Building Tomorrow's Healthcare Leaders. Serving Communities Today.
A strong healthcare ecosystem starts with supported, inspired, and resilient leaders. Yet across the globe, underserved communities lack access to essential medical care, while aspiring healthcare professionals — especially first-generation and underrepresented youth — navigate demanding career paths without adequate mentorship, clinical exposure, or support.
Operation: INSPIRE Access to Dream is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization bridging these gaps. We guide youth into rewarding healthcare careers through hands-on mentorship, deliver life-changing medical and surgical care through international volunteer missions, and provide strategic consulting to the organizations where these future leaders will serve. By investing in people early and bringing care directly to those who need it most, we foster long-term, systemic change built on empathy, trust, and excellence.
Connecting aspiring healthcare professionals with experienced clinical mentors through structured coaching, leadership development, and self-care education — building a pipeline of prepared, supported future leaders.
Deploying volunteer medical and surgical teams to deliver direct patient care, preventive health services, and clinical training in under-resourced communities abroad.
Providing strategic consulting to healthcare organizations seeking to optimize operations, develop leadership capacity, and improve patient outcomes.
The Mission of INSPIRE Access to Dream is to...
Cultivate the next generation of compassionate, resilient healthcare leaders while expanding access to quality care in underserved communities. Our vision is a future where every aspiring healthcare professional has a mentor, every under-resourced community has access to quality care, and every healthcare organization is strengthened by leaders who were prepared, supported, and inspired from the start.
Our Programs
We bring lived experience and purpose to everything we do. Our team is a diverse community of healthcare leaders, clinicians, and advocates — many of whom began their journeys as housekeeping staff, frontline nurses, and bedside caregivers before stepping into executive leadership. We know the path because we've walked it. That firsthand experience is what makes our mentorship meaningful, our missions effective, and our consulting actionable. Partnering with Operation: INSPIRE Access to Dream means investing in a proven, community-rooted approach to building healthcare leaders and delivering care where it matters most.
Early in my career as an Operating Room Manager, a preventable wrong-site surgical error on a young patient completely redefined my vision of clinical leadership. It was a sobering reminder that patients place their utmost trust in healthcare systems to heal, not harm; and that standard care requires visionary leadership at every level.
That defining moment became the catalyst for Operation: INSPIRE. Today, we are taking those crucial lessons of accountability, clinical excellence, and compassion to the next level. Beyond optimizing healthcare operations, my passion is dedicated to empowering the next generation of healthcare leaders and expanding care where it is needed most. Through hands-on youth mentorship, executive coaching, and international medical missions, Operation: INSPIRE equips emerging healthcare professionals with the skills, resilience, and purpose needed to transform lives. Our goal is to foster lifelong, trusting relationships within our local communities and across global borders—ensuring the future of healthcare is grounded in quality, empathy, and service.
Claret Presley,
Founder and CEO
Our Team
Senior Director, Quality & Safety Improvement, Kaiser Permanente
President, Women Health Care Executives of Northern California
Founder of Elevate Now Co. LLC
Dr. Vanessa A. Martinez is a healthcare executive and nursing leader with more than 30 years of experience in critical care, healthcare leadership, quality, patient safety, and innovation. She currently serves as Senior Director of Quality & Safety Improvement at Kaiser Permanente, where she leads virtual nursing and technology enabled programs focused on improving patient outcomes and delivering safe, high quality care.
Throughout her career, Dr. Martinez has led innovative programs that have received national and international recognition for quality and patient safety, including the Kaiser Permanente National Lawrence Patient Safety Award, the International Hospital Federation Gold Award for Quality and Patient Safety, and the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award.
She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership from Loyola University New Orleans, holds dual master's degrees in Nursing and Health Care Administration, and completed advanced education in Strategic Leadership at Cornell University. She is also a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality and is passionate about mentoring, teaching, and developing future healthcare leaders.
Beyond her professional role, Dr. Martinez serves as President of Women Healthcare Executives of Northern California, where she supports women in healthcare through mentorship, leadership development, scholarships, professional connections, and opportunities to grow and lead.
She is also the Founder of Elevate Now Co. LLC, an initiative focused on empowering healthcare professionals through mentorship, career development, and leadership guidance. She has a special interest in supporting professionals who are navigating new healthcare environments, including internationally educated and immigrant healthcare professionals, helping them build confidence, find opportunities, and grow in their careers.
