Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha is the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Founder and Director of the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ), and of the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) Lab. In addition, she is the founder of the largest conference on Black maternal health in the United States held annually in April. In its 8th year, the conference has recently attracted participants from over 46 states and 10 countries. An active scholar, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research investigates maternal health disparities, infant mortality, reproductive health and social justice, and HIV/AIDS as experienced by Black women. She also serves as the inaugural Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the university’s Public Health and Professional Degree Programs.

A well-published author, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research has been presented in over 85 manuscripts, 8 book chapters, a best-selling book on Amazon, and a textbook on culturally responsive evaluation. Her research has also been featured across a series of platforms, including, The Lancet, TedX, USA Today, MSNBC and most recently in the New York Times. She also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Women’s Health Issues. Currently, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Principal Investigator of two multi-year studies on maternal mortality and morbidity. She is an active co-investigator on several other research studies with collaborators across the country.

In 2023, she received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the March of Dimes and the Academic Excellence in Maternal Health award from the IRTH app. In 2022 she received the John MacQueen lecture award from the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs. Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha was an honoree of the 2020 Top 40 under 40 Minority Leaders in Healthcare, as presented by the National Minority Quality Forum.

She also holds federal and international appointments and was appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the Advisory Council on Infant and Maternal Mortality for a 4-year term. In 2024, she was appointed to serve as the Inaugural Health Equity Think Tank Director for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, an international organization with over 125,000 members.

A community engaged leader, she is a founding member of Birth Equity Justice MA, a board member for the Neighborhood Birth Center in Boston, and a board member for Dr. Shalons’ Maternal Action Project. Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is also the President and Founder of Amaka Consulting and Evaluation Services, LLC, a minority and women owned public health research and evaluation firm.

Dr. Amutah-Onukagha received her Master of Public Health from The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services before completing her Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Maryland. She also completed the Kellogg Health Scholars postdoctoral fellowship with an emphasis on community based participatory research and health disparities.

In March 2024, Lisa Asare was appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the NJ Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority, the first and only such state authority in the nation, established to address maternal and infant health with a specific focus on addressing disparities.  In this role, she serves as a member of Phil Murphy’s cabinet.

With over 25 years of service within state government, she has served in senior leadership roles within the Departments of Health and Human Services, where she provided oversight of the state Medicaid program, mental health and addiction services and family health services.  She also served as the Department lead on First Lady Murphy’s Nurture NJ maternal health initiative, where she contributed to the NurtureNJ strategic plan, addressed the social determinants of health through multi-sector collaboration, and leveraged additional state, federal, and philanthropic funding to address emerging issues.

She serves as the Immediate Past President of the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Board and received the 2023 HRSA Maternal and Child Bureau (MCHB) Director’s award.

Barbara George Johnson is the Vice President of External Affairs and Urban Policy and Executive Director of the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University. She is also co-host of Kean’s Urban Impact podcast.

VP Johnson has over 30 years of experience as a public policy professional in New Jersey, with an extensive background in health care, public health and public policy. Early in her career, she spearheaded the development of the Newark Kids Initiative for the Newark Health Department, which focused on health care and social services for children impacted by domestic violence. She also served on the CDC-funded Newark Prevention Marketing Initiative and other task forces on HIV/AIDS. Her health care experience includes serving as a public health advisor for the Maternal Child Health Division of the New York City Department of Health, and later as the director for the Family Life Institute of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey. She was also the legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and a Senior Lobbyist on health care issues for MBI-GluckShaw. VP Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology and technology from Cornell University, a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, and a law degree from Rutgers-Newark Law School.

Kenn Harris is a 2024 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow and recipient of the 2024 APHA Martha May Eliot Award. He is principal consultant, The Emu Consultants, LLC. And Co-Founder and CEO, The League of Voices for Mothers, Babies, Fathers and Families. What drives him every day is his hope for better outcomes for all.

His immediate past job was as Vice President for Engagement and Community Partnerships at the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) in Boston, MA where he was also the Director and Principal Investigator of the Heathy Start TA & Support Center, funded by the HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau. His professional career in MCH and public health spans almost 35 years.

