NBCA Team

“We know the patient because we are the patient.”

President, Volunteer

Leslie Lake

Leslie Lake is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Invus Financial Advisors, LLC, an investment boutique based in New York City. Leslie co-founded the firm in 2006, with a specialty in long short equity strategies. Leslie has been managing assets within the hedge fund industry since 1995. Leslie holds a BS in Economics from Simmons College, where she is also a Trustee, member of the Finance and Investment Committees, and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees.

In 2018, Leslie suffered a bilateral pulmonary embolism (PE). Her quest to learn more about venous thromboembolism (VTE) lead her to the National Blood Clot Alliance. Despite living in New York City, Leslie was shocked by the lack of information available to her after her PE.

Leslie volunteers her time to lead the organization and is committed to raising public awareness so no person affected by blood clots is without the necessary information they need to prevent or successfully treat VTE, and that they also have the information they need to navigate the spectrum of lifestyle issues that can follow a blood clot diagnosis.

Outside of work, Leslie is an avid equestrian, dog mom, and resides in Manhattan.

Email: llake@stoptheclot.org

Connect with Leslie on Twitter: @lesllake

Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer

Teresa Bordeaux

Teresa Bordeaux, CPA, CGMA, is the organization’s first Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer, effective August 7, 2023.

“Teresa brings more than 25 years of operational experience, which will enable NBCA to accelerate the growth it has experienced over the last several years,” said Volunteer President/Board Chair Leslie Lake. 

“Additionally, Teresa’s personal experience as both a caregiver for a blood clot survivor and a Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) will add yet another dimension to her skill set.  We are delighted to announce Teresa as the organization’s first-ever CFO/COO.”

Bordeaux said she is committed to NBCA’s mission as a former board member and a caregiver.

“I’m beyond thrilled to bring both my professional skills and personal commitment to blood clot education and awareness to NBCA,” she said. “I believe that the VTE space is at an important inflection point and I look forward to working with the NBCA Board, staff and partners as we work to reduce both the incidence and mortality related to VTE in this country.”

Email: tbordeaux@stoptheclot.org
Connect with Teresa on Twitter: @liverwife

Deputy Director

Tarin Patrikis

At the start of her career, Tarin accepted a position working on a capital campaign for a new cancer center within a hospital philanthropy department and never looked back. She has spent the past 12 years in various nonprofit development roles within the social service, health care, and patient advocacy sectors. Tarin holds a BS in Operations Management from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Charlton College of Business with a concentration in International Business and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Massachusetts Chapter.

While she has not personally experienced a blood clot, she sees herself and her family in so many of the stories from our community every day. Tarin has had knee surgery, been prescribed hormonal birth control, and experienced three pregnancies and childbirths. Yet, she had no idea her risk of developing a blood clot was elevated during those experiences prior to her work at NBCA. Feeling our patients deserve better, Tarin is passionate about the mission of NBCA because we are an organization that puts patients first and advocate for life-saving awareness on the part of both patients and providers.

The patient stories and the personal relationships Tarin has developed with members of the NBCA community motivate her to help move our mission forward every day. She cannot think of anything more meaningful than advocating on behalf of patients who have experienced a blood clot that went undiagnosed, sometimes for months, or family members who have tragically lost a loved one to this often preventable death.

Outside of the office you can find Tarin spending quality time with her family and three little ones – Landon, Harlow and Mila. She also loves spending time at the ocean, a good DIY project, and anything creative. Another random fact to note about Tarin is that she has never tried red meat!

Email: tpatrikis@stoptheclot.org

Patient Engagement

Todd Robertson

Todd received his education in radio broadcasting at San Francisco State in the ’80s and was a radio host and producer for twenty years in Northern California.  Todd has also served the public in the Outreach, Communication, and Marketing Bureau for the last twelve years.

In 2011, Todd suffered the first of six blood clots and in 2017 experienced a close call with his first pulmonary embolism. He is a carrier of the inherited clotting disorder, factor V Leiden, and is homozygous, making him aggressive in the abnormal clotting department.

He is a motivational speaker for blood clot trauma recovery and is a local patient advocate for new patients. He is working on his first book, “Blood Clots: A Road Map to Recovery.” Todd runs several Facebook support groups and has developed a level of trust and friendship with thousands of patients over the years.

Todd lives in Des Moines, Iowa and he loves to road and mountain bike, white water canoe, and stays active all year round with his dog, Jett.

Email: trobertson@stoptheclot.org

Connect with Todd in our Facebook Support Group.

Special Projects and Research

Ashley Krivohlavek, MA, BCPA

Ashley Krivohlavek is an Oklahoma native and proud member of the Cherokee Nation. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Master of Arts in 2013. After graduation, she went to work for her family’s business. In 2014, she began her advocacy work following her psoriatic arthritis (PsA) diagnosis.

