The System Didn’t Make Room for Her—So Shamekka Marty Built a Platform Instead

I barely hit record before realizing I was in for a ride. Shamekka Marty came in like a force—unapologetically open, fully present, and wildly unfiltered. “I’m an open book,” she said, and I could already tell she wasn’t talking about a paperback. Her life isn’t just a story—it’s a volume series with updates dropping by the week. 

“I usually try to read at least some of the books written by the people I speak to,” I told her. “Didn’t get the chance this time. But I’m hoping we’ll talk again—and by then, I’ll have read yours.” 

She laughed. “Oh, the first one? It hasn’t officially dropped. I’ve been saying I’ll get it out for years—I just haven’t had the time. The one out there is a collaboration, and I only contributed a few chapters. That was seven years ago.” 

In her words, a whole book could’ve been written just in the last week of her life. And honestly? I believe her. 

Wearing the Work Like Armor 

If you tried to list Shamekka’s current roles, you’d run out of ink. She’s not only involved in healthcare advocacy—she’s embedded in it.

“I run ten different foundations,” she told me, almost casually. “I’m president of two. I’m also building out a new one, and I serve as an ambassador for National Minority Health.” 

And that’s just the surface. 

She represents the patient voice in national interoperability projects connected to HHS. She sits on boards dedicated to data privacy and healthcare technology. She leads the Paramedic First Responders of California and the California Lupus Foundation. Oh—and she co-founded Beyond the Game Health, where she partners with athletes to build whole-person care strategies beyond the field. 

These aren’t ceremonial roles. She shows up, pushes back, and shifts the conversation. 

Health Isn’t a Hashtag—It’s the Mission Beyond the Game Health is her passion project—and it’s deeply personal. 

“We work with pro and retired athletes to put health at the center of their identity,” she said. “Not just physical health, but emotional, reproductive, the full picture.” 

But her advocacy started long before that. Living with 14 autoimmune conditions—including lupus—Shamekka has had to fight just to be heard. And that fight became a platform. 

“I’m not defined by lupus,” she said. “But it’s given me the knowledge—and frankly, the credentials—to speak on rare diseases, patient empowerment, and how to use technology to take back control of your health.” 

With her background in IT and cybersecurity, she’s not intimidated by buzzwords. She walks into clinical and tech spaces fluent in both systems and solutions. 

“Every person is running a business,” she told me. “And that business is your body. You better know how to manage it.” 

Cutting Through the Conference Noise 

So many healthcare events claim to center patients. Most don’t. 

“They mean well,” she said, “but they build all this tech without asking what patients actually need. Most of us don’t want twelve different apps or constant popups—we want answers. We want care.” 

Shamekka’s experience in tech allows her to do more than complain. She can reframe the whole issue. 

“When I show up in those rooms, I’m not just raising a red flag. I’m proposing what could work better. What could actually make a difference for patients.” 

Social Influence with Substance 

With 90,000+ followers, Shamekka’s social presence is far from superficial. She posts everything from behind-the-scenes advocacy moments to reels about patient rights, chronic illness myths, and workplace protections. 

“I did a reel about asking your employer for a reasonable accommodation,” she said. “You’d be surprised how many people had no idea they could do that. Or that after a kidney transplant, you actually end up with three kidneys—not two. Stuff nobody tells you, but everybody needs to know.” 

She’s partnered with pharmaceutical companies to spread reliable health info—but always on her terms. Her videos walk the line between viral and valuable, educating without condescending. 

The Courage to Be First 

Later in our conversation, she said something that landed hard—and stuck. 

“One of my greatest gifts is realizing that when I speak up, it makes other people feel like they can, too.” 

That’s her impact in a sentence. She doesn’t just advocate for patients—she activates them. 

So What Now? Where Do We Go from Here? 

With healthcare research facing budget cuts, infectious disease funding shrinking, and systems still leaving patients behind, I asked her: What’s the path forward? 

Her answer wasn’t in legislation. It was in leverage. 

“We need to start paying attention to the wealthiest people in this country,” she said. “Yeah, most of them didn’t vote for Trump—but almost all of them know someone with cancer. With Alzheimer’s. With something that breaks through politics and forces them to care.” 

She didn’t say this with cynicism. She said it like someone who’s seen the system stall for years and knows what really gets it moving. 

“People don’t act because of policy. They act because it hits close to home. That’s when they open their wallets. That’s when things change.” 

Conclusion 

Shamekka Marty isn’t waiting for permission. She’s not hoping the healthcare system suddenly finds its heart. She’s out here building bridges, breaking silos, and creating tools for people who’ve never had a seat at the table. 

She’s what happens when someone turns pain into purpose—then scales it. 

No elevator pitch can capture who she is. She’s the whole damn blueprint.