While at NICHQ, Kenn established an innovative and responsive Healthy Start TA & Support Center to serve over 100 grantees across the country. He enhanced and strengthened the work of Healthy Start communities across the country committed to the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities in birth outcomes. In addition to addressing infant and maternal mortality, Kenn partnered with the MCH community to ensure fatherhood and men’s health was included in MCH services. He continues to build on his experience with the federal Healthy Start program which began in 1991. He is co-creator of the Core Adaptive Model for Fatherhood (CAM©), an evidenced-informed model for fatherhood/male involvement programs. He is a senior consultant with the National Partnership for Community Leadership (NPCL) on the Fatherhood Learning Academy and Responsible Fatherhood Mentoring Academy. Kenn co-authored and published an article “The Health of Young African American Men” in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, 2015). Kenn is also a master storyteller, integrating storytelling in his work.

Sinsi Hernández-Cancio, JD, is the inaugural Senior Fellow for Health Equity at the National Partnership for Women & Families. She is a national health and health care equity policy and advocacy thought leader with almost 25 years advocating for increased health care access and improved quality of care for underserved communities. Sinsi is deeply committed to transforming our health care system to meet the needs of our rapidly evolving nation so we can all thrive together. She believes that our future prosperity depends on ensuring our health care system routinely provides excellent, comprehensive, culturally centered and affordable care for every single person, family and community, and that this requires the dismantling of structural inequities including racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia and religious bigotry.

Sinsi is a recognized leader in the national health equity movement, a sought-after strategic advisor and a dynamic, inspiring speaker. Sinsi’s extensive experience in health and health equity policy and advocacy spans the state government, labor and non-profit arenas, including working on the development and passage of the Affordable Care Act. Having barely made it out of childbirth alive, she is a passionate advocate for improving maternal health for women of color, reproductive justice, and marrying data and storytelling to achieve policy improvements.

She has presented at national events across the country and served on numerous advisory committees for organizations including the National Academy of Medicine, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs and the American Association of Pediatrics. She has published extensively and has appeared in national and state level English and Spanish television, radio and print media.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sinsi is bilingual and bicultural. She earned an A.B. from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. She lives in Fairfax with her husband, teenage son and three rescue dogs. She loves sci-fi, board games, growing food, and expressing her love for family and friends by cooking for them.

U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Navy helicopter pilot, former federal prosecutor, wife, and mother of four kids – Mikie Sherrill ran for governor to make life easier and more affordable for Garden State families. Her career has been defined by service to her country and New Jersey, and she previously served in Congress representing New Jersey's 11th Congressional District. 

Mikie was inspired to join the military by her grandfather, a World War II veteran. From a young age, she knew she wanted to fly and do big things. After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1994 – the first class of women eligible for combat roles on ships and aircraft – Mikie spent almost 10 years on active duty in the United States Navy. As a Sea King Helicopter pilot, she led missions throughout Europe and the Middle East. She worked on the Battle Watch Floor in the European Theater during the Iraq War, served as a Flag Aide to the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and was a Russian policy officer aiding in the implementation of our nuclear treaty obligations and oversaw the relationship between the U.S. Navy and Russian Federation Navy.

Following her service in the Navy, Mikie attended and graduated from law school. She worked in private practice and then joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey. As an Outreach and Reentry Coordinator, Mikie established programs to develop trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve and helped people leaving prison to gain employment, housing, and education to restart their lives. Then as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, she prosecuted federal cases to keep our communities safe and worked to take illegal guns off the streets of New Jersey.

Born in 1965, Tammy Snyder Murphy is a native of Virginia and a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.A., English and Communications, 1987). She and her family reside in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Tammy and New Jersey Governor Philip D. Murphy have been married for 30 years and together have four children: Josh, Emma, Charlie, and Sam. A transformative experience for the Murphy family was proudly representing the United States in the Federal Republic of Germany from 2009 to 2013. Tammy, individually and together with her husband, spoke and led on behalf of the United States of America. She chaired meetings, gave speeches, and hosted meals and receptions, strengthening our nation’s relationship with a critical ally while impacting the lives of thousands of Germans and Americans.

