Our Speakers
Lisa Pitel-Killah
Lisa is passionate about the health, performance, and longevity of both individuals and animals. A former competitive figure skater, Lisa competed at multiple National Skating Championships and is internationally recognized as a top Kettlebell Sport Athlete, winning multiple Canadian, U.S., and World Championship titles. Through Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), she solved her own chronic health issues as well as those of her chihuahua, TC, inspiring a unique program that has helped thousands. Today, Lisa lectures on HTMA and Mineral Balance, hosts an online continuing education course with the Institute of Holistic Nutrition, and, with her team, offers online HTMA-based health coaching worldwide for both people and pets.
Rick Fischer
Dr. Rick Malter
Dr. Rick Malter, (AKA “Magnesium Man,”), credits HTMA testing with saving his life over 40 years ago. In 1980, while suffering from severe hypoglycemia and exhaustion, Dr. Candelaria, a colleague, alerted him to the cardiovascular risks of severe magnesium deficiency.
Rachel l. Neumann
Rachel is a spiritual teacher, energy healer, and empowerment coach with over 50 years of experience. An early pioneer in Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), she blends functional nutrition, Applied Kinesiology, and advanced healing techniques to help clients restore balance and well-being. She also leads the Mineral Sanity & Health community and hosts the In Conversation series on mineral balancing.
Dr. Robert Selig
Dr. Robert Selig is a Functional Medicine practitioner and founder of Back To Natural Health in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. With over 30 years of experience, he specializes in resolving complex, chronic conditions through advanced nutritional biochemistry and metabolic analysis.
A pioneer in Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), Dr. Selig uses this tool to interpret biochemical patterns, assess metabolic types, and uncover heavy metal toxicities often missed by standard labs. From these insights, he designs highly individualized nutraceutical and dietary protocols for both adults and children, offering comprehensive care locally and remotely.
Dr. Nina-marie rueda
Nina-Marie is a traditional naturopath, mom of three, and your partner in building a healthier family. When she’s not working with clients training clinicians in functional testing, you’ll find her hiking, soaking up the sun, or enjoying undistracted time with her husband and kids.
Dr. Richard Olree
Dr. Richard Olree has been a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic in Northern Michigan for over 45 years, seeing an average of 30 patients daily while also operating a health food store that serves clients across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. A graduate of Logan College of Chiropractic with a Bachelor’s in Biology and Doctorate in Chiropractic, Dr. Olree is co-author of Minerals for the Genetic Code (2006, now in its second edition) and author of the forthcoming Amishman’s Handy Guide to Minerals, Vitamins and Food Supplements. His work integrates spinal health, genetics, and the role of trace minerals, offering a unique perspective that has educated practitioners and patients worldwide.
Amber MacDonald
Amber MacDonald, HTMA-P, NTP, MRWP, is a Functional Nutritionist passionate about root-cause healing. Guided by her own health journey, she specializes in Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) as a cornerstone tool to uncover mineral imbalances and stress patterns driving symptoms. Amber is the lead course mentor for Instant HTMA Professional, a practitioner mentor with Vykon Customs, and a teaching assistant for Clinical HTMA Academy Level 2. She integrates HTMA with blood chemistry, nutrigenomics, and nervous system regulation to help clients and practitioners create personalized, effective protocols.
Dr. Heather Finley
Dr. Heather Finley is a registered dietitian with a doctorate in clinical nutrition who helps people overcome bloating, brain fog, hormone imbalances, and GI issues so they can enjoy food again.
After navigating her own digestive and hormone struggles for nearly 20 years, she created her signature approach to gut healing that is practical, non-restrictive, and sustainable. Dr. Finley is the founder of the gutTogether® program for individuals and the gutPractitioner program for clinicians, and her expertise has been featured on Good Morning Texas, MindBodyGreen, Yahoo! Life, and VeryWell Health.
Kaely McDevitt
Kaely McDevitt is a Registered Dietitian specializing in nutrition for women’s health. She owns a virtual private practice where she and her team help their clients reclaim their energy, optimize fertility and overcome hormone symptoms through personalized nutrition. In addition to her work with clients she is a co-owner of Trace Elements, the internationally recognized provider of HTMA laboratory services and nutritional metabolic products.
Kim Heintz
Kim Heintz is a functional health strategist and athlete who helps high performers unlock their potential by addressing the root causes of chronic health struggles. After overcoming her own decades-long battle with migraines, gut issues, and fatigue through functional lab testing, she now empowers driven women and men to restore energy, resilience, and focus with personalized nutrition, lifestyle, mindset, and supplementation strategies—so they can thrive in business, athletics, and life.
Mercedes Benadivas
Mercedes Benadivas is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with over 13 years of experience in integrative and functional nutrition. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, she has dedicated her career to supporting families—particularly children on the autism spectrum—by addressing behavioral, digestive, and metabolic challenges through a personalized, evidence-based approach. Certified as a Women’s Health Specialist, Mercedes focuses on the connection between diet, gut health, and cellular health, empowering families and women with practical tools for lasting well-being.
Micah Portney
In 1998, Micah Portney recognized an untapped natural resource for health benefits and began to research the science behind Zeolite technology. By 1999 he had founded ZEO Health Ltd., the first Zeolite supplementation manufacturer in the United States and second in the world (by 2 months).
Ryan Syverson
Ryan Syverson is an HTMA mentor, clinical consultant, and founder of Ryan Syverson Coaching. After overcoming Lyme disease and mold illness, he now helps clients and practitioners decode hidden patterns in labs that drive fatigue, pain, and chronic illness.
Ryan specializes in combining HTMA with functional blood chemistry to uncover mineral, mitochondrial, and immune imbalances, while also addressing how trauma and nervous system dysregulation show up in mineral patterns. Through his consulting and teaching, he bridges complex science with practical tools that restore energy and resilience.
Sophie Shepherd
Sophie Shepherd is the founder of SHE Talks Health and a Functional Health Practitioner who helps women with Hashimoto’s, thyroid issues, and mystery symptoms like fatigue, bloating, anxiety, and brain fog find easy and sustainable ways to finally feel like themselves again.
Her approach blends functional lab testing, mineral balancing, and emotional wellness tools to create sustainable, personalized health shifts—without the extremes.
Sophie’s mission is to help women take their power back and slay the old stories that have kept them stuck in sick, burnt-out bodies.
Terra Vitiello
Terra Vitiello is foudner of The Fertility Movement and a functional-medicine practitioner with a heart for helping hopeful couples unravel the metabolic roadblocks standing in the way of conception. When she integrated the HTMA test into her practice, it quickly became her game-changing secret weapon.
Terra is also devoted to mentoring practitioners in mineral interpretation and in designing custom, bioindividual multi-nutrient blends for their clients.
Whether you’re preparing for pregnancy or refining client care, Terra turns complex labs into clear, doable steps.
Vanessa Obagi
Vanessa Obagi is a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist and Advanced HTMA Mentor with Lisa Pitel-Killah, supporting practitioners worldwide in mastering mineral analysis. She also tutors the Clinical HTMA Education Course (Level 1), guiding students with clarity and confidence.
After overcoming her own post-trauma fatigue and burnout through mineral rebalancing, Vanessa now helps women in menopause restore energy, focus, and resilience. Combining clinical expertise with lived experience, she is passionate about showing how HTMA can bring balance and vitality in midlife and beyond.