN graduate and founder and president of The Hollywood Trainer – Celebrity trainer Jeanette Jenkins has created a virtual community and 360-degree experience to help people radically transform their health through not only online workouts in her “virtual gym” but also recipes, guided support, and communication.

Monique Addison-Stinson, current IIN student and founder of PHATTLife (Practical Holistic Approach to Training and Life) – Monique is on her way to becoming an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and is already a certified fitness trainer and nutrition and wellness consultant. After experiencing her own health issues and noticing how ministry leaders were becoming burnt out by nutrition and lifestyle conditions, she used her education to start her own practice and help those community leaders find health and vibrancy.

Chioma Nsofor Okoye, current IIN student and founder of Chiomzy Health and Wellness – Chioma was passionate about health and wellness even before coming to IIN. As a registered nurse and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, she hosts individual coaching sessions in addition to group and workplace wellness sessions, helping people of all ages strengthen their immune system and feel amazing every day.

Visiting Teachers

Ihotu Jennifer Ali, IIN visiting teacher and founder and CEO of Black Moon Bodywork  – As a licensed bodyworker, postpartum doula, poet, and Health Coach, Ihotu integrates Western medicine and public health policy with Ayurveda, African, and North American indigenous healing practices around family and food as well as maternal health. In the IIN curriculum, she gives her voice of experience as a United Nations researcher turned Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.

Latham Thomas, IIN visiting teacher and founder of Mama Glow – A globally recognized maternity lifestyle brand that supports women along the childbearing continuum, Mama Glow’s main mission is to support women during this vulnerable time in their lives by offering physical, mental, and spiritual resources and education. Latham also advocates for women’s health, serving on the Tufts University Nutrition Council and teaching at hospitals and universities across the United States to help improve women’s labor and delivery experiences. In the IIN curriculum, Latham shares her voice of experience in her professional journey.

Michelle Maldonado, IIN visiting teacher and founder of Lucenscia – Michelle's organization is dedicated to helping create more mindful, compassionate leaders who then go on to create thriving ecosystems within their businesses. Lucenscia’s mission is to inspire transformation of both the individuals within the workplace and the workplace itself, “creating authentic connection, purposeful presence, and a positive impact.” In the IIN curriculum, Michelle teaches the value of presence and connection in health coaching.

Cynthia James, IIN visiting teacher, author, speaker, and transformation coach – Cynthia’s personal mission is to “inspire individuals, leaders, and organizations to awaken to their full potential, creating conscious awareness and powerful transformation.” She was called into this work after transcending a childhood of violence and abuse, using creative expression as a healing modality that ripples through her coaching and speaking. In the IIN curriculum, Cynthia teaches about the impact of freedom and authentic truth telling.

Leslie Salmon Jones, IIN visiting teacher, cofounder of Afro Flow Yoga, professional dancer, choreographer, yoga instructor, certified holistic trainer and coach, and community activist – Leslie, along with her husband, Jeff, founded Afro Flow Yoga, whose mission is to “promote healing, balance, peace, and the elevation of all humanity through the practices of yoga, dance, rhythms, spirituality, and cultural values of the African Diaspora in a compassionate, nonjudgmental, and safe environment.” Leslie has been long committed to bringing about social change in the wellness space, which you can read more about here.

Jeff Jones, IIN visiting teacher, cofounder of Afro Flow Yoga, multi-instrumentalist, composer, recording artist, vocalist, and musical director – Jeff has been a professional musician for over 20 years and brings his “mastery of African-inspired rhythms, instruments, and vocals” to Afro Yoga classes to inspire and invoke healing. Leslie and Jeff Jones were speakers at the latest IIN conference, where they discussed how they built their business and how Health Coaches play a fundamental role in physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. You can watch their lectures on demand here (for free!) along with other amazing speakers from our 2019 conference.