THE TEAM
MICHAEL ROSSATO-BENNETT
(Executive Director / Founder / Board Member) Michael Rossato-Bennett is focused on increasing human connection to reduce loneliness. He is the Writer, Director, and Producer of 'ALIVE INSIDE’, which won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for U.S. Documentary, and is the Founder of The Alive Inside Foundation. An Architect of Change, he believes we live in a time where great human change is possible. His films aim to help us all be more Alive Inside.
Michael is the Director of ‘BEING HERE’, a film that documents a journey by a group of friends through Music and Mortality. The story begins when Brian, an avid surfer, skateboarder, and skier, closes the door to his home office and begins writing songs. Nights and weekends for three years, he writes over 300 songs obsessively. What drives him? No one knows. One year into the songwriting process, he and his friends and family discover he has ALS.
In addition to 'ALIVE INSIDE' and ‘BEING HERE’, Rossato-Bennett is producing the sequel documentary, ‘ALIVE INSIDE TOO’ a film he believes will transform eldercare and public schools across the US.
Michael Rossato-Bennett is looking for partners in creating world-changing media and human development projects.
SARAH LUCAS
(Special Projects Director) Sarah is passionate about transforming the experience of elders and youth. She is the Director of Special Projects at AliveInside.Org. A Certified Storyteller, End-of-Life Doula, and Owner of Celebrating Stories, Ltd. Sarah is dedicated to bringing joy, music, and storytelling to the elder population. She was an actor in Chicago for many years and now gives historical presentations on women in history. Sarah also teaches workshops on how to interview loved ones at libraries and cultural centers.
TONY FISHER
(CommUniversity Program Director) Tony Fisher, with Michael Rossato-Bennett, came up with the idea of using eldercare centers and elders as a teaching tool. Tony spearheaded the Alive Inside Together pilot at Healdsburg Senior Living. Starting with one private school, the program eventually expanded to 13 schools, bringing 200-400 students into the center each month. The students shared music and life with the elders, and everyone bloomed. Teachers found freedom in using elders as an educational resource, the students found true purpose in changing elders' lives, and the institution bloomed financially and emotionally. Michael and Tony were working on the follow-up film, 'ALIVE INSIDE TOGETHER,' a film they believed would transform eldercare and public schools nationwide. They were 1/3 done when Covid hit, and their plans were rendered impossible. Michael and Tony are working to restart the program. Presently, Tony consults with elder care and runs a family business in Alaska.
JOANN BURNSIDE
(Outreach) JoAnn Burnside spent over three decades in music marketing in Nashville and Los Angeles. She worked with many stars- Miranda Lambert, Dixie Chicks, Mary J Blige, Willie Nelson, Enrique Iglesias, Linkin Park, Garth Brooks, and Tammy Wynette.
After watching Alive Inside, she tracked down the filmmakers and is now officially joining forces. She works to fund getting personalized music to the folks that need it most. "If the music industry can't support THIS cause, then what are we doing it for?" is her pitch.
ITAAL SHUR
(Partnership Development) Itaal Shur, an American composer, producer, and musician, has written songs for Maxwell, Jewel, and Enrique Iglesias and released three solo albums. Shur's song "Smooth", co-written with Rob Thomas for Santana's album Supernatural, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Shur and Thomas the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Shur is in charge of expanding Alive Inside's partnerships in the Music and Tech industries.
FRAN PANNELLA
(Dementia Trainer) Fran Pannella has worked for over 20 years in geriatric nursing, eldercare, advocacy, and dementia education. She is passionate about the idea that there can still be Joy in Life after a diagnosis of dementia and is dedicated to finding and sharing positive ways to reduce stigma and support those living with dementia. She manages an Alive Inside-inspired, Inter-generational program called Connection Thru Music that she created while at Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey. She is a past Associate Director at the Alzheimer's Association Greater NJ Chapter.
