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Your Intentional Birth Pro Mentors
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Alicia Fishbein
Co-founder of Intentional Birth and of the Perinatal Patient Advocacy Center, seasoned doula, former agency owner, board-certified patient advocate, mother of four. Specializes in shifting mindsets, in physiologic solutions, in business systems and brand development, in working outside the box, in tough love, and in connecting deeply.
Meredith Nelson
Co-founder of Intentional Birth and of the Perinatal Patient Advocacy Center, seasoned doula, natural movement specialist, former language professor, board-certified patient advocate, mother of two. Specializes in hospital diplomacy, in curriculum/program design, in business operations and innovation, and in loving support.
Ginelle Barry
- Business setup and management
- Business finance
- Doula agencies/collectives
Ginelle is a longtime small business owner with decades of experience in business setup, bookkeeping, and financial organization. She leads a doula collective and enjoys helping doulas strengthen the practical side of their work—especially by offering clear feedback on systems they already have, workflows, websites, and packages. Ginelle is known for being warm, direct, and detail-minded, and she cares about building businesses that feel sustainable, simple, and aligned with real life.
Chat with Ginelle
Emily Johnston
- Hospital birth mechanics and hierarchies
- Pregnancy/Birth with medical complications
- Lactation and infant feeding
A Los Angeles-based IBCLC and perinatal RN with years of L&D experience, Emily got her start in the birth world as a doula. Now a regular nurse facilitator for the Intentional Birth Advocacy Training, Emily is a sharp patient advocate and mentor, equipped to consult for doulas on matters related to hospital culture and policy. Her highly personalized and physiology-conscious approach to lactation is the perfect match for intentional doulas and the families they serve.
Chat with Emily
Katie Lusby
- Biomechanics
- Bodywork
- Fitness
Katie Lusby is a perinatal fitness coach, massage therapist, and IB birth doula specializing in athletic preparation for pregnancy, physiological birth, and postpartum rebuild. Her approach integrates strength training, biomechanics, fascia, breathwork, nervous system regulation, and pelvic floor function; bridging the gap between traditional fitness, pelvic health, and birth education and helping clients understand why their bodies behave the way they do, not just what exercises to perform. She offers in-person and virtual coaching and is passionate about helping women feel stronger, more capable, and embodied no matter what season they’re in!
Chat with Katie
Mary Skinner
- Nervous system work
- Business marketing and sales
- Postpartum care
Mary is a holistic birth doula, educator, and mentor dedicated to supporting newer doulas as they build sustainable, aligned practices. With a long history of business ownership, she brings extensive experience in sales, marketing, and client-centered strategy—skills she now translates into practical, heart-led coaching for birth workers. Alongside her business expertise, Mary offers deep roots in holistic postpartum care, including Ayurvedic healing practices that honor the physical, emotional, and spiritual transitions of new parenthood. She is also a certified prenatal and postpartum yoga teacher, integrating mindful movement and breath into her support and teachings. Her work blends intuitive wisdom with real-world business guidance, empowering doulas to grow with confidence, integrity, and balance while serving families with skill and compassion.
Chat with Mary
Dawn Tozier
- Prenatal preparation
- Biomechanics
- Birth debriefs
Dawn is a birth doula with over 30 years of experience supporting families through hospital, home, and clinic births. She is a physiology–first birth doula, with her deepest experience and passion rooted in out-of-hospital birth. Dawn is deeply committed to thoughtful, evidence-based birth preparation and is known for providing calm, grounded, and respectful support to families and fellow doulas alike. In addition to being a hands-on birth doula, Dawn is an in-depth childbirth educator, a Body Ready Birth Pro, a Thompson Method Breastfeeding Educator, and a Perinatal Patient Advocate. Dawn loves mentoring and encouraging other doulas as they grow in confidence and skill.
Chat with Dawn
Gina Valo
- Insurance/Medicaid
- Business setup and management
- Business finance
Gina is a seasoned doula and mentor focused on helping birth workers build sustainable, professional practices. She is the founder of BirthingKind, a Washington, DC–based doula practice that uses a cross-subsidy model, combining Medicaid and private-pay services to expand access to community-based doula care. Gina is credentialed with all managed care organizations in the District of Columbia and has extensive experience working within Medicaid and private insurance systems. Gina is especially passionate about supporting doulas to incorporate community care and insurance-covered services into a financially viable business model. As a mentor, she provides small business operations coaching to doulas who are starting or restructuring their practices. Her work includes guidance on building a professional presence, pricing services, managing finances, creating systems and workflows, staying organized, and selecting and setting up customer relationship management (CRM) tools that fit each doula’s unique practice. Gina holds a Master of Management in Clinical Informatics from the Duke University School of Medicine.
Chat with Gina
Eva Wingo
- Work-life integration
- Biomechanics
- Business setup and management
Eva’s journey as a doula—raising and homeschooling five young children—taught her the vital balance of setting boundaries, embracing efficiency, and maintaining a nurturing presence. Her focus is integrating her faith into practice, serving families seeking a spiritually grounded birth experience. Her passion is coaching fellow doulas to thrive, not just survive, in this sacred work. With her background as a Certified BRM® Pro (Body Ready Method®), she empowers doulas to move beyond comfort measures and proactively support clients on optimal physical preparation for birth. Her expertise in Christian-based support and patient advocacy empowers doulas to confidently hold space for their clients' spiritual needs and fiercely champion their rights in any birth setting. She believes that the most impactful doulas are those who are not only skilled but deeply connected to their purpose. She is excited to support fellow birth workers to thrive, not just survive, in this sacred work.
Chat with Eva