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Meet Our Coaches

Marco Ranzi, MS

Senior Coach & Coaching Coordinator

Marco, MS holds a Master’s Degree in Nutrition with an emphasis in Human Performance from Logan University to go along with a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell. He is also certified as a National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer and Sleep Expert and is a Permaculture Design Course graduate. Marco strongly believes in a holistic approach to health and utilizing food as medicine. He has the unique experience of being raised plant-based and has been following this lifestyle for over 20 years.

In 2017 Marco hiked the entire 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail powered completely by plants.

He now lives in Costa Rica with his wife Maria where they tend to their gardens and fruit forest with regenerative practices. They enjoy the local beaches and waterfalls in their free time.

Wendi Sullivan MA, RDN, CDCES

Diabetes Coach, Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, Living with Type 1 Diabetes

Wendi's passion for helping people with diabetes goes back to when her Dad was suddenly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 12 years old. Her whole family's diet immediately changed to help her Dad become healthy again. Wendi was later diagnosed at age 21 with type 1 diabetes. She was inspired to become a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist to work with people who have diabetes.


Wendi graduated with both her bachelor's and master's degrees in nutrition from Western Michigan University. She has worked with people with diabetes for over 13 years. Wendi loves her nutritious lifestyle!

Michelle King Davis, BA Education

Diabetes Coach, Certified Health Coach & Personal Trainer

Michelle began a plant-based journey over 20 years ago in response to health
challenges. She became an avid studier of evidence-based nutrition and still
considers herself a lifelong learner. In the early 2000’s she co-authored the book,
Never Be Fat Again. She spent over a decade coaching hundreds, including people living with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, in transitioning to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle having dedicated her life to helping others thrive, she is excited to be part of the Mastering Diabetes coaching team.

Linda Rukavina, NBC-HWC, INHC

Diabetes Coach, National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, living with insulin-dependent Monogenic Diabetes

Linda is certified through the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaches and holds a Lifestyle Medicine Coach (LMC) certificate from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She completed her health coach training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She also has a BBA and MBA in Finance. Prior to health coaching, she worked in corporate finance and consulting.

She has been living with diabetes since the age of 30 but didn’t get serious about her health until 2012 when she transitioned to a plant-based diet and watched her A1C fall from 6.7% to 5.8%. She worked for many years to reverse her diabetes with diet and exercise but eventually learned she had low insulin production and started taking insulin. To help with the transition, she did private coaching Mastering Diabetes. The accountability, competence, and confidence she gained were key to her success and the inspiration for her to pursue health coaching. Now she loves empowering others with the life-changing power of whole food plant-based eating and lifestyle change!

Jessica Stidham, NBC-HWC, INHC

Diabetes Coach, National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, living with Type 1 Diabetes

Jessica is certified through the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaches and she completed her health coach training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1996 when she was 3 years old. She was also diagnosed with celiac disease at a young age.

Jessica began her plant-based journey in 2016 by becoming a client of Cyrus Khambatta when he was running his company, Mangoman Nutrition. She was able to achieve all of her goals such as achieving a 5.4% A1c, losing 50 lbs, and cutting her insulin needs by more than half while eating 300x more carbohydrates. She has the unique experience of being one of the first hires on the Mastering Diabetes team and even helped decide the name of the company. Now she loves empowering others to achieve their goals!

Jenelle Longo, RN, FNP

Certified Health Coach, Registered Nurse, Master of Science Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner

Jenelle is a certified health coach, Registered Nurse, and holds a master of science degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is certified in Plant-Based Nutrition by eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.


In 2015, her life took a transformative turn after reading "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell. This eye-opening read introduced her to the incredible potential of Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB) nutrition in preventing and even reversing chronic diseases. Eager to delve deeper, she immersed herself in evidence-based articles, books, documentaries, and attended International
Plant-Based Conferences. Inspired by the life-changing benefits she discovered throughout her own plant based journey, Jenelle made it her mission to share the power of WFPB with others, leading her to pursue a career in health coaching.


In her free time Jenelle cherishes her time with family, running outside, practicing yoga and meditation, and listening to podcasts including "Plant Strong" with Rip Esselstyn and “On Purpose” with Jay Shetty.

Karin Yehling

Health Coach

Karin has watched 4 generations of family members get diagnosed with type 2 diabetes; including herself. She was diagnosed at the age of 35 while she was a competitive racquetball player. Luckily, she was able to make enough changes to get her A1C back to normal relatively quickly. However, a whole food plant based diet was NOT on her radar so her numbers started creeping back up again. Using the Mastering Diabetes method has proven itself with a diabetes reversal once again (the right way this time).


Karin spent over 20 years in the health and fitness field as a personal trainer and realized that food is the foundation of health. So, she set off to get her Nutrition Coach certification from Precision Nutrition and then her Health Coach certification from Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. Her passion is to empower people with the knowledge and skills to make diabetes a thing of their past using food as medicine in the form of a low fat whole food plant based diet. As she guides you on your journey to health, rest assured that Karin has been on this journey as well, and knows how life-changing it can be to reclaim your health.

Jacinda Shapiro, RN, BSN, CDCES, DipACLM, Pn1, WellStart Coach

Registered Nurse, Diabetes Coach, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Jacinda has over 27 years of nursing expertise, and earned the distinguished title of Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in 2023. As a dedicated diabetes educator and coach, she passionately advocates for Plant-Powered Diabetes Care, Prevention, and Reversal. Jacinda is committed to empowering individuals, guiding them to take control of their health by embracing the transformative influence of knowledge and making healthy lifestyle choices.