Upon returning to New Jersey, Tammy and Phil realized that the incredible state they call home needed bold new leadership. Together, they founded a think tank to explore ways to help grow the middle class and jumpstart New Jersey’s economy. During the campaign, transition, and now as First Lady, Tammy has been energized and inspired traveling the state and meeting New Jerseyans to hear their concerns, utilizing her experience in the private and nonprofit sectors to work through policy ideas and solutions.

Over the years, Tammy has worked with non-profits, a think-tank, and other organizations focused on the environment, education, health care, youth and family services, as well as the arts and trans-Atlantic relations. She currently serves on the Board of Directors and charter member of The Climate Reality Action Fund, an organization founded by former Vice-President Al Gore.

Tammy previously worked in finance in the United States and Europe and has traveled extensively throughout the world living overseas in each of London, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, and Berlin. She speaks German and some Italian.

As First Lady, Tammy’s policy initiatives focus on infant and maternal health, climate change education, and fostering women-owned businesses throughout New Jersey. She has worked to create Family Festivals across the state to increase access to resources for mothers, children, and families; worked with the New Jersey Department of Education to incorporate climate change throughout the K-12 state education guidelines to better prepare our students for the future economy; and partnered with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to increase angel investing in women-led businesses. She continues to be a partner to Phil as he works with Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way to tackle the formidable challenges facing New Jersey and its incredible residents.

LATHAM THOMAS is a distinguished women’s health expert, Black maternal health advocate, entrepreneur, Ivy League professor, speaker, and best-selling author. Most notably, she is the visionary founder of Mama Glow and the Mama Glow Foundation. Established in 2011, Mama Glow is a global maternal health and premiere education platform serving birthing people along the childbearing continuum. Its global community is home to over 3,000 doulas spread across the entire USA and 6 continents. Mama Glow supports families during the fertility period, pregnancy, birth and postpartum offering handholding through their bespoke doula services and works with leading insurance companies and hospital systems to improve the experience of maternal health care.

Four years ago, Latham founded the Mama Glow Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit committed to advancing reproductive justice and birth equity through education, advocacy and the arts, as well as research and scholarship. She serves on the Kate Spade New York Social Impact Council, where she helps to increase access to mental health support for women and girls. Latham serves on the Community Advisory Board for The Maternal OutcoMes (MOMs) Program implemented at Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider in New York state. Through the partnership with Northwell Health and through grant funding through the NIH, Mama Glow trains nursing staff in the Mama Glow Professional Doula Training Program and ensures clients needs are being met by hospital administrators.

In fall of 2022, Latham was appointed Visiting Professor of the Practice of Gender and Sexuality Studies for the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Re-search on Women at Brown University. There, the Mama Glow Professional Doula Training program is embedded as a course at Brown, a historic first at an Ivy League University. The Mama Glow Doula Homeschool Professional Training Program provides education and empowers birth workers around the world through workforce development. Mama Glow launched the inaugural Doula Expo in 2021, celebrated by Good Morning America as the “Coachella for Birth Workers”. The culture-shifting event is a first-of-its-kind festival for birth workers, caregivers and families, centering education, networking, business development and economic empowerment.

Recognized as one of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100, Latham has served as a doula for celebrity cli-ents including Alicia Keys, Anne Hathaway, Ashley Graham, Karlie Kloss, DJ Khaled, Rebecca Minkoff, Tamera Mowry, and more. A Columbia University alumna, she is the author of book two best-selling books; Own Your Glow: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living And Crowning The Queen Within and Mama Glow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy.

With over 20 years of experience in the women’s health advocacy arena, she is a sought-after speak-er having recently participated in the esteemed Milken Institute Global Conference and is the recipient of Black Girls Rock 2024 Community Change Agent Award.

