S8, Ep 1- Building Community Through Chronic Illness: Nitika Chopra’s Journey with Chronicon

In this season premiere of The Health Advocates, our hosts welcome Nitika Chopra, the Founder and CEO of Chronicon. Nitika shares her personal journey of living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and how her experiences inspired her to create Chronicon, a platform and community aimed at empowering people living with chronic illnesses. Together, they discuss the importance of amplifying marginalized voices, making accessibility a priority, and building a supportive network for those with chronic conditions. Tune in to hear Nitika’s inspiring story and her vision for fostering change and connection in 2025. Among the highlights in this episode: 00:40: Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF, introduces Nitika Chopra, highlighting her journey with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and her work as the founder of Chronicon 01:30: Nitika shares her background, her experience of living with chronic illness for over 30 years and her motivation for starting Chronicon 02:04: Nitika recounts her diagnosis journey, starting with psoriasis at age 10 and later psoriatic arthritis at 19, and how growing up without a community left her feeling isolated 03:53: Nitika shares a memory of her first connection with another chronic illness patient — her grandmother, who had myasthenia gravis — and how their experiences differed but inspired her advocacy 05:32: Zoe Rothblatt, Director of Community Outreach at GHLF, asks Nitika to elaborate on the evolution of Chronicon, from an in-person conference in 2019 to an online community and event tours post-pandemic 08:16: Nitika shares a rewarding moment from her journey — the overwhelming response to Chronicon’s first conference and the connections it fostered among attendees 10:47: Nitika shares the inspiration behind Chronicon, crediting a transformative experience at another conference that sparked the idea of creating an inclusive and empowering space for those with chronic illness 13:46: Nitika discusses the importance of uplifting marginalized voices in the chronic illness community and her commitment to ensuring diversity in every panel at Chronicon events 16:19: Nitika highlights where listeners can follow Chronicon on Instagram (@chroniconofficial) and stay updated on upcoming events, including her 2025 spring and fall tours 16:41: Zoe and Steven emphasize the importance of making accessibility and inclusivity integral parts of advocacy efforts Contact Our Hosts Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF: [email protected] Zoe Rothblatt, Director of Community Outreach at GHLF: [email protected] A podcast episode produced by Ben Blanc, Director, Digital Production and Engagement at GHLF. We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to [email protected] Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.