Alva is the Clinical Research Coordinator for Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine’s Arnhold Institute of Global Health (AIGH)/ Department of Global Health & Health System Design’s NYC Partnership. In her role, Alva is responsible for the evaluation of both the HOPE and Growing HoPE Programs. Prior to this role, Alva was part of the Blavatnik Women’s Health Research Institute where she worked on VIBE — a maternal health study that analyzes the impact of stressful factors, including those faced during the COVID-19 pandemic on postpartum health in women from minority racial or ethnic groups from Elmhurst and Queens hospitals. Alva has a strong interest in maternal and infant health research and completed her MPH in Epidemiology/Biostatistics at CUNY School of Public Health & Health Policy. Alva looks forward to continuing to advance maternal and infant health research efforts. In her spare time, Alva enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.

Anabel is the Bilingual Perinatal Coordinator at Ancient Song. Originating from Borikén, Puerto Rico, Anabel is a full-spectrum doula and childbirth educator with a deep-seated passion for equitable access to pregnancy support, education, and care. Embodying more than just a profession, Anabel’s work represents a fervent advocacy for holistic, culturally sensitive perinatal health, deeply rooted in the rich cultural of her heritage. This commitment stems from a personal understanding of the diverse needs of expectant and new parents, fueled by her own experiences as a parent of two. At the heart of her practice, Anabel brings an unyielding dedication to creating a nurturing, inclusive environment that respects and integrates the unique cultural perspectives and traditions of pregnancy and childbirth- allowing for combination of traditional practices with modern techniques, to provide comprehensive, compassionate care. Anabel’s mission is to dismantle barriers to doula care, ensuring that every expectant parent, irrespective of background, has access to and receives culturally attuned perinatal care. Proudly representing her Puerto Rican identity, Anabel honors this transformative endeavor, striving to make a lasting impact in the communities she serves.

Chanel is the founder and Chief Executive Director of Ancient Song, a reproductive health organization focused on providing resources and full-spectrum doula services to women of color and marginalized communities throughout NYC and northern New Jersey. Her work within infant and maternal health has led her across the globe to Uganda were she has served as a maternal health strategist in rural war torn areas. Her work in birth and reproductive justice spans research and methods of care of marginalized people and people of color bringing a human rights framework into birthing rooms, institutional reform and accountability measures within healthcare to address implicit bias and racism. Chanel and Ancient Song’s work is featured on CNN’s Champions for Change, the cover of Working Mother Magazine, NY Times, SELF Magazine, and most recently NowThis and Vogue Magazine and partnering BabyDove Black Birth Equity Fund to provide grants for doula services nationwide. When she is not working on legislative policy or facilitating workshops, you can find her spending time with her six children.

Ms. Cheryl Anne Hall is presently serving as the Executive Director of Caribbean Women’s Health Association that provides an array of services around maternal health including, parenting, breast feeding, safe sleep, coordination of doula services in Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx. Ms. Hall was appointed to President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) under President Bush and was a member of a high level delegation led by Secretary of Health for Health and Human Services, visiting nine countries in Africa that were funded under the President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to monitor the progress of care and treatment. Ms. Hall served as the Principal Investigator on a four-year HRSA Twinning Grant whose principal objective was to strengthen human capacity to improve service delivery to people living with HIV/AIDS both in the United States and the Caribbean. She also served as the Principal Investigator for another HRSA Grant to evaluate the Target Intervention Peer Support Model for HIV Education and Treatment. Ms. Hall is one of the authors of the HIV/AIDS Manual for Faith Communities. She is an ardent advocate for improving birth outcomes for women in Brooklyn and around the country.

Kanwal is the Program Manager for Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine’s Arnhold Institute of Global Health (AIGH)/ Department of Global Health & Health System Design’s NYC Partnership to advance care, research, and education efforts in the local NYC community. In her role, Kanwal is responsible for leading strategy and programming implementation efforts to advance women’s health efforts. Kanwal is a medical anthropologist , doula, and the co-author of "Taking Care of You: The Empowered Woman's Guide to Better Health." (Mayo Clinic Press 2022). Kanwal is passionate about women's health across the lifespan and fiercely dedicated to making health information and education accessible to all communities. Kanwal is a proud Poplar Bluff, Missouri native and her rural roots cultivated and catalyzed her desire to become a community-based participatory action researcher.

