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Topic: Living with ECD and Pain: Communicating, Coping, and Finding Support
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CDT
April 7, 2026 1:00 PM CDT
Speaker: Nicole Hemmenway
Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Pain Foundation
Date: April 7, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM CST
Nicole Hemmenway is the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Pain Foundation, a patient-led nonprofit working to support the more than 60 million Americans living with chronic pain. A passionate advocate and nonprofit leader, Nicole brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work, guiding the organization’s mission to educate, empower, connect, and advocate for individuals living with pain, as well as their care partners and providers.
Under her leadership, the U.S. Pain Foundation has expanded access to peer support programs, developed nationally recognized surveys that elevate the real experiences of people living with pain, and amplified patient voices through initiatives like the INvisible Project. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, medical schools, and policy forums, where she highlights the importance of compassionate care, peer support, equitable access to treatment, and the integration of patient perspectives in research and decision-making.
Nicole’s work has been recognized nationally, including being featured in a 2015 USA Today campaign and receiving the 2017 Unsung Hero Award. She is also the author of No, It Is Not in My Head: The Journey of a Chronic Pain Survivor from Wheelchair to Marathon. She lives in the Nashville area with her husband and three sons.
