Robin Lim Filipina~American~Micronesian grandmother midwife, Doula, and founder of Bumi Sehat NGO which maintains clinics in Indonesia and the Philippines.

I am blessed to kneel at the feet of birthing women, the StarGate between Earth and the Land of Souls.  Every 11 seconds a pregnant woman or newborn dies somewhere on Earth. 800 mothers and 7,000 babies die each day. Most of these lives are lost due to preventable or treatable causes. Solutions include; humanizing protocols and practices for birth and postpartum care, eradicating disparities in food security and making skilled midwives and trained doulas available to every MotherBaby.

Honors: 2006 Alexander Langer Foundation, 2011 CNN Hero of the Year. 2012 APPPAH BirthKeeper award, Ashoka Fellow.
Books: After the Baby’s Birth, Wellness for Mothers, Ecology of Gentle Birth, Awakening Birth, Eating for Two... Recipes for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women, Placenta the Forgotten Chakra, Eat Pray Doula, The Geometry of Splitting Souls, Natural Family Planning Workbook, Butterfly People, 6 health booklets in Bahasa Indonesia.

Lim's passion is culturally safety, respect, and Human Rights in Childbirth, and healthcare as a human right. My circle of support has been the astonishing Bumi Sehat team, plus my husband, Wil, and eight amazing grown and growing children (ages 46 to 16), I have six grandchildren, born gently into my hands.

www.bumisehatfoundation.org www.iburobin.org

Debra Pascali-Bonaro LCCE, AdvCD/BDT/PDT(DONA) is an inspirational international speaker, author, podcast host and filmmaker, Director of the award-winning documentary Orgasmic Birth: The Best-Kept Secret  and co-writer of “Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying and Pleasurable Birth” all of which  explore the intimate and sacred sexual nature of birth.  Chair of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization, Co-Chair for the International Childbirth Initiative,  Debra’s passion comes from her years as a  Lamaze International childbirth educator, and birth and postpartum doula trainer with DONA International .  She has taught and worked with parents, physicians, midwives, nurses, doulas, and students in over 40 countries.  Debra is a featured expert in parenting journals and media around the world.

Michelle is a native of Denver, Colorado. At the age 7, Michelle and her family moved to rural Verbena, Alabama in the late ’70s. Michelle experienced bullying through racial bias at an early age. Outspoken as a child, Michelle began combating her attackers through physical confrontations leading to multiple suspensions. During her last suspension, Michelle’s father gave her an ultimatum, “Prison or Art.” He challenged her to seize the moment to be creative.

At the age of 13, Michelle harnessed her entrepreneurial spirit and started a hand-painted T-shirt business. After graduation, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and attended the Art Institute of Atlanta studying Graphic Design and Visual Communications.

For nearly 35 years, Michelle has used art, history, and “real talk” conversations to mentor marginalized and disfavored students through visual arts and spoken word. She has created and branded art diversion programs used by juvenile detention centers in Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery, Alabama.

Michelle’s art has been shown in galleries across the country notably the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. She has painted for Tyler Perry, Denzel Washington, and countless other stars. She opened a gallery and restaurant called PJR’S FISH AND BBQ RESTAURANT that employed high school students, returning citizens, and the homeless. Michelle has traveled across the country speaking and motivating our children to be More Than a statistic, generalization, or stereotype. She challenges all children and students to defy the odds of victimization.

Michelle is the founder and director of I AM MORE THAN… Youth Empowerment Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. She owns and operates More Than Tours, a social business providing educational tours for nearly 10,000 underserved students in marginalized communities of color. Michelle’s mission is simple,“Exposing Our Children To The Truth, Will Give Them Access To A Seat At The Table.”

Today, Michelle is the creator of The Mothers of Gynecology Monument in Montgomery, Alabama.

She’s USA Today’s Alabama 2022 Woman of the Year.

Jennie Joseph is a well respected health advocate for women and newborn babies. A British-trained midwife, Jennie has become one of the world's most respected midwives and authorities on women's health: healthy pregnancies, healthy deliveries and healthy babies. She has become a true advocate for systematic reform that puts women and babies first in healthcare; before profit, convenience and the numerous reasons America trails other developed nations in healthy births. Jennie's common sense approach has won her the attention of global news media and brought her invitations to speak all over the world. Jennie is the founder and executive director of Commonsense Childbirth Inc. and the creator of The JJ Way, a common sense approach designed for women and children. Jennie has worked extensively in European hospitals, American birth centers, clinics and homebirth environments. She has been instrumental in the regulation of Florida midwives since the 1990s and has been involved in midwifery education since 1995. Jennie firmly believes in patient-centered, woman-centered care and works tirelessly to support the systems, providers and agencies charged with delivering that type of care. Until women and their loved ones feel that they have enough knowledge and agency to be part of the decisions around their care and until they have access to the education and support that they are lacking, they will continue to be at risk.  - Jennie Joseph.