Meet the Team

Kelly Close founded Close Concerns in 2002, and created diaTribe, a patient advocacy nonprofit, in 2013.

Her earlier work focused on life sciences more broadly. Over nearly a dozen years, she worked on Wall Street (investment banking at Goldman Sachs, equity research at Merrill Lynch) and at McKinsey & Company. Kelly holds a BA from Amherst College in Economics and English and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Kelly's passion for the field comes from her extensive professional work as well as from her personal experience having had diabetes for 35+ years. Kelly is the co-author of 25+ peer-reviewed manuscripts, as well as co-author of "Targeting a Cure for Type 1 Diabetes: How Long Do We Have to Wait?" an award-winning book published by the ADA in 2013. She also wrote the forward for “Bright Spots and Landmines” by Adam Brown, published in 2017, that has been read or downloaded by over 500,000 people living with diabetes.

She was a founding board member of the Institute for Responsible Nutrition and also spent multiple years on the Boards of Directors of the Diabetes Hands Foundation and the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, as well as the Bay Area Breakthrough T1D (formerly known as JDRF). She also speaks on diabetes for major manufactures and entrepreneurial players, a range of policymakers and payers, as well as entities such as the Milken Institute and the Aspen Institute.

Kelly and her husband live in San Francisco with their three teenagers.

Monica holds her Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master Business Administration (MBA) from the Heller School at Brandeis University and her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Boston College. Monica came to Close Concerns from Withings, where she led the health content team and the development of longitudinal programs to help individuals engage in and form sustained healthy behavior. Prior to Withings, Monica researched outcomes for patients with ocular cancer at Mass Eye and Ear. Her passion for equity for people with chronic conditions inform her work in health engagement and communication. She has had type 1 diabetes for nearly three decades, inspiring her to be a lifelong, passionate advocate for those with diabetes. She currently serves on the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative’s Lay Review Committee, to support the patient perspective in diabetic retinopathy research, as well as the New England chapter of Breakthrough T1D’s Board of Directors as the YLC President. In her spare time, Monica enjoys marathon running.

Terry Vance was one of the first subscribers to Closer Look. Since 2018, he has worked as an editorial advisor, particularly focused on industry reporting. He started his Wall Street career in research and finished as a healthcare investor in public and private companies. Closer Look provided the best coverage of the diabetes industry, which was a major investment area of his fund.

Sasha has held executive leadership and clinical operations roles across a range of health organizations, including the Veterans Administration, National Center for PTSD, Lemonaid Health, 23andMe, MAPS and Auxilio. She has served on Directors Councils for more than 20 large IDN hospital systems in the United States and has helped manage NIMH- and DoD-funded clinical trials. A national board-certified coach, Sasha is passionate about helping clients achieve both personal and professional goals. She earned her undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and her juris doctorate from Chapman University. Sasha’s commitment to diabetes research and treatment is personal, inspired by her husband’s lifelong journey with Type 1 diabetes. This motivation led her to work with Kelly Close, first as Chief Operations Officer at diaTribe and now at Close Concerns. Based in San Francisco, Sasha enjoys spending her free time visiting museums, reading, swimming, traveling, and volunteering.

Matthew has led technology, operations, and project management teams across industries including education, health, and consumer tech. He spent six years at Apple in support and in internal development roles before transitioning into IT leadership, where he has focused on infrastructure, automation, and AI-powered systems. A founder of a successful EdTech startup in Japan, Matthew blends entrepreneurial vision with hands-on systems experience across AWS, Azure, Linux, and SaaS platforms. He holds an MBA in IT Management and Bachelors from UCLA. Outside of work, Matthew enjoys time with his family, learning languages, exploring AI tools, and helping others build careers in tech.

Emily began her career in type 1 diabetes research after her own type 1 diagnosis in 2008. With over 15 years of experience in clinical research project management, she has been dedicated to type 1 screening and prevention through her work at TrialNet. A strong advocate for clinical research participation, she is committed to accelerating progress toward a future without diabetes. Emily lives in the mountains of Colorado where she enjoys the outdoors trail running, hiking, and watching wildlife.

