Most Influential Women Advocating for Mental Health, Cultural Competency, and Emotional Wellness in 2026
In a time when conversations around mental health are finally moving from the margins to the mainstream, Dr. Sola Togun Butler emerges as a voice of rare depth, courage, and cultural clarity. This feature is not simply a profile of professional achievement. It is an exploration of how lived experience, heritage, and empathy can reshape systems that were never designed to serve everyone equally.
On Cover
Dr. Sola Togun-Butler
Founder, CEO, Psychotherapist, & Coach
In a medical practice in Nigeria, where two doctors opened their doors to everyone regardless of their ability to pay, a young girl watched her parents rewrite the rules of healthcare. Her father, a psychiatrist, spoke openly about mental health in a society where such conversations were taboo. Her mother, a general practitioner, treated patients with dignity even when payment never came. These were not occasional acts of charity but the daily rhythm of a household where service was as natural as breathing.
Dr. Joanne Wescott
CEO & Founder, Delmarva Community Consultant Services (DCCS)
In an industry where transformation is not just desired but desperately needed, Dr. Joanne Wescott stands as a beacon of what’s possible when visionary leadership meets unwavering commitment to patient care. Her journey from the frontlines of healthcare coordination to founding one of the most innovative consulting firms in the sector tells a story of courage, conviction, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
Dr. Jennifer Johnston
Founder & CEO of Elle, MD Biotechnologies
In her clinical practice as a family physician, Dr. Jennifer Johnston observed a recurring theme: women expressing a desire for more contraceptive options that better suited their individual needs and lifestyles. This clinical insight, combined with her perspective as a mother of four children—three daughters—sparked the idea that would eventually become Elle, MD Biotechnologies.