At the heart of Dr. Martinez's work is a genuine desire to serve and give back. She believes leadership is not only about professional accomplishments, but also about using one's experience, knowledge, and compassion to help others. Her involvement in medical missions reflects her commitment to serving communities, developing others, and making a meaningful difference wherever she can. Healthcare leadership grounded in service, compassion, and developing others.
Dr. Vanessa A. Martinez, DNP, MHA, RN, CPHQ
NCAL Region Clinical Practice Consultant, Kaiser Permanente
Sarah Abdolcader serves as the Communications Co-Chair for WHCE. In her role as a Clinical Practice Consultant, she leads the design and implementation of evidence-based training and RN Mentorship Programs, manages resuscitation contracts, and collaborates with Care Experience to improve value-based care. Sarah is dedicated to expanding her professional impact by collaborating with a network of executives and innovators to improve healthcare delivery. As a board member, she aims to shape the future of women in leadership by mentoring emerging talent and influencing strategic initiatives that promote equity and advancement. She firmly believes that success occurs when opportunity meets preparation.
Sarah Abdolcader,
MSN, RN, CNL, NPD-BC, NEA-BC
Care Management, The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente
Yahya Abdolcader is an experienced Family Nurse Practitioner and diabetes care expert with nearly two decades of clinical experience in chronic disease management, endocrinology, lifestyle medicine, and metabolic health.
Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Yahya earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Mary’s University of Moraga in 2006 and began his career at Kaiser Permanente as a registered nurse in Chronic Conditions. He later earned his Master of Science as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Sonoma State University in 2018, graduating with Honors.
Yahya currently specializes in Diabetes, Lifestyle Medicine, and Weight Loss, providing comprehensive, evidence-based care for patients with complex diabetes and metabolic conditions.
In 2023, he helped curate and launch the Mastering Diabetes and Exercise is Medicine Lifestyle Medicine Series, integrating lifestyle-medicine principles with treatment strategies for patients with prediabetes and uncontrolled diabetes. He also helped curate the Maternal Health High-Risk Clinic for patients with Type 1 Diabetes using automated insulin pumps, supporting comprehensive care from pre-conception through postpartum.
Throughout his career, Yahya has developed diabetes management programs, supported population health initiatives, and served as a clinical resource for advanced diabetes technologies. He is passionate about empowering patients through education, prevention, and sustainable lifestyle changes that promote long-term health and wellness.
In 2025, Yahya was honored with Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Extraordinary Nurse Practitioner of the Year Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions to patient care, innovation, and clinical leadership.
Yahya Abdolcader,
Nurse Practitioner
Natalia Hernandez-Bernal is a Registered Nurse, community health advocate, and emerging healthcare leader dedicated to prevention, education, and service. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a minor in Spanish from the University of Portland and is currently completing her RN residency at Oregon Health & Science University.
A proud first-generation college graduate, Natalia brings a strong commitment to health equity, mentorship, and community-centered care. Her clinical experience spans community health, population wellness, acute care, and psychiatric settings, with a particular focus on disease prevention, harm reduction, and patient education for underserved populations.
Beyond her clinical practice, Natalia is passionate about mentoring nursing students and pre-health learners, helping them navigate nursing education, clinical experiences, and professional development. She is recognized for her approachable leadership style and dedication to uplifting first-generation and underrepresented students pursuing careers in healthcare.
As a board member of Operation: INSPIRE Access to Dream, Natalia supports initiatives that expand access to primary and preventive healthcare in underserved communities. Her long-term vision is to advance in oncology nursing while developing global programs focused on primary and secondary cancer prevention through education, early intervention, and community empowerment.
Natalia Bernal Hernandez, Registered Nurse
Nikkie Cupina is a healthcare and client service professional with experience in patient care, healthcare operations, and team leadership. Her professional background includes serving as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Medical Staff, and Team Leader at 1LIFE Inc., where she developed a strong foundation in frontline healthcare delivery, operational coordination, and people management.
Throughout her professional career, Nikkie has demonstrated a consistent commitment to quality service, patient-centered care, and operational excellence. Her experience in healthcare has provided her with a practical understanding of patient needs, service standards, and the importance of delivering care with professionalism, empathy, and attention to detail.
As a Team Leader, she gained experience in overseeing day-to-day operations, coordinating team activities, supporting staff performance, and ensuring that service requirements are carried out effectively. Her leadership approach is grounded in accountability, collaboration, and respect for both clients and colleagues.