Esther Min joined Close Concerns in 2023 after graduating summa cum laude from Amherst College with a double major in Neuroscience and Anthropology. As an undergraduate, Esther worked with zebrafish and wrote an honors thesis on the role of a novel transcription factor involved in hearing loss. She was also an EMT, a teaching assistant in the Chemistry department, and the president of the Asian Cultural House. In her free time, Esther enjoys running, eating good food, and exploring new places.

Jeremy Alkire re-joined Close Concerns in June 2024 after graduating from Dartmouth College with a double major in Anthropology and Biology, along with a minor in Hispanic Studies. Jeremy worked as an EMT and training officer for Dartmouth EMS and volunteered at a local elementary school to teach sustainability and healthy eating habits. He was also involved in a diabetes research lab studying the impact of digital interventions on type 1 diabetes outcomes in young adults. In his free time, Jeremy enjoys trail running, reading, and traveling. We were so lucky to work with Jeremy as Dartmouth Fellow #62 and are excited to have him back as our head of technology.

Katherine Moon joined Close Concerns in June 2024 after graduating from Yale College, where she double majored in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health. As an undergraduate, Kat worked in an RNA lab focusing on spliceosome assembly and recycling. Outside of research, she served the New Haven community as a Social Services director of student-run HAVEN Free Clinic, volunteered at local nursing homes through Alzheimer's Buddies, and sang with the Yale Gospel Choir as a proud soprano. In her free time, Kat enjoys singing, running, and learning how to cook new dishes.

Nour Khachemoune joined Close Concerns in 2024 after graduating from Harvard College, where she double majored in Chemistry and Anthropology. She completed a senior thesis research using stable isotope analysis to study animal diet at the Maya site of Copán, Honduras circa 800 AD. She also served as a Peer Advising Fellow, authored an opinion column for the Crimson titled, “Nostalgia: What’s it Hiding?” and led the Harvard Writing and Public Service Initiative, providing college application advising for disadvantaged high schools in the Boston area. In her free time, Nour can be found baking, attending trivia nights, and plane spotting by the airport.

Riya Chatterjee joined Close Concerns in 2025 after graduating from the University of Michigan with a major in Neuroscience and a minor in Business. As an undergraduate, she conducted research at the Motor and Visual Development lab, studying visuomotor integration across the lifespan in both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals, and co-authored three papers. Riya also worked as an EMT, tutored biochemistry, served as a teaching assistant for Animal and Human Physiology, and boxed competitively for the Michigan Club Boxing team. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Riya is passionate about addressing healthcare disparities and exploring how medical, social, and behavioral factors intersect to shape patient experiences and management of their health. In her free time, Riya enjoys boxing, hiking, playing guitar and violin, and trying new foods.

Kayla Mathieu joined Close Concerns in June 2025 after graduating from Harvard College, where she majored in Human Evolutionary Biology and earned a language citation in French. At Harvard, she conducted research at the Tseng Lab at the Joslin Diabetes Center, studying the role of brown adipose tissue in regulating metabolic function. She also volunteered at a rehabilitation and nursing center, in both social and caregiving contexts. Kayla served as the president of the Harvard Undergraduate Francophone Society, where she engaged with Francophone culture and community. In her free time, Kayla enjoys walking with her dog, exploring new restaurants, and playing (or watching) basketball.

Elizabeth Rose joined Close Concerns in 2025 after graduating from Amherst College with a degree in Biochemistry & Biophysics. As an undergraduate, Elizabeth worked with Dictyostelium discoideum and wrote an honors thesis on the novel role of a kinase involved in regulating directed cell migration, which was recognized as the best thesis submitted to the department with the Biochemistry & Biophysics Prize. Outside the lab, Elizabeth worked as an EMT for Amherst College EMS, as a Crisis Text Line Counselor, and was a four-year member of the Amherst Women’s Lacrosse Team. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys playing sports, spending time outdoors, and trying new restaurants.