Recently, Ashley became a Board-Certified Patient Advocate through the Patient Advocacy Certification Board and completed a graduate certificate in Population Health.

Ashley sits on Global Healthy Living Foundation’s Patient Board and co-chairs the Central Region Advocacy Board for the National Psoriasis Foundation. She has been featured in WebMD, Women’s Health.com, Reader’s Digest, and more.

In 2023, the National Psoriasis Foundation named her Advocate of the Year. In addition, she wrote an op-ed in support of step therapy reform in Oklahoma and spoke with local lawmakers about copay accumulator reform.

“I didn’t understand how others would say that their day melts away when they are doing work they love, until I started working for NBCA,” Ashley said. “This does not feel like work, it feels like a mission. A mission I am proud to be a part of.”

When she isn’t working and advocating for her personal causes, she enjoys swimming, reading, cooking, and spending time with friends, family, and her handsome rescue dog, Buddy Holly.

Email: akrivohlavek@stoptheclot.org

Communications and Marketing

Jennifer Lawson

Jennifer started her career as a newspaper reporter after graduating from Temple University with a journalism degree. She worked for media companies covering crime, education and the federal government before transitioning to content marketing at a digital marketing company, where she learned SEO and paid search.  

In 2017, she took on a side job and joined the Philadelphia Obituary Project, a nonprofit that tells the stories of Philly’s gun violence victims. She interviewed family members of murder victims and wrote their stories, showing who the victims were as people. Three years later, just as the pandemic started, she joined the Philadelphia Obituary Project as the organization’s first full-time employee.  

It was a challenge to find support from the community during the early days of the pandemic, but before long, Jennifer wrote a successful grant, grew the project’s online presence, and forged a partnership with the Philadelphia Inquirer in which certain obits would appear in the newspaper. In 2021, the Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution recognizing the Philadelphia Obituary Project’s work.  

In early 2023, Jennifer stepped down from her full-time role with the project to take on a new challenge: helping the National Blood Clot Alliance grow its digital presence.  

Outside of work, Jennifer is an active cat rescue volunteer with the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society. 

Email: jlawson@stoptheclot.org

Development and Community Outreach

Stephanie Martinez, MA, CHES

Originally from New Jersey, Stephanie Martinez joined the United States Navy in 2005. Following her honorable discharge, she became a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, opening Iron Prowl Fitness, LLC in 2018 as her own personal training and coaching business. 

Stephanie was diagnosed with two blood clots in November 2021 and as a result, she lost her business. She saw the lack of awareness of  blood clots and knew she had to make a change in a big way.

During her recovery, Stephanie achieved her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama in health studies. She also achieved her Certified Health Educator Specialist (CHES) with the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. Stephanie is also a certified Strong Lifting Coach with the BC Academy.

“I lost a lot after my clot diagnosis,” Stephanie said. “However, I have gained so much more, and I am determined to make a change in the lack of education and awareness surrounding blood clots. I also want to teach others to advocate for their health because no one knows their body better than the person living in it.”

Stephanie loves to spend time with her two children and her husband, who is currently serving in the United States Navy. The Martinez household loves everything comics, but Stephanie’s personal favorite is the one and only Wonder Woman.

Email: smartinez@stoptheclot.org

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Centers of Excellence

Erin VanDyke, PA-C, MPAS

Erin joined the NBCA team in August 2024 as Vice President to lead the innovative Centers of Excellence program. After graduating from Grand Valley State University with a master’s degree and becoming a board-certified physician assistant in 2005, Erin honed her clinical skills as a hospital nocturnist. However, she quickly discovered her passion for interventional radiology and developed a strong commitment to caring for patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE).

During her tenure at Advanced Radiology Services P.C., she gained clinical expertise in the identification, evaluation, and treatment of patients suffering from VTE. Erin was an active member of the PERT steering committee at Corewell Health West in Grand Rapids, MI, where she contributed to the development of a nationally recognized VTE program. Throughout her career, she has gained experience in electronic medical record (EMR) strategy, workflow optimization, program development, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Erin has become a sought-after resource to provide VTE education and insights into program development.

Due to the success of the VTE program at Corewell Health West, hundreds of patients with VTE have been identified, evaluated by VTE experts, treated, and monitored. Throughout the development of the VTE program, the team recognized the benefits of the collaborative effects between clinical excellence in VTE management and patient engagement and education. They pursued this concept further, ultimately achieving the prestigious distinction of being named the inaugural NBCA Center of Excellence.

Erin’s passion for VTE care led her to the NBCA, where she can share her programmatic and clinical expertise to establish a national network of centers that deliver a patient-centered approach to VTE excellence.

Outside of the office, Erin enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, socializing with friends and family, relaxing by the pool, and hosting gatherings.

Email: evandyke@stoptheclot.org