Anvita Ambardekar is a 17-year-old high school junior from Southern California. After being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease following a challenging diagnostic journey, she became passionate about improving healthcare for pediatric patients. Inspired by her experience, Anvita joined iCAN in 2023 to advocate for patient-centered solutions and help reduce the invasiveness of medical procedures for children. She is a founding member of the CHOC iCAN Chapter and currently serves as the Funding Director. She is also a member of the KIDS Summit Planning Committee for the 2025 iCAN Summit in Montreal. Anvita is especially passionate about the intersection of biotechnology, business, and advocacy. She hopes to develop pediatric-focused medical devices and pursue a career that combines biomedical engineering, business, and public policy to create innovative solutions that improve patients’ lives and make healthcare accessible to everyone.

Leo has been a member of the International Children’s Advisory Network for three years and currently serves as President of the KIDS Walter Payton Chapter, where he helps lead initiatives to promote youth engagement in pediatric healthcare. He enjoys reading, writing, and watching movies, but what matters most to him is advocating for patient-focused care. Also, I wanted to check in and see if there’s anything I can help with while we’re waiting on the headshots for the Advisory Board posts. I’d be happy to support with any other tasks in the meantime.

Mary Rose is a freshman at St Mary's University in San Antonio, TX where she is studying psychology. She lives in the United States of America. She is working on social media content for the iCAN Planning Committee. She is focusing on learning effective communication with businesses and team members, maintaining organization through delegation, and being aware of budget constraints when planning events. She has been a part of iCAN for 10 years and has been inspired by the people whom she has met and with whom she has collaborated. iCAN has helped her not only learn about nonprofits in healthcare but also in her daily life. This is why she thinks it is important for people to join and learn about iCAN. You should look into joining today as a participant, a parent, or as a medical professional.

Hi my name is Victoria, and I’m from Ellington Connecticut in the US. I am a sophomore in high school. I’ve been a member of iCAN for about 3-4 years. iCAN has helped me understand the many different roles people play in the medical field. Outside of iCAN I enjoy playing lacrosse, handing out with friends, and going to school sports events. I am part of the iCAN Planning Committee as well as Kids CT.