About the Team
PRESIDENT/FOUNDER & Licensed midwife, lm
Zul Ruiz Ginés
Zulgeil Ruiz-Gines is a midwife, educator, and advocate for culturally safe midwifery care and education. She holds licenses as a Licensed Midwife in the states of California and Florida, serving in community birth settings. Born and raised on the magical island of Puerto Rico, she earned her BA degree in Humanities from the University of Puerto Rico. Zul‘s journey into midwifery education began in Temixco, Mexico, where she spent nine months learning from an indigenous midwife who opened her vision, spirit, and heart to the world of midwifery. . Zul is deeply committed to the education and training of midwives and recognition and sustainability of midwifery. Her dedication has led her to various roles, including Midwifery Instructor at the Midwifery Program at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College , Midwifery Education Consultant, founder of KIBI Consulting, Research and Education and Executive Director of Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery founded by Jennie Joseph. CCSM is a national program that provides quality, practical, culturally-sensitive training and education that is integral to maternity health care systems in United States.Currently Zul is pursuing her masters degree in Oregon State University in Applied Medical Anthropology under Dr.Melissa Cheyney, PHd,LDM as her advisor.. Her research focuses on the growth and sustainability of the accredited Midwifery programs for community midwives in the United States.
Administration, Operations & Communications
Andrea Herrada
Project Manager
Andrea Herrada, BA, MAEd, has been KIBI’s Director of Operations and Project Manager since January 2023. Her expertise is in education and project management, with over 10+ years in the field of education. She has specialized in the implementation of various technologies into the learning environment to promote online learning engagement. Andrea is also the Admissions & Student Services Manager of Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery. She graduated from Western Governors University in 2019 with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Education and is completing her M.A. in Mathematics Education. As Director of Operations, she is in charge of managing the daily activities of KIBI by overseeing several departments, such as: project managing, marketing, product mapping, instructor onboarding, and finances.
Andrea Herrada, BA, MAEd, has been KIBI’s Director of Operations and Project Manager since January 2023. Her expertise is in education and project management, with over 10+ years in the field of education. She has specialized in the implementation of various technologies into the learning environment to promote online learning engagement. Andrea is also the Admissions & Student Services Manager of Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery. She graduated from Western Governors University in 2019 with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Education and completed her M.A. in Mathematics Education. As Director of Operations, she is in charge of managing the daily activities of KIBI by overseeing several departments, such as: project managing, marketing, product mapping, instructor onboarding, and finances.
Raquel Trinidad
Communications
Raquel is a bilingual English-Spanish editor, translator, SEO and Google Business Profile strategist with over 13 years of experience across healthcare, education, and language services. Her background in interpretation and translation for courses, websites, apps, and conference talks led her into the world of website structure, SEO, and online visibility, where precision, context, and language behavior intersect. She now helps sustainability-aligned and bilingual service businesses improve discoverability through ethical, data-driven local SEO strategies that prioritize clarity, trust, and long-term impact. Alongside this work, she continues to translate and edit educational and healthcare materials, staying closely connected to the language and content that first shaped her professional path.
Carolina Brinkley, BFA, FNTP, is KIBI's Designer and Brand Guru. She has been with KIBI since its birth and helped develop its iconic branding. Professionally, Carolina is a Graphic Designer and Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP).
After earning her certification with the Nutritional Therapy Association in 2021, she founded Empower Family Nutrition, a company whose focus is to help individuals and families navigate health concerns via whole food.
Her mission is to bring a greater awareness of the world of nutrition, especially as it relates to pregnancy, to the minority community. Before becoming a FNTP, Carolina worked as a Graphic Designer for 10 years.
Carolina Brinkley
Creative Manager
Carolina Brinkley, BFA, FNTP, is KIBI's Designer and Brand Guru. She has been with KIBI since its birth and helped develop its iconic branding. Professionally, Carolina is a Graphic Designer and Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP).
After earning her certification with the Nutritional Therapy Association in 2021, she founded Empower Family Nutrition, a company whose focus is to help individuals and families navigate health concerns via whole food.
Her mission is to bring a greater awareness of the world of nutrition, especially as it relates to pregnancy, to the minority community. Before becoming a FNTP, Carolina worked as a Graphic Designer for 10 years.
Carolina Brinkley, BFA, FNTP, is KIBI's Designer and Brand Guru. She has been with KIBI since its birth and helped develop its iconic branding. Professionally, Carolina is a Graphic Designer and Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP).
After earning her certification with the Nutritional Therapy Association in 2021, she founded Empower Family Nutrition, a company whose focus is to help individuals and families navigate health concerns via whole food.
Her mission is to bring a greater awareness of the world of nutrition, especially as it relates to pregnancy, to the minority community. Before becoming a FNTP, Carolina worked as a Graphic Designer for 10 years.
