KELLIE COONEY

Founder & CEO

Kellie's story began as a firefighter and field paramedic in Cincinnati, Ohio.  This is where she learned life-saving medical skills treating everything from minor accidents to major traumas.  In her off time, you could find her backpacking with her daughter through the gorges of Kentucky and into the Smokey Mountains, and skiing in New England, Utah, and Colorado.  She continues to set world records climbing and rappelling El Capitan and loves the mountains of Mexico where you can find her caving, rappelling, and rope-climbing with friends.

Kellie spent over two decades traveling the backcountry of the United States, Mexico, Caribbean Islands, and Africa and has worked as a medical missionary in Uganda for the past 15 years.  Using these opportunities, she established relationships with NGO and government officials and has been able to establish ongoing support for children and communities in need with life-saving medicines.

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When her daughter was just a small child she became very ill leaving Kellie with no choice but to evaluate alternative medicines to treat her.  After years of research on certain disease processes and on the topics of nutrition and botanical medicine, she concluded; plants are medicines and they are effective at healing the body.  Thus, Wellness Warrior, the company, was born.

"This company is more than just an herbal or essential oil business.  It's a company built on a lifetime of precise moments that shaped the future of many people whose stories, when put together, just make sense.  Herbal medicines compliment our bodies and provide a solid basis for the healing process to begin.  Our team believes this and it is the core of who we are as a business."

Kellie holds a bachelor of science in fire and safety engineering, a master of science in complementary alternative medicine, three master's certificates in; herbal medicine, aromatherapy, and botanical safety, and a doctorate degree in traditional naturopathy.  In addition to her work with Wellness Warrior, her love for the indigenous people of Africa and the lack of healthcare options in Uganda provided an opportunity to bring plant medicines to vulnerable children in Uganda.  In 2015, Kellie founded and is the Executive Director and Chair of the Board of Wellness Warrior's 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization, Wellness Warrior Foundation.  Current projects includ fundraising to build sustainable communities and provide free herbal medicine clinics to people in need.

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Kellie continues to study Ethnomedicine (how indigenous people use plants as medicine) and is enrolled at the Phoenix Institute of Healthcare Medicine and Acupuncture (PIHMA) as an oriental medicine student.  Kellie will graduate as doctor in Oriental Medicine in December of 2021.  She will build her career in emergency and wilderness medicine.

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Furthermore, Kellie is passionate about sustainability and is excited to one day live off the grid.