Meet the Founder: Dr. Michael LeNoir
Physician | Healer | Community Activist | Communicator | Family Man
The Roots Run Deep
“I grew up all over — Cincinnatti, Dallas, St. Louis, and finally NYC.” Dr. LeNoir’s father, Henry LeNoir, dedicated his life to serving the community. Serving as the Executive Director of local YMCAs before settling in Harlem, NY made Mr. LeNoir the familiar. People always recognized him when walking around in the neighborhood, the helpful face that people could always turn to. Maybe that’s where Dr. LeNoir’s commitment to the health and well-being of the African American community stems from. Or maybe he got it from his mom, who, on top of taking care of four sons while supporting her husband, worked as a full-time nurse well into her 60s. Most likely, it was both of them and their desire to make a difference. It’s in his DNA to give back to being a beloved community leader.
About Dr. Lenoir
A Career That Started in Service
Dr. LeNoir didn’t always start out in pediatrics. After completing his B.S. and M.S. at the University of Texas, Dr. LeNoir completed his residency in the U.S. Army at the Galveston, TX army base. And after a fellowship at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, Dr. LeNoir continued serving in the U.S. Army for 10 years at the Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, CA, becoming the youngest Lieutenant Colonel in the Core and receiving the Army Commendation Medal. With a great service career as the allergy consultant to the 6th Army Area, Dr. LeNoir later returned as a Reserve to Fort Bragg, CA during the Persian Gulf War, to round out his service to our country. And he wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without his late wife and her mother-in-law, who came to live with their family after the girls were born.
Notorious for His Projects – OBONES, NOES, and TOES
Dr. LeNoir is known for his projects. There are no limits. “I just remember childhood always being fun – my dad was always taking these ideas and making all-day projects out of them. My dad would be full of these ideas, these projects. He would take us to the park to fly kites, wrangling us four girls, all under ten, into the car just to end up spending the entire day trying to untangle the kite out of the tree. Well, we got to run around and play,” winked Executive Director and daughter, Monique LeNoir. “I’m notorious for putting projects like the kite that won’t work out like they’re supposed to,” as he waved his hand back at me, focused on his next Dean and Doc show, another one of his many projects.
It was during their time at the Presidio that Dr. LeNoir started his lifelong project in radio. There was this guy, he was the bones guy, but he also played the oboe so we called him ‘Obones’,” Dr. LeNoir recalled with a twinkle. “And there was this guy who did the toes, I’m the nose. We called ourselves the “Obones, Nose and Toes!” He chuckled to himself as he talked about one of his earlier radio shows. To Dr. LeNoir, the radio, digital programs, health news breaks and the podcasts are all projects for him — no-big-deal projects that he refers to with a wave of a hand, casually forgetting the hundreds of thousands of millions of people he has already helped.
Beyond a Physician, a Public Servant
He’s just your neighborhood doc, just another world-renowned immunologist, the only pediatrician you and your community trust, the force behind bringing Black health and access to quality care for the past 30 years. And he’s still at it today.
“We haven’t done enough.” Dr. LeNoir, a legacy already himself, the African American Wellness Project is a legacy he has been building. With the launch of the “And Black America” series in June 2022, Dr. LeNoir and the Project has recommitted themselves to providing knowledge, resources, and tangible tools to the African American communities as a way of taking back their health. “Healthcare is a fundamental right.”
In 1998, the Oakland Tribune and the New Oakland Committee awarded Dr. LeNoir the Oakland Citizen of the Year Award.
Dr. LeNoir has been the CEO of the Ethnic Health America Network. He is currently CEO and Chairperson of the African American Wellness Project and the host and producer of the Black Doctors Speak Podcast. Dr. Michael A. LeNoir is a board-certified, full-time practicing pediatrician and allergist in Oakland, California. A nationally recognized expert on asthma in inner cities, he also serves as president of the Ethnic Health Institute at Alta Bates/Summit Medical Center and associate clinical professor in pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. He has practiced clinical allergy and pediatrics in the Bay Area since 1977 and has been an active member of the National Medical Association(NMA) since 1975.


