Our TEAM
Dr. Malcolm “Kip” Mackenzie
Co-Founder
Dr. Malcolm “Kip” Mackenzie’s 35-year OBGYN career has been focused on providing “education and choice”; giving as much information as possible and offering the best treatment options. He has applied this commitment particularly to endometriosis; learning as much as possible about the disease, training in the most advanced techniques and bringing that all to patients suffering from the disease.
His own education, training and service spans Harvard College and Dartmouth Medical School, residency at Maine Medical Center, a fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, with teaching at Harvard Medical School, Boston University School of Medicine, Northeastern University, Dartmouth Medical School, Mount Auburn Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. As such he is the recipient of many teaching awards for his passionate work in women’s medicine.
Skilled in vaginal, laparoscopic, robotic and hysteroscopic technique he holds specialty certification in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery. With his focus on curative excision of Endometriosis, he has performed over 2500 complex endometriosis surgeries involving the pelvis, bowel, bladder, ureters and diaphragm. He continues his training of others in this advanced endometriosis excision technique. With the Endometriosis Alliance of Massachusetts Kip hopes to improve the infrastructure and systems around education and legislation, in order to increase patient access to expert care in order to achieve improved outcomes for this devastating disease.
Kate Weldon LeBlanc
Co-Founder
Kate Weldon LeBlanc is the Executive Director of AllPaths Family Building (formerly named Resolve New England), an independent non-profit organization dedicated to building a caring community in New England to support, inform, and advocate for all those struggling to grow their families. Kate has worked in policy roles throughout her career. A proud Massachusetts native, she holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Skidmore College and a Master of Public Administration from the UMass Boston. Kate and her husband Joe are the grateful parents of Sophie, thanks to IVF.
Nicole Tanionos
Co-Founder
Nicole is currently a high school student and a passionate advocate for Endometriosis awareness. She herself has suffered from Endometriosis for the past five years and serves as an advocate from a patient perspective. She understands the implications and debilitating reality of Endo, which has influenced her to pursue a medical career in women's health. Nicole has worked with contributors and co-founders of the Endometriosis Alliance of Massachusetts for the past year, educating others on the chronic condition and advocating at the State House for new legislation. She says receiving her diagnosis changed her life, and now she wishes to help others change theirs by sharing her story.
Melanie Tanionos
Co-Founder & Director
After spending three decades in Caribbean hospitality, specializing in sales and marketing, Melanie pivoted during COVID to offer pro bono crises management services to local businesses in Belmont, Bedford, Lexington, and Waltham. In 2022 she focused on her second passion, teaching. Her teaching experience spans age groups, subject matter, and the globe, presently teaching health in Lexington Public Schools and also serving in Falmouth. As Nicole’s mom, she has experienced first-hand the debilitating affects of endometriosis, the lack of productivity and impact on the work/school place (for both parent and child), and the systemic issues related to timely diagnosis, effective treatment, and suitable insurance coverage. She hopes to fuse her passion for education and concern for “endo” patients and influence change through her volunteer work with the Endometriosis Alliance of Massachusetts.