Joey Nelson
Joey is a founding member of Safer TN and the founder of Quagga Health, a company focused on the early detection of underdiagnosed medical conditions. She views firearm safety as a form of preventive care, aligning her professional work with her volunteer advocacy.
She earned an A.B. from Harvard College and a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley, where she specialized in underwater cave biology, before leading product and growth strategy for various fitness and healthcare brands. Joey applies this expertise to expanding Safer TN’s statewide membership and mobilizing Tennesseans around the belief that responsible gun ownership and firearm safety policies can go hand in hand.
She lives in Nashville with her husband—a fifth-generation Nashvillian and U.S. Marine Corps veteran—and their two young daughters.