Members to vote for winner to be announced at CONVERGENCE ‘25
JULY 8, 2025
WASHINGTON – The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and Radicle Science today announced five finalists for their 2025 Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award:
- Mike Finamore is CEO of Gemini Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading global contract development manufacturing organization specializing in science-backed and green product initiatives. He serves as president of the Governance Board of the Global Retailer & Manufacturer Alliance (GRMA) among other leadership roles.
- Nora Khaldi, Ph.D., is founder and CEO of Nuritas, a company on a mission to improve billions of lives by transforming the discovery of bioactive ingredients using AI, deep learning, and genomics to unlock peptides from natural sources like plants and food.
- Tatiana Miranda-Abaunza is a senior QA Manager-GMP Audits at Unilever Wellbeing. She partners with dietary supplement businesses to conduct GMP audits to ensure the suppliers' compliance. She serves as an ASQ Certified Food Safety & Quality Auditor, a PCQI 2.0 Lead Instructor, and a HACCP Trainer by the International HACCP Alliance.
- Deshanie Rai, Ph.D., is vice president, Global Science, Regulatory and Advocacy at OmniActive Health Technologies. For over twenty years, she has spearheaded science-driven product development in key health areas such as immune health, allergy management, eye health, and GI health and the microbiome.
- Karen Todd, R.D., is vice president of global brand marketing for Kyowa Hakko, where she leads marketing efforts for the company’s portfolio of health product ingredients. She regularly debunks misinformation and builds consumer trust through her “Myth Busting” series and through “The Supplement Dietitian platform” makes complex science relatable and actionable.
Radicle Science Co-Founder and Executive Chair Pelin Thorogood said, “The depth and diversity of this year’s nominees were truly inspiring, making the selection process both difficult and deeply rewarding. These five finalists embody the very spirit of the Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award—courageously transforming wellness through credible science, meaningful innovation, bold action and a clear commitment to impact. It’s a privilege to celebrate their work and honor the example they set for our industry.”
“The nominees this year were outstanding, reflecting the pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit of trailblazers, leaders that go above and beyond to impact not only their individual organizations, but also our global industry,” said last year’s Trailblazer honoree Yasmeen Nkrumah-Elie, Ph.D., senior global director of R&D for external research for ChromaDex, Inc., a Niagen Bioscience company, who served on this year’s judging panel. “The thoughtful recognition these individuals received from their peers is well-deserved, and the five finalists reflect perseverance, mentorship, and innovation.”
“The judging process required careful consideration and close review of the array of impressive nominations received,” said Gretchen Powers, CRN vice president, marketing and member experience. “The finalists selected stood out for their depth of engagement, strategic vision, and respect they’ve earned in the CRN member community and the broader industry, as well.”
CRN members are invited to cast their vote to name a 2025 honoree, which will be announced at CRN’s CONVERGENCE ’25 event, taking place Oct. 8–10 at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. Voting will be open through Aug. 6.
Further details about the award and finalists are available at crnusa.org/trailblazer.
About CRN
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 180+ dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. Follow us on LinkedIn and X @CRN_Supplements.
About Radicle Science
Radicle Science is a health tech trailblazer on a mission to bring clinical proof and precision to natural products and wellness. Its pioneering proof-as-a-service platform combines AI, clinical data, consumer science and crowdsourcing to rigorously validate the effects of natural products across diverse populations—at unprecedented scale and speed. The platform delivers improved health outcomes for consumers, innovative R&D insights for brands, and bridges the long-standing gap between consumer belief and scientific validation. Learn more at www.RadicleScience.com.