In this episode of Prideful Connections, we welcome Pattie McKnight, the Executive Director of Health Care Advocates International—one of our podcast’s proud sponsors. Pattie’s journey is anything but ordinary. After 35 years as a McDonald’s Owner/Operator, she shifted her focus to advocacy work, first through Ronald McDonald House Charities and later through her leadership at HCAI. Since 2017, she has been at the forefront of providing healthcare access and support for the LGBTQ+ community. Join us as we discuss her transition from the corporate world to nonprofit leadership, her passion for inclusive healthcare, and why she believes in fighting for a healthier future for all.
Prideful Connections Ep. 8: From Big Macs to Big Impact: A Journey from Business to Advocacy
Creators and Guests
Host
Sarah Celotto
Sarah Celotto is a wife and mother of 3. She was born in Ireland and moved to Connecticut with her family when she was 7 years old. She was educated in a catholic school and continued her high school education at Kylemore Abbey Boarding School in County Galway, Ireland. She came back to the U.S. and attended Albertus Magnus College where she pursued a degree in Business and Economics with a concentration in Management. From there she married and got a Masters in Elementary Education from University of New Haven. Sarah has had various positions over the years ranging from a manager at a fitness studio to a para educator for special needs students.
Host
Tony Ferraiolo
Tony Ferraiolo is internationally known as a compassionate and empowering Life Coach who has earned his reputation as a thought-provoking and motivational speaker and trainer. Since 2005, Tony has worked with individuals, groups, and educational institutions to reach thousands of people worldwide. In 2008, he was the founder of multiple support groups for transgender and nonbinary youth and their families. The work Tony does has allowed him to see firsthand how children’s lives are transformed from hopelessness to hopefulness through the process of simply affirming their gender, and he has witnessed firsthand the positive impact that this has on them and their families. He is the subject of the award-winning documentary A Self-Made Man and the author of the book series Artistic Expressions of Transgender Youth and his memoir “Finding My Way Out of the Darkness” How I Found Self-Love & Acceptance. He is the co-founder of the Jim Collins Foundation where he held the position of president of the board for ten years. Tony's advocacy work is done through his position as the Director of Youth and Family Programming at Health Care Advocates International out of Stratford CT.