Nikkie is recognized for her composed and approachable demeanor, strong sense of responsibility, and ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. She combines professional efficiency with genuine concern for the welfare and experience of those she serves.
Her work reflects the belief that quality healthcare and client service require more than technical competence. They require trust, consistency, responsiveness, and a sincere commitment to treating every individual with dignity and respect.
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Nikkie is a devoted mother of two. Her experience as a mother has further strengthened the values of patience, resilience, responsibility, and compassionthat she brings into her professional life.
Across her roles in healthcare, leadership, and service, Nikkie remains committed to delivering dependable support, fostering positive working relationships, and contributing meaningfully to the well-being of the people and communities she serves.
“To serve with competence, lead with compassion, and make people feel genuinely cared for.”
Nikkie Cupina
Prof. Mark Lester “Lec” D. Toribio, MBA, CPS, is a motivational speaker, leadership trainer, educator, author, and community development advocate dedicated to helping people recognize their potential, grow as individuals, and
become positive forces within their organizations and communities.
With 15 years of teaching experience, Prof. Lec has taught business courses at Far Eastern University, the University
of Santo Tomas, San Beda University, and Arellano University. He holds an MBA from San Beda College and a BS in Business Administration, major in Banking and Finance, from the University of the East. His dedication to
teaching earned him recognition in San Beda’s Best Teacher’s Behavioral Inventory, where he ranked among the Top 5 of 167 professors. He also received the Bedan Achievement Award for successfully supervising a nationally recognized SIFE community development project. He is the author of Simplified Principles of Management, published by National Book Store.
Prof. Lec brings practical experience from banking, sales and marketing, consultancy, entrepreneurship, and business management to his work as a Certified Public Speaker. He is also the author of #LECsyon, a motivational book that shares heartfelt lessons on life, leadership, and personal growth. He facilitates more than 100 training programs annually for private companies, government agencies, universities, and nonprofit organizations. In recognition of his
industry contribution, JCI named him Most Outstanding Trainer in the Philippines in 2017.
Prof. Lec currently serves as Vice President for Training and Culture Building at 1LIFE Inc. and as Co-Founder and Training Director of SPARK Philippines. As Vice President for Community Affairs of JCI Manila in 2019, he was the founder and brainchild of the Ten Outstanding Guro Awards (TOGA), Tubig Impact, and Project Watch and Learn - signature initiatives advancing teacher recognition, access to clean water, education, and youth empowerment. His community development work at UST, FEU, and San Beda includes guiding sustainable projects and helping lead the SIFE National Champion Team that represented the Philippines in New York and Singapore.
Across his roles as an educator, trainer, speaker, author, and community servant, Prof. Lec believes that
genuine growth begins when people feel seen, valued, and inspired. For him, meaningful leadership is
measured not only by results but also by the lives empowered to create positive and lasting change.
Prof. Mark Lester “Lec” D. Toribio, MBA, CPS,
Tiffany Presley is a Strategic Operations Consultant in Murrieta, CA . Through her client projects she leads projects and initiatives that strengthen operations and accelerate business development programs in the higher education, e-commerce and non-profits. She has spent over 10 years partnering with entrepreneurs and small businesses to build clear brand foundations and scale with confidence.
With a background in graphic design, brand management, and product development, Tiffany is known for turning strategy into practical, client-first execution. She is skilled at creative problem-solving and translating big-picture ideas into clean, effective experiences. Outside of work, she enjoys creative pursuits including reading, photography, and ceramics.
Tiffany Presley
Do Kim
Serving on this medical mission was a powerful reminder that healthcare is ultimately about human connection. I was deeply moved by the warmth and trust of the communities we served, and grateful for the opportunity to provide care and connect with people whose resilience will stay with me long after the mission.
Vituity VP of Operations, 2026 Medical Mission Volunteer
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Ruqaiyah Angeles
"Traveling with Operation: INSPIRE Access to Dream to serve the untapped Communities of the Philippines was both valuable and humbling. The medical mission showed me the power of education, healthcare, and access. We truly have a lot to do and this is only the beginning.
2026 Medical Mission Volunteer
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Raniyah Burton
"I am grateful to have a mentor who is supportive and encouraging. A mentor is someone that I trust, 'my go to'. Claret has been my mentor for two years. She inspires and motivates me, especially when my confidence is lacking. She always reinforces self-care, mental health, and wellbeing. She shares potential opportunities that lead to my goal in pre nursing major and future career path."
Portland State University
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