Fran is dedicated to spreading the mission of the Alive Inside Foundation and is working with other NJ non-profits and youth groups to share the power of music and connection. She is a Certified Dementia Care Practitioner, ASFA – Senior Personal Trainer & LTC Fitness Leader, and Brain Fitness Facilitator, and a recipient of the Memory Bridge graduate. She developed and offers Movement~Music~Memories exercise and enrichment programs to individuals with dementia.
KELLY WILLENBORG
BERNADETTE GONZALEZ ORTA
(Higher Education Director) Bernadette González Orta is a Certified Clinical Psychologist, Private Psychotherapist, and Psychoanalyst. She teaches Psychology at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. She plays piano and comes from a musical family (her grandfather was an orchestra conductor, writer, and composer).
She has written and presented on music’s link to psychology: “Psychology Foundation of Music,” “Between Music and Psychoanalysis”, and “The Power of Music: Intimidation vs Intimacy”. Inspired by Alive Inside, Bernadette, along with other professionals, founded Córimaz, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of elders in different conditions and promoting bonds between generations. Córimaz uses music, life stories, and other resources to improve the quality of life of young and old.
CHARLES "CHIP" STALEY
(Facilitators Director) Charles "Chip" Staley directs the Wind Symphony at the Merit School of Music in Chicago and is the Founder and President of ARTSpeaks, a non-profit arts advocacy organization. Staley teaches graduate coursework at the VanderCook College of Music and co-directs the Birch Creek Adult Band Camp. Staley conducts the Wind Symphony at the Merit School of Music in Chicago and facilitates the "Alive Inside" Outreach program in Naperville. Staley serves as an Educational Clinician for Conn-Selmer, Inc., and teaches graduate classes for VanderCook College of Music.
IRA OZER
(CSR Director). Ira Ozer is an innovation and engagement entrepreneur. He is in charge of the Alive Inside CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Program.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PETER NICHOLSON
(President and Independent Board Member) Peter Nicholson is a social impact entrepreneur dedicated to transforming the way we care for older adults. After a successful career in biopharmaceuticals and medical devices, he was deeply moved by his parents’ late-life journey and committed himself to improving aging experiences. This led him to co-found Ohana Health, a platform that democratizes caregiver education, ensuring dignity and quality of life for the elderly while reducing the cost of care.
Beyond his work in healthcare, Peter believes in the power of storytelling and education. He founded Baobabooks, an interactive platform that inspires young writers and illustrators worldwide and partners with teachers and schools to foster and develop writing literacy.
Originally from California, Peter has lived in the Cayman Islands and France and now calls Switzerland home. He has served as a Board Member of the New West Symphony and the Santa Barbara Symphony. A mentor for the Cartier Women’s Initiative, a MassChallenge Switzerland judge, and a Steward of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism, Peter is dedicated to fostering innovation with a social purpose.
MICHAEL ROSSATO-BENNETT
(Executive Director / Founder / Board Member) Michael Rossato-Bennett is focused on increasing human connection to reduce loneliness. He is the Writer, Director, and Producer of 'ALIVE INSIDE’, which won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for U.S. Documentary, and is the Founder of The Alive Inside Foundation. An Architect of Change, he believes we live in a time where great human change is possible. His films aim to help us all be more Alive Inside.
Michael is the Director of ‘BEING HERE’, a film that documents a journey by a group of friends through Music and Mortality. The story begins when Brian, an avid surfer, skateboarder, and skier, closes the door to his home office and begins writing songs. Nights and weekends for
three years, he writes over 300 songs obsessively. What drives him? No one
knows. One year into the songwriting process, he and his friends and family
discover he has ALS.
In addition to 'ALIVE INSIDE' and ‘BEING HERE’, Rossato-Bennett is
producing the sequel documentary, ‘ALIVE INSIDE TOO’, a film he believes will transform eldercare and public schools across the US.
ERIC J. BERTRAND
Eric Bertrand is the CEO of Eyeball Digital and a Partner of Eyeball (www.eyeballnyc.com). Eric's focus at Eyeball has been on strategy, finance, and operations, as well as launching the digital advertising group.
