Our Team

The ICAN team includes leading reproductive justice and maternal and child health advocates, community and reproductive health practitioners, and experts in health care operations.

Stephanie Hallgren, MPP

Stephanie Hallgren, MPP

Stephanie is an advocate for reproductive justice. She currently serves as ICAN!’s Partnership and Growth Manager bringing years of community outreach and policy experience. Prior to ICAN!, Stephanie was the Outreach Director for Illinois State Representative Bob Morgan (IL-58), and was heavily involved in passing progressive firearm safety legislation in Illinois. During the COVID-19 epidemic, Stephanie managed testing and vaccination sites in Minnesota. She also worked with the City of Minneapolis to provide outreach and resources to Minneapolis residents to participate in the 2020 Census, focusing on historically undercounted communities. Stephanie received her Master of Public Policy from the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin- Madison.


Ray Jorgensen, MS

Ray Jorgensen, MS

Ray is a serial healthcare entrepreneur and business advisor with a passion for women’s rights. He is a sought-after speaker and consultant who has authored scores of articles and several books related to coding, billing and reimbursement with a focus on non-profit healthcare and serving marginalized populations. Ray is an avid fitness enthusiast, performing vocalist/guitarist, and golfer. Ray holds a BA from The College of the Holy Cross and a MS in management from Northeastern University.​


Jordan Hatcher, MPH

Jordan Hatcher, MPH

Jordan serves as the Program Director for Illinois Contraceptive Access Now (ICAN!). Prior to joining ICAN!, Jordan worked with the United Nations Foundation’s Family Planning 2020 initiative where she coordinated stakeholders across government, civil society, and philanthropy to advance national family planning goals in 13 countries. Jordan previously served as a Manager for the Illinois Department of Public Health’s statewide COVID-19 vaccination campaign, building public-private partnerships and advancing equity-based initiatives to expand vaccination access for hard-to-reach populations. Jordan received her Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has previously served with the United States Peace Corps on community health and HIV prevention programs in Senegal and South Africa.


Meg Lassar, MSW

Meg Lassar, MSW

Meg has devoted her career to promoting women’s health through philanthropy and strategy development. She began her career at NARAL Pro-Choice America where she worked on proactive reproductive health policy. Since then, she has held leadership positions with Bright Pink and with Planned Parenthood of Illinois. She has also spent several years as a philanthropic advisor to high net-worth families. Meg received her master’s degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and her BA in Women’s Studies from the University of Michigan.​


Sameen Qadir, MPH

Sameen Qadir, MPH

Sameen is a public health professional who is dedicated to advancing reproductive health, with a focus on family planning and improving access to contraceptives. She has several years of experience in both the nonprofit and academic sectors. She has previously worked at the Guttmacher Institute in New York City, the Contraceptive Choice Center at Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Chicago. Sameen received her Master of Public Health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and a B.S. from Cornell University.


Deepali Gill, JD

Deepali Gill, JD

Deepali is a Reproductive Justice State Fellow through If/When/How and defines herself as a dedicated activist for racial, gender, reproductive, and economic justice. She recently graduated from Golden Gate University School of Law where she earned her JD and is the first in her family to obtain a Doctorate. During her time at law school Deepali gained a wide variety of experience by providing direct and indirect legal services. Some of her past internships highlight her commitment to public service, include her time at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office where she had the opportunity work in the juvenile delinquency department. She then transitioned into an internship with ACLU of NorCal where she worked on the Gender, Sexuality, and Reproductive Justice legal team. Following this role, she was a legal intern with the Vera Institute of Justice where she worked on the Ending Girl’s Incarceration team. Deepali is a Californian and a central valley native who understands how important it is for communities in rural areas to have access to reproductive health care.


Kai Tao, ND, MPH, CNM​

Kai Tao, ND, MPH, CNM​

Kai is a career women’s health provider with extensive experience in maternal, child, and reproductive health policy, programs and clinical operations. In 2018, Kai founded Juno4Me— an inclusive, user-friendly digital platform that connects patients with trusted, highly skilled contraceptive care providers. Kai is a Certified Nurse Midwife with Northwestern Medicine’s Prentice Women’s Hospital and served as the Deputy Commissioner/ Chief Program Officer for the Chicago Department of Public Health overseeing the Maternal, Infant, Child and Adolescent Health Bureau and STI/HIV Bureau. Prior, she was the VP of Clinical Operations and Associate Medical Director for Planned Parenthood of Illinois. Under Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Kai served as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Director at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services where she co-created the Illinois Family Planning Action Plan—a multi-pronged approach to increasing contraceptive access via payment reform. Kai participates in multiple perinatal health committees, is currently an active voting member for the Illinois Medicaid Advisory Council and is a board member with Health and Medicine Policy Research Group. Kai received her Master of Science and Nursing Doctorate from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and her Master of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health. ​


Katie Thiede

Katie Thiede

Katie is a tireless champion for women’s health. As the CEO of Bright Pink, she led the organization’s strategic growth and programmatic initiatives. As the VP of Development Planned Parenthood of Illinoi, she tripled annual philanthropic revenue, and as the Executive Director of the Chinook Fund, she worked to support grassroots social and economic justice organizations. Katie has also held leadership roles at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Rape Assistance and Awareness Program and Clean Water Action. Katie is an experienced public speaker and media spokesperson on the topic of women’s health and her remarks have been featured in such outlets as the 2018 Women’s March Chicago, USOW Galvanize, ABC7, CBSN, WBEZ, WCIU, tastytrade, and SPIT Podcast. Katie earned her BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.​


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Yaa Ofori-Marfoh

Yaa is a Rush Medical College student from North Carolina with a passion for reproductive and women’s health. As a future physician, she hopes to integrate her experiences with ICAN, and the lessons gained from her medical training to help address the unique health needs of women. Ultimately, she hopes to help her future patients navigate potentially challenging medical situations and overcome the inequities in our healthcare system. Yaa was born in Accra, Ghana and raised in Durham, NC. She received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina and earned a Master of Science degree in Physiology from NC State University.


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Bridget Neal

Bridget is originally from Daytona Beach, FL. She decided to expand her horizons by moving to NYC where she attended Columbia University and studied biology and mathematics. She has previously worked as a high school math teacher on the Near West Side of Chicago. Bridget is pursuing a career as an OB/Gyn because she has always been fascinated by women’s health, especially pregnancy. She is excited to work with ICAN! because she believes that this organization does important work in making sure vulnerable populations have access to quality birth control options. Bridget aims to incorporate health equity work into her career, and is eager to learn about and help eliminate the different obstacles faced by both the individuals seeking birth control and the organizations providing it.


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Kaitlyn Jackson

Kaitlyn is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology: Exercise and Movement Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is interested in medicine because she wants to understand various diseases, decrease fears about medicine, and treat people in culturally appropriate ways. Kaitlyn’s commitment to women’s health, reproductive justice, and providing equitable care for everyone led to her interest in working with ICAN!.


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Aria Armstrong

Aria was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. She earned a BA in Biology with a specialization in cellular biology, molecular biology, and genetics at Boston University. Prior to matriculating at Rush Medical College, she worked as an outreach case manager and harm reduction specialist at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program to learn more about the social factors influencing the health of women who’ve experienced sexual violence. Aria has a special interest in reproductive justice and access to prenatal care for pregnant women experiencing homelessness, which led to her interest in working with ICAN!.