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Sean BusbyRiding On Insulin founder, Sean Busby, is a professional backcountry snowboarder with type 1 diabetes who travels the world exploring remote corners of the globe on snowboarding expeditions.
In 2004, while training for the 2010 Olympics, Sean endured a complicated diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Considering leaving snowboarding all together, Sean was inspired by reading stories he found through JDRF’s Children’s Congress. It was the stories of 5- 7- and 13-year-olds that inspired him to keep living his dreams despite living with diabetes. He founded Riding On Insulin—which is now a nonprofit organization—to honor all the kids who inspired him to keep living. Today, Sean’s wife Mollie runs Riding On Insulin and Sean makes appearances at the organization’s global action sports programs (including ski/snowboard camps) for kids, teens and adults living with T1D, while managing his personal backcountry snowboarding career. In February 2014, Sean became the first person with T1D to backcountry snowboard all seven continents. His expeditions include trips to Morocco, Antarctica (twice!), Patagonia, Iceland, Norway, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Alaska, Tasmania, and more. Sean graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Health Promotion and Education, with an emphasis on diabetes. Sean and his wife, Mollie live just outside Whitefish, Montana in a yurt with their two dogs, Daisy and Glacier. |
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Mollie BusbyMOLLIE@RIDINGONINSULIN.ORG | (406) 214-3266 x1
Before marrying Sean Busby, Mollie Busby had no previous experience with T1D. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Journalism and Retail, and was working as the Style/Associate editor for BRAVA Magazine in Madison, Wisconsin in 2010. A series of life-changing events brought Mollie and Sean together in February of that year, and after five months (and a crash course in T1D), Mollie moved out west to be closer to Sean. The pair was married in September, 2011 and Mollie has been spearheading Riding On Insulin since December of 2010.
When not immersing herself in all things T1D and skiing, Mollie (and Sean) document life living off the grid on their website, The Busby Hive. Mollie is also the founder/owner (and registered yoga instructor) at three yoga studios in northwest Montana called Yoga Hive. The pair has been featured on House Hunters Off Grid (HGTV) as well as Building Off Grid (DIY Network) for their work building off grid! Follow her on Instagram at @MontanaMollie, or visit her website, MollieBusby.com. |
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Michelle AlswagerMICHELLE@RIDINGONINSULIN.ORG | (406) 214-3266 x2
Michelle has been a strong advocate in the “d” world since her son, Jesse, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2000 at the age of 3. After the sudden loss of her son at the age of 13, on 2/3/2010 she continues to advocate, educate, and push the envelope in her son’s name. Michelle is the founder and executive producer of the documentary The Science of Inspiration: Diabetes and Athletes – otherwise known as “Triabetes” — about 12 athletes with diabetes completing an Ironman triathlon. Her diabetes credits include working as a moderator on the JDRF Online Diabetes Support Team, as an executive director for two diabetes organizations, as the executive director of the org that created Riding on Insulin with Sean Busby, and she participates each year in the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes. She is a frequent writer for dLife and Beyond Type 1 and is a keynote speaker at many events and opportunities throughout the US. In addition to spending a lot of time on her road bike Michelle is a 2 time IRONMAN finisher (in fact she raced with the ROI Endurance Team at IRONMAN Wisconsin 2015). In her spare time she also works with other families across the world who have lost their children to type 1 diabetes. Michelle resides in Madison, Wisconsin with her children Samantha and Joey, her partner, Jeff, and his two children Alex and Claudia.
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Dustin AskimDUSTIN@RIDINGONINSULIN.ORG | (406) 214-3266 x700
Dustin joined Riding On Insulin in January 2016 as Program Coordinator. After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in July 2012, Dustin volunteered for ROI the following year in Whitefish, MT and became involved in other diabetes events, including rides and summer camps for kids with T1D.
After graduating with a degree in Journalism from the University of Montana in 2014, Dustin began working full-time as a Multimedia Journalist at the NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana. Two years later, when the chance to work full-time for ROI presented itself, Dustin jumped at the opportunity and moved to ROI's headquarters in Whitefish, MT with his wife, Elle, and dog, Finley. In his spare time, Dustin enjoys traveling, snowboarding, playing racquetball, rooting on the Packers and Cavs and watching comic book movies. |
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Julie De VosJULIE@RIDINGONINSULIN.ORG | (406) 214-3266 x3
Passionate about skiing and diabetes, it was while working for Animas Canada Julie first joined Riding On Insulin in 2013 as an on snow volunteer at our Alberta camp. Julie left Animas and took on the role of Program Director for Connected in Motion and concurrently her role within the ROI community grew, developing our Leadership and Camp programs.