Christy Turlington Burns is the Founder and President of Every Mother Counts. Christy’s work in maternal health began after she experienced a childbirth-related complication in 2003—an experience that inspired her to direct and produce the documentary feature film, No Woman, No Cry, about the challenges women face throughout pregnancy and childbirth around the world. Under Christy’s leadership, over the past 15 years Every Mother Counts has invested nearly $50 million to support awareness raising, community-led solutions, and advocacy for systems change, with the goal of ensuring that the maternal health journey before, during, and after childbirth is safe, respectful, and equitable for everyone, everywhere. Before founding EMC, Christy received international acclaim as a model representing the world’s biggest fashion and beauty brands which she leveraged to become a health and wellness advocate. She authored a book about yoga, Living Yoga: Creating A Life Practice (Hyperion 2002), edited the book, Arrival Stories: Women Share Their Experiences of Becoming Mothers (Random House 2022) with Amy Schumer, and served as an executive producer for the 2023 Apple TV documentary series, The Super Models. In 2025, Christy was named to the inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list as one of the most influential people shaping the future of giving and received The DVF Award which recognizes, supports, and amplifies the voices of extraordinary women who are dedicated to improving the lives of other women. Christy graduated Cum Laude from NYU’s Gallatin School of Independent Studies where she received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2023 and studied Public Health at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She has completed 10 Marathons on behalf of Team EMC and resides in New York City.

Shakira Williams-Linzey, MPH

http://linkedin.com/in/shakiralinzey

For more than two decades, Shakira has been committed to improving maternal and infant/child health outcomes, with a focus on reducing racial, ethnic, and economic disparities. She is the Director of Maternal Infant Health in the New York/New Jersey market with March of Dimes, a national organization whose mission is to lead the fight for the health of all moms and babies. The goals are to end the preventable maternal health risks and deaths, end preventable preterm birth and infant death, and close the health equity gap.  

Prior to this position, Shakira was the Director of Reproductive Health and Childhood Initiatives and Regional Manager for Family Support with NJ Early Intervention System with Central Jersey Family Health Consortium. She began her career in health administration at Cigna Healthcare, working with the company in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey in the company’s Human Resources, Sales and Provider Relations sectors.   

Shakira earned her Master of Science in Public Health from Temple University in Philadelphia and her Bachelor of Science in Health Science from William Paterson University in New Jersey. She also holds a certificate in Women’s Entrepreneurship from Cornell University and is a graduate of the Rockwood Leadership Institute Fellowship.

She currently serves on several boards and coalitions, including the Newborn Screening Advisory Review Committee, the New Jersey Maternal Experience Survey Advisory Board, the Power of NJ Birth Stories (PNJBS) Advisory Committee, the Leadership Council for the Alliance for Diversity Education, Practice, and Transformation (ADEPT), and the Board of Trustees for the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium.

Shakira is also actively involved in community service organizations, including the New Brunswick Area Branch of the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Mocha Moms, Inc. of Middlesex County, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  She resides in New Jersey with her husband and their three children.

Jaye Wilson is a nationally recognized maternal health equity leader, public health licensed practical nurse, community strategist, and the Founder & CEO of Melinated Moms®, a global collective dedicated to empowering women and families across the Melinated spectrum. With over twenty years of experience spanning nursing, public health, and community systems design, Jaye has become a leading voice in transforming maternal health outcomes for Black and Brown families.

She also serves as the Executive Director of Connecting Our Communities for NJ, where she leads statewide initiatives that strengthen family support networks, advance community-centered solutions, and bridge critical gaps in health, housing, and resource equity.

Drawing from her clinical background in nursing and her lived experience as a mother navigating inequities firsthand, Jaye built Melinated Moms® as a value-based, culturally responsive ecosystem of transformational support. Central to this ecosystem is the Melinated Moms Membership, a community-driven model that offers tools, education, advocacy training, and wraparound support to moms at every wage, stage, and phase of life. Through membership, families access a continuum of care—from perinatal concierge services and parent coaching to leadership development and community wellness initiatives—that honors their cultural identity, autonomy, and lived experience.

Jaye is also the creator of the groundbreaking Find Your ROAR™ Advocacy Training, a program that equips mothers, caregivers, and professionals with the skills to advocate boldly within healthcare settings, navigate bias, and create lasting change. Her training has empowered thousands of advocates nationwide and continues to redefine what equitable, culturally grounded advocacy looks like with the community as the primary stakeholder.

A dynamic and deeply rooted speaker, Jaye brings compassion, expertise, and transformational vision to every stage, inspiring audiences to reimagine maternal health equity, community care, and generational healing. Of everything she's been able to accomplish, her greatest inspiration is grounded in the legacy evolving through her children, Nadiyah and Alix.