Meet the Board
Brian Ung, President and CEO
Having personally faced autoimmune diseases since the age of 20 and being diagnosed with lupus and lupus nephritis in 2021, Brian knows firsthand the physical and emotional toll that patients can experience. This journey has fueled his empathy and determination to raise awareness about autoimmune diseases. He actively seeks opportunities to support and amplify the patient voice and has worked with a variety of life science companies, academic researchers, and patient advocacy groups to increase their understanding of the daily struggles faced by people living with autoimmune disease.
In his professional career, Brian has gained valuable experience as a pharmacist in the pharmaceutical industry, specializing in health economics & outcomes research and market access. Brian's unique background as a healthcare provider, industry professional, and patient motivates him to bridge gaps in understanding and improve the lives of those affected by autoimmune diseases.
Outside of his work, Brian finds joy in simple moments spent with his loved ones. Whether he's playing basketball, enthusiastically supporting his Lakers and fantasy football team, exploring different cuisines, or enjoying the comfort of home with his wife and their rescue dog, Ollivander, he cherishes the time spent with family and friends.
Ben Tomastik, Vice President
Ben’s first experience volunteering for a charity came in a bit of an unorthodox fashion - DJing at a jogathon for Operation Smile while in high school. With Brian, Corey, Kota, and others all in attendance, he played music for the attendees to keep spirits high and the party going.
His outside-of-the-box skillset and fun loving attitude, paired with a decades long friendship with Brian, brought him to help found Good Life Group and become its Vice President - along with its official event coordinator. He’s always cooking up fun games and shenanigans for all GLG events, where you can win a variety of prizes and hear his expertly curated playlists at no extra charge.
During the day, Ben works as an Emmy award winning sound mixer at Lime Studios in Santa Monica, where he’s mixed countless national broadcast campaigns, Super Bowl commercials, short films, documentaries and more. His creativity along with his dedication to a good time and a Good Life keeps his clients coming back for more and GLG events at their best.
Corey Mynatt, Treasurer and CFO
During the peak of the COVID, Corey found an activity that allowed him to safely socially-distance, get some exercise, and connect with his community, all at the same time - pick up trash at his local parks and hiking trails. He realized in doing this the value of working to improve the conditions of his community. Since then, he has also volunteered to assist in providing food for the unhoused in his neighborhood, whether that be by simply packing ready-to-go meals, or serving a three-course dinner. Corey would like to create opportunities to raise money and awareness to support this population.
Corey works as an actuarial analyst for a major Medi-Cal health plan in Southern California. In his work, he sees firsthand how expensive healthcare can be, and how much hardship it can create for its members. He believes strongly in a health system that is free or affordable to everyone, while respecting the cultures and dignity of those it serves.
In his free time, Corey will most likely be at home, playing chess (poorly), reading non-fiction books on science or criminal justice, or making fancy spreadsheets for his loved ones. If the weather is right, he might be at the beach playing volleyball (again, poorly) with his friends.
Kota Michaels, Secretary
Kota is here because he wants to the world be a better place - he knows that he may not be able to change the world, but perhaps he can help change one person’s world at a time. While the group’s original idea was to relentlessly support their longtime friend Brian, they’ve begun to realize that they could do just a little bit more - and Kota is here to support that mission.
Kota is what we would consider to be a glue guy - you won’t always see him out and about, but he’s probably working before, during, and after to make sure the people are having a good time. In his free time, he is a father and husband, and his hobbies are cooking, cleaning, parenting, husbanding, fixing the house, cleaning up after the cat and dog, and mowing the lawn.
RJ Mejia, Director of Marketing
At a young age RJ found his passion for helping and giving back to others. From volunteering in the 2nd grade at Easter Seals, to participating in Habitat for Humanity in high school, and continuing on to supporting one of his best friends, Brian, in his fight against Lupus. His love for family and friends is unquestionable and drives his goal of building relationships amongst all people. After losing his mom in her fight against cancer in May 2025, empathy and compassion fueled his outreach for others experiencing the same pain and struggles.
RJ currently works in various aspects of Human Resources, including a strong focus on Learning and Development. This allows him to build bridges with people throughout the organization on all levels and departments. But more importantly, helping them find their voice and provide them with tools or opportunities to reach their goals. He also spent years planning, promoting and hosting events on various college campuses across the U.S for company initiatives, and loves spending his free time in the creative arts.
The ambition to be "the guy you can always count on" is clear and so is his pride on being the life of the party. Now, he embraces his next endeavor as a new father and only hopes to be the son, husband, father and human being he believes he was meant be.