MEET THE CO-FOUNDERS & CO-ENVISIONERS

Stevie Merino aka Sol & Roots Doula, Stevie is the cofounder & co-envisioner of our Doula of Color Training & the Birthworkers of Color Collective. Stevie was born & raised in Long Beach but identifies as U.S owned as her ancestral homelands are on occupied U.S “territories” -Guam & Puerto Rico. Stevie has been a community organizer & activist for 15 years. She is a mami to a healing 3 year old, finishing her Master’s Degree at csulb where she is centering the voices & experiences of birthworkers of Color in LA county in her research & at conferences as well as writing her thesis on the Birthing traditions & disparities of Chamorro people in So Cal. She is the former Advocacy Director for Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (Epic), she is a full spectrum doula, placenta encapsulator, educator, reproductive justice advocate, and a training consultant with BreastfeedLA for their 45 hour lactation education specialist training. She approaches this work with all the humbleness & gratitude & on the shoulders of all her ancestors who have brought her to this work. Stevie hopes to continue to serve & increase accessibility, representation, & create spaces for Queer birthing people & People of Color.

Blanca Diaz is the creatrix of Mama Maiz. They share their services & space as a birth assistance, herbalist, activist and organizer in Long Beach, CA. Their work is rooted in understanding historical trauma & connecting to ancestors resilience. Passions within the birth realm include abortionnsupport, consent within birthwork, supporting gender fuild and queer families. Look out for upcoming classes focusing on queering womb space, healing the ombligo. Blanca also hosts circles, workshops & medicine with community at their autonomous community space Flora y Tierra. Their work prioritizes QTBIPOC communities behind the intention to gather folks within the depths and love of exploring earth based knowledge and traditional ways. This work is inspired by the stars, mycelium, plants, winged and the unseen.