Growing up, Julie spent her time Alpine Ski Racing, attending summer camp, working as a lifeguard and swim instructor, and traveling the world. These passions led her to an Honors Degree in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University in 2008. Today, Julie is a Registered Kinesiologist in Ontario and a Certified Diabetes Educator in Canada. She is also a Certified Alpine Ski Instructor and Coach, Wilderness First Responder, and an Advanced Open Water Scuba Diver (her other passion!). She currently resides in Toronto, Canada with her partner Jeff, and their German Short Haired Pointer with diabetes, Ari. You can follow along with their diabetes adventures on Instagram @jadevos. |
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Scott CravenPresident
Bio coming soon.
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Dan HaywardVice President
On Dan Hayward’s 40th birthday, he expects to be taking on his third Ironman Triathlon. Given his interests, it’s not surprising to learn that chasing tornadoes in the Great Plains is also on his bucket list. Hayward’s excitement for life keeps him forward-thinking. He’d like to see the future to help find a cure for type 1 diabetes — he’s passionate about finding a cure and channels his energy into the JDRF Ride to Cure program to defeat diabetes. As board president of the Central PA JDRF, he contributed to raising over $1.3 million in funds and considers this one of his biggest successes.
Hayward’s earlier childhood aspirations included being a pilot, fueled by the movie Top Gun. Today he finds success as an advisor and co-leader of the Issue Advocacy Division at Novak Strategic Advisors. He recommends others take care of mind, body and soul to achieve their fullest potential. |
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Joanne ReiersonSecretary
Although now a stay-at-home mom, Joanne Reierson worked in New York, Singapore and Los Angeles in the field of executive compensation, helping companies and boards ofdirectors set appropriate pay packages for senior management. She attended Dartmouth College, majoring in Economics and Math. She also has an MBA from the University of Southern California focusing on Human Resources and Finance. Joanne has been a competitive swimmer nearly her whole life, was a four-year letter winner at Dartmouth and has since won three Masters national championships.
Joanne’s son Nils was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in June 2010. Since his diagnosis, Joanne and her husband Lars have become passionate about increasing awareness and fundraising for type 1 diabetes. They have helped set up research scholarships at the Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Health Center at OHSU and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, in addition to fundraising for the JDRF and Camp Conrad-Chinnock. Joanne hopes that her business and fundraising experience will help Riding on Insulin reach more children and families affected by type 1 diabetes. Besides swimming, Joanne enjoys skiing and snowboarding. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband Lars and sons Nils and Reese. |
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Francis ShaferBoard Treasurer
For the past 18 years, Francis Shafer has led the finance function for both for-profit and non-profit enterprises.
At the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA), a trade organization based in DC dedicated to supporting the batch, custom and specialty chemical industry, Francis oversees the Finance and Information Technology departments and is responsible for providing short-term and long-term financial strategy for the organization. Prior to SOCMA, Francis served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), a network supporting the finance and treasury profession. Preceding AFP, Francis spent over six years serving as the Chief Financial Officer for the World Presidents’ Organization, a non-profit global networking organization of CEOs and business leaders. In addition to working in the non-profit industry, Francis has led the finance departments for entrepreneurial companies in the technology and government contracting industry. As a Board member and Treasurer for Riding on Insulin, Francis uses his extensive experience in financial leadership and strategic financial planning to help further the mission of the organization. Francis attended George Mason University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP). In July of 2009, Francis daughter, Kendall was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 6. As is the case with many families who have had a family member diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, life suddenly took a different turn. Since then his passion has been dedicated to raising awareness and supporting organizations that improve the lives of Type 1 diabetics. Away from work, Francis other passion is snowboarding. He enjoys any opportunity to travel out west on snowboarding trips with family and friends. He also enjoys mountain biking and running marathons. He resides in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife, Courtney and daughter, Kendall. |
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Kevin HoffmanBoard Member
Kevin Hoffman is from California and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 13. His endocrinologist encouraged him to continue pursuing his competitive swimming career atthe time, which he did. Despite the setbacks that diabetes can dish out, Kevin never gave up on his goals and learned to manage his disease despite a rigorous training schedule at an early age.
