Omare Jimmerson is an advocate, a community educator, a program creator, a mentor, and a leader. Omare is the Executive Director of the OKBEI, and was previously the Deputy Director of Parks, Culture and Recreation at the City of Tulsa, where she ensured Tulsans were best served by various systems including education, healthcare and social services through the pandemic. Omare is the Co-Founder and previous Program Director of Strong Tomorrows, a school-based initiative for expectant and parenting students that provides guidance, support, and information. She is also on numerous nonprofit boards in Tulsa, and is currently the Board Chair for Reading Partners. She is proud of her Nigerian heritage being the first generation born in the States. Omare earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Oklahoma.

Shamika, a proud Tulsa native, has dedicated over 20 years to serving families in a variety of impactful roles. Her journey spans birth doula support, education with Tulsa Public Schools, and child welfare through the Department of Human Services. As an advocate for families, Shamika is deeply involved in her community, currently serving on two nonprofit boards in Tulsa. A significant milestone in her advocacy work was the successful proclamation of Community Doula Week in the City of Tulsa. As a Program Project Manager, she has been instrumental since the inception of the OKBEI doula program, supervising a full-time doula team and spearheading the development and implementation of various internal projects. Shamika is a proud alum of Langston University and holds multiple certifications, including Community-Based Doula from OKBEI, DONA Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, and Childbirth Educator. Shamika is passionate about laboring parents in the community being seen, heard, and controlling their own birth experience.

Ashlee is an experienced birthworker and is certified in both birth and postpartum work. After having her own children, Ashlee became increasingly interested in birth and postpartum doula work, deciding to fully make the move to full-time in November of 2019. She has an overwhelming passion to help mothers go through and come out of the experience of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum feeling empowered and proud of every decision they have made. Ashlee is a Doula every day to her friends and family in so many ways and is so excited to be able to extend that service to the women of the Tulsa area. Ashlee currently serves as both a community-based doula as well as supervisor of the Community-based Doula Hub Program.

Rebecca Cherms comes to OKBEI with a passion for reproductive rights, closing the gap in racial inequities, and criminal justice reform. Rebecca is a proud Tulsa native with a BS from Northeastern State University. In her role as Executive Assistant she uses her 20 years of customer service along with her 5 years of HR and Claims management in problem solving and assisting OKBEI in a multitude of ways.

Martyne is a committed advocate for birth autonomy, reproductive justice, and maternal mental health support. With an MA from the University of Oklahoma, she brings her extensive experience in university-level curriculum development and teaching to serve as the Curriculum and Training Manager. Martyne became increasingly interested in birthwork after the birth of her two children, deciding to make the jump from a traditional education setting to OKBEI. She is passionate about using her love of education to develop training programs that support equity for birthing people and their families.

Maggie is a native Tulsan committed to advocating for equitable access to quality healthcare and resources for all members of the community. She has a BS from The University of Tulsa and is a graduate of OKBEI’s Community-Based Doula Training. Before stepping into her current role as Training and Development Coordinator, Maggie served as a OKBEI hub doula as well as a doula for the Afghan community. She is passionate about supporting training programs that empower our team of doulas to deliver compassionate care.

As the Community EngagementSpecialist, Megan is a proud and active ambassador for OKBEI’s mission and vision. She is a Tulsa native with a BS from Langston University. She previously worked as the Community Outreach Coordinator of Parks, Culture, and Recreation at the City of Tulsa, where she ensured that Tulsans were best served by various community engagement events involving healthcare and social services. She is very passionate about using her love, education, and networking resources to support and give back to her community!

DeShara is a wife, devoted mother of three, and a compassionate community-based doula, fervently guiding families through the transformative journey of pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenthood. With profound empathy and experience, she offers invaluable support, emphasizing the importance of strong support networks and self-care for navigating parenthood with confidence and resilience. Drawing from her own experiences and understanding of the Black woman's journey, she brings healing, joy, and empowerment to her work, expressing it through her role as Program Coordinator with Queens Village.

Tarae is excited to join the Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative as the new Certification Coordinator! She is stepping into this role with a heart full of passion for birth equity, a hunger to learn, and a deep respect for the work already being done. She is eager to contribute to the fight for birth equity by supporting and growing certification pathways that uplift community-rooted birth workers and center the voices of marginalized families. Tarae is honored to be part of this movement and can’t wait to contribute to the incredible impact OKBEI is making across Oklahoma.

Bri Barksdale holds an Associate’s degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a degree in Data Analytics. With a strong background in project management and process improvement, Bri brings a results-driven approach to advancing maternal health outcomes. She is deeply committed to OKBEI’s mission of achieving birth equity and justice for underserved families. Her work focuses on using data to inform strategies, highlight disparities, and support community-centered solutions that promote maternal health, dignity, and access for all.