Meet the Executive Director: Monique LeNoir
Monique LeNoir is a seasoned strategic planning, marketing, and communications professional with 30+ years of experience. Currently, she’s the Assistant Vice President of Communications at UNCF, overseeing the Branding, Marketing, and Communications Department. Her prior roles include Director of Resource Development at the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and Director of Communications at the Washington Teachers’ Union. Monique also managed communications at DC Public Schools, worked for an international microcredit organization (FINCA), and ran her freelance PR firm, Madison McKenzie Communications. She’s a certified health coach, Executive Director of the African American Wellness Project, and a board member of the Digital Health Equitable Alliance. Monique holds degrees from Howard University and American University. She resides in Washington, DC, with her family.
Meet Our Team
Arjun Buxi is an Executive Coach, Speaker and Consultant in Silicon Valley working with Fortune 200 ...More

Arjun Buxi is an Executive Coach, Speaker and Consultant in Silicon Valley working with Fortune 200 and Public Company Executives, Startups, Nonprofits and Small Businesses. He specializes in Executive Presence, Presentation Skills, Influence, Strategic Communication and Leadership.
With over a decade of teaching Communication and Leadership, working with Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, also teaching currently at San Jose State’s MBA & Communication Departments, Buxi has worked with MBA students, at-risk students and individuals from over 50 ethnic backgrounds, appeared on podcasts and public radio as well as authoring Communication Means Talking Together.
An immigrant from India, is an award-winning Public Speaker and Debater with two decades of experience, twice selected ‘Best Speech Coach in the Bay Area’ has a Master’s in Communication and degrees in Business and Organizational Communication.
A graduate of Pace University in New York City, Maria Costen has expertise in marketing. advertising...More

A graduate of Pace University in New York City, Maria Costen has expertise in marketing. advertising and sales. She brings to our organization expertise in media strategy both traditional and digital with an emphasis in multi-cultural and multi-generational marketing. Her extensive marketing and media career includes leadership positions at such stellar companies such as Disney, Inner City Broadcasting, CBS, Comcast, Carol H. Williams Advertising, Grey Advertising, Young & Rubicam, and J. Walter Thompson. Ms. Costen also teaches business owners e-marketing and e-commerce strategies to increase their business capacity.
Dr. Chanda Nicole Holsey is the founder of HALO for Families, LLC, established in 2010. HALO collabo...More

Dr. Chanda Nicole Holsey is the founder of HALO for Families, LLC, established in 2010. HALO collaborates with agencies to improve the lives of families and children by promoting high-quality, research-based resources. Dr. Holsey, a contributing faculty member at Nova Southeastern University, holds a Doctor of Public Health and is a certified asthma educator. She volunteers on professional boards and has extensive experience planning, implementing, and evaluating programs nationally. She has authored children’s books for military families and has a unique perspective on long-term family separations as an enlisted sailor’s wife and mother of two. Dr. Holsey’s motto is “walk with wisdom.” She enjoys Zumba, supporting her children’s endeavors, mentoring young professionals, and nature.
Retired former Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs at the FDA, George has brought over three d...More

Retired former Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs at the FDA, George has brought over three decades of healthcare expertise to the role. As ABC NEWS’ chief medical correspondent for 16 years, he pioneered science and health reporting on network television. He bridged the gap between medical jargon and public understanding, emphasizing the importance of accurate science communication. After leaving ABC in 1999, he co-founded a pediatric and parenting media company focused on setting standards for web-based health information. His efforts contributed to the creation of the Health on the Net Code (HON code). He also chaired the board of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and played a crucial role in HIV/AIDS prevention in South Africa through the Love Life program. George Strait is a co-founder of the National Association of Black Journalists and has received major industry awards.
Jennifer Young, a University of North Florida (UNF) graduate with a Business degree in Marketing and...More

Jennifer Young, a University of North Florida (UNF) graduate with a Business degree in Marketing and Communications, is a seasoned digital and social media marketer. She holds prestigious accreditations as a Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) and a Professional Certified Marketer (PCM). With her strong educational background and professional certifications, Jennifer has demonstrated her expertise in the field. Her career is marked by a wealth of experience in crafting and executing effective digital marketing strategies, utilizing her extensive knowledge to drive businesses toward success in the digital realm.
WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Help eliminate the disparities in Health & Healthcare for African Americans