KIBI Advisory Board
Dr. Melissa Cheyney
Vice Chair and Research Advancement
Jennie Joseph, a British-trained midwife, stands as a beacon of advocacy and change in the realm of maternal healthcare, tirelessly working to ensure that every individual experiences pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with the utmost dignity and support. Through her innovative approach, known as The JJ Way®, she has pioneered an evidence-based maternity care model that prioritizes accessibility, patient-centeredness, and cultural congruence, particularly in areas she terms 'materno-toxic zones'. In these spaces, often characterized by broken and inequitable maternity health systems, Jennie's focus remains steadfast on safeguarding the safety and empowerment of Black women and other marginalized communities who are disproportionately affected.Jennie Joseph's unwavering commitment to transforming maternal healthcare transcends boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the field and the lives of countless individuals. Through her innovative approaches, steadfast advocacy, and visionary leadership, she continues to champion the cause of perinatal equity, inspiring change and empowering communities worldwide.
Dr. Cheyney is a professor of clinical medical anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts and an international leader in maternal healthcare and midwifery research. She has authored and edited multiple books and over 125 papers and has served as a PI or co-PI on more than 30 grants, including from the NIH, Skyline Foundation, the Meyer Memorial Trust, and many others. Recently she received a $500,000 gift from Skyline to support her OSU Uplift Lab’s work in community birth excellence, quality and safety. Her outstanding teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels has been recognized with the Thomas R. Meehan Award for undergraduate teaching in the College of Liberal Arts, designation as Eminent Professor in the Honors College, and the university’s Professional Development and Mentoring Award. Her extraordinarily active public engagement is influencing the reform of maternal care in Oregon and the nation, resulting in improved birth outcomes, especially among underserved populations.
Vanessa Caldari, CPM
Governance & Resource Development Advisor
Vanessa Caldari, BSN, CPM, LM, is an experienced midwife with over 25 years in the field, combining clinical expertise with a deep commitment to humanized childbirth. She began her training at Maternidad La Luz in the late 1990s and gained hands-on experience in New Mexico before returning to Puerto Rico, where she expanded her practice alongside local midwives and pursued further education in nursing, public health, emergency medical techniques, and massage therapy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing sciences from the University of Puerto Rico and advanced training in midwifery. In 2007, she founded Mujeres Ayudando Madres (MAM), a pioneering organization that has provided midwifery care, education, and training for over a decade, later evolving into a community clinic in 2023. Vanessa also gained birth center management experience in California and is a licensed midwife and Certified Professional Midwife. Since 2019, she has served as Director of the only public midwifery program in the United States at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. A dedicated advocate for reproductive justice, she continues to work toward integrating respectful, evidence-based childbirth practices into healthcare systems in Puerto Rico and beyond.
Jennie Joseph, a British-trained midwife, stands as a beacon of advocacy and change in the realm of maternal healthcare, tirelessly working to ensure that every individual experiences pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with the utmost dignity and support. Through her innovative approach, known as The JJ Way®, she has pioneered an evidence-based maternity care model that prioritizes accessibility, patient-centeredness, and cultural congruence, particularly in areas she terms 'materno-toxic zones'. In these spaces, often characterized by broken and inequitable maternity health systems, Jennie's focus remains steadfast on safeguarding the safety and empowerment of Black women and other marginalized communities who are disproportionately affected.Jennie Joseph's unwavering commitment to transforming maternal healthcare transcends boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the field and the lives of countless individuals. Through her innovative approaches, steadfast advocacy, and visionary leadership, she continues to champion the cause of perinatal equity, inspiring change and empowering communities worldwide.
Mayra Sumter
Global Innovation Project Advisor
Mayra is a PhD candidate in Biocultural Anthropology at Oregon State University. She conducts research on reproductive medical pluralism in Suriname, South America with the aim to understand and recommend the collaboration between biomedical and traditional healthcare practices. Beyond academia, Mayra has worked in projects on forest conservation, traditional knowledge preservation, and community-based development. Her research portfolio includes studies on medicinal plant use, reproductive healthcare, and maroon funeral traditions. She is fluent in multiple languages, including English, Dutch and Sranan and brings a unique cross- cultural perspective to uplift reproductive medical pluralism. Her expertise in ethnographic research and community engagement continues to shape policies and academic discourse on reproductive medical pluralism and biocultural diversity in Amazonian and global contexts. Mayra Robles Sumter is of Surinamese descent, married to Pablo Robles and is the mother of Yiréh Hadassah and Simcha Ikemefuna.
