We bring transparency on the impact of tobacco to transform use trends, inform federal agencies, and empower individuals to quit.
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The EX Program is part of Truth Initiative, the largest public health non-profit entirely focused on inspiring lives free from smoking, vaping, and nicotine. Revenue from the EX Program supports our mission-driven work to prevent youth from smoking, vaping, and using nicotine—and to help youth quit, if they’ve started.
By combining both science and art and using evidence-based approaches with creative execution, the EX Program maximizes engagement in quitting tobacco for good.
Truth Initiative’s family of brands has been changing the culture around tobacco use and helping people form identities without tobacco for over 20 years.
In 2006, Truth Initiative partnered with Mayo Clinic to develop a digital tobacco cessation program. Based on this success and the need to reach even more tobacco users, we created the EX Program, a premium digital health program for tobacco addiction for employers and health plans.
With 8 federally funded studies and over 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts specifically on the EX platform, our expertise in developing effective digital quit-tobacco approaches is unrivaled.
Our Mayo Clinic partnership informs our program content, structure, and coaching.
The EX Program uses the latest scientific and clinical research from the experts at Mayo Clinic’s Nicotine Dependence Center.
Mayo Clinic's featured authors provide expert advice in the EX Community to support quit attempts and EXes.
All EX Program coaches have completed Mayo Clinic’s Nicotine Dependence Center Tobacco Treatment Specialist Certification Program, or equivalent training.
The EX Program adapts Mayo Clinic’s clinically-validated approach to a digital format, so participants can engage how and where they choose.
Our team members are seasoned professionals, with years of experience in the art and science of treating tobacco dependence and building engaging digital interventions.
As Chief of Innovations, Dr. Amanda Graham leads the Innovations Center within Truth Initiative. The Innovations Center is dedicated to designing and building leading digital products for tobacco cessation, including the EX Program. She is internationally recognized as a thought leader in web and mobile quit-smoking interventions and online social networks and has been awarded over $15 million in research funding. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and serves on National Institutes of Health study sections and numerous journal editorial boards. Graham is Professor of Medicine (adjunct) at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
Megan Jacobs is responsible for the design, delivery, and evaluation of innovative digital health solutions at Truth Initiative. Jacobs led the EX Program team responsible for the first evidence-based text messaging program to help e-cigarette users of all ages quit. She formed her expertise in mHealth interventions and public health campaigns with her work at the University of Michigan Health Service, DC Department of Health, and the National Vaccine Program Office. Her public health work over the past 15 years has applied technology to behavior change ranging from adolescent sexual health to vaccinations. Jacobs received her Master of Public Health from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University and is also a graduate of the University of Michigan.
Stacy Bogle is responsible for building strong, dedicated client relationships and partnerships. She comes with 20 years of experience leading companies to growth and market differentiation with a record of generating new business opportunities, and developing people and lucrative partnerships. Stacy has contributed and led award-winning teams at ADP, Paychex and others within the digital health space.
Dr. Jessie Saul brings 19 years of experience in research, program evaluation, and strategic implementation around tobacco cessation. She applies this deep understanding to improve EX Program performance and reduce tobacco use among populations. She earned her Ph.D. in Science and Technology Studies from Cornell University.
Lauren Higgins oversees the launch and ongoing support of enterprise clients. She brings a wealth of experience ensuring client success with wellness initiatives. Prior to the EX Program, she served as director of client success for MeYou Health, a workplace wellness platform designed for small businesses. She also held a variety of client-facing roles during her 5+ years at Virgin Pulse, a market-leading platform that builds employee health and wellbeing into corporate cultures.
Doug Harris is responsible for managing all technical aspects of the EX Program, including software development staff, IT operations, and technology direction. He has over 30 years of experience coding, designing software applications, and leading software teams using agile development methods. Harris leads the team responsible for building innovative digital tobacco cessation products and improving the EX platform. He is a graduate of Vassar College.
Stacy Freeborg-Junge oversees promotions to boost—and sustain—participation in the EX Program. She brings 15+ years of marketing experience, including 10 years specifically promoting wellbeing solutions to participants. She has previously held marketing roles at PayCheck Direct, a financial wellness solution, and HealthFitness, a corporate wellness, fitness, and injury prevention company. Freeborg-Junge has received numerous marketing awards for creative execution, including the Aster Award, Impact Award, and Hermes Creative Award.
Dr. Michael Amato leads a data team responsible for analytics and reporting for the EX Program and our clients. Amato has published numerous research papers and regularly speaks on the use of digital cessation interventions to reduce smoking in the population. His expertise includes meaningful intervention engagement metrics, text analytics for user-generated content, and using unique methodology and opportunities in observational studies of online behavior. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, focusing on quantitative methods and behavior change communication. Amato is Assistant Professor of Medicine (adjunct) at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
Sarah Cha oversees all research and evaluation activities for the EX Program. She has over a decade of experience in developing and evaluating digital tools for tobacco use cessation, including websites, mobile apps, and text message-based programs. Cha has overseen recruitment of large clinical trials (combined 14K+ participants), including multiple NIH-funded R01s. She received her Master of Science in Public Health in Health Education and Health Communication from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Robert Falk is a healthcare attorney with 15 years of private practice experiences at prominent national law firms and over a decade in the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining Truth Initiative, Falk served for 11 years as the general counsel and corporate secretary of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization. He has advised both the Human Rights Campaign and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation on legal issues including election and campaign finance law, nonprofit tax issues, real estate, human resource matters, and intellectual property. Before the Human Rights Campaign, he served as general counsel of the Whitman-Walker Clinic, an HIV/AIDS social service agency, and as acting general counsel at D.C. General Hospital. He is a recipient of the Human Rights Campaign’s Ally of Justice award. Falk is a graduate of Yale Law School and Princeton University.
When employees who use tobacco feel the stigma of addiction, it doesn’t bode well for either employer or the employee. See tips for managers on removing this stigma in the workplace to help employees quit smoking.
