Board Leadership

Dr. Jason Baker
Co-Founder, Medical Director, Board Chair
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Jason C. Baker, MD, is Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Attending Endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York. He earned his medical degree at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at New York University Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital Center in New York. Dr. Baker completed a fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York.

Sandy Narayanan
Co-Founder, Board Treasurer, Program Committee Chair
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Sandy was drawn to Marjorie’s Fund to honor the memory of her father who died of complications from diabetes at the age of 65. Sandy has Type 2 diabetes as do other close family members. Her family and she thrived into adulthood because of access to resources and tools for effective diabetes self-management. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for too many others. Growing up in India, Sandy early on was struck by the severe disparities in health and diabetes care. She was moved by the devastation caused by poverty and a lack of diabetes education, testing and treatment supplies.

Sandy applied this deep connection to diabetes in making a career change and is now a Certified Diabetes Educator and Registered Dietitian. Sandy previously had a successful career in Human Resources, spanning over 20 years, during which she spearheaded strategic initiatives in various organizations. Sandy has lived and worked in different cities and countries and speaks several languages. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology, and graduate degrees in Organizational Psychology, Industrial & Labor Relations and Nutrition & Public Health.

Her professional and personal background were invaluable in helping co-found Marjorie’s Fund, informally with a small fundraiser in her apartment building, and then formally with the launch event in October 2012. Since that time, Sandy has been involved with establishing strategy, overseeing programs and projects, leading internal operations and serving as the Treasurer of the Board.

Samantha Shanken Baker
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Wine, Spirits, Food Promotions Expert

For 15 years, Samantha Shanken Baker was the VP of Marketing and Business Development for M. Shanken Communications, the publisher of both Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado, as well as several trade magazines Impact, Market Watch and Food Arts, for the restaurant and alcoholic beverage industries.

Her knowledge of and access to the top players in U.S. Spirits and Wine distribution, gourmet grocery and trend-setting restaurateurs and chefs is unmatched. Samantha launched The South Beach Wine and Food Festival as well as the New York Festival, Flavor Napa Valley, and Harlem Eat UP! She recently curated a dinner with 17 world-renowned chefs.

Samantha expertise is in creating partnerships between luxury brands and events. Her relationships with well-known chefs Daniel Boulud, David Bouley, Ted Allen, Emeril Lagasse, Michael White, etc. allows her to develop one-of a-kind experiences with Spirits, Wine, Premium Waters, meats, cheeses Caviar, Foie Gras, etc.

One of her biggest life challenges has been balancing a life of rich food and fine wines, along with Type 1 diabetes. For 31 years managing diet, nutrition with lows and highs has not been easy.

She is on the Board of two diabetes charities,: The Diabetes Research Institute and Marjorie’s Fund which both advocate for a cure. She plans events and galas to raise money.

Sarah Francis-Bland
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Sarah Francis-Bland serves as the Executive and Board Network Leader for EY's Financial Services Organization (FSO) in the Americas. In her role, Sarah is responsible for the development of strategic programs that enhance EY's global brand and strengthen relationships with alumni, clients, market influencers and directors across the financial services marketplace. Sarah's 10+ years of experience spans go-to-market people strategy, talent acquisition, strategic program development, and executive career transition coaching specific to the banking, capital markets, wealth and asset management, insurance and private equity sectors.

Dragana Ana Djuknic

Howard Goldman
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Howard is Chief Executive Officer and Director of Operations at DLS, Inc., a comprehensive legal services corporation with multiple offices serving its network of clients across the globe. He has volunteered his time and resources for many charitable events throughout the years. Howard’s philanthropy with Marjorie’s Fund extends to the organization’s inception; his triumphant bid at auction on a Bruce Springsteen compilation was a personal highlight at the charity’s inaugural benefit gala. Howard was graduated from Queens College, City University of New York with a degree in political science and a law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. He has a love of baseball, early 20th century classic sailing yachts, and New York history. Howard resides on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with his wife, Alese. Together, they share a love for the New York Mets, and fair weather cruising Long Island Sound aboard their boat, Our Terrace.

Margie Goldsmith
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Margie Goldsmith who was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, became active in Marjorie’s Fund when she learned the story of Marjorie in Uganda who could not afford supplies to control her diabetes and as a result, died. Goldsmith recently joined the Marjorie’s Fund Board to help raise funds to allow adults with Type 1 Diabetes in resource-poor settings learn how to create their own income sources such as growing crops, creating handcrafts and art, so they could eventually pay for their own diabetic supplies.