Jennie Joseph, a British-trained midwife, stands as a beacon of advocacy and change in the realm of maternal healthcare, tirelessly working to ensure that every individual experiences pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with the utmost dignity and support. Through her innovative approach, known as The JJ Way®, she has pioneered an evidence-based maternity care model that prioritizes accessibility, patient-centeredness, and cultural congruence, particularly in areas she terms 'materno-toxic zones'. In these spaces, often characterized by broken and inequitable maternity health systems, Jennie's focus remains steadfast on safeguarding the safety and empowerment of Black women and other marginalized communities who are disproportionately affected.Jennie Joseph's unwavering commitment to transforming maternal healthcare transcends boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the field and the lives of countless individuals. Through her innovative approaches, steadfast advocacy, and visionary leadership, she continues to champion the cause of perinatal equity, inspiring change and empowering communities worldwide.
Dr. Emiliano Chavirra
Maternal Health Strategic Impact Advisor
Dr. Emiliano Chavira, MD is a maternal & fetal medicine obstetrician gynecologist in Whittier, CA and has over 20 years of experience in the medical field. He graduated from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2001. He is affiliated with medical facilities such as Saint Francis Medical Center and California Hospital Medical Center. He is accepting new patients and telehealth appointments.
Jennie Joseph, a British-trained midwife, stands as a beacon of advocacy and change in the realm of maternal healthcare, tirelessly working to ensure that every individual experiences pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with the utmost dignity and support. Through her innovative approach, known as The JJ Way®, she has pioneered an evidence-based maternity care model that prioritizes accessibility, patient-centeredness, and cultural congruence, particularly in areas she terms 'materno-toxic zones'. In these spaces, often characterized by broken and inequitable maternity health systems, Jennie's focus remains steadfast on safeguarding the safety and empowerment of Black women and other marginalized communities who are disproportionately affected.Jennie Joseph's unwavering commitment to transforming maternal healthcare transcends boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the field and the lives of countless individuals. Through her innovative approaches, steadfast advocacy, and visionary leadership, she continues to champion the cause of perinatal equity, inspiring change and empowering communities worldwide.
Brenda Ruiz
Board Treasurer
PENDING
Jennie Joseph, a British-trained midwife, stands as a beacon of advocacy and change in the realm of maternal healthcare, tirelessly working to ensure that every individual experiences pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with the utmost dignity and support. Through her innovative approach, known as The JJ Way®, she has pioneered an evidence-based maternity care model that prioritizes accessibility, patient-centeredness, and cultural congruence, particularly in areas she terms 'materno-toxic zones'. In these spaces, often characterized by broken and inequitable maternity health systems, Jennie's focus remains steadfast on safeguarding the safety and empowerment of Black women and other marginalized communities who are disproportionately affected.Jennie Joseph's unwavering commitment to transforming maternal healthcare transcends boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the field and the lives of countless individuals. Through her innovative approaches, steadfast advocacy, and visionary leadership, she continues to champion the cause of perinatal equity, inspiring change and empowering communities worldwide.
Charlotte Goudeau, CPM
Senior Midwife Board Advisor
Elder Charlotte Marie Shilo-Goudeau is a Licensed Certified Professional Midwife and founder of P.Y.O.B.E. (Pick Your Own Birthing Experience) with Mama Char’s Birthing Service in Maringouin, Louisiana. With over 40 years of combined personal and professional experience, she supports families while also mentoring and training future midwives, doulas, and community members. She serves in numerous leadership and educational roles, including doula trainer, international maternal support instructor, Evidence Based Birth® instructor, Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, NARM preceptor, and maternal health advisor, among others. Educated through institutions such as LSU, SLCC, and the University of New Orleans, she brings a broad, interdisciplinary foundation to her work. Deeply rooted in her community, she views midwifery as a practice grounded in mindfulness, resilience, faith, and intentional care, and she is honored to serve as a trusted Black elder midwife, as well as a devoted mother and wife.
Jennie Joseph, a British-trained midwife, stands as a beacon of advocacy and change in the realm of maternal healthcare, tirelessly working to ensure that every individual experiences pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with the utmost dignity and support. Through her innovative approach, known as The JJ Way®, she has pioneered an evidence-based maternity care model that prioritizes accessibility, patient-centeredness, and cultural congruence, particularly in areas she terms 'materno-toxic zones'. In these spaces, often characterized by broken and inequitable maternity health systems, Jennie's focus remains steadfast on safeguarding the safety and empowerment of Black women and other marginalized communities who are disproportionately affected.Jennie Joseph's unwavering commitment to transforming maternal healthcare transcends boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the field and the lives of countless individuals. Through her innovative approaches, steadfast advocacy, and visionary leadership, she continues to champion the cause of perinatal equity, inspiring change and empowering communities worldwide.