Before Eyeball, Eric was a PE/VC fund manager. In 2005, he founded and managed EJB Capital, a strategic advisory firm, which Greystone & Company hired in 2007 to lead their private equity effort. Before founding EJB Capital, Eric was a General Partner with Palisade Capital Management, where he jointly managed a private equity fund and venture capital funds. Eric began his private equity career with Aetna's Private Equity Group.
Eric holds an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurial Studies from New York University. He graduated from Bryant University with a BS in Business Administration, concentrating on Finance and Applied Actuarial Mathematics. Eric is a board member of several privately held companies as well as Unite For Sight, an international eye care-related charity. Eric currently sits on the Bryant University Business School Board of Advisors, as well as the National Alumni Council. In addition, Eric is a mentor and judge for the annual New York University, Springboard, Junior Achievement, and Bryant University Business Plan Competitions.
ROB VICKERY
(Strategy and Innovation) Rob Vickery is a start-up expert with technical aptitude and a deep understanding of strategy, tactics, and innovation. He says, "Alive Inside" gave me the best moment with my Mom in her last 10 years.' Rob still has her music player. Rob is dedicated to making life better for elders like his mother.
GUILLANO DEMON
(Independent Board Member) Guillano Demon is a healthcare entrepreneur and transformation leader with a background in strategy and business consulting. His deep interest in Alive Inside stems from personal experience with Alzheimer’s disease and witnessing the transformative power of music in fostering engagement. This also drives his commitment to initiatives that enhance the well-being of older
adults through innovation and human-centered care.
Guillano spent over a decade at Ernst & Young as a Partner, leading large-scale transformations across the pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer goods industries, optimizing supply chains, operations, and improving after-tax bottom lines. As a co-founder of multiple healthcare ventures, Guillano has worked to improve caregiver education through digital solutions and has contributed to developing medical technologies that enhance patient well-being. He co-founded and serves as a board member of a logistics company supporting global trade.
Originally from Suriname, he has lived in five countries and speaks five languages. His strategic vision, broad experience, dedication to innovation, inclusive leadership, and social impact make him a valuable addition to the Alive Inside board.
ITAAL SHUR
(Treasurer) Itaal Shur is an American composer, producer, and musician, has written songs for Maxwell, Jewel, and Enrique Iglesias and released three solo albums. Shur's song "Smooth", co-written with Rob Thomas for Santana's album Supernatural, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Shur and Thomas the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Shur is in charge of expanding Alive Inside's partnerships in the Music and Tech industries.
TONY FISHER
(CommUniversity Program Director / Independent Board Member) Tony Fisher, with Michael Rossato-Bennett, came up with the idea of using eldercare centers and elders as a teaching tool. Tony spearheaded the Alive Inside Together pilot at Healdsburg Senior Living. Starting with one private school, the program eventually expanded to 13 schools, bringing 400-600 students into the center each month. The students shared music and life with the elders, and everyone bloomed. Teachers found freedom in using elders as an educational resource, the students found true purpose in changing elders' lives, and the institution bloomed financially and emotionally. Michael and Tony were working on the follow-up film, 'ALIVE INSIDE TOGETHER,' a film they believed would transform eldercare and public schools nationwide. They were 1/3 done when Covid hit, and their plans were rendered impossible. Michael and Tony are working to restart the program. Presently, Tony consults with elder care and runs a family business in Alaska.
BERNADETTE GONZALEZ ORTA
(Higher Education Director / Independent Board Member) Bernadette González Orta is a Certified Clinical Psychologist, Private Psychotherapist, and Psychoanalyst. She teaches Psychology at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. She plays piano and comes from a musical family (her grandfather was an orchestra conductor, writer, and composer).
She has written and presented on music’s link to psychology: “Psychology Foundation of Music,” “Between Music and Psychoanalysis”, and “The Power of Music: Intimidation vs Intimacy”. Inspired by Alive Inside, Bernadette, along with other professionals, founded Córimaz, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of elders in different conditions and promoting bonds between generations. Córimaz uses music, life stories, and other resources to improve the quality of life of young and old.
