FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Angels for Change Announces 2025 Change Maker of the Year: Vimala Raghavendran
Lindsey (Hein) Thomas, 2024 Change Maker of the Year; Vimala Raghavendran, 2025 Change Maker of the Year; Laura Bray, Founder & Chief Change Maker, Angels for Change
WASHINGTON, D.C. / TAMPA, FL — October 1, 2025 — Angels for Change (A4C), a global nonprofit dedicated to ending drug shortages, proudly announces Vimala Raghavendran, Vice President of Informatics Product Development at the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), as the 2025 Change Maker of the Year.
This annual award, given at the A4C Champions for Change Gala on Saturday 27, 2025, recognizes visionary leaders who strengthen patient access to essential medicines and improve the resilience of the global medicine supply chain. Raghavendran joins a distinguished group of past honorees whose work has saved lives through collaboration, advocacy, and groundbreaking innovation.
“To me, a Change Maker is someone who doesn’t just talk about change — they commit to it, deliver it, and ripple it across entire industries and supply chains,” said Laura Bray, Founder and Chief Change Maker of Angels for Change. “Their work saves lives.”
Raghavendran spearheaded the development of the Medicine Supply Map — a first-of-its-kind tool that identifies and quantifies supply chain vulnerabilities across the global pharmaceutical supply chain. Created by USP, a nonprofit, for public safety, the tool is used widely by distributors, manufacturers, and government agencies, along with other major stakeholders in the fight against shortages. Since its development, this tool has become indispensable to the work of Angels for Change, playing a critical role in every project and behind every life saved.
“Mapping the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain from end to end is essential for identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities,” said Raghavendran. “I’m proud that our team’s work helps inform decision-making that directly improves patient care.”
The roots of this impact run deep. As Bray shared during the award presentation, her first contact with Raghavendran was five years ago — during Bray’s very first industry presentation. A message from Raghavendran arrived mid-speech, and it marked the beginning of what Bray called “one of the most meaningful partnerships of my life.”
“Vimala is a brilliant innovator, a fierce leader, an exceptional collaborator, and a passionate advocate for patients,” said Bray. “She is compassionate, curious, humble — and above all, she takes action. Every time.”
As Angels for Change celebrates five years of service, this recognition honors not only Raghavendran’s vision, but also her steadfast commitment to delivering tools that have reshaped the response to drug shortages — not just for A4C, but for the entire nation.
Previous Change Maker of the Year recipients include Lindsey (Hein) Thomas of Fresenius Kabi USA, Terri Lyle-Wilson of the Children’s Hospital Association, Dan Kistner, PharmD, of Vizient, and Brian Tyler of McKesson Corporation.
“Vimala embodies the spirit of the Change Maker Award,” said Bray. “Her dedication, innovation, and patient-centered leadership are an inspiration to all of us working to ensure no patient suffers due to lack of access to critical medicines.”
Please join us in congratulating Vimala Raghavendran, Angels for Change’s 2025 Change Maker of the Year.
About Angels for Change
Angels for Change is a global, volunteer-supported 501(c)(3) organization based in Tampa, FL, dedicated to ending drug shortages through advocacy, awareness, and building a resilient supply chain. Founded by Laura Bray after her daughter faced a life-threatening shortage during cancer treatment, A4C champions patient voices and builds partnerships with manufacturers, policymakers, healthcare leaders, and nonprofits to prevent shortages from compromising care.
Learn more at www.angelsforchange.org.
About the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)
USP collaborates with scientific experts and global stakeholders to develop science-based standards and solutions that help strengthen regulatory systems, simplify complex manufacturing supply chains, enhance supply reliability, and support adoption of innovation. Used in more than 150 countries, USP standards and solutions play a critical role in helping increase the availability of quality medicines, supplements and food ingredients worldwide.
More information at www.usp.org/about.