Goldsmith is a NYC-based journalist and author who has just completed her second book, Masters of the Harmonica Share Their Craft. She has explored 140 countries on seven continents and written about them all. She has won 85 writing awards including the prestigious Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Gold Award, multiple ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors) and NATJA (North American Travel Journalists and Authors) Awards, the Solas Award and four Folio Awards. She is a lifestyle/culture contributor to Forbes.com, has a column and writes features for Business Jet Traveler and has written over 1,000 articles for Robb Report, Travel + Leisure, American Way, Hemispheres, Wall Street Journal, Globe and Mail, National Geographic Traveler, O the Oprah Magazine, Parade and many others. She does not let her diabetes prevent her from kickboxing, cycling, weight training and hiking. In her spare time, she plays blues harmonica.

Marci Goolsby
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Marci Goolsby, MD is Sports Medicine Physician at Hospital for Special Surgery and serves as the medical director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center. She completed her residency and fellowship at UCLA, and has served as team physician for US Biathlon and WNBA New York Liberty. She was elected as President of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine in 2023-2024.

Dr. Goolsby was introduced to the wonderful work of Marjorie's Fund through a patient after sharing that her young son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2019. Having experienced the transition to the new life of having a child with diabetes, Dr. Goolsby greatly appreciates how fortunate she is to have access to top notch medical care and resources. She is passionate to help others get the care they need and deserve so they can successfully navigate the waters of a life with diabetes.

Michael Gordon
Board Secretary, Governance Committee Chair
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Michael S. Gordon is a litigation partner at the law firm, Baker & Hostetler LLP. He has a broad range of commercial litigation experience and regularly represents clients in virtually all types of business disputes, including breach of contract, business torts, entertainment, fiduciary litigation, partnership and corporate shareholder disputes, intellectual property, insurance coverage, securities and common law fraud. In addition, he regularly provides strategic counseling to his clients, assisting them in devising creative solutions either to avoid litigation or to facilitate the settlement of protracted lawsuits.

Penny Kip
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Penny is self-employed with over 30 years experience in diabetes education and was employed at a leading continuous glucose monitoring company for 16 years coaching and mentoring sales teams. Penny studied nutrition and is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She was inspired to make diabetes her sole focus of professional education after working in hospitals many years ago when she noticed the incidence of diabetes increasing dramatically.

She felt the need to help others weave diabetes into their current lifestyle and make a difference. She attended her first Marjorie’s Fund event five years ago inspired by Dr. Jason Baker’s passion and drive to help others thrive with diabetes and immediately fell in love with Diabetes Empowerment Intl.! Penny loves animals and nature.

Jacqueline Murray
Development Committee Chair
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Jacqueline Murray is a Senior HR Professional with over 20+ years of generalist and global corporate experience. Jacqueline has proven ability to operate effectively within complex matrixed organizations, building strong relationships to effectively execute initiatives, which support the translation of HR People strategies into desired organizational goals. Jacqueline’s expertise includes Talent Acquisition, Diversity and Inclusion, Employment Engagement, Employee Relations, Compensation, Executive Coaching and Performance Management.

Diana L. Malkin-Washeim
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Director of Ambulatory Nutrition and Diabetes Program at BronxCare Health System, Bronx, NY; has >25 years of medical nutrition therapy and diabetes self-management experience that expands throughout pediatrics, adults and pregnant women with an emphasis in diabetes and food security; an adjunct professor in the CUNY system (Queens and Hunter ); is a Returned Peace Corp Volunteer - served in the Dominican Republic, and has volunteered with Life For A Child (LFAC); a mentor to dietetic interns; volunteers on environmental issues; has PhD from Walden University; and a MPH from NYU; has 2 adult children and loves to travel, trail run, kayak and hike.

Liz Wolff
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Liz Wolff is the Founder and President of Cure Thrift Shop, a non-profit thrift store in Manhattan’s East Village that benefits type 1 diabetes research, advocacy, and awareness. Cure Thrift Shop is consistently ranked as one of Manhattan’s top second-hand businesses. Liz has worked closely with the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation and Marjorie's Fund for the past ten years to raise funds for cure-focused type 1 diabetes research and advocacy. In 2009, Liz was named “New Yorker of the Week” by NY1 news for her philanthropy and dedication to finding a cure for diabetes. A type 1 diabetic since age 11, Liz continues to work tirelessly to fundraise and increase awareness to further several diabetes initiatives.