Dr. Harishankar is an assistant faculty member in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science and in the Department of Health Systems Design and Global Health. Krupa has a longstanding commitment to working with justice-involved women, as an advocate, researcher, and clinician. She practices at Elmhurst Hospital, and within this diverse community brings particular focus to the care of birthing people who are currently or formerly incarcerated. Krupa collaborates with Correctional Health on Rikers Island to create systems of longevity and continuity of care between the carceral system and community, building from a reproductive justice framework. Krupa is proud to be a part of Growing HOPE and the Birth Support Working Group, which works to better understand the experiences of those who were pregnant while incarcerated and prioritizes the expertise of individuals who have been directly impacted.

Naphtali is the Maternal Care Coordinator from the Maternal Home working in the Women’s Clinic at Queens Hospital Center. Naphtali is the point person at Queens Hospital for referrals to the NYC Partnership's HOPE Doula program. Naphtali completes assessments to determine patient's social determinants of health and helps identify and connect patients to appropriate and vital resources. Naphtali has a Master’s in Public Health and is currently pursing her Doctorate in Health Care Administration at Capella University.

Rochelle is the Lead of Special Programs and one of the perinatal coordinators at Ancient Song. Rochelle received her doula certification in 2012 at the tender age of 19 and has attended over 60 births and counting. She has experience working with low income, teens, twins, C section, vbac’s etc. As a doula she has also supported many families through their postpartum stages. In the year of 2017, She went on to receive certificates in phlebotomy, ekg, home health aid, and nurse aid and worked in various hospitals. She has also worked as a Nurse-midwife’s secretary, learning the in’s and outs of being a midwife, and is an aspiring midwife. Rochelle is a wife and the mother of three beautiful children.

Dr. Maru is an attending physician at Elmhurst Hospital where she practices as an OBGYN. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Health Systems Design and Global Health and Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Sheela is the Director of the Arnhold Institute of Global Health’s NYC Partnership which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of communities in NYC by building community partnerships and addressing social determinants of health. Sheela and her team work closely with community partners to design, implement, and evaluate programs like HOPE and Growing HOPE. Sheela’s research focuses on improving healthcare access and quality for women and children in low-resource settings. For over a decade, Sheela has also served as an advisor for the organization Possible, supporting health systems strengthening and implementation science work in rural Nepal. Dr. Maru is the mother of twin teens and lives in Jackson Heights with her family.

Sherley Gebara is the Director of Nursing for the Maternal Child Health Department at Queens Hospital. She is a member of the NYS Birth Equity Project and launched along with her amazing team of MCH leaders the PREM survey initiative. Ms. Gebara has over 35 years of MCH experience and advocates that the MCH population receive respectful, safe, and equitable care. Ms. Gebara is an IBCLC and supports exclusive breastfeeding, holds specialty certifications in neonatal nursing, advanced nurse executive and is currently pursing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nursing Leadership at Chamberlain University. Sherley is the proud daughter of Haitian immigrant parents, was born in Brooklyn and is fluent in French and Haitian Creole.

Stacey Lewis is the Doula Program Coordinator at Caribbean's Women Health Association. Stacey was called to become a birth doula after graduating from college with a BA in Women and Gender Studies in 2010. Having spent many years as a women’s rights and reproductive rights activist, Stacey transitioned her energy and skills into supporting birthing people directly. As a full spectrum doula, she has supported birthing people from all walks of life bringing a holistic and inclusive approach. Stacey is also a certified Reiki practitioner, end of life doula and womb practitioner. Stacey also brings over a decade of experience in social services working with marginalized populations experiencing housing insecurity, incarceration, unemployment and persecution due to sexual and gender identity. Stacey is a proud daughter of Caribbean immigrant parents and a Brooklyn native, fueling her passion for community-based work. She is fluent in French and Haitian Creole. 

Dr. Whaley is the Director of Nursing for the Maternal Child Health Department at Elmhurst Hospital and a Clinical Adjunct Professor at LaGuardia Community College for nursing students. She is a member of the NYS Birth Equity Project and helped launch the PREM survey initiative. Dr. Whaley has 23+ years of nursing experience and is passionate about ensuring that all patients are provided with health care that is safe, equitable, and delivered with dignity and respect.