Linda Mussallem is the co-founder of the Mussallem CHD Alliance and the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation, and a lifelong advocate for integrative health, inclusive design, and whole-person care. Through her philanthropic leadership, she has advanced health equity and community-based wellness initiatives, with a particular focus on underserved and historically excluded populations, including individuals with Down syndrome. Linda serves on the Advisory Board of the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute and co-founded the George and Bob Fund, which has contributed more than $25 million to programs that elevate dignity, access, and quality of life. Her work bridges healthcare advocacy, design, and strategic philanthropy to create environments where people can thrive.

Mike Mussallem is the co-founder of the Mussallem CHD Alliance, the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation, and the former Chairman and CEO of Edwards Lifesciences. During more than two decades of leadership, he helped transform structural heart care and establish Edwards as a global leader in patient-centered medical technology, while also launching the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation. Together with his wife Linda, Mike has long supported health equity, Down syndrome advocacy, and whole-person care through strategic philanthropy. Their joint efforts include co-founding the George and Bob Fund to drive innovation, access, and system-level impact for people living with Down syndrome.

Perry Bridger is the Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for the Mussallem CHD Alliance, bringing expertise in healthcare policy, market access, and public affairs. Prior to joining the Alliance, he served in senior leadership roles at Edwards Lifesciences, including Senior Vice President and later Senior Advisor, Public Affairs, where he helped shape global market access, reimbursement, and public policy strategy in support of patient-centered innovation. Earlier in his career, Perry was a Health Policy Analyst in the Coverage and Analysis Group at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where he led Medicare national coverage policy for cardiology, neurologic, and orthopedic medical devices. He also served as Senior Vice President and Director of the Reimbursement and Product Commercialization Practice at Avalere Health, advising healthcare innovators on policy and market strategy.

Kimberly Beer is the Senior Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for the Mussallem CHD Alliance, bringing more than two decades of experience in health care policy, government affairs, patient advocacy, and disability policy at the federal and state levels. Prior to joining the Alliance, Kim served as Senior Vice President of Policy & External Affairs at the National Health Council, leading advocacy initiatives to improve access to affordable health care for people with chronic conditions and disabilities. She previously spent eight years at the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, where she led federal policy efforts focused on paralysis and disability, including securing federal support for the National Paralysis Resource Center. Earlier in her career, Kim held government affairs roles at Susan G. Komen, the Arthritis Foundation, and the American Academy of Physician Associates, and worked on Capitol Hill and for the Office of the Governor of Puerto Rico. She holds a B.A. in Politics from The Catholic University of America and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Argosy University, and has served for nearly two decades as a Special Needs Counselor with Potomac Community Resources.

Lisa Beach is an Executive Assistant for the Mussallem CHD Alliance, where she supports leadership operations and key organizational priorities. Before joining the Alliance, she served as Executive Assistant to the CEO of Edwards Lifesciences. Over her 17-year tenure at Edwards, she also supported the R&D teams in the Transcatheter Heart Valve business unit before transitioning into marketing. She played a key role in supporting the global study and launch of transcatheter aortic valve replacement therapy, helping the team address complex challenges and broaden patient access worldwide. Earlier in her career, she was a corporate meeting planner in the medical device, life sciences and diagnostics markets.

Nina Goodheart is an advisor for the Mussallem CHD Alliance. She most recently served as Senior Vice President and President of Medtronic’s Structural Heart & Aortic business, retiring from the company in early 2026 after nearly 20 years. In this role, she led Medtronic’s Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), Mitral, Tricuspid, Congenital Heart Disease, and Aortic businesses. Prior to that, she served as Senior Vice President and President of Medtronic’s Coronary & Structural Heart business, overseeing the company’s Structural Heart, Coronary Stents, Cardiac Surgery, and Renal Denervation (RDN) portfolios. Earlier, she led the Cardiac Rhythm & Heart Failure Patient Monitoring & Diagnostics business, with responsibility for Medtronic’s insertable and wearable diagnostics franchises and patient monitoring services. Nina brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across the medical device and pharmaceutical industries and now serves as a board member and strategic advisor, helping organizations accelerate innovation, drive growth, and improve patient care.

Emma Moran is the Senior Director of the Innovation to Patient Pipeline at MCA. She previously served as Head of CobiCure MedTech, a pediatric healthcare non-profit focused on advancing innovations for underserved patient populations, where she worked closely with innovators and leaders across the congenital heart disease ecosystem to advance device solutions for children with CHD. A biomedical engineer with a background in the medical device industry, Emma held research, strategic assessment, and corporate development roles at Cook Medical. Throughout her career, she has been driven to address inequities in pediatric device development and identify new technologies, approaches, and business models to advance pediatric care. Emma holds a PhD and BS in biomedical engineering from Wake Forest University and the University of Rochester, respectively.

Jonathan Birabaharan is the Director of Science Initiatives & Special Projects for the Mussallem CHD Alliance. Prior to joining, he was a Blavatnik Fellow at Yale Ventures, where he partnered with faculty to translate academic research into commercial ventures across multiple therapeutic areas. His career spans academia, startups, accelerators, and venture capital, including roles at UPMC Enterprises, LifeX, and Resilient Life Sciences. Jonathan holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, along with a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.