Dr. Charlotte Jones-Burton Reflects on a Year of Impact, Growth, and Purpose at the 9th Annual OneWe Reach Conference
When Dr. Charlotte Jones-Burton, MD, MS stepped onto the stage to open the 9th Annual OneWe Reach Conference, the room felt electric. It wasn’t just the start of another event… it was a homecoming.
“This has been a year of evolution and elevation,” she began. “We’ve always stood for connection, courage, and commitment. OneWe Reach is not a departure. It’s a reflection of who we’ve always been.”
OneWe Reach now stands as a unifying movement for all professionals dedicated to advancing equitable access to health innovations. And this year’s theme: Love. Lead. Lift. perfectly captures that spirit.
LOVE: Nurturing Ourselves and Our Community
Love is where it all begins.
Through the Real Talk series, OneWe Reach members opened up about topics that truly matter: breast cancer awareness, mammogram screenings, and the importance of mental health. These conversations reminded everyone that caring for others starts with caring for ourselves.
“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Love yourself enough to take care of yourself.”
The BRAVE Program was also launched to support members affected by industry reductions, providing resources, connection, and compassion when it’s needed most.
“OneWe Reach isn’t just an organization… it’s a family. And families show up for one another.”
LEAD: Building Capacity and Shaping Legacy
In 2025, OneWe Reach expanded its leadership programs like never before.
The Accelerator Leadership Development Program ran three simultaneous corporate cohorts—at Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk, and Genentech—tripling participation from the previous year. The Executive Academy was relaunched with double the enrollment, redesigned to be more focused, more intensive, and more relevant for aspiring executives.
“We’re not just building leaders. We’re shaping legacy.”
Through the Speaker’s Bureau, members were certified to educate their families and communities on the science of obesity, an example of leadership extending beyond the workplace into real-world impact.
And in the organization’s Think Tank Series, OneWe Reach unveiled a new paradigm focused on inclusive drug development and population-informed access—critical drivers of business and patient outcomes.
“When we talk about access, we’re talking about opportunity. Access to innovation. Access to leadership. Access to possibility.”
LIFT: Investing in the Future
Perhaps most inspiring of all is how OneWe Reach continues to lift others.
The Innovators Program was launched to help early-career professionals (those within their first five years in the industry) find their footing and thrive.
The NextGen Program, which began as virtual student micro-conferences, now meets quarterly to expose undergraduate and graduate students to career pathways in the life sciences. And just days before the conference, OneWe Reach hosted its first-ever in-person NextGen Conference, a milestone moment for the movement’s future leaders.
“We identified 46 brilliant students who will present to our corporate partners as part of our new Distinguished Scholars Program. Because when we lift others, we all rise higher.”
This spirit of elevation extended globally. The Global Connections and Conversations gathering in Paris (hosted by Sanofi) brought together members from Europe, Africa, and the U.S. for another sold-out event, proving that OneWe Reach’s reach truly knows no borders.
A Collective Homecoming
As Dr. Jones-Burton closed her remarks, she looked across the audience of changemakers and said with a smile:
“If you’ve been a beneficiary of our love, our leading, and our lifting… stand tall.”
And they did.
Because this homecoming isn’t just about celebrating how far we’ve come, it’s about recommitting to how far we’ll go together.
When we love deeply, lead boldly, and lift others intentionally, we create a future where health access (and opportunity) reaches everyone.