Brittany Stewart is a wife, mom, Program Specialist 1 at Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative (OKBEI), and nursing student at Langston University starting in Fall of 2025, with strong ties to family and church. Proud to be born and raised in Tulsa, Brittany’s self-described “soft spot” for the people of North Tulsa drives her to serve the African American community and teen moms with her caring Doula services. Brittany’s time at OKBEI has allowed her to grow as an educator, co-facilitating the Community-Based Doula Training program to raise up the next generation of Doulas as well as leading the Maternal Health Collective to tackle the Maternal Health Crisis in Oklahoma. Brittany has turned a traumatic experience she had into motivation to help women of color advocate for themselves. The feeling of not being heard motivates her to help others be heard in this very vulnerable time. Married for fourteen years and mother to four children, Brittany spends her free time with family. Her favorite hobbies are reading, enjoying live music, and going to museums.

Kiawanna was born in Tulsa Oklahoma, raised in Des Moines Iowa. She is a Wife, Mother, Healer and Wombman to seven boys and men. They have provided her with 18 years of joyous alignment of healthy experiences, love, grace and all things possible. She has worked with women in all phases of their lives from family planning and fertility to postpartum for many years. Kiawanna's goal is to cultivate self love and appreciation for who women are and what they can DO. Kiawanna finished high school in Des Moines a year early and has an associates in accounting with a bachelors degree in business. Her stars align for the future of the Feminine.

Natalie is a graduate from Oklahoma State University and has an Associate Degree in Dietetic Technology from Oklahoma State University in Okmulgee. She has over 10 years of experience working with women who are pregnant, going through childbirth and postpartum needs as a Nutrition Assistant for Women Infant and Children (WIC. As a Certified Lactation Specialist, she looks forward to this experience to continue serving women in her community as a Certified Doula.

Jennifer grew up in Sand Springs, Oklahoma and earned her BS in Psychology from Oklahoma Christian University. After working abroad for 11 years as an educator and mentor, she returned to Oklahoma to continue teaching and serving. Jennifer is a full-time community-based doula with OKBEI and eager to give back to her community as she serves Natives in the Tulsa area. She is diligently striving to advocate and promote the value of others while being intentionally aware of cultural differences, disparities and global perspectives. She is inspired daily by her husband and two sons.

Alys is a devoted mother of six, a lifelong learner, and culturally rooted birth worker who approaches her care with intention, respect, and deep reverence for the birthing experience. Raised in Lower Alabama, carries the strength, warmth, and traditions of Southern Black culture into every space she enters, honoring the generational wisdom that has shaped her path. Her journey as a doula began in Atlanta, where she first felt called to support birthing people through compassionate, informed care. In 2023, she relocated to Tulsa, where she continues to serve families with warmth, intuition, and evidence-based practices. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Services and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Health. A true career student, she blends academic insight with real-life experience, offering clients a well-rounded and deeply supportive approach. Alys specializes in natural and holistic care, creating safe, affirming spaces where families feel seen, heard, and respected. Her work is deeply informed by cultural humility, advocacy, and a commitment to reproductive justice. She believes birth is sacred—and that everyone deserves support rooted in dignity, autonomy, and love.

LaChelle is a certified Community-Based Doula deeply dedicated to holistic practices. She completed her training in the TBEI Community-Based Doula Training Cohort 8 and demonstrated active engagement in ReproduceU, a policy advocacy-driven cohort focused on enhancing reproductive health outcomes. Embracing the role of a doula as a profound calling, she wholeheartedly aims to provide clients with essential education and support during this sacred time, regarding it as a significant honor that demands utmost reverence. She considers herself blessed by the opportunity to be an agent of the change she aspires to see and to embody this change daily. She is a native of Tulsa, a wife, mom, LaLa, and a growing herbal business owner.

LaEbony is a dedicated mother, wife, and Chicago native who has successfully owned her own cosmetology business. After training as a Community-Based Doula in cohort 7 with OKBEI, she discovered her passion for birth work and now supports teen parents on their journey through pregnancy and birth with OKBEI. Her commitment to empowering families reflects her deep belief in the importance of compassionate care during this transformative time.

Nechelle is a small town Oklahoma native who grew up in Bristow, Oklahoma and went to Bacone College in Muskogee, Ok on a Track and Field scholarship where she now holds a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science. Nechelle uses her skills in exercise in combination with her Community-Based Doula training through OKBEI (Cohort10) to aid in her clients birth journey before, during, and after pregnancy. She is also an entrepreneur and business owner that creates body adornment jewelry to reflect the importance of self-love and healing. Nechelle has always had a passion for empowering Black Women through movement, spiritually, mentally, and physically. Some nouns to describe Nechelle are Family, Festivals, Music, Laughter, Colors, and Compassion.