In college, Kevin swam competitively at the University of California Santa Barbara and graduated as a 4-year varsity letterman and a member of four consecutive Big West Championship teams. Post-college, he founded a company called Hoffman Technologies, Inc., focusing on information technology services and hardware sales to government entities. It has since evolved into a wide variety of product sales and services to both government and commercial customers. Today, Kevin and his wife reside in Sacramento with their daughter. He is a devoted husband and father, and enjoys snowboarding, surfing, and mountain biking. His biggest passion of the three is appropriately, snowboarding, which has taken him on trips around the world. Kevin hits the slopes upwards of 30 times a year and has extensive experience in backcountry splitboarding and big mountain riding. In 2011, Kevin attended a Riding On Insulin camp on Mt. Hood, Oregon, and it was clear he would be a great fit and a crucial asset to the organization’s Board of Directors. Kevin says, “Diabetes for me is a challenge but not a hindrance. It has never held me back from my goals and in many ways has shaped who I am today. I have learned many things from being a diabetic including communication skills and perseverance. Don’t let diabetes keep you down. When it knocks you down get back up. You can do anything you want, even with diabetes. All you need to do is go for it!” |
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Dr. Kevin KaisermanBoard Member
Kevin B. Kaiserman, MD, currently works with children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus in private practice in the Los Angeles area. Prior to entering private practice, Dr. Kaiserman was Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Directorof the Clinical Diabetes Program at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Dr. Kaiserman earned his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. He completed his internship and residency in the Department of Pediatrics and his fellowship in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Kaiserman is a member of the American Diabetes Association and the Pediatric Endocrine Society. He is on the Los Angeles board of directors of the American Diabetes Association and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, as well as serving on the board of the Diabetes Education and Camping Association and Riding On Insulin. Dr. Kaiserman is active at his local diabetes camp, Camp Conrad-Chinnock, where he serves as the camp medical director and as a member of the board. Dr. Kaiserman is a consultant, clinical researcher, and speaker for Medtronic Diabetes and a speaker and consultant for Lilly. |
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Joe MaddenBoard Member
Joe Madden is a devoted husband and father of three children. Joe first met Sean and Mollie Busby back in October of 2011 when he and his wife, Wendy, played host to a fundraising gala benefittinga local diabetes charity, The Diabetic Youth Foundation, based in Concord, California. The gala focused on recognizing inspirational Type-1 athletes to which Wendy and Joe proudly presented the distinguished award to Sean that evening. Pro athletes are people Joe has much familiarity with as he has grown up around them his entire life with his father being NFL Hall of Fame Coach, John Madden.
Joe was first introduced to Type-1 in 2007 when his oldest son, Sam, was diagnosed at age 5 with the disease. Since Sam’s diagnosis, Joe, as President of Goal Line Productions in Pleasanton California, has leveraged his company’s efforts toward producing educational and motivational videos for the diabetes community that helped raise funds for JDRF and the Diabetic Youth Foundation. Today, six years after Sam’s diagnosis, Joe founded a new company, Vmersion Health, that designs, develops and publishes free peer-to-peer social media software for the specific purpose of improving the lives of those living with diabetes (www.gluco-share.org) as well as other chronic diseases. Joe’s company provides this software, its accompanied rewards program and the administration costs free-of-charge to diabetes non-profits. Riding On Insulin is a charter beneficiary to the Gluco-Share white-label program. Joe’s vision for helping his son as well as all people living with diabetes is parallel to ROI’s vision of “instilling resilience in facing chronic diseases” through its members’ shared experiences of its action sport-based programs. “I want to create a social media platform where people living with diabetes can strive toward independence by meeting their own goals and get rewarded for it while still having a support network that reassures and lets them know they are not alone. Riding On Insulin’s sports-based programs do exactly the same thing, except instead of software interaction they do the “tried and trued” method of mixing it up on the “sports field” (or ski slopes for that matter). |
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Wendy WoodwardBoard member
My husband and I live in the foothills of Auburn, California with our dogs Willie and Ruby, and our resident cat, Sammie.
Since the mid 80’s I’ve lived and breathed snowboarding. I built a business around my love for snowboarding – founding Boards ‘N Motion snowboard retail stores in Auburn and Cameron Park, California – for 26 years before closing in 2015. In addition, I served 8 years on the K-2 Women’s Alliance, a team of 5 dedicated women snowboarders helping test, design and improve K-2 snowboard equipment designed specifically for women. In the winter, I spend much of my time on the hill – SugarBowl is just 55 minutes from our house so you’ll find me most weekday mornings waiting to get first chair. I enjoy fresh steep and deep and relish any opportunity that presents itself for back country snowboarding. In the spring and fall I often windsurf Maui where I welcome equally challenging conditions exchanging the mountains for the waves. In summer I enjoy back packing the Sierras, hiking, paddle boarding and gardening at home with Willie, Ruby and Sammie at my side. Each summer I spend about a month or more in Pentwater, Michigan on Lake Michigan where I serve on the Board of Directors of Oceana Beach Association. I graduated from Northern Arizona University with a BFA. At Flagstaff I worked four years as Ski Patrol at Snowbowl, where I also attended classes in avalanche awareness. T1D has not kept me down or even slowed me down, and I look forward to working with kids and families to share my enthusiasm for enjoying the outdoors regardless of the inherent challenges of T1D. |
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James AtkinBoard member
Bio coming soon!
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