Maureen Templeman teaches gerontology — or aging — at Missouri State University in Springfield. She recently launched a new project called the Southwest Missouri CARE Collective that’s designed to create a new opportunity for mutual aid between caregivers.

Debbie Bennett and Kaylie Walker are both nutrition educators in northwest Missouri and for the past few years they’ve hosted an MU Extension podcast called “Truth or Trend” that examined online trends and claims about health and well-being.

The Missouri Immunization Coalition was a non-profit that focused on advocacy, education and training around vaccines. Funding cuts to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in April led to a loss of funding for the group and they were forced to shutter in summer 2025.

Building Community Bridges is a group that focuses on supporting area youth — and their families — by providing community and giving them the chance to discover new passions and learn new skills, such as boxing, chess, modeling, dance and more.

Kayla Keller and Hannah Pond both work at the Halo Girls Home in Jefferson City, a residential program for homeless and at-risk girls ages 16-21 who are pregnant, parenting, and non-parenting.

Hannah Dolan lives in Jefferson City and was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. She spoke about the importance of talking about and normalizing neurodivergent experiences.

Craig Fontenot and Dr. Kelly Cleary both work at Food Allergy Research & Education, or FARE — a national non-profit focusing on food allergies. They spoke about what people can do to make holiday gathering safe and more comfortable for everyone.

Jason Mayberry is the stroke coordinator for Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston, Missouri. They began using RapidAI, an AI software, in October 2023 that helps their doctors more quickly assess, diagnose and begin treatment for people experiencing stokes.

Dr. Amy Patel is the Medical Director of the Breast Cancer Center at Liberty Hospital outside Kansas City. She spoke about an AI algorithm they use with breast ultrasounds that gives radiologists a data-informed second opinion.

Nurses Drew Herbert and Matt Farmer are University of Missouri researchers trying to find out if generative AI, along with professional therapy, can help pregnant people with opioid use disorder who are ready to seek care.