MATTHEW K. CROSS
(Strategy and Development). Matthew K. Cross is the Founder and CEO of LeadershipAlliance.com and provides breakthrough strategies for growth, genius, and transformation. The world’s leading Priority Strategist, Hoshin NorthStar specialist, and a Deming Quality Scholar, Matthew consults with Fortune 100’s worldwide. He learned of the Golden Ratio at 13, which evolved into his pioneering work in Biomimicry Medicine and its integration into his athletic, business, and life performance trainings. Matthew’s books include The Golden Ratio & Fibonacci Sequence and Nature’s Secret Nutrient with Robert D. Friedman, M.D., and The Hoshin North Star Playbook and The Millionaire’s MAP. An ancient wisdom explorer and athlete, he champions everyone’s unique genius.
ADVISORY BOARD
DR. BILL THOMAS, MD
Dr. Bill Thomas is an author, entrepreneur, musician, teacher, farmer, and physician whose wide-ranging work explores the terrain of human aging. Best known for his health care system innovations, he is the founder of a global non-profit (The Eden Alternative) which works to improve the care provided to older people. He is the creator of The Green House®, which Provider Magazine has called the “pinnacle of culture change.” Dr. Thomas also developed the Senior ER model of care and is now working to transform the acute care services provided to elders.
He is the author of “Second Wind: Navigating the Passage to a Slower, Deeper, and More Connected Life”, and has now embarked on a national tour to reimagine how Americans will approach aging in the 21st century. His synthesis of imagination and action led the Wall Street Journal to highlight Dr. Thomas as one of the nation’s “top 10 innovators,” changing the future of retirement in America and US News and World Report to name him as one of “America’s best leaders.”
ROBIN GLAZER
Robin Glazer is the Director of The Creative Center at University Settlement. Together with founders Geraldine Herbert and Adrianne Assail, Robin helped bring the idea that "medicine cures the body, but art heals the spirit" to fruition. Currently, The Creative Center offers a variety of programs, including Hospital Artists-In-Residence, an Arts Workshop Program, a gallery site featuring the artwork of professional artists living with illness, and a training program for artists and administrators.
Since 2006, Robin has been the director of The Creative Center and has broadened the scope of art services to include the aging spectrum- from older adults to the frail elderly living with dementia disorders. In 2011, Robin initiated a merger with the University Settlement- the oldest settlement house in the US, which provides social services and cultural experiences to New York City's underserved populations including new and recent immigrants- enabling The Creative Center to bring creative art experiences to vulnerable populations including older adults living with dementia disorders. In 2009, the National Endowment for the Arts, a consistent funder of training for artists and administrators in the fields of arts in health and creative aging, selected The Creative Center as a "Best Practice Site". The Creative Center is delighted to be a two-time recipient of LIVESTRONG's Community Impact Project, which has replicated the Artist-In-Residence Program in 22 hospitals across the US.
SAMITE MOLUNDO
The world-renowned musician Samite Molundo was born and raised in Uganda, where he is one of East Africa's most acclaimed flutists. He performed frequently throughout Uganda until 1982, when he was forced to flee to Kenya as a political refugee. In 1987, Samite immigrated to the United States. Samite has released nine CDs internationally and composed film scores. In 2002, he founded Musicians for World Harmony, an organization dedicated to enabling musicians throughout the world to share their music to promote peace, understanding, and harmony among people. In that capacity, he travels to sing, play music, and exchange stories with victims of war, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. He has traveled extensively to the war-torn and distressed countries of Uganda, Kenya, Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Latvia, Liberia, and Côte d'Ivoire to work in refugee camps, with former child soldiers and AIDS orphans.
DR. LINDA GERDNER
Dr. Linda Gerdner, Ph.D., RN, FAAN of Stanford University School of Medicine was the first to develop and test the use of individualized music for the non-pharmacological management of agitation in persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The protocol has been tested by researchers and implemented by clinicians in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Sweden, France, Norway, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Dr. Gerdner’s evidence-based guideline was originally published in 1996 and is in its 5th edition. Dr. Gerdner lectures on music and dementia worldwide.
KAROLYN HART
DR. LOUISE ARONSON
ANGEL DUNCAN