birthFUND

Reimagining Birth, Restoring Trust A new movement in the United States is taking shape in #maternalcare, one that seeks to restore trust, center women, and protect lives. On a new episode of #TheDosePodcast, Joel Bervell, MD talks with author and advocate Elaine Welteroth about her own struggle finding patient-centered care during pregnancy and how the organization she started, birthFUND, is funding midwifery care, supporting new mothers, and reimagining what safe, empowering birth can look like in America. 🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/eZ2JicZA

✨ We’re in VEGAS, baby! ✨ So excited to be here for HLTH 2025, joining some of the brightest minds reimagining the future of health and wellness. our founder, Elaine Welteroth will be taking the stage to share how we’re rewriting the story of birth in America through birthFUND — one funded birth, one family, one midwife at a time. When we invest in birth equity, we invest in the future. 💜

At birthFUND, we believe the most powerful innovations often start with the most overlooked truths: you cannot talk about equity, empowerment, or the future of global health without starting at birth. Last week at the Clinton Global Initiative, we had the opportunity to put that message on one of the world’s most influential stages. Sharing our work alongside leaders across philanthropy, business, and policy reinforced what we know to be true—maternal health is not a niche issue, it’s a systems issue. Every investment in maternal health pays dividends: healthier families, stronger communities, and a more resilient future. That’s why we are working to shift not only resources, but also the narrative—to ensure birth is recognized as both a human right and a strategic priority. We are grateful to Chelsea Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative team for spotlighting maternal health in this critical forum, and to our team— Elaine Welteroth, Erin Coles and Faisa Ali, MPH —for the relentless leadership that makes moments like this possible. This is more than a campaign. It’s a movement to reimagine what’s possible when we start at the beginning: birth.

At this year’s Clinton Global Initiative, one message resonated above all: storytelling is not a side tool in movement building—it *IS* the movement. On the 'New Storytellers' stage, we explored how narrative power is shaping culture, policy, and collective action in today’s rapidly shifting media landscape. 🎥 Michael Vito Valentino, Editor-in-Chief of NowThis, reminded us that Gen Z is not just consuming news—they’re reshaping how it’s created, distributed, and trusted in an era of information overload. 📚 Shudufhadzo Musida, author, advocate, and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Global Champion, showed how personal journeys can become platforms for change—bridging beauty, advocacy, and academia to shift global conversations on mental health and gender equity. 🎭 Bridgit Antoinette Evans, CEO of the Pop Culture Collaborative, offered a masterclass in narrative strategy—demonstrating why philanthropy must invest in cultural storytelling if we want to see pluralism and justice take root at scale. 💜 Johanna Kandel, Founder of the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, reminded us how lived experience, when shared courageously, can transform into national advocacy that changes lives, legislation, and access to care. 🎶 Lindsay Ell, platinum-selling songwriter and activist, showed the power of artistry to break through silos—using music as a vessel for healing, empowerment, and social change. And under the guidance of Elaine Welteroth, our session illuminated what we’ve always known at birthFUND: investing in storytelling is not optional. It’s the bridge between data and humanity, between urgency and belonging, between vision and impact. Movements grow when people feel the story. And that’s how we create change that lasts. Thank you to Chelsea Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative team for inviting us to tell our story! #CGI2025 #StorytellingForChange #Leadership #NarrativePower

🌍✨ Next week, birthFUND is heading to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly and an inspiring week of side events! We’re honored to join the global conversation on equity, innovation, and maternal health at gatherings including Unstoppable Africa (United Nations Global Compact), Devex Impact House, Global Citizen NOW Impact Sessions, Clinton Global Initiative, Goals House, Goalkeepers, and more. At birthFUND, we are not just showing up to listen—we are bringing the stories, solutions, and urgency from the maternal health movement in the United States. We know that the maternal health crisis here at home mirrors challenges faced in communities around the world: from underfunded midwifery education to limited access to culturally responsive, community-rooted care. We are excited to connect with leaders, funders, and innovators who share our vision and to collaborate on solutions that can transform maternal health outcomes worldwide. Together, we can move from awareness to accountability, from incremental progress to generational impact. 💜 If you’ll be in NYC for #UNGA and these side events, we’d love to connect. Please reach out to our Head of Marketing Faisa Ali, MPH and Head of Operations Erin Coles. #UNGA #MaternalHealth #BirthEquity #GlobalGoals #birthFUND #Midwifery #Philanthropy #HealthEquity Gates Foundation Pivotal Ventures United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

We are beyond proud to celebrate Faisa Ali, MPH as the new Head of Marketing at birthFUND. 💜 Faisa is an award-winning strategic communications and health equity leader with more than a decade of experience elevating maternal health and public health brands through storytelling, partnerships, and digital campaigns Her track record speaks volumes. She has led global social media at Mercy Corps, directed maternal health initiatives at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), founded her own maternal health marketing agency, and supported more than 150 families as a doula. She brings a rare combination of marketing expertise, advocacy, and lived commitment to advancing equity in birth. Faisa embodies the power of purpose-driven leadership, and we are so excited to have her shaping the next chapter of our movement.

Today, I’m proud to share another powerful chapter for MAC VIVA GLAM as we welcome birthFUND and their grant partner, The Victoria Project, as our newest VIVA GLAM grantees! Together, they’re receiving a grant to further their work in closing the maternal care gap in the US – one family at a time. Our $200,000 donation will be used to expand access to equitable, midwifery-led maternal care for 30 families right now who need it most. This grant means no medical bills, no fighting the system, just dignified care from pregnancy through postpartum. Founded by the incredible Elaine Welteroth, birthFUND is helping to reimagine maternity care through a personal and powerful lens— putting real resources into the hands of families and mainstreaming the conversation around maternal health. Because while you may have heard about the maternal mortality crisis (YES, America is the deadliest place to give birth across all the high-income countries in the world by 10 times!), most of us are never told that midwifery care could avert 80% of maternal and infant deaths, according to the World Health Organization. At MAC, we’ve always believed in using beauty as a force for good—and this is beauty in action! You can get involved by shopping MAC VIVA GLAM in stores and online. 100% of your purchase price gives back🖤! https://lnkd.in/exs8x_NX