In 2017, Jacinda initiated a whole food plant-based (WFPB) diet for her entire family to address her son's severe allergies and asthma. Witnessing the transformative impact on his health, Jacinda also experienced the reversal of her underlying health conditions. Beyond her passion for promoting health, she finds joy in running, hiking, indulging in music, and cherishing moments with her family.

Meet Our Team

Robby Barbaro, MPH

CEO, Living with Type 1 Diabetes

Robby Barbaro, MPH, is the cofounder of Mastering Diabetes and Amla Green and a graduate of the University of Florida. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 12, he has been thriving on a low-fat, plant-based lifestyle since 2006, maintaining an HbA1c below 6.4%.


Robby is a co-host of the Mastering Diabetes Online Summit, co-author of the book Mastering Diabetes, and a featured speaker at events like VegFest LA and Plant-Stock. His work has been showcased on platforms such as Forks Over Knives, Healthline, and Thrive Global.


Passionate about helping others, Robby shares his journey on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, inspiring people to take charge of their health.

Jose-Tejero

Jose Tejero

Marketing Manager

Jose is a plant-based certified health coach with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. His mission is to spread the healing power of plant-based nutrition, exercise, and mindset modifications to conquer diabetes in a natural way.


Jose shares valuable information on how to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, cook delicious plant-based meals, and make exercise part of your daily routine. He is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Alondra‌ ‌Matute‌

Executive Assistant, Customer Success Manager

Alondra Matute started off in our team as an Amla Green support member and since then has grown to be our Executive Assistant and the Customer Success Manager for our Mastering Diabetes clients.

Alondra is passionate about women’s health issues and diabetes health. Living with PCOS and insulin resistance herself, she knows the challenges many experiences as they transition to a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food lifestyle. You can always count on her to welcome you and support you in any regard in your journey in the Mastering Diabetes Coaching Program! 

Jose Roman

Jose Roman, born in Venezuela and currently residing in Peru, is a Freelance Translator and Virtual Assistant.

As a former Civil Engineer student, Jose Roman developed a problem-solving mindset. His attention to detail and interest in constant learning have taken him to acquire skills that would help him perform better as a digital worker, including general design and editing software knowledge. He is also experienced in 3D Modeling and is currently studying programming in his spare time.

Jose Roman currently works behind the scenes on different Mastering Diabetes projects. 

Jennifer Mendez

Customer Support Specialist

Jennifer has been in customer service for over a decade, working with different industries from travel, hospitality, logistics, eCommerce, etc. As part of Mastering Diabetes, she learned how this program can help people and make a difference in this modern day of age. She is passionate about rescuing and fostering animals and has a life-long dream to have her sanctuary someday.

Adam Jerusalem

Adam Jerusalem is an Executive Assistant based in the Philippines, specializing in virtual assistance since 2019. Outside of work, Adam leads an active lifestyle—enjoying motorcycle rides, exploring new places, and going on afternoon runs with his dog. He's also a talented pianist, finding solace and creativity in playing music.


Aside from his varied interests, Adam has a love for fruits, with Durian and Mangosteen being his favorites. Whether managing digital tasks or embarking on outdoor adventures, Adam's diverse interests and commitment to excellence define his approach to work and life. With a harmonious blend of skills and passions.

Wes Waring

Enrollment Specialist

Wes is one of our enrollment specialists and has a passion for health and wellness that started early on as a child having quite a few members of his own family living with diabetes. He and his wife started a cold-pressed juice company many years ago due to health issues they were both experiencing at the time. His mission is to help as many people as possible heal themselves naturally through whole food plant based nutrition and exercise. 

Outside of work, he is very passionate about spending time with his wife, family and friends...and of course, his dog Nelo.

Megan Henry

Enrollment Specialist

Megan is a nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Western Ontario. Her goal is to empower people to achieve lifestyle and behavior change that will lead to compounding positive effects over the long term.


Outside of work Megan enjoys cooking, spending time on the beach, and working on her surf skills.

Candice Dela Cruz

Onboarding and Extension Specialist

Candice, our onboarding specialist, brings extensive experience and a passion for helping individuals achieve their wellness goals. With over two years in the health and wellness industry, she has honed her skills in client engagement and personalized support.


As an onboarding specialist, Candice is dedicated to creating a seamless and supportive experience for new clients. Guiding new members through their orientation process, she makes them feel welcome and supported in their journey with Mastering Diabetes.


Candice enjoys hitting the beach in her free time and experimenting with healthy recipes. She believes in the transformative power of health and is excited to help you embark on your journey to a healthier, happier life.

Evellin Guedes

Onboarding and Extension Specialist

Evellin is a nutritionist with a bachelor's degree in Nutrition from the Federal University of Bahia. Her passion for nutrition comes from wanting to help people improve their health and well-being through eating well. She believes that this is the best medicine and that many diseases, including diabetes, can be prevented or reversed with a healthy and quality diet combined with regular exercise.


Evellin is from Brazil and is passionate about flowers, animals and spending time with family and friends. As an Onboarding Specialist at Mastering Diabetes, she will always be ready and happy to welcome you and will spare no effort to help you in any way she can to make your experience the best possible on this journey.