OUR TEAM
Lee Taylor-Penn, Founder & Principal Consultant
Lee is a health policy expert who is passionate about creating equitable policy solutions that center communities. She has over a decade of experience working at the local, state, and federal-level on issues such as maternal and child health, public health, telehealth, rural health, contraceptive care, and mental health.
She is a first-generation college student and a Mississippi native who found her calling in public health while working as an educator in an under-resourced neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia, shortly after graduating from undergrad. She is also a mother of a toddler and believes all families should have access to social and financial support that allows them to thrive.
Most recently Lee worked at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Before her time there, she was the Policy Director for the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance where she managed the policy portfolio and significantly expanded MMHLA’s professional network. Lee has also worked at Families USA and the National Governors Association where she led state and federal-level projects in the areas of maternal mortality, telehealth, contraceptive care, chronic disease prevention, vaccine policy, and rural health.
She holds a master of public administration and master of public health from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and a bachelor in liberal arts from the University of Mississippi. Lee currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia, on the ancestral land of the Piscataway and Anacostan, with her daughter and tabby cat.
Shums Alikhan, Senior Consultant
Shums brings a wealth of experience in health policy consulting and project management, coupled with a dedicated commitment to fostering equitable access to healthcare. Over the years, she has worked with many stakeholders, including life science companies, non-profit organizations, health plan executives, and state and federal clients. Shums has experience in conducting comprehensive policy research and formulating evidence-based solutions to address a spectrum of health policy issues, ranging from behavioral health and substance use disorders to infectious diseases.
As a member of the South Asian community, Shums is driven to dismantle barriers to appropriate treatment and affordable care, particularly for racial minorities. During her time at Real Chemistry, a consultancy specializing in enhancing the value and affordability of healthcare services and products, Shums collaborated with clients across therapeutic areas such as depression and schizophrenia.
During her time at the National Governors Association, Shums led the substance use and addiction portfolio within the NGA Health team. In this capacity, she provided technical assistance to state agencies grappling with the opioid overdose epidemic. Her initiatives included organizing policy academies to educate state agencies on evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies for opioid use disorder. Shums also offered strategic guidance for enhancing access to non-opioid management of chronic pain.
Shums holds a master's degree in public health from the University of Massachusetts and a bachelor’s in science from Boston University. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two little girls.