Adrishya Kumar founded ThriveT1D as a high school sophomore with a vision of creating a supportive and empowering community for youth living with Type 1 diabetes. Recognizing the challenges that children and teens with T1D often face, she launched the organization to foster connection, provide education, and build confidence among young people navigating life with the condition. Through peer support programs, outreach initiatives, and community engagement, Adrishya helps youth and families find encouragement, belonging, and resources to thrive. Her leadership expands support networks and strengthens connections for families across the region.

Beyond her work with ThriveT1D, Adrishya is actively involved in her school and community. She enjoys speech and debate, theater, and participating in service and leadership opportunities that make a positive impact on those around her. Passionate about advocacy and helping others find their voice, she aspires to pursue a career as an attorney, where she hopes to champion causes that create meaningful change and empower individuals and communities.

Vivash Kumar was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in August 2025 at the age of 14. Since his diagnosis, he has become actively involved in learning about diabetes management and raising awareness within the community. As a Youth Ambassador for Breakthrough T1D for the 2026–2027 term, Vivash helps advocate for individuals living with Type 1 diabetes and brings a valuable firsthand perspective to outreach and advocacy efforts.

Outside of his diabetes advocacy, Vivash enjoys staying active through sports, especially basketball and soccer. He is also involved in robotics, where he enjoys problem-solving and teamwork, and is an avid chess player who appreciates strategy and critical thinking. Through his leadership, advocacy, and diverse interests, Vivash serves as a positive role model for other youth living with Type 1 diabetes.

Ram Kumar Subramanyan, MD, PhD, FACS is the Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at Children’s Nebraska, Omaha and Professor of Surgery at University of Nebraska Medical Center. In addition to practicing the full spectrum of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, he runs an extramurally funded research lab that studies cardiac outflow track development and cardiomyocyte biology. He participates in robust translational research initiatives, including being the site lead on regenerative therapy clinical trials for children with single right ventricle heart disease. Dr. Subramanyan has published over 125 peer-reviewed publications, authored several textbook chapters, and has delivered many invited lectures and presentations. He is the editor of the congenital section of the Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Associate editor of Annals of Thoracic Surgery Short Reports and is on the editorial board of three other major surgical journals. He has served on the study sections of various funding agencies, including the NIH and American Heart Association. He currently serves as Chair of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ Council on Research and Quality, Chair of the Committee on Quality of the Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society and Vice-President of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association. In addition to all manner of family escapades, Dr. Subramanyan‘s enjoys various forms of music and travel. 

Dr. Radhika Purushothaman is a pediatric endocrinologist and Clinical Director of the Type 1 Diabetes Program at Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. She earned her medical degree from Madras Medical College in Chennai, India in 2001. She then went on to complete both her pediatrics residency in 2006 and pediatric endocrinology fellowship, at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York in 2009. 

Dr. Purushothaman is also the co-founder of animaT1D, a nonprofit online platform that creates free, animated educational videos about type 1 diabetes. While designed with neurodivergent learners in mind, its resources serve the broader global T1D community. 

In her clinical role, she has led initiatives to improve continuity of care, including establishing a transition program to support youth with type 1 diabetes as they move into adulthood. She also founded an annual behavioral health conference to equip behavior health clinicians like psychologists, therapists, counselors and more, with a deeper understanding of chronic medical conditions in pediatric patients. She is currently developing a preclinical type 1 diabetes clinic focused on early identification and intervention to delay the progress of T1D. 

Dr. Purushothaman serves as a clinical advisor for T1D Scout and was a former board member of the Pacific Northwest chapter of Breakthrough T1D. 

She is deeply committed to ensuring that children and families with T1D have access to accessible, high-quality education to support confident and effective diabetes management, and to a supportive community that will help them thrive.

Chris Dunn is the Senior Chapter Director for the Nebraska Chapter of Breakthrough T1D, where she brings both professional expertise and deeply personal experience to her work. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and built an early career in education and sports medicine before turning her focus to mission-driven fundraising and advocacy on behalf of the type 1 diabetes community.

Chris is the mother of four children, two of whom live with type 1 diabetes (T1D) – Nolan, now 22, who was diagnosed at age two, and Patsy, 17, diagnosed at age four. After nearly two decades as a T1D mom, Chris’s connection to the cause became even more personal in 2025 when she was diagnosed with stage-two T1D. She received Tzield, a groundbreaking therapy made possible through Breakthrough T1D’s research investments, giving her a unique and powerful perspective on the importance of screening and the power of early detection.

Since joining the Breakthrough T1D staff in 2018, Chris has dedicated herself to advancing the organization’s mission. Outside of her work, she enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with her family. She also teaches CPR and childbirth education part-time at a local women’s hospital.