Daisy León-Martínez is an obstetrician and gynecologist at UCSF who specializes in the care of birthing people with complex pregnancies. Her clinical and research interests include the role of language-concordant and culturally informed care and its effect on perinatal outcomes.
Victoria Leftridge is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in both Georgia and California who specializes in trauma. Currently, she focuses mostly on educating those wanting to be therapists as well as facilitating workshops for those who are interested in wellness, trauma informed care, and de-escalation. When she isn't working she loves traveling - both locally and otherwise - and exposing her toddler to the wonders of the world.
Katie Brown is an OBGYN and Complex Family Planning Specialist in the department of Obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at UCSF. She is co-director of the Black Womxn's Health and Livelihood Initiative and medical director of the Black Wellness Clinic at UCSF. She provides full-spectrum reproductive healthcare. In her free time, she loves to spend time enjoying the sunshine and cooking.
Nantzin (Nancy) Maldonado, RN, CNM, WHNP, is an indigenous community midwife who received an education and formal midwifery training at the University of California San Francisco, and lived a decade in the state of Chiapas, Mexico learning and practicing traditional midwifery and medicine in an indigenous community setting. Nantzin offers eclectic midwifery services, weaving contemporary and traditional medicine, to her formal clients residing in the culturally-migrant rich, agricultural community in Salinas and the southern coastal region of Ohlone lands, aka Central Coast of California, USA. When not doing homebirths, Nantzin enjoys walking and hiking in nature with her 11 year old daughter Zazil and her husband Jeronimo.
Asatu Hall is an Oakland-based California-licensed midwife, health educator, mother, artist, and youth advocate. Born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay, she has served the San Francisco Bay Area as a Community Midwife, health educator, and Cultural Arts educator for over 23 years working in schools, teen clinics, birth centers, crisis centers, and private homes. Her desire as a midwife is to reintroduce Black families to the holistic, safe, and empowering care provided by trained midwives and to help transform the legacy of poor health and poor birth outcomes in the black community for future generations of black women and girls.
Fun Fact: I have was part of an Award winning Carnival Group for over 15 years, and helped start another Carnival contingent in SF 2 years ago.
Michele Gonzales, BSN, with a certification on electronic fatal monitoring, is a L&D nurse in Santa Cruz, California. She has been a bedside nurse for four years now. She previously worked as a medical assistant in an OB/GYN department for five years prior to leaving to go to nursing school. She strives to help birthing people have a memorable and positive birth experience. As an advocate, she is committed to helping patients achieve the birth they imagined, as long as it is safe for both them and their baby. She also has the unique experience going through a two day induction that led to a C-section due to failure to progress. She uses her personal experience of induction and C-section to educat patients from a patient standpoint on what to expect.
Fun fact: When I got married I had to change only one letter of my last name to my married name.
Sheri Foote, a Certified Nurse Midwife and clinical professor, has dedicated over 25 years to centering the health and wellness of birthing people. Her midwifery experience expands across diverse settings in the US and Guam, including birth centers and hospitals. She is passionate about improving birth equity, particularly for Black birthing people. She is proud to be a part of EMBRACE centering pregnancy and an OB/GYN provider at UCSF Black Wellness Center. Currently, she avails midwifery care and educates our future Nurse Midwives and future OB/GYN Doctors at UCSF both in the outpatient and in the inpatient units. When not caring for patients, you might find her exploring the great outdoors or losing myself in a good book.
Linda Jones is a Birth and Postpartum Doula, photographer, and mother of two, grandmother of four (soon to be five!), and great-grandmother of four, based in Oakland, CA. With over three decades of experience in natural birth advocacy and reproductive justice, she co-founded Black Women Birthing Justice (BWBJ) in 2011 and is the organization’s Executive Director. Linda is also the co-author of Battling Over Birth: Black Women and the Maternal Health Care Crisis in California. Additionally, Linda is the Director of Community Collaboration for Mothers for Postpartum Justice, providing postpartum meals for BIPOC women, and serves as a consultant for BelovedBirth Black Centering at Highland Hospital, where she coordinates a free Doula program.
Dora Torres (not pictured) is a doula, health educator, and mother of three. She is currently married, and they are a family of five with three children. Dora was born in Mexico and came to this country when she was 13 years old. She currently lives in San Francisco and is part of the Birth Companion Community Center Organization. Dora is a birth and postpartum doula, and she teaches prenatal and postpartum classes. She also teaches opening doors in different organizations. Dora enjoys supporting women so that they have a respected birth full of pleasant memories. She likes to give them the support they need during the postpartum period, making this whole stage a little easier for them so they can enjoy this beautiful time. A fun fact about Dora is that she enjoys making placenta encapsulation.