Edna Dimataga-Fernandez founded The Wellness Institute in 2013. Several life-changing experiences inspired her to start the company including her father’s death at the age of 47 due to a heart attack, her mother’s battle with breast cancer at the age of 56, and her own struggle with infertility.

Prior to founding The Wellness Institute, she has worked and consulted in the insurance and financial services industry since 1994. She was President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) from 2010-11. She is the Founding President of the Los Angeles Chapter of Women In Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS), and served as the Chapter President in 2014. She has a B.A. degree in Economics from UCLA, and an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management.

She is married to Phil Fernandez, a fashion, portrait and event photographer. They have two children together, a teenage son, Dominic (born in 1996), and a daughter, Ella (born in 2012).

When her son turned 6, she wanted to have another child. She was unable to conceive. She consulted with her doctor for the next 7 years. Finally, in February 2010, she was told to get a hysterosalpingogram (HSG). She found out that both of her fallopian tubes were blocked which explained her infertility. She was devastated. Doctors practicing conventional medicine told her that she needed to do invitro-fertilization especially since getting pregnant after age 35 is very slim. Considering her family’s health history, she did not want artificial hormones in her body so she refused invitro treatments. She decided to take the matter into her own hands and did some research on alternative medicine. In the Fall of 2011, she consulted with alternative medicine practitioners and incorporated holistic health practices in her lifestyle. She got pregnant in the Spring of 2012, and gave birth to her daughter, Ella, 6 days before Christmas (the best Christmas gift EVER!)

She speaks to women about the importance of using organic skincare and paraben-free mineral make-up. What we put on our skin is absorbed by the body. Unfortunately, many women are not aware that majority of the cosmetics available in the market are made of toxic ingredients, and are very bad for our health.

She also founded Wellness-Spring, a health & wellness store, which sells organic, natural, and paraben-free products including organic skincare and paraben-free mineral make-up. A portion of the proceeds is donated back to causes that support women, children, health, wellness and education.