Meet our team of Registered Dietitians!

Ready to serve!

I am so pleased to introduce these trained and talented dietitians to the MFN team. Please take a moment to read their brief stories in their own words. We look forward to serving you as you meet your nutrition goals.

Robin Nwankwo

Introduce yourself?
Hi, I am Robin Nwankwo, a 33-year registered dietitian veteran who is still crazy about what we do as dietetic specialists. I have been honored to spend many of these years with dynamic people who live with eating disorders and diabetes. Their generosity in being open and allowing me to walk with them, as we work to problem-solve nutrition-related issues, continually teaches me and sharpens my skills to be a better and more compassionate listener.

What led you to this career path?
My husband noted how I relished nutrition info and healthy cooking strategies and recommended that I change careers. My previous career in engineering wasn’t as satisfying as learning how our bodies function and what it takes to keep us going strong.

Why MFN?
I own a private practice but retired and picked up work to continue using my skills. I am intrigued by Maya’s position recognizing that, as RDs, we are allowed into people’s lives and we need to be culturally humble in our interactions.

Tell us about one fulfilling moment with a client who reached a goal?
A mother of high schoolers, who was previously resistant to treatment for anorexia, agreed to one new task; that task became her turning point. She faced her challenge. We both felt it and she cried. Our next visit was the last to work on maintenance reinforcement strategies that she had learned throughout the treatment.

Kendra Batten

Introduce yourself?
Dietetics is my second career after practicing psychology for a number of years. I am a new RDN practicing in North Carolina. My primary interests are in disordered eating and community nutrition. I received a Ph.D. in Nutrition in 2020 and completed my dietetic internship in 2021 from UNCG. I enjoy conducting research and finding novel ways to apply it to improve or support the lives of people of color. Additionally, I enjoy walking, yoga, and Zumba as well as reading Sci-Fi. I like to travel and have had the opportunity to travel to different countries in Europe.

What led you to this career path?
While practicing psychology, I realized that my desire to help people meet their goals was made difficult by their poor health, often related to nutritional challenges. The nutritional challenges ranged from food insecurity to food trauma. This awareness led to the conclusion that I needed further education and training to effectively help people.

Why MFN?
I have chosen to work with Maya and other dietitians of color at MFN to support work in an environment that aligns with my professional and career aspirations. I have the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from an awesome group of individuals who look like me and desire to support communities of color.

Tell us about one fulfilling moment with a client who reached a goal?
As I am new to MFN, I have not yet been able to share in the success of a client’s completed goal. However, I have observed an individual’s growth journey that will ultimately help them reach and maintain their goals.

Morgan Elmore

Introduce yourself:
My name is Morgan Elmore and I recently joined the team at MFN in May of 2023. I grew up in southeastern Pennsylvania and moved to NYC in 2017 for undergrad. I received my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition & Food Studies from New York University, and then went on to complete my Master of Science in Community Nutrition and Dietetic Internship at West Chester University. My education has allowed me to work with various populations across NYC, NJ, and PA, from preschoolers in Head Start programs to geriatric patients in long-term care. I approach nutrition with the mindset that being healthy means being balanced; I want my patients to develop a positive relationship with food, and make small, sustainable lifestyle changes that lead to improved health outcomes.

What led you to this career path:
I fell into nutrition quite randomly when applying for college – I was looking for a major that was science-based but also not too general, like chemistry or biology. I enjoyed health and fitness as a hobby and decided nutrition would be a good path to pursue. It was only once I started studying nutrition and gaining real-life experience that I saw the need for proper nutrition care and education across my communities; I became extremely passionate about expanding food access and improving nutrition resources for populations in need. I’ve also seen the amount of misinformation regarding nutrition in society, and want to offer a safe space for those looking to pursue healthy habits in a sustainable way.

Why MFN?
I first met Maya in 2018, when I took her class at NYU. We had the pleasure of reconnecting in 2023 while I completed a portion of my dietetic internship with her. I wanted to work at MFN because as a newer dietitian, I am still chasing every opportunity to learn from those around me. Maya has built a practice and a career based on providing patient-centered, anti-bias, culturally humble care– all things I aspire to practice with my own patients. Working with Maya and her team of dietitians not only allows me to nurture my skills as a practitioner but also connects me with those in need of this type of nutrition care.

Tell us about one fulfilling moment with a client who reached a goal?
When looking to improve health outcomes, we tend to focus a lot on those that are defined by numerical ranges (i.e. blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, etc.). I have been working with a client who was struggling with hypertension and wanted to get her blood pressure down to a normal range. At our first appointment, we went over a proper pattern of eating for hypertension and what changes she could implement without completely overhauling her life. When it came time for our second appointment, I asked if she had been able to measure her blood pressure at home. Though she hadn’t, she did tell me she just felt better after one week of making small changes, like incorporating more fruits and veggies, preparing ahead of time for travel and eating out, and making time for exercise. She had no more headaches, more energy, and overall was experiencing fewer symptoms related to her blood pressure. I knew right away, even though we hadn’t measured, that her blood pressure had likely gone down already. While it is important to improve the numbers, I felt triumphant that the way she was physically feeling